The King of the Fishes

A fairy tale retold from Europa's Fairy Book, by Joseph Jacobs

Joseph Jacobs (1854–1916) collected fairy tales from across Europe and published them for young readers. "The King of the Fishes" is a traditional tale that combines magic, adventure and cleverness. It shows that kindness can bring unexpected rewards, that the truth will come out in the end, and that brothers who care for each other can overcome great dangers together. This reader is worth a child's time because it tells a complete hero's journey—from humble beginnings to dragon-slaying to outwitting a curse—with memorable images (the talking fish, the seven tongues, the stone spell) and a satisfying resolution.

Band

Yellow · Emerging readers, about 6 to 8

Length

medium · about 576 words in 6 sections · 4 pictures

Source

Europa's Fairy Book, Joseph Jacobs · Project Gutenberg

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (8 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Colouring page

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.