μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

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.)

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

Filed across the traditions
  • India Thompson-Balys.
  • general *Dh III 130 ff. – Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 268ff.
Within the index

Filed under Animal characteristics: obtaining another's qualities.

11 finer motifs beneath 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.) Nightingale borrows blindworm's eye. Each has one eye. Nightingale borrow's blindworm's and will not return it.(Cf. A2332.6.1.) 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
Filed beside it
Animal characteristics: obtaining for feast and not returning. (Cf. A2378.1.5, A2378.2.6.) Animal characteristics: lending and refusing to receive back Animal characteristics: stolen from another animal. (Cf. A2313.3, A2375.2.2.) Animal characteristics: exchange of qualities. (Cf. A2313.2, A2326.1.2, A2326.1.4, A2326.2.1, A2332.6.5, A2345.4, A2378.1.3, A2378.1.4, A2421.2, A2421.3, A2431.3.3, A2431.3.4, A2435.3.1, A2435.3.2.)
Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)
Animal characteristics: obtaining for feast and not returning. (Cf. A2378.1.5, A2378.2.6.) Origin of peacock's feathers. (Cf. A2241, A2245.) Where horse got his upper teeth. Borrowed them from buffalo. (Cf. A2241.) Where Jahrvogel (rhytidoceros) got its necklace. Borrowed form dove. (Cf. A2241.) Why partridge has pretty feet. Exchanged with peacock. (Also told of jay and flamingo.) (Cf. A2241.) How partridge got voice. Borrowed from tortoise. (Cf. A2241) Food of cuckoo. (Cf. A2241.4.)
Carried in tale types

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