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

Overview

A rosy-cheeked stranger offers a fraudulent imperial son-in-law access to wealth and estates. He says there are nine brothers, each knowing a riddle: solving all nine secures their property, while failure gives them the man’s first child. The palace is subsequently identified as belonging to nine dragons. Their household has rich fields, herds, musicians and a jewel-adorned residence, but this English version describes no wings or scaled bodies.

At night thunder-like noise precedes voices calling the Pea Emperor. An old servant answers in his place while the master remains silent. Each numbered question from one through nine receives a proverbial response, followed by a demand to know whether it is the master and the servant’s command that the dragon burst. After the final exchange all becomes quiet. In the morning nine corpses lie scattered outside and are given to ravens. The tale associates their deaths with the answering helper’s words, without narrating a sword battle or birth of the bargained child.

Nine explicit brothersRiddle bargain for first childHuman appearance at initial meetingWealthy dragon householdDead after numbered answers
01

Origins & earliest records

Roumanian Fairy Tales, collected by Mite Kremnitz, adapted and arranged by J. M. Percival (New York: Henry Holt, 1885), The Pea Emperor, pp. 113–120.

02

Records & interpretation

Complete selected English narrative through nine corpses and the charitable concluding voice. Preface assigns tale 12 to P. Ispirescu.

Selected bibliography

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

  1. 01

    Roumanian Fairy Tales: The Pea Emperor, pp. 113–120

    Mite Kremnitz, collector; J. M. Percival, adapter and arranger · 1885

    Preface assigns tale 12 to P. Ispirescu. Complete selected English adaptation; original Romanian not collated.

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 historical English adaptationKremnitz/Percival 1885: The Pea EmperorResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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

FT·894 · RESEARCH EDITION 01Back to top ↑