μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
Scholars’ trail — 8references

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.

  • LithuanianBalys Index No. 1637*
  • ChineseGraham
  • IndonesiaCoster-Wijsman 38 No. 26
  • N. Am. Indian (Menomini)Skinner JAFL XXVI 75
  • Africa (Basuto)Jacottet 44ff.
  • American Negro (Georgia)Harris Nights 51 No. 10, 83 No. 16, Remus 135 No. 28, (Virginia): Parsons JAFL XXXV 274.
  • general Type 49
  • general Mexican: Espinosa JAFL XXIV 419ff.
Within the index

Filed under Deception into disastrous attempt to procure food.

5 finer motifs beneath it
Dupe allowed to guard "king's drum": it is a wasp nestDupe persuaded to pick up biting antsDupe persuaded to sit on ant hole. Hindquarters eatenAnimal made to believe sound of swarming bees is that of her children singing in school. Rushes to water to relieve stings and is drownedDupe induced to strike at bee's nest: badly bitten
Filed beside it
The tail fisher. The bear is persuaded to fish with his tail through a hole in the ice. When he is attacked and tries to escape, he loses his tailDupe persuaded to steal food: cannot escapeBeginning with the smallest. Animals are to eat one another up to avoid starvation. The fox persuades them to start with the smallestEating his own entrails. The fox persuades the wolf to do soDupe imitates trickster's thefts and is caughtDupe made to sit on hot stoneHot porridge in the ogre's throat. He is tricked into burning his throatDupe persuaded to climb rope for food: rope breaksStone (hard fruit) thrown into greedy dupe's mouthTrickster pretends to give dupe magic power to produce food. Injures himDupe injures self on fence of thorns surrounding food-plants
Carried in tale types

wander