μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Abandoned children (wife, etc.) find way back by clue (bread-crumb, grain, pebble, etc.). They have dropped the objects while being led away.

Captives and fugitives. · Rescues. · Rescue of abandoned or lost persons. · view the constellation · filed as R135

Filed across the traditions
  • Italian Basile Pentamerone V No. 8
  • Japanese Ikeda
  • Indonesia *Dixon 227 n. 35, DeVries's list No. 147
  • Philippine Fansler MAFLS XII 442
  • S. Am. Indian (Warrau) Métraux RMLP XXXIII 145
  • Africa (Kaffir) Theal 120.
  • general *Types 327, 431, 620, 955
  • general *BP I 115ff., 124, 370
  • general Köhler-Bolte I 134
  • general *Penzer III 104 n. 2
  • general Fb "ært" III 1153b, "gryn" IV 187a
  • general *Saintyves Perrault 310. – Irish myth: Cross
  • general Lkuñgen: Hill-Tout JAI XXXVII 334
Within the index

Filed under Rescue of abandoned or lost persons.

8 finer motifs beneath it
Stolen wife makes trail of speaking spittle for husband. Spittle speaks and directs him Trail of grain (Cf.ds). (Cf. R267.) Trail of jewels Trail of shreds of dress Trail of thread Trail of ashes Trail of flowers Crumb (grain) trail eaten by birds. Lost persons cannot find way back
Filed beside it
Exposed or abandoned child rescued Vanished wife rescued Mermaid rescues heroine who has been thrown overboard. (Cf. B81.) Rescue from shipwreck Rescue from well Exposed children swallowed by earth; vomited up when grown. (Cf. F900.) Abandoned man befriended by a Centaur. (Cf. B21.)
Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)
Fugitives trailed by mustard seeds (ashes) dropped from bag. (Cf. R135.)
Carried in tale types

ask the rhapsode about this motif · search the shelf for “bread-crumb” · wander