Tonight, for our 801st episode, we’ll read a Snoozecast original sleep story, inspired by the classic fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea”.

First published by H.C. Andersen in 1835, the tale features a princess who is tested to become wife to a lonely prince.

At under 400 words long, it is triflingly short. Yet though it be small, it has served as the inspiration for many culturally popular works. The story was adapted to the musical stage in 1959 as Once Upon a Mattress, with comedian Carol Burnett playing the play's heroine, Princess Winnifred the Woebegone. The musical was revived in 1997 with Sarah Jessica Parker in the role. The story has been adapted into three films as well a television production starring Liza Minelli.

‍