A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

A father seeking his daughter’s deliberately impossible gift finds hospitality in a lit palace. An unseen voice supplies the object but requires him to bring the girl after three days. Once she stays there, it speaks daily without showing a form. A singing garden bird prompts announcements of family events; the host permits visits and gives her a ring to preserve her remembrance of the palace.

A white horse retrieves her after three days, knocking three times for preparation, farewell and mounting. She returns successfully from two celebrations. When her father dies, however, her sisters give her a sleeping draught and remove the ring; she misses the horse and forgets the palace. Her family’s fortune deteriorates until mention of the horse restores her memory.

Back at the now-dark palace, she discovers a huge beast in the garden. It accuses her of breaking its spell and dies immediately after speaking. The grieving maiden returns home and subsequently dies too. This account supplies no prince’s restoration or final wedding, and does not describe the beast’s species or detailed anatomy.

Invisible speaking hostReminder-ringThree-day visitsHuge final beast formFatal missed return
01

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 X, pp. 41–45. The selected account does not identify an individual narrator or collecting locality.

02

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 X: The Maiden and the Beast, pp. 41–45

    Collected by Consiglieri Pedroso; translated by Henriqueta Monteiro · 1882

    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.

  1. 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.

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