Creaking limbs. Numskull hears limbs creaking in the wind. He is sorry for them and holds them apart. While he is caught between them his enemies take advantage of him

Motif

Creaking limbs. Numskull hears limbs creaking in the wind. He is sorry for them and holds them apart. While he is caught between them his enemies take advantage of him.

The wise and the foolish. · Fools (and other unwise persons). · Absurd disregard of facts. · Animals or objects treated as if human. · Absurd sympathy for animals or objects. · view the constellation · filed as J1872

ask the rhapsode about this motif →

“The birds assented and returned to the shore, when all retreated a short distance away from the lake to an open space where they might dance. Manabozho removed the bundle of bark froni his back and placed it on the ground, got out his singing-sticks, and said to the birds, “Now, all of you dance around me asI drum; sing as loudly as you can, and keep your eyes closed. The first one to open his eyes will forever have them red and sore.””

— Tales of the North American Indians, Tale 24 · served from our shelf receiptuncorrected OCR — being verified against the scan

Attested across traditions

North American IndigenousTales of the North American Indians, Tale 24 receipt

Scholars’ trail — 1reference

The index’s own references — the collections where scholars sighted this story-shape, tradition by tradition. Titles on our shelf are live links; the rest is the frontier, not yet shelved.

N. Am. Indian*Thompson Tales 297 n. 85.

Within the index

Filed under Absurd sympathy for animals or objects.

2 finer motifs beneath it

Creaking wagon dies. When the wagon stops its creaking, fool decides it has died; he cremates it Helping the cuckoo. A numskull climbs a tree to help a cuckoo so that he may call louder than the one in the neighboring forest. Meanwhile his horse is eaten by a wolf

Filed beside it

Filling cracks with butter. Numskull sees cracks in the ground and feels so sorry for them that he greases them with the butter he is taking home Animals or objects kept warm Relieving the beast of burden Objects ascribed human feelings Absurd sympathy for animals or objects – miscellaneous

Keeps company with — shares receipted episodes

Magic private parts – human Magic excrements Magic object gives advice Bodily members as advisers. (Cf. D990.)Magic object points out road Blinded trickster directed by trees. He asks them their names and by their answers he can tell where he is. (Cf. D950.)Magic swallow-skin warns of danger. (Cf. D1025.4.)Speaking plant. (Cf. D965, F815.)Talking private parts betray unchastity Picture mistaken for original Raven steals the robes of Red Willow Men and finds them useless Deception into entering bag

wander