Once upon a time a wicked King from a faraway country invaded the land where a Queen ruled. The invader King captured the Queen and her baby daughter as prisoners. When he returned to his kingdom, he shut them both into the highest room of a tall tower. The room was very tiny and bare, with only one table and a very hard bed.

The enemy King sent for a fairy who lived near his kingdom. He nearly pushed the Fairy up the stairs to the Queen's room. The Fairy was touched by the sight of the Queen's miserable condition. When she kissed the Queen's hand, the Fairy whispered to her, "Courage, madam! I think I see a way to help you."

The Queen whispered her thanks. Then the wicked King cried harshly, "Silence!" He turned to the Fairy. "I brought you here for one reason and one reason only. Tell me this: Will this baby girl grow up to be a worthy bride for my son?"

The Fairy answered that indeed, the Princess would grow up to have all the graces, intelligence and charms that was in every way worthy of a throne. The old King growled that it was lucky for them both that the Fairy had said it would be so. He would save the baby's life to become the future bride for his son.

The Queen and the Dancing Mouse

From the highest room of the tower the Fairy and Queen could hear the King's young son shrieking and demanding that his servants do this and that from down below, his mean voice carrying over all other voices and noises. The King thundered that if the Fairy had made a different forecast, both the baby and her mother would immediately have been hanged.

Then he stamped off, taking the Fairy with him, and leaving the poor Queen in tears.

"How can I wish my little daughter to grow up, only to be married to that horrid King's son!" she cried. "And yet if she were ill-fated, we would both be doomed right now. If only I could hide her away somewhere, anywhere! There must be someplace safe where the cruel King could never find her!" But where could the infant be hid, since they were both stuck in that tiny room at the top of the tower?

Queen ate with great satisfaction herself, and offered what was left to the little mouse. The mouse danced even more charmingly than ever before.

The next morning the jailer brought the Queen and the Princess' daily allowance of three peas each, which he brought in upon a large dish to make them look even smaller. As soon as the jailer left, the Queen gave the mouse all three of her peas.

As soon as the jailer left, the Queen gave the mouse all three of her peas.

The empty dish was instantly covered with all sorts of wonderful things to eat, and the Queen shared a feast with her daughter once again. But afterwards, as she sat at her spinning-wheel, she began to worry that the fine meals could end any time, and even if they didn't, that her precious daughter was doomed to live as a prisoner, only to be forced to marry that horrid prince when she grew up.

The Queen despaired, "Oh! If only I could think of some way to save her!"