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Overview
A beggar refused alms at a princess’s birth predicts that a large bird will carry her away at fifteen. When that age arrives, the bird asks whether she would rather undergo her destiny while young or old. Following her attendant’s advice, she chooses youth; it seizes her with its beak and flies to a dense forest.
The bird leaves her there, hungry and cold, until a hunting prince discovers her. It does not return in the subsequent false accusations and eventual vindication. The account gives neither a species nor a personal name, and does not identify the bird as the beggar in another form.
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 XXIX, pp. 116–121. The selected account does not identify an individual narrator or collecting locality.
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.
- 01
Portuguese Folk-Tales, tale XXIX, pp. 116–121
Located complete narrative in the original London edition; Ralston’s comparative introduction is separate commentary.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary textPortuguese Folk-Tales, original 1882 edition scan and transcriptionResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.