The princess and the pea

【1】 Andanéya engë cundo ye mernë vesta aranel, mal maunë hyen ná anwa aranel.

              

► Once upon a time there was a prince who wanted to marry a princess; but she would have to be a real princess.

【2】 Lelendes quanna ambaressë na tuvë sítë, mal allassë túves ya mernes.

            

► He traveled all over the world to find one, but nowhere could he get what he wanted.

【3】 Enger linë aranéli, mal ecceþië quima náner anwar nánë urucarin.

           

► There were princesses enough, but it was difficult to find out whether they were real ones.

【4】 Illumë uma tessë lánes yallë möa ná.

       

► There was always something about them that was not as it should be.

【5】 San entulles mar ar nánes naireä, pan lai yestanes ná ó anwa aranel.

              

► So he came home again and was sad, for he would have liked very much to have a real princess.

【7】 Andúnessë aica raumo untanë; enger hundo ar menel-íta, ullë tal, nánë amarúcima!

   ;          

► One evening a terrible storm came on; there was thunder and lightning, and the rain poured down in torrents.

【8】 Tá hlasser tambië i ostova andondessë, ar i enwina aran mennë na apanta sa.

               

► Suddenly a knocking was heard at the city gate, and the old king went to open it.

【10】 Engë aranel tarila tassë pono i andon.

       

► It was a princess standing out there in front of the gate.

【11】 Mal, ela! taitë nemesta ya ulo ar vaiwë acáriër sé nemë.

            

► But, good gracious! what a sight the rain and the wind had made her look.

【12】 I nén sirinyë undu findesseryallo ar hamperyallo; sirinyes mina tillë hyapatyatwa ar en et rastulcettallo.

      ;         

► The water ran down from her hair and clothes; it ran down into the toes of her shoes and out again at the heels.

【13】 Ananta quentes i nás anwa aranel.

      

► And yet she said that she was a real princess.

【15】 “Mára, rongo túvalmë sa” sannë enwina tári.

        

► "Well, we'll soon find that out," thought the old queen.

【16】 Mal quentes munta, mennes caimaþambenna, lempes ilya caima-lannë caima-talamello, ar sestanes erdevainë talda; en hostanes mustalami yuquain ar sestanesset to i erdevainë, ar an quá-finië töaller yuquain orwa to i mustalami.

               ;                    

► But she said nothing, went into the bedroom, took all the bedding off the bedstead, and laid a pea on the bottom; then she took twenty mattresses and laid them on the pea, and then twenty eider-down beds on top of the mattresses.

【18】 Sassë orwa maunë aranélen caita ter quanna lómë.

        

► On this the princess had to lie all night.

【19】 Amauressë, maquenter sen yallë olóriës.

      

► In the morning she was asked how she had slept.

【21】 “A, arihraia!” eques.

    

► "Oh, very badly!" said she.

【22】 “Hraia ohóliën hendinyat quanna lómessë. Rië Manwë ista ya engë i caimassë, mal caiteánen sarda natessë, etta nanyë saqua ildomë hröanyassë. Nás naira!”

                          

► "I have scarcely closed my eyes all night. Heaven only knows what was in the bed, but I was lying on something hard, so that I am black and blue all over my body. It's horrible!"

【24】 Sí sinteltë i issë anwa aranel, pan i erdevainë perestaniénë se ter mustalami yuquain ar quá-finië töaller yuquain.

                   

► Now they knew that she was a real princess because she had felt the pea right through the twenty mattresses and the twenty eider-down beds.

【25】 Alquenen ecë ná tandë cityaleä, hequa anwa aranélen.

         

► Nobody but a real princess could be as sensitive as that.

【27】 Etta i cundo vestanë hye, pan sí sintes i nánes ó anwa aranel; ar sestaner i erdevainë vanwiëmardenna, yassë tensi ecë mon cenitas, qui alquen ipílië sa.

             ;                 

► So the prince took her for his wife, for now he knew that he had a real princess; and the pea was put in the museum, where it may still be seen, if no one has stolen it.

【29】 Mai, tama ná naitë nyarna.

      

► There, that is a true story.