Grimms' Fairy Tales

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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: 'Show 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 ante-chamber 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. Then they went away again,
and the king said to the lion: 'You have lied to me, they walk just like
men.' The lion said: 'They have been informed that they were going to
be put to the test, and have assumed some strength. Just let twelve
spinning-wheels be brought into the ante-chamber, and they will go to
them and be pleased with them, and that is what no man would do.'
The king liked the advice, and had the spinning-wheels placed in the
ante-chamber.

But the servant, who was well disposed to the huntsmen, went to them,
and disclosed the project. So when they were alone the king's daughter