μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Animal "punished" by being placed in favorite environment.

Deceptions. · Escape by deception. · Captor persuaded into illusory punishment. · view the constellation · filed as K581

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“She began to sew her moccasins, and all at once she stuck the awl in one of her fingers. The woman threw it away, and it came back and said: “Brother Turtle, I hurt a woman badly. She was using me while she was sewing her moccasins, and I stuck one of her fingers; she threw me away.” “Well done, brothers, now it is my turn,’ said the turtle. The turtle went into camp, and people saw him and said: “What does this mean?”

Tales of the North American Indians, Tale 38 · served from our shelf  receiptuncorrected OCR — being verified against the scan

Attested across traditions
Within the index

Filed under Captor persuaded into illusory punishment.

6 finer motifs beneath it
Drowning punishment for turtle (eel, crab). By expressing horror of drowning, he induces his captor to throw him into the water – his homeBriar-patch punishment for rabbit. By expressing horror of being thrown into the briar patch he induces his captor into doing so. He runs offBurying the mole as punishmentBird punished by being thrown into airBurning the jackal. He expresses horror of that punishment. Sets fire to village from his burning tail. Why he has burnt tip on tailThieving insect put in closely woven basket asks to be put in a loosely woven one so he cannot see
Filed beside it
Punishment which proves fatal to captorWolf punished by being married. After debate it is decided that marriage is the greatest punishmentThrowing the thief over the fence. Thief, surprised at theft says: "Do your worst, only don't throw me over the fence." When thrown over, he escapes
Keeps company with — shares receipted episodes
Trickster's burnt flesh becomes gum on treesTransformation to be put in food-bagTransformation to seduceMagic treasure animal killed. (Goose that laid the golden egg)Magic garment (robe, tunic)Magic reawakening of memory. (Cf. D1360, D1910.)Killed game revives and flies awayDisintegration: man eats himself up or dismembers himselfPerson eats self upTrickster joins bulrushes in a dance. He thinks they are dancing when he sees them wavingPerson frightened into falling down a cliffDeceptive scratching contest

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