It was well known for full twenty miles round that there lived in the
castle of Beloeil twelve princesses of wonderful beauty, and as proud
as they were beautiful, and who were besides so very sensitive and of
such truly royal blood, that they would have felt at once the presence
of a pea in their beds, even if the mattresses had been laid over it.
It was whispered about that they led exactly the lives that princesses
ought to lead, sleeping far into the morning, and never getting up till
mid-day. They had twelve beds all in the same room, but what was very
extraordinary was the fact that though they were locked in by triple
bolts, every morning their satin shoes were found worn into holes.
When they were asked what they had been doing all night, they always
answered that they had been asleep; and, indeed, no noise was ever
heard in the room, yet the shoes could not wear themselves out alone!
At last the Duke of Beloeil ordered the trumpet to be sounded, and a
proclamation to be made that whoever could discover how his daughters
wore out their shoes should choose one of them for his wife.
On hearing the proclamation a number of princes arrived at the castle
to try their luck. They watched all night behind the open door of the
princesses, but when the morning came they had all disappeared, and no
one could tell what had become of them.