μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
Scholars’ trail — 2references

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 *Type 700
  • general *BP I 389.
Within the index

Filed under Escape by false plea. A captive makes a request or proposes an action that permits him eventually to escape.

2 finer motifs beneath it
Boy swallowed by fish that is thrown up on shore persuades tiger to cut it open with injunction not to look at himJackal entrapped in elephant's carcass tells passing God to show his magic power by making it rain. Elephant's hide swells; jackal escapes
Filed beside it
Escape by equivocal oath. (Cf. K475.)Respite from death granted until particular act is performed"Wait till I get fat." Captured person (animal) persuades his captor to wait and fatten him before eating himExecutioner kept busy or interested until rescue comes. Sometimes until he changes his mindDeath cheated by moving bed. The man who has chosen Death as his godfather has his bed turned around when he sees Death standing at the foot of his bed. He thus escapes deathMan allowed to pick out tree to be hanged on. Cannot find oneEscape by persuading captor to talkRat persuades cat to wash face before eating: escapesEscape because of plea that leaves means of egress openAss begs wolf to pull thorn out of foot before eating him: kicks wolf in mouthEscape by pretending to perform errand (do work) for captorEscape by pretending to dance so as to be untiedEscape from captor by means of flatteryEscape by asserting that captor will have ill luck after killing victimEscape by false prophecy: if corpses are buried in city, it will become a ruin: king releases condemned manTo get out of thieves' clutch, man reports high prices in another town

wander