μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Nightingale borrows blindworm's eye. Each has one eye. Nightingale borrow's blindworm's and will not return it.(Cf. A2332.6.1.)

Mythological motifs. · Animal characteristics. · Various causes of animal characteristics. · Animal characteristics: obtaining another's qualities. · view the constellation · filed as A2241.5

Filed across the traditions
  • English Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet III v. 31.
  • general *Type 234
  • general *Dh III 136ff.
  • general *Köhler-Bolte I 72. – Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 55 No. 110** (frog in place of nightingale). – Japanese: Ikeda
Within the index

Filed under Animal characteristics: borrowing and not returning. Animal borrows a member (or quality) from another and refuses to return it. (Cf. A2242, A2313.3, A2345.1, A2351.3, A2375.2.1, A2421.4, A2435.4.1.)

Filed beside it
Stag's horns borrowed from dog. (Cf. A2326.1.1.) Owl's wings borrowed from rat (or other animal) Partridge's voice borrowed from tortoise Cuckoo borrows food from other birds. (Cf. A2435.4.1.) Jay borrows cuckoo's skin. (Cf. A2313.1.) Squirrel borrows coney's tail. When coney's tail is not returned, he goes in shame to live among rocks. (Cf. A2378.1.5, A2433.3.5.) Boy borrows python's hands and feet: hence python lacks them. (Cf. A2371.3.1.) Hornbill borrows tomtit's bill. (Cf. A2343.1.4.) Beaver borrows muskrat's tail and never gives it back Monkey borrows tail from deer and refuses to return it
Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)
Why blindworm has no eyes. (Cf. A2241.5.)
Carried in tale types

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