μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Victim persuaded to hold out his tongue: cut off. Robbers induced by various excuses (to learn to sing, to learn foreign language, to have a hair taken off the tongue).

Deceptions. · Killing or maiming by deception. · Fatal deception into trickster's power. · view the constellation · filed as K825

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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
Scholars’ trail — 5references

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.

  • NorwegianChristiansen Norske Eventyr 141 No. 1654
  • SpanishEspinosa III Nos. 147, 181–8
  • India*Thompson-Balys.
  • general Type 1653
  • general *Cosquin I 244f.
Within the index

Filed under Fatal deception into trickster's power.

4 finer motifs beneath it
Cormorant's tongue pulled out by putting louse on itElephant killed by cutting off trunk which is poked into cave after victimsMan causes victim to bite his tongue offMan persuaded to hold out hand for alleged letter from king. Hand cut off
Filed beside it
Victim lured into house and killedVictim burned in his own house (or hiding place)Stag killed by lion into whose den the fox puts himOvercurious dupe enters trickster's basket and is killedVictim lured by kind words approaches trickster and is killedDupe lured to supposed dance and killedVictim persuaded to disarm. KilledFairies in animal form persuaded they will hear music better in own shapes. Are killedWomen draw warrior aside so that confederate may kill himSham doctor kills his patientsHoodwinked dancers. A trickster induces ducks to dance with closed eyes and kills themDupe persuaded to relax vigilance; seizedBloodthirsty animal by trickery admitted to fold: kills peaceful animalVictim killed while being bathedDupe induced to look about: seized and killedMan lured into aiding trickster who has feigned an accident or needs help. Is killed
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

wander