Many Moons Ago

Lyrics

[MINSTREL, COMPANY] Many moons ago, in a far-off place Lived a handsome prince with a gloomy face For he did not have a bride Oh, he sighed alas! And he pined, alas! But alas, the prince couldn't find a lass Who would suit his mother's pride For a princess is a delicate thing Delicate and dainty as a dragonfly's wing You can recognize a lady by her elegant air But a genuine princess is exceedingly rare On a stormy night to the castle door Came the lass the prince had been waiting for "I'm a princess lost," quoth she But the Queen was cool and remained aloof And shе said, "Perhaps, but we'll need some proof I'll prеpare a test and see (spoken in meter) "I will test her thus," the old queen said "I'll put twenty downy mattresses upon her bed And beneath those twenty mattresses I'll place one tiny pea If that pea disturbs her slumber, then a true princess is she." (sung) Now, the bed was soft, and extremely tall But the dainty lass didn't sleep at all And she told them so next day Said the queen, "My dear, if you felt that pea Then we've proof enough of your royalty Let the wedding music play." (spoken) And the people shouted quietly, "Hooray!" (sung) For a princess is a delicate thing Delicate and dainty as a dragonfly's wing You can recognize a lady by her elegant air But a genuine princess is exceedingly rare! (spoken) There are many versions of this story; I sing them all. This is the prettiest, but it's not quite accurate. I happen to know the true story of "The Princess and the Pea" for the very good reason that I was there. It was a small kingdom ruled over by a talkative queen and a mute king. The Princess in the true story was not the only girl put to the test. Actually, she was one of 13 girls--girls who came to the castle hoping to wed the Prince, but who, for one reason or another, were found to be unsuitable.