The following is an annotated version of the fairy tale. I recommend reading the entire story before exploring the annotations, especially if you have not read the tale recently.
THERE was a woman baker who had a very indolent
son. When the other boys went to gather firewood and he was told
to go also he never would go. The mother was very unhappy to
have such a lazy son, and really did not know what she should do
with him. As she one day insisted upon his joining the other
boys he went along with them, but the moment they reached the
wood whilst the other boys were collecting the sticks and small
branches of trees for firewood he went to lie down by the side
of a brook and began to eat what he had brought with Mm. While
he was doing so a fish came close to him and began to eat up all
the crumbs he let fall, until at last he caught it. The fish
entreated him not to kill him, that he would do for him all he
could wish for. The lazy boy, who did not trust the fish, said
to it, "In the name of my God, and of my fish, I wish that this
very moment a faggot of wood larger than any of the ones held by
the other boys, shall appear before me, and that the bundle
shall proceed without my being seen under it." All at once a
faggot made its appearance ready tied; and he then allowed the
fish to go back into the sea. He turned to go home, and as he
passed the palace, the king, who was at the window with the
princess, was very much astonished to see the faggot move along
by itself; and the princess was so very much amused at it that
she laughed. The lazy boy then said:
"In the name of God, and of my fish, let the princess have a son
without its being known whose son he is." The princess then
began to feel that she was with child, and the king became very
displeased with her, and ordered her to be imprisoned in a tower
with her maids of honour. After a time she gave birth to a male
child. The lazy boy returned to the wood, and the fish again
appeared and told hint that the princess had given birth to a
son. The lazy boy, being instructed by the fish, ordered a
palace to be erected which should be more splendid than the one
belonging to the king. There was a garden in this palace replete
with flowers of every colour and shade, and, wonderful to
relate, there was an orchard full of fruit trees in which grew
an orange tree 'with twelve golden oranges. All this was brought
about by the fish and the fairies. The lazy boy went to this
palace transformed into a prince, and no one knew him to be
anything else. The king sent a message asking to see the palace,
and he replied that he would be most happy to show him over it,
and sent his majesty an invitation to breakfast and to all his
court. The king and his chamberlains were much surprised on
their arrival to see so much luxury and splendour. After they
had inspected the whole palace they went into the garden. They
were charmed with the variety of flowers in it, but were much
more astonished to see an orange tree bearing golden oranges.
The lazy boy informed the king and his courtiers that they could
take of everything in the garden which they might desire, except
gathering any of the oranges. They all returned to the palace
and sat down to the breakfast. When the breakfast was over, and
the king was taking his departure to return to his own palace,
the lazy boy told the king that he was much surprised to find
that after he had treated them so luxuriously they should have
gathered one of the golden oranges. The courtiers all commenced
to deny that any of them had taken the orange, and took off
their coats that he might see for himself that they had not been
guilty of the accusation. The king, who felt very much abashed,
was now the only one who had not been examined. He took off his
coat and nothing was found on examination in its pockets; but
the lazy boy asked him to look carefully again when he had put
his coat on, because since his courtiers had not taken the
orange it must be himself who had. The king then put his hands
again in his pocket and drew out the orange, very much confused
and ashamed, for he could not imagine how it could have come
there as he had not touched the oranges. The lazy boy then said
to him that the very same thing had happened to the princess who
had borne a son without knowing by whom. The spell under which
the fish was bound was then broken, and it was transformed into
a prince and married the princess. The lazy boy returned home a
rich man.
Pedroso, Consiglieri. Portuguese Folk-Tales. Folk Lore Society Publications, Vol. 9. Miss Henrietta
Monteiro, translator. New York: Folk Lore Society
Publications, 1882.
[Reprinted: New York: Benjamin Blom, Inc., 1969.]
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.