Insects worry large animal to despair or death — Mythoi

Motif

Insects worry large animal to despair or death.

Reversal of fortune. · Triumph of the weak. · Weak overcomes strong in conflict. · view the constellation · filed as L315.6

Filed across the traditions

Spanish Espinosa Jr. Nos. 187, 209
Japanese Ikeda
Indonesia DeVries's list Nos. 132, 137.
general Wienert FFC LVI *48 (ET 76), 120 (ST 301)

Within the index

Filed under Small animal overcomes large.

Filed beside it

Bird flies into large animal's ear and kills him Mouse torments bull who cannot catch him Fox burns tree in which eagle has nest. Revenges theft of cub Mother ape burns bear. Revenges theft of her young Lark causes elephant to fall over precipice Dungbeetle keeps destroying eagle's eggs. Eagle at last goes to the sky and lays eggs in Zeus's lap. The dungbeetle causes Zeus to shake his apron and break the eggs Fish pricks monster with fins and defeats him Falcon attacks eagle repeatedly and defeats him Mice overcome camel Lizard defeats leopard Rabbit slays rhinoceros Hedgehog defeats tiger by jumping into tiger's mouth and tormenting him Ants overcome serpent Small animals dupe larger into trap

Carried in tale types

Miscellaneous Tales of Gnats (previously The Gnats and the Horse) · ATU 281 1 recorded variant

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