3271: The Princess and the Pea

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The Princess and the Pea
Once we've fully explored this space, we can start varying the number of princesses.
Title text: Once we've fully explored this space, we can start varying the number of princesses.

    Explanation[edit]

    This comic references the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Princess and the Pea, in which a princess's claim to royal blood is tested by having her sleep atop twenty mattresses and twenty featherbeds, with a single pea hidden underneath them. If she feels the pea through the stack of bedding, this somehow proves that she is a true princess, and she will be permitted to marry the prince. Randall imagines extending the story into a franchise, adding many sequels and reimaginings by varying the number of mattresses and peas. Randall has previously shown his dislike of movie sequels.

    The scenarios depicted range from a high mattress:pea ratio on the left to a high pea:mattress ratio on the right. In the middle, the princess (here portrayed by a version of Jill in a pink princess dress) sleeps on a single mattress concealing a single pea. This might be considered a slightly more reasonable test of sensitivity than that in the original story. On the far left there is a mountain of mattresses with a single pea concealed amongst them, which would not be a particularly effective test since there's no guarantee that the princess is sleeping anywhere near the pea, never mind on top of it. On the far right, she has a single mattress on a sea of peas, which would, again, be fairly useless, since the peas would be clearly visible. This would defeat the purpose of the test as the princess would know the peas are there and could just claim to have felt them even if she didn't. In the second right image, the princess has a normal bed with a single mattress, and has a bowl of peas, which she is eating. Since the pea(s) in the story are dried peas, eating them as they are would be inadvisable, but this perhaps suggests that, with enough peas, the princess would cook them, and would therefore not continue feeling them under her, subverting the test entirely. Obtaining the sea of mattresses and peas shown on the furthest ends of the graph would be a very difficult task (not to mention cleaning them up), and would be rather a lot of effort for a (fairly useless) task.

    The title text takes things a step further by proposing to change another variable: the number of princesses sleeping in the bed (whether together or separately is unclear). This could provide a storyline where the real princess is discovered from a set of false princesses. Alternatively, it could result in multiple real princesses being discovered, leading to a polygamous marriage for the prince, which would be unusual for a European fairy tale.[citation needed] Or the princesses might get along famously and decide to do without the prince.

    The existing comic varies the mattress:pea ratio while keeping the number of princesses fixed at one, but the title text's proposal implies that we could also vary the princess:mattress and princess:pea ratios at the same time. The effects of different combinations of these variable ratios could be illustrated by adding two further axes to the comic, expanding it into three dimensions; or, in just two dimensions, a version of a ternary plot that plots the three sub-proportions of mattresses, peas and princesses compared to the sum total of mattresses+peas+princesses.

    Transcript[edit]

    This is one of 30 incomplete transcripts.
    Please help by editing it!
    [At the top of the panel is a gradated line with arrows at both ends indicating that it extends indefinitely. The middle gradation is a thick line labelled:] 1:1 mattress-to-pea ratio
    [Label at the left of the line:] Many mattresses per pea
    [Label at the right of the line:] Many peas per mattress
    [Below the line are five pictures, showing various images, each with a Jill-like princess in a pink dress. From left to right, they are:
    The princess on top of a mountain of mattresses with an arrow indicating a green pea being inserted somewhere in the distance
    The princess waving at the top of a pile of several dozen mattresses on a bed with an arrow indicating a pea being inserted at the bottom of the pile
    The princess on one bed with an arrow indicating a pea being inserted under the mattress
    The princess eating a bowl of peas on the same bed:
    The princess on a bed on a mountain of peas which are spilling on to the top of the mattress.]
    [The second image, with the princess sitting on top of several dozen mattresses with one pea, is circled.]
    [Label pointing to the second image:] Existing Hans Christian Andersen story
    [Arrows point to the other four images, with the following label:] Potential sequels/reboots


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    Discussion

    No comic yet, add the first comic! 82.13.184.33 08:03, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

    Please don't do the cross-over 2 Princesses 1 pe(e/a), I'm sure it was already done... 2003:F9:B71B:D200:AFE8:194:2BC9:C996 08:32, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

    I think that the two directions might symbolize the two different concepts of sequels and reboots: A sequel often simply adds MORE to the basic concept, for example more monsters, or a bigger monster, or a meaner monster, and so on. This is represented by the "more mattresses". A reboot, in contrast, often tries to tell the same sory from a more modern point of view. In this case, the concept of a princess being so thin-skinned that she can feel a pea through a montain of mattresses seems quite dated and misogynistic, so we get a complete reversal with a tough princess dealing with the peas (by eating them) or even enjoying sleeping on a mountain of peas. --92.209.171.186 10:02, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

