The Real Princess

There was once a Prince who wished to marry a Princess; but then she must be a real Princess. He travelled all over the world in hopes of finding such a lady; but there was always something wrong. Princesses he found in plenty; but whether they were real Princesses it was impossible for him to decide, for now one thing, now another, seemed to him not quite right about the ladies. At last he returned to his palace quite cast down, because he wished so much to have a real Princess for his wife.

Dahulu kala ada seorang Pangeran yang ingin menikahi seorang Putri; tetapi ia haruslah putri sejati. Ia berkelana ke seluruh dunia dengan harapan menemukan wanita seperti itu; tetapi selalu ada saja yang tidak beres. Putri-putri ia temukan dengan berlimpah; tetapi apakah mereka Putri sejati sungguh mustahil untuk ia pastikan, sebab selalu saja ada satu hal atau lainnya yang menurutnya kurang pas pada diri para wanita itu. Akhirnya ia kembali ke istananya dengan sangat murung, karena ia begitu ingin memiliki seorang Putri sejati sebagai istrinya.

One evening a fearful tempest arose, it thundered and lightened, and the rain poured down from the sky in torrents: besides, it was as dark as pitch. All at once there was heard a violent knocking at the door, and the old King, the Prince's father, went out himself to open it.

Suatu malam badai dahsyat datang, guntur menggelegar dan kilat menyambar, dan hujan tercurah deras dari langit: selain itu, malam itu gelap gulita. Tiba-tiba terdengar ketukan keras di pintu, dan Raja tua, ayah sang Pangeran, sendiri yang pergi membukanya.

It was a Princess who was standing outside the door. What with the rain and the wind, she was in a sad condition; the water trickled down from her hair, and her clothes clung to her body. She said she was a real Princess.

Ternyata ada seorang Putri berdiri di depan pintu. Karena hujan dan angin, keadaannya sangat memprihatinkan; air menetes dari rambutnya, dan pakaiannya melekat di tubuhnya. Ia berkata bahwa ia adalah Putri sejati.

“Ah! we shall soon see that!” thought the old Queen-mother; however, she said not a word of what she was going to do; but went quietly into the bedroom, took all the bed-clothes off the bed, and put three little peas on the bedstead. She then laid twenty mattresses one upon another over the three peas, and put twenty feather beds over the mattresses.

"Ah! kita akan segera tahu itu!" pikir sang Ratu Ibu tua; namun, ia tidak mengucapkan sepatah kata pun tentang apa yang akan ia lakukan; melainkan diam-diam masuk ke kamar tidur, mengangkat semua seprai dari ranjang, dan meletakkan tiga butir kacang polong kecil di atas dipan. Kemudian ia menumpuk dua puluh kasur satu di atas yang lain di atas tiga kacang polong itu, dan meletakkan dua puluh kasur bulu di atas tumpukan kasur.

Upon this bed the Princess was to pass the night.

Di atas ranjang inilah sang Putri harus melewati malam.

The next morning she was asked how she had slept. “Oh, very badly indeed!” she replied. “I have scarcely closed my eyes the whole night through. I do not know what was in my bed, but I had something hard under me, and am all over black and blue. It has hurt me so much!”

Keesokan paginya ia ditanya bagaimana ia tidur. "Oh, sungguh sangat buruk!" jawabnya. "Aku hampir tidak bisa memejamkan mata semalaman. Aku tidak tahu apa yang ada di ranjangku, tetapi ada sesuatu yang keras di bawahku, dan tubuhku memar semua. Itu sangat menyakitiku!"

Now it was plain that the lady must be a real Princess, since she had been able to feel the three little peas through the twenty mattresses and twenty feather beds. None but a real Princess could have had such a delicate sense of feeling.

Kini jelaslah bahwa wanita itu pasti Putri sejati, karena ia mampu merasakan tiga kacang polong kecil itu menembus dua puluh kasur dan dua puluh kasur bulu. Tak ada yang bisa memiliki kepekaan seperti itu selain Putri sejati.

The Prince accordingly made her his wife; being now convinced that he had found a real Princess. The three peas were however put into the cabinet of curiosities, where they are still to be seen, provided they are not lost.

Sang Pangeran pun kemudian menjadikannya istrinya; karena kini ia yakin telah menemukan seorang Putri sejati. Ketiga kacang polong itu kemudian disimpan di kabinet barang antik, tempat mereka masih dapat dilihat, asalkan belum hilang.

Wasn't this a lady of real delicacy?

Bukankah ini seorang wanita dengan kepekaan sejati?