Discourteous answer: why crab has eyes behind. (Cf. A2332.4.1.)

Motif

Discourteous answer: why crab has eyes behind. (Cf. A2332.4.1.)

Mythological motifs. · Animal characteristics. · Various causes of animal characteristics. · Animal characteristics as punishment. · view the constellation · filed as A2231.1.3

Filed across the traditions

Estonian Aarne FFC XXV 151 No. 74
Lithuanian Balys Index No. 3178, Legends Nos. 273–281.

Within the index

Filed under Animal characteristics: punishment for discourteous answer to God (saint). (Cf. A2411.2.6.)

Filed beside it

Discourteous answer: why cow (horse) is always eating. When God (Peter) wants to use the cow (horse) the excuse is made that she (he) is eating. Curse: "May you always be eating!" (Cf. A2472.1, A2478.) Discourteous answer: flounder's crooked mouth. When God asks him where he is going, instead of answering he turns to go toward God. His mouth becomes crooked. (Cf. A2341.1.) Discourteous answer: tortoise's shell. Zeus celebrates a wedding and invites the animals. Tortoise is late. Why? "I like my house." "May you bear your house always." (Cf. A2312.1.)

Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)

Why hare has deep-set eyes. (Cf. A2239.1.) Why crab lifts eye out of body or has eye behind. (Cf. A2231.10, A2231.1.3.)

ask the rhapsode about this motif · search the shelf for “discourteous” · wander