    Is seems like I cannot add files anymore after the breakdown. I was trying to create the image file, but I'm only allowed to create the page not upload any images... As I'm the admin that is a problem... Kynde (talk) 09:08, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

    Realized that when clicking in on the link I'm logged out (it shows that on the page) and thus I cannot upload a file. I cannot log on while on that page. But going back I'm logged in again. Strange Kynde (talk) 10:28, 14 July 2026 (UTC)
    Yay - there's a picture now! 47.248.235.170 19:46, 14 July 2026 (UTC)Pat
    I've discovered that when I've edited a page, "Saved changes" and then looked at the page, quite often it appears that my edit has not taken. The time when I redid the (simple) changes and reSaved, with a new Summary comment, it now came out Ok. Checking history, it had the original comment!
    Since then, I've realised that what I was getting back from the (successful) Save Changes might have been a cached version of the pre-change page, so refreshed and my changes appear.
    This may or may not relate to whether it thinks (or says it thinks) you are logged or not, depending upon what version you're getting. You could be being told you're logged in when you're not, also that you're not when you are.
    I don't think you'll have any problem at all uploading images, even before regaining your full Admin powers, but of course do actually need to be logged in, rather than effectively an anonIP like me. (I'm not sure if new users exist in a pre-autoauthenticated status, like they used to, but it should recognise the migrated-over 'sufficiently old users' as being upload-capable, either way.)
    But check with the 'new admins', in the backchannels if necessary, for the actual facts. It seems there's still a few things they need to sort out (I went through a phrase, a few minutes ago, where I couldn't get to a page, as it was continually Verifying I'm Human, having just visited+edited some pages, and also afterwards. No idea why I triggered it (and couldn't get past it), and surely it should have at least 'cleared' me for a full 24 hours, but doubtless there's a technical/operational reason for requiring that. 92.23.5.229 20:08, 14 July 2026 (UTC)
    Yup, caching issue. It purges on edits but not quickly enough (changes are batched), edited cache rule to bypass if you have a "just edited something" cookie Celene (talk) 22:58, 15 July 2026 (UTC)
    Both of these things should be fixed now, Kynde. Uploads are enabled (them being disabled was an error on my part) and I've set one canonical hostname at www.explainxkcd, which I think should fix the login issue. Celene (talk) 22:43, 15 July 2026 (UTC)
    Thanks Celene, I can upload pictures now, I understand that I had also been removed of admin rights during transfer, but I'm back now Kynde (talk) 13:03, 16 July 2026 (UTC)

    And there are parallel universes to be explored, such as when one of Jack's beans is placed under the mattress. It could raise the fairy tale to new heights! BorQhue del Sol (talk) 11:49, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

    I think it's just my own personal interpretation so not worth adding to the explanation, but I wondered if Randall was slightly mocking the original fairy tale for being somewhat thin premise-wise? A princess is uncomfortable sleeping on a pea under mattresses - gasp! Not really the sort of rich and exciting story/universe that inspires a franchise like LotR or Harry Potter. :) 47.248.235.170 12:23, 14 July 2026 (UTC)Pat

    In the version I had when I was little, multiple princesses had been tested, but they were always too polite to say anything. When the prince found a girl he *really* liked, he moved the pea to under the top featherbed, and told her that his parents liked directness. He still didn't tell her what the test was looking for, but it was enough for her to complain the next morning. (Yes, I'm fully aware this is "The Big Bad Wolf didn't eat Red Riding Hood's grandmother, he only locked her in the closet" levels of bowlderization, but it's always fun to compare interpretations)--FrankHightower (talk) 23:53, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

    x = pea quantity, y = mattress quantity, z = princess quantity. And z is imaginary. Discuss. 24.123.140.66 12:36, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

    Shouldn't the princess quantity be zzz? 82.13.184.33 15:13, 14 July 2026 (UTC)
    No, that is z3. And while 0, 1 and 8 are cubic numbers, 2 or 5 are not, so I would stick with 1 "z" in the variable name. 2A00:1110:109:12B2:0:2D:B0BF:D701 07:54, 15 July 2026 (UTC)

    Terry Pratchett did mention the Princess who "could pee through twelve mattresses" cannot remember which book it was from though. Drummertv (talk) 12:44, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

