Citron-born Maidens in Pedroso’s Tale

Overview

The prince receives three citrons after feeding a hungry old woman. She instructs him to open them lengthways beside a fountain. Each contains a woman who immediately asks for drinking water. Twice he opens the fruit away from water, and each maiden dies. The third survives because he supplies water in a shell. Described as delicate, thin and weak, she waits in a tree while he fetches transport. The account supplies neither parents for the women nor a statement that they are sisters.

A witch discovers the survivor through her reflection in the fountain, pretends to tend her hair and inserts a large pin into her head. The maiden becomes a dove, but retains speech and visits the prince’s gardener. She refuses ribbon, silver and gold snares, then voluntarily enters a diamond snare. The impostor requests broth made from her; the prince instead strokes the bird, discovers the pin and removes it. Human form returns immediately, and her explanation exposes the substitution. The marriage ending restores this third maiden alone; it does not revive the first two.

Origins & earliest records

Consiglieri Pedroso, Portuguese Folk-Tales, translated from the original manuscript by Henriqueta Monteiro, London: Elliot Stock for the Folk-Lore Society, 1882; tale III, The Three Citrons of Love, pp. 9–13. No individual narrator or collecting locality is identified.

Records & interpretation

The located 1882 English translation presents this figure within a complete collected narrative. Pedroso’s introductory pp. 1–2 describe the thirty published selections from his larger collection.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Portuguese Folk-Tales III: The Three Citrons of Love, pp. 9–13

   Collected by Consiglieri Pedroso; translated by Henriqueta Monteiro · 1882

   Complete account from the old woman’s gift to pin removal, exposure of the impostor and marriage. Two earlier women die; only the third is restored.

Family & connections

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References

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1. Primary textPortuguese Folk-Tales, original 1882 edition scan and transcriptionResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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