μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
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.

  • general Africa (Ibo, Nigeria): Basden 277.
Within the index

Filed under Cowardly fool.

Filed beside it
Person frightened into falling down a cliffThe attack on the hare (crayfish). Seven men make strenuous plans for the attack on the fierce animal. One screams with fright and the animal runs away. (Cf. J1736.1.)Surrender to the rake. Fool steps on a rake and falls down crying, "I surrender!"Fools frightened by stirring of an animalFright at the creaking of a wheelbarrowThe hawk frightened at the snipe's bill. The snipe: "It is a bill, but it is good for nothing (weak)." The hawk is no longer afraidAfraid of his knees. A man awakes with his knees in the air. He thinks the knees are a lion and splits them with his axeThe sleeper answers for the dead man. A man falls asleep by a gallows. A company of wags come and invite the dead man on the gallows to accompany them. The sleeper awakes with a start and says, "I'll come at once." The wags flee in terrorThe dead girl frightens father and lover. The girl dies. The lover, thinking that she is asleep, talks to her. When he hears the father speak of her as dead he is frightened that he has talked to the dead. The father hears the lover talk and thinks that it is the girl's spirit. Both fleeTailor puts on thimble as protection from slugFright at animals' eyes in the darkCoward is frightened when clothing catches on thistle. (Cf. N384.2.)Coward boasts of what he would have done after danger is overFrightened by fireworksBoastful coward frightened when he sees strong adversaries. Hides in trousers of plowman who fights the menFools try to frighten one another, but get scared themselves and both flee

wander