Wish-Fish of the Baker’s Idle Son

Overview

A lazy baker’s son catches a fish feeding on his crumbs beside a brook. It speaks, promising whatever he wishes in exchange for release. He tests the offer by asking for a large tied bundle of wood that will move without its bearer being seen; the bundle appears and he frees the fish. Passing the palace, he reacts to a princess’s laughter by wishing that she should bear a son without anyone knowing its father.

The princess is imprisoned and gives birth. The fish returns, tells the youth about the child, and instructs him in obtaining a splendid palace and a tree with twelve golden oranges; the text credits both fish and fairies for this provision. At a royal visit, an orange mysteriously appears in the king’s pocket. The youth compares his unexplained possession to the princess’s pregnancy, exposing the injustice of her disgrace.

The conclusion breaks the fish’s spell: it becomes a prince and marries the princess, whereas the baker’s son goes home wealthy. These are two separate characters. The tale does not supply a fish species, a named enchanter, or an explicit account assigning the child’s biological father.

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 XVII, pp. 72–74. 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.

1. 01

   Portuguese Folk-Tales XVII: The Baker’s Idle Son, pp. 72–74

   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

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References

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1. Primary textPortuguese Folk-Tales, original 1882 edition scan and transcriptionResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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