A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
In Crane’s account of Basile’s tale, the King of High-Hill catches the flea that has bitten him but admires it instead of killing it. He keeps it in a bottle and feeds it daily with blood from his arm. After seven months it has grown larger than a sheep, forcing him to find another container. The king then has it flayed and the skin prepared for a contest: anyone who identifies the animal from the skin may marry his daughter.
An ogre gives the correct answer, and the king fulfils the promise despite the daughter’s distress. Crane adds that an old woman’s seven exceptionally gifted sons later rescue her, but does not retell that rescue in full at this point. The flea’s enormous growth and harvested skin are the distinctive creature evidence in the quoted episode. No speech, flight, poison or resurrection is assigned to it. The narrative’s captive feeding does not constitute a real-world account of how fleas grow or a scientific specimen description.
Origins & earliest records
Crane, Italian Popular Tales (1885), Discussion following XIII, pp. 66–67; discussed source: Basile, Pentamerone I.5: The Flea.
Records & interpretation
Crane’s complete comparative notice provides the listed creature actions. The summary and quoted episode are distinguished from uninspected full originals.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Italian Popular Tales: Discussion following XIII, pp. 66–67
Complete published comparative notice, not a claimed independent full reading of the source collection’s original story.
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 literary discussionCrane1885: discussion of Basile, Pentamerone I.5: The FleaResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.