μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Borrowed feathers. Dupe lets himself be carried aloft by bird and dropped.

Deceptions. · Deception into self-injury. · Dupe otherwise persuaded to voluntary self-injury. · view the constellation · filed as K1041

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“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
Scholars’ trail — 13references

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.

  • India*Thompson-Balys
  • IndonesiaDeVries's list Nos. 70, 108
  • N. Am. Indian*Thompson Tales 294 n. 80, Thompson CColl II 449, (Klikitat): Jacobs U Wash II 30
  • American Negro (Georgia)Harris Remus 103 No. 21, (Virginia): Bacon and Parsons JAFL XXXV 263.
  • general *Type 225
  • general *Parsons JAFL XXXI 218 n. 1
  • general *Fb "ræv" III 114a
  • general Herbert III 37ff.
  • general *Dh IV 269
  • general Wienert FFC LVI *46 (ET 51), 50 (ET 98), 93 (ST 63), *123 (ST 320)
  • general Halm Aesop No. 419
  • general Gaster Oldest Stories 82. Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 218–220, Espinosa Jr. Nos. 21–23
  • general Africa (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 373 No. 23
Within the index

Filed under Dupe otherwise persuaded to voluntary self-injury.

1 finer motif beneath it
Flight by putting on bird feathers. Dupe falls
Filed beside it
Water bird takes dupe to sea: shakes him off into waterDupe induced to eat sharp (stinging, bitter) fruitDupe induced to eat filth (dung)Dupe persuaded to oversalt (overpepper) foodDupe persuaded to scald self with hot water in order to learn languagesThe bear bites the seemingly dead horse's tail. Is dragged off by the horseDiving for sheep. Dupe persuaded that sheep have been lost in riverDragon attacks own image in mirrorRobber persuaded to climb down moonbeam. A man hearing a robber enter tells his wife aloud that he always makes a prayer and then enters the house by climbing down a moonbeam. The thief tries it and fallsDupe persuaded to get into grass in order to learn new dance. Grass set on fireDupe allowed to guard "king's litter": sticks in mudGun as tobacco pipe. The trickster gives the ogre the gun to smokeDeer persuaded to butt head into tree. Kills himselfDupe digs till he dies of exhaustion. Rabbit entertains the wolf with his antics until the rabbit's wife can change to another hole. The wolf continues to digDupe persuaded to transform self into animal. Cannot change backMan dupes animals into turning their tongues upside down
Keeps company with — shares receipted episodes
Magic private parts – humanMagic excrementsMagic object gives adviceBodily members as advisers. (Cf. D990.)Magic object points out roadBlinded 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 unchastityPicture mistaken for originalCreaking 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 himRaven steals the robes of Red Willow Men and finds them useless
Carried in tale types

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