Convert the direct question "Do you have anything to tell me, little princess?' asked the king." into indirect speech by choosing the correct option.

Introduction / Context:
This reported speech question involves converting a direct question into indirect speech. The original sentence is: "'Do you have anything to tell me, little princess?' asked the king." In indirect speech, you must remove quotation marks, change the pronouns and tense appropriately, and introduce the question with "whether" or "if" because it is a yes/no type question.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Direct question: "Do you have anything to tell me, little princess?"
• Reporting clause: "asked the king."
• The question is of the yes/no type ("Do you have anything…?").
• The subject "you" refers to "the little princess"; "me" refers to "the king".

Concept / Approach:
When converting such questions to indirect speech:

• Use a reporting verb like "asked" followed by "whether" or "if".
• Change the word order from question form to statement form (subject before verb).
• Backshift tense if needed: "do you have" (present simple) usually becomes "she had" when the reporting verb is in the past.
• Adjust pronouns: "you" becomes "she", "me" becomes "him".

We also avoid using "that" after "asked" plus "if/whether", as that would be redundant.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the reporting verb and its tense: "asked" is in the simple past. Step 2: Introduce the reported question with "whether" or "if": "The king asked the little princess whether/if…" Step 3: Change "Do you have anything to tell me?" to statement order and backshift tense: "she had anything to tell him". Step 4: Combine all parts: "The king asked the little princess whether she had anything to tell him."

Verification / Alternative check:
Evaluate each option:

• Option A: "The king ask the little princess if she have anything to tell him." Verb forms are wrong ("ask" instead of "asked", "have" instead of "had").
• Option B: "The king asked the little princess that if she had anything to tell him." The use of "that" before "if" is incorrect and redundant.
• Option C: "The king said to the little princess if she had anything to say to him." Reporting verb "said to" is not usually followed directly by "if" in indirect questions; "asked" is better, and the structure sounds awkward.
• Option D: "The king asked the little princess whether she had anything to tell him." This follows all the rules correctly.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option A: Incorrect subject verb agreement and tense; "ask" should be "asked", "have" should be "had".
• Option B: The combination "asked … that if" is grammatically wrong; you should not use "that" before "if/whether" in reporting questions.
• Option C: Uses "said to" instead of "asked" and keeps a slightly clumsy structure; exams prefer the standard "asked … whether".

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes forget to change the question word order to statement order, or they keep the auxiliary "do" in the reported clause. Another frequent mistake is to misplace or overuse "that" with "if" or "whether". For yes/no questions, remember the pattern: "asked + object + if/whether + subject + verb" with the correct tense backshift.

Final Answer:
The correct indirect speech sentence is The king asked the little princess whether she had anything to tell him.