    It was in Mort, but I think it was just somebody misremembering the actual princess/pea/discomfort story. Yorkshire Pudding (talk) 13:46, 14 July 2026 (UTC)
    character said "[She's a real princess. Can pee thru 12 mattresses and everything.] Later after Mort had met the princess he heard that it was 'feel a pea thru ...' and felt a vague worry disappear 2607:FB91:5102:A88E:205E:D827:E659:AA4C 17:20, 14 July 2026 (UTC)
    Poor translators! I wonder what they did with that. Shows that translating literature is an art of its own. --84.61.231.53 16:19, 15 July 2026 (UTC)

    I thought the picture representing few peas and one mattress was Cinderella – who had to sort out a bunch of peas in the story. Maybe somebody wants to add this? 188.107.207.189 14:49, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

    Cinderella didn't have a bed, though - she was made to sleep in the grate. I think the presentation makes it pretty clear that aside from the original Princess and the Pea, all the others are potential versions that don't yet exist. 82.13.184.33 15:16, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

    This is a comic with color, so why is it not in that category? RadiantRainwing (talk) 19:18, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

    Because no-one had added it. Someone has now. 82.13.184.33 08:07, 15 July 2026 (UTC)

    "On the far right, she has a single mattress on a sea of peas, which would, again, be fairly useless, since the peas would be clearly visible. This would defeat the test, as the princess would know the peas are there and could just claim to have felt them even if she didn't." If I remember the story correctly, the princess didn't know that it was a test. She was simply asked how she slept, and she complained that her bed was lumpy. In the scenario of a single mattress on a mountain of peas, if she slept fine, she would presumably say so, even though she may have thought the mountain of peas odd. 163.116.145.80 19:28, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

    Queen: "20 mattresses, 20 featherbeds, and yet your night was restless? Truely, you must be a princess!"
    Girl: "No, I'm afraid of heights." --2A02:3100:5EC1:8E00:81EE:89B5:2724:192 22:26, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

    In the version I had when I was little, it's implied that the queen had been increasing the number of mattresses every time the prince brought a new princess, so 20 might just be the number when a normal person goes "WTF?"--FrankHightower (talk) 23:53, 14 July 2026 (UTC)
    I think a normal person would go "WTF?" at 2, or at most 3. Maybe less so in those times when mattresses were thinner, but well before 20 (and actually 40, because it's 20 of each)! 82.13.184.33 07:40, 15 July 2026 (UTC)
    Frank, just the right person to comment on unusually tall stacks of bedding! Catherine (talk) 23:48, 17 July 2026 (UTC)

    Or the princesses might get along famously and decide to do without the prince.
    ...and history would remember them as 'very good friends'. WinDoc (talk) 03:59, 15 July 2026 (UTC)

    "...and they were roommates!"These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For (talk) 02:57, 19 July 2026 (UTC)

    The above explanation takes the title text, and uses it to talk about possible stories involving more than one princess. But when I read the title text, my first thought was slightly different: that we could observe the effects of varying the mattress:pea, princess:pea, and princess:mattress ratios, in different combinations. I've added a short paragraph to propose expanding the comic into three dimensional graph, to illustrate that. It might be impractical to do that as a flat comic illustration, but I bet it could be done with some sort of 3D plot visualisation software. 149.5.107.54 14:17, 15 July 2026 (UTC)

    We could also vary the number of princes, and end up with some kind of Royal Love Island. 82.13.184.33 15:06, 15 July 2026 (UTC)
    Had not yet read that you were wondering about a flat comic version, but I added the bit about a Ternary Plot version to your addition. At the expense of representing the result of 1 mattress, 2 peas and 3 princesses on the same spot as n mattresses, 2n peas and 3n princesses (for n!=0, given that n=0 would be undefinable), etc, you could otherwise plot any combination of numbers (so long as they are not all zero) of each in a 2d graph.
    Other 'dimension flattening' solutions exist, of course, like projecting a cubic plot onto a surface perpendicular to the {0,0,0}->{n.n.n} diagonal, again sacrificing magnitudes (absolute total and per component) while revealing proportionate drift), but this time on a hexagonally-boundable graphic. 92.23.5.229 19:54, 15 July 2026 (UTC)
    It does make me wonder whether or not he is familiar with the musical Once Upon a Mattress, which explores the many mattresses/many other objects (well beyond peas) scenario... Only one princess, though. She's named Fred (short for Winnifred). - 97.113.143.145 04:36, 20 July 2026 (UTC)
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