μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Man mistakes dragon for log, sits on it. (Cf. B11.)

The wise and the foolish. · Fools (and other unwise persons). · Absurd misunderstandings. · One thing mistaken for another. · Animal or person mistaken for something else. · view the constellation · filed as J1761.8

Filed across the traditions
  • England Baughman.
Within the index

Filed under Animal thought to be object.

Filed beside it
Whale thought to be island. Sailors light a fire on his back White mare thought to be church Glowworm thought to be a fire. The bird who tries to keep the monkeys from this error is killed for her pains Fish thought to be chewed sugar-cane. Numskulls therefore throw away their fish Wolf thought to be log of wood Snake thought to be flute. Bites tiger who tries to play flute Living toad or beetles thought to be lost food and therefore eaten by numskulls Bear mistaken for a floating log (blanket) Blind men and elephant. Four blind men feel an elephant's leg, tail, ear and body, respectively, and conclude it is like a log, a rope, a fan, and something without beginning or end Fool mistakes dung-beetles for fruit: eats them
Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)
Dragon
Carried in tale types

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