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Overview

Twelve brothers work as grooms for a king. Eleven of them mistreat a weak, ugly pony, while the youngest feeds and protects it. When their service ends, he picks the pony instead of a fine horse. The pony tells him it can become a splendid charger that moves as fast as lightning. It pretends to get stuck three times until the older brothers leave, and then it races home ahead of them.

Later, while the brothers are looking for brides, they stay with an iron-nosed woman whose daughters are also mares. The youngest daughter warns of danger, and the youngest brother escapes with her on the pony. The hag chases them on a horse she has made out of a poker.

The pony produces a currycomb, a brush and a horse-rug, and each becomes a forest thicker than the one before. When the hag turns into a pigeon to cross the last forest, the pony turns into a vulture and tears her apart. The rescued girl marries the pony's grateful keeper.

Changes between a decrepit pony and a swift, splendid chargerSpeaks and turns grooming tools into forests that block pursuersBecomes a vulture to destroy the hag in pigeon form
01

Origins & earliest records

A collected Magyar tale linked to Erdélyi (ii.10). It is read here as tale XXXIII, pp. 157–160, of the 1889 Jones/Kropf translation. The teller is not identified.

02

Records & interpretation

The narrative was read directly in the public-domain Gutenberg text, along with the corresponding note.

Selected bibliography

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

  1. 01

    The Folk-Tales of the Magyars

    Collected by Kriza, Erdélyi, Pap and others; translated and edited by W. Henry Jones and Lewis L. Kropf · 1889

    Selected bibliography; tale XXXIII, The Little Magic Pony, pp. 157–160.

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. Public-domain primary translationThe Folk-Tales of the Magyars (Project Gutenberg plain text)Research access: 2026-10-07
  2. Catalogue recordThe Folk-Tales of the Magyars (Project Gutenberg catalogue)Research access: 2026-10-07

Image credits

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