Lesson 1: The Princess and the Pea

Once upon a time, there was a prince who was searching for the perfect wife. He only wanted to marry a princess, but he could not find one. He searched and searched, but there were no princesses to be found anywhere.

One night, there was a big storm. There was a knock on the door and the prince found a girl standing outside his palace in the rain. She was wet and cold. She said, “My name is Princess Charlotte, and I got lost in this storm. Please, can I stay here tonight?”

The prince wanted to see if the girl really was a princess. So, while the servants prepared a bed for her, he put a small pea on it and added lots of mattresses on top. The princess then slept on this bed.

The next day, the prince asked if the princess had slept well. She replied, “The bed was soft, but I could not sleep. I don’t know why, but now my back hurts!”

Seeing how delicate she was, the prince knew that she was really a princess. Finally, the prince had found a princess! At last, he could marry his perfect wife! He was very happy and married the princess. They lived happily ever after.

Vocabulary:

Search: To look for something. 探す.

Example Sentence: He searched his pockets for some money.

Knock: To hit something and make a sound. ノックする.

Example Sentence: There’s someone knocking at the door.

Palace: A large house that is the home of a king or queen.宮殿.

Example Sentence: The queen’s palace is very big and beautiful.

Prepare: To get something ready (for the future). 準備する.

Example Sentence: Have you prepared for your interview?

Soft: Not hard. 柔らかい.

Example Sentence: She likes to eat soft bananas.

Delicate: Something that needs to be treated carefully, especially because it can be easily damaged or broken. 繊細.

Example Sentence: These china teacups are very delicate. 

Grammar:

Only {Verb}

  • He only wanted to marry a princess.
  • I only eat chocolate.
  • He only reads manga.

Could {Verb}

  • He could marry his perfect wife!
  • She could run fast as a child.
  • They could go to the party, but they did not.

Could not {Verb}

  • The bed was soft, but I could not sleep.
  • The prince could not find a princess.
  • I could not help make dinner.

Can I {Verb}?

  • Can I stay here tonight?
  • Can I eat that?
  • Can I go home now?