The Knights of the Fish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Knights of the Fish |
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The seven-headed dragon. Illustration from Europa's Fairy Book (1916).
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| Folk tale | |
| Name | The Knights of the Fish |
| Also known as | Los Caballeros del Pez; The King of the Fishes (Joseph Jacobs) |
| Data | |
| Aarne–Thompson grouping |
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| Region | Spain, Eurasia, Worldwide |
| Published in | Cuentos. Oraciones y Adivinas (1878), by Fernán Caballero The Brown Fairy Book Europa's Fairy Book (1916), by Joseph Jacobs |
| Related | The Twins (Albanian tale); Perseus and Andromeda Princess and dragon |
The Knights of the Fish (called Los Caballeros del Pez in Spanish) is a classic fairy tale from Spain. It was first written down by Fernán Caballero in her book Cuentos. Oraciones y Adivinas. You can also find this story in other collections like The Brown Fairy Book.
Fairy tales are often grouped by their main ideas using something called the Aarne-Thompson-Uther (ATU) Index. The Knights of the Fish fits into two groups: ATU 300 ("The Dragon-Slayer") and ATU 303 ("The Twins or Blood Brothers"). Many ATU 303 stories start with a father catching a talking fish three times. The fish usually asks to be eaten by the fisherman's wife and horses. Its bones are then buried under a tree. Later, twins are born to the wife, two foals to the horses, and two new trees grow.
Contents
Story Summary: The Knights of the Fish
This fairy tale begins with a poor but hard-working cobbler (a person who fixes shoes). He was very hungry and had almost given up fishing for the day. Then, he caught a beautiful fish!
The Magical Fish and Twin Births
The fish spoke to the cobbler. It told him to cook it and give two pieces to his wife. It also said to bury two pieces in his garden. The cobbler followed these strange instructions. Later, his wife gave birth to twin boys. At the same time, two shiny shields grew on plants in the garden where the fish pieces were buried.
The First Brother's Adventure: Dragon Slayer
When the twin boys grew up, they decided to travel and see the world. They said goodbye at a crossroads and went in different directions. One brother arrived at a city where everyone looked very sad. He learned that a terrible dragon demanded a young woman be offered to it every year. This year, it was the princess's turn!
The brave knight met the princess and made a clever plan to defeat the dragon. He told the princess to cover a mirror with her veil and hide behind it. When the dragon came close, she was to lift the veil. The plan worked perfectly. When the dragon saw its reflection, it thought it was another dragon and attacked the mirror. When the mirror broke, the dragon saw even more "dragons" and became confused. The knight then took his chance and killed the dragon. After saving the city, the knight married the princess.
The Black Castle and the Witch
Later, the new prince heard about a mysterious castle made of black marble. People said that no one who went there ever came back. Even though he knew this, he decided to go. When he arrived, he heard strange echoes warning him to leave, but he didn't listen. A woman, who was actually a witch, opened the door. She let him in because he was so handsome. When he refused to marry her, she showed him around the castle. Then, she tricked him and dropped him through a trapdoor, killing him.
The Second Brother's Rescue Mission
The prince's twin brother soon came to the city. Because they looked exactly alike, people thought he was the prince. He told the princess that he would go to the black castle. When he got there, the echoes told him what had happened to his brother. He found the witch and bravely stabbed her with his sword. This act brought his brother back to life, along with all the other young women the witch had killed. After they all left the castle, the witch died, and the black castle fell apart.
Different Versions of the Story
Many fairy tales have different versions from around the world. The Knights of the Fish is no different!
How the Twins (or Triplets) Are Born
Sometimes in these stories, three children (triplets) are born instead of twins. For example, some French tales like Les chevaliers de la belle étoile and Le rei des peiches feature triplets.
In a Czech fairy tale called The Twin Brothers, the magical fish is actually a princess who has been put under a spell. When a woman catches her as a fish, the princess says she will turn back into a human after her fish body has rotted away.
Children Who Look Alike
In other versions of this type of story, two similar-looking people are born from two different mothers. This happens because both mothers have eaten the same magical item that makes them pregnant. The children born this way feel a strong love and loyalty for each other.
Names of the Heroes
If the characters in the story have names, the twin brothers often have names that sound similar or are related to water. Examples include Wattuman und Wattusin or Johann Wassersprung und Kaspar Wassersprung.
Adventures of the Twins
Usually, the twins or triplets in these stories get separated. One brother defeats a dragon. After marrying a princess, he goes to a far-off castle or tower where a witch lives. Later, his twin (or younger triplet) comes to defeat the witch and rescue his older brother.
Some versions of the story include more than one helpful animal. For instance, in "The Dragonslayer," the hero might get help from four different animals or three powerful dogs. Sometimes, instead of a dragon, the bad guy is a troll who lives in the sea.
Modern Story Adaptations
The basic plot of The Knights of the Fish has been used in other stories too. A Spanish writer named Romualdo Nogués wrote a version called Los hermanos gemelos ("The Twin Brothers"), which included a moral lesson at the end. Another version was published in a Spanish newspaper in 1923. It was called El pez y los tres rosales ("The Fish and the Three Rosebushes").
See also
In Spanish: Los caballeros del pez para niños
