65 motifs match “tortoise”  ·  back to the chapters

• Creator's companions: unicorn, phoenix, tortoise, and dragon. A36
• God as tortoise. A132.15
• Tortoise footstool of God. A139.2
• Earth rests on tortoise, serpent, elephant. (Cf. A1145.1.) A844.6
• Origin of lyre. Hermes makes it from a tortoise. A1461.2
• Creation of tortoise (turtle). A2147
• Tortoise left out in rain: hard shell develops. (Cf. A2312.1.) A2211.10
• Tortoise pressed into earth: hence humpy back. (Cf. A2356.2.9.) A2213.2.2
• Tortoise hurled on rock: half falls on land, half in water. Therefore amphibious. A2214.5
• Tortoise dropped by eagle: hence cracks in his shell. (Cf. A2312.1.1.) A2214.5.1
• Bush-rat bites off tortoise's tail: hence tortoise's short tail. (Cf. A2378.4.4.) A2216.4
• Tortoise given hard shell when it ferries rice-goddess across stream. A2223.6
• Discourteous answer: tortoise's shell. Zeus celebrates a wedding and invites the animals. Tortoise is late. Why? "I like my house." "May you bear your house always." (Cf. A2312.1.) A2231.1.4
• Tortoise cursed for going under water while ferrying rice-goddess: people will be able to kill it with iron-made spears. A2231.7.3
• Partridge's voice borrowed from tortoise. A2241.3
• Origin of tortoise's shell. (Cf. A2215.3, A2231.1.4, A2213.3, A2211.10.) A2312.1
• Origin of cracks in tortoise's shell. A2312.1.1
• Why tortoise's neck is outstretched toward the sky: is looking for his wife, the star. A2351.5
• Why tortoise has humpy back. (Cf. A2213.2.2.) A2356.2.9
• Why tortoise has short tail. (Cf. A2216.4.) A2378.4.4
• Markings on tortoise's back. A2412.5.1
• How partridge got voice. Borrowed from tortoise. (Cf. A2241). A2421.4
• Why tortoise has no voice. (Cf. A2421.4.) A2422.4
• Haunts of tortoise (turtle). A2433.6.1
• Why tortoise lives in logs in stream. (Cf. A2282.) A2433.6.1.1
• Food of tortoise. A2435.6.1
• Friendship between antelope, woodpecker and tortoise. A2493.32
• Enmity between panther, antelope, and tortoise. A2494.12.1
• Magic tortoise fed with salt gives pearls. B103.1.6
• Captured goose warns tortoise: released in gratitude. B143.1.6
• Prophetic tortoise. B145.1
• Tortoise as king of animals. B240.5
• Fight between ape and tortoise. B264.5
• Tortoise and dog partners as thieves. B294.7
• Helpful turtle (tortoise). B491.5
• Deer in net freed by friendly animals, a crow, a mouse and a tortoise. B545.1
• Turtle (tortoise) carries person across river (ocean). B551.5
• Marriage to tortoise. B604.2
• Tortoise as wooer. B622.3
• Tortoise has no liver or teeth. B723
• Giant tortoise. B875.4
• Transformation: man to tortoise (turtle). D193
• Magic tortoise shell. D1028.2
• Magic tortoise shell produces pearls. (Cf. D1029.6.) D1469.14
• Body of tortoise provides food. (Cf. D1010.) D1472.1.24.4
• Reincarnation as tortoise. E614.4
• Man dies when tortoise shell is dug up. E765.4.7
• Ogre captured by tortoise. G514.8.1
• Tortoise lets self be carried by eagle. Dropped and eaten. J657.2
• Tortoise joins peacock in dance. Cannot escape hunter; peacock flies off. J684.3
• Tortoise speaks and loses his hold on the stick. He is being carried through the air by a bird. J2357
• Hare and tortoise race: sleeping hare. In a race between the fast and the slow animal, the fast animal sleeps on the road and allows the slow animal to pass him. K11.3
• Monkeys lure tortoise into a tree and carry away his load of salt. K343.4
• Tortoise asks greedy man to give him first ruby it has given him to be sure second one will be perfect match: disappears into water with it. K439.7.1
• Tortoise cheats leopard by substituting bundle of resin for bundle of meat. K476.1.2
• Tortoise persuades tiger captor to put him in pocket with hole, escapes. K563.2
• Tortoise leads elephant down wrong trail into trap. K730.4
• Ogre helps tortoise who snaps jaws to and catches him. K1111.3
• Man disguises as tortoise. K1823.1
• Frog, tortoise, fish each tell of how long they expect to live. Frog alone does not expect to live to a hundred and ten years and alone escapes fisherman's net. L395
• Tortoise lands on elephant's back so that elephant's back is broken. N335.7
• Tortoise jumps from tree and breaks rhinoceros's back. N622.1
• Storm blows down tree and frees marooned tortoise. N662
• Tortoise placed in tall tree and left. S143.2.1
• Woman bears tortoise (turtle). T554.5