The story tells of a maiden whose royalty is established by her sensitivity to a pea placed under her matresses. Stories of super-sensitivity are rare. They are not unknown however in world literature and lore. Andersen heard the tale of the pea as a child, but it is unknown in Danish folk tradition. He probably heard a Swedish version of the tale.
ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY s t ɔ ɹ i WORD_BOUNDARY t ɛ l z WORD_BOUNDARY ə v ə WORD_BOUNDARY m eɪ d ə n WORD_BOUNDARY h uː z WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ ɔɪ ə l t i WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ z WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ s t æ b l ɪ ʃ t WORD_BOUNDARY b aɪ WORD_BOUNDARY h ɜː WORD_BOUNDARY s ɛ n s ɪ t ɪ v ɪ t i WORD_BOUNDARY t ʊ WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY p iː WORD_BOUNDARY p l eɪ s t WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ n d ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY h ɜː WORD_BOUNDARY m æ t ɹ ə s ɪ z WORD_BOUNDARY s t ɔ ɹ i z WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v WORD_BOUNDARY s uː p ə ɹ s ɛ n s ɪ t ɪ v ɪ t i WORD_BOUNDARY ɑ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ ɛ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ð eɪ WORD_BOUNDARY ɑ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY n ɑ t WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ n n oʊ n WORD_BOUNDARY h aʊ ɛ v ə ɹ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY w ɜː l d WORD_BOUNDARY l ɪ t ə ɹ ɹ ɪ t̠ʃ ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY æ n d WORD_BOUNDARY l ɔ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY æ n d ɜː s ə n WORD_BOUNDARY h ɜː d WORD_BOUNDARY ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY t eɪ l WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY p iː WORD_BOUNDARY æ z WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY t̠ʃ aɪ l d WORD_BOUNDARY b ʌ t WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ t WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ z WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ n n oʊ n WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY d eɪ n ɪ ʃ WORD_BOUNDARY f oʊ k WORD_BOUNDARY t ɹ ʌ d ɪ ʃ ə n WORD_BOUNDARY h iː WORD_BOUNDARY p ɹ ɑ b ə b l i WORD_BOUNDARY h ɜː d WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY s w iː d ɪ ʃ WORD_BOUNDARY v ɜː ʒ ə n WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY t eɪ l WORD_BOUNDARY