The King said, “That cannot be true! How wilt thou prove that to me?”

“Oh, just let some peas be strewn in thy antechamber,” answered the lion, “and then thou wilt soon see it. Men have a firm step, and when they walk over the peas none of them stir, but girls trip and skip, and drag their feet, and the peas roll about.” The King was well pleased with the counsel, and caused the peas to be strewn.

There was, however, a servant of the King’s who favored the huntsmen, and when he heard that they were going to be put to this test he went to them and repeated everything, and said, “The lion wants to make the King believe that you are girls.”

Then the King’s daughter thanked him, and said to her maidens, “Put on some strength, and step firmly on the peas.” So next morning when the King had the twelve huntsmen called before him, and they came into the antechamber where the peas were lying, they stepped so firmly on them, and had such a strong, sure walk, that not one of the peas either rolled or stirred.