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Overview
The female dog receives three portions of the speaking fish and subsequently bears three lions. When the fisherman’s sons leave home, each takes one lion along with a horse and lance. Their birth is an explicit marvel in the story, rather than a natural zoological pedigree.
The two older brothers allow a tower witch to bind their lions with a hair. When they call for help, her command turns it into a heavy chain. The youngest pretends to comply but throws the hair away. His free lion springs on the witch and pins her down, enabling inspection of the tower and recovery of the prisoners. The ending does not separately report the older lions’ release or later lives.
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 XXV, pp. 100–105. 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 XXV: The Slices of Fish, pp. 100–105
Located complete narrative in the original London edition; Ralston’s comparative introduction is separate commentary.
Family, evolution & connections
The dog and her three lion offspring - Pedroso XXV
The extraordinary birth stated on p. 101, within the complete tale on pp. 100-105.
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- The fisherman’s unnamed female dog
One maternal branch records the three offspring collectively. The fish’s portions precede the births; the fish is not identified as a parent. No lion father or personal names are supplied. This narrative genealogy makes no zoological claim.
The fisherman’s unnamed female dog
After eating three portions of the speaking fish, the dog expressly gives birth to three lions. This is the tale’s extraordinary birth claim, not natural canine reproduction; the fish supplies the portions but is not identified as their biological father.
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.