44 motifs match “turtle”  ·  back to the chapters

• Earth from turtle's back. Earth erected on back of a turtle floating in primeval water. (Cf. A844.1.) A815
• Earth rests on turtle's back. (Cf. A815.) A844.1
• Flood from animals' boring into ground (turtles, crawfishes, etc.). A1016.1
• Creation of tortoise (turtle). A2147
• Bowl placed on turtle's back: hence his shell. (Cf. A2312.1.) A2215.3
• Snake and turtle exchange head for fangs. Explains snake's fangs and snake-like head of turtle. (Cf. A2320.2, A2345.5.) A2247.2
• How turtle got snake-like head. (Cf. A2247.2.) A2320.2
• Color of turtle. A2411.5.1
• Haunts of tortoise (turtle). A2433.6.1
• Why turtle lays eggs on beach. (Cf. A2486.) A2433.6.1.2
• Why turtle beats with forelegs when caught. A2466.2
• Friendship between turtle and heron. A2493.12
• Friendship between turtle and wallaby. A2493.12.1
• Why turtle-dove is sad. A2521.1
• Three-tailed turtle. B15.7.6
• Man-devouring turtle. B16.5.4
• Magic sea-turtle sucks men to the bottom. B177.3
• Turtle king. B245.2
• Animals ring bell and demand justice. A king has a bell which petitioners for justice may ring and thus summon him. The bell is rung by a serpent which is being menaced by a turtle (or by an old horse who wishes to complain against a cruel master). B271.3
• Turtle released: grateful. B375.8
• Helpful turtle (tortoise). B491.5
• Turtle (tortoise) carries person across river (ocean). B551.5
• Marriage to turtle. B604.2.1
• Turtle holds with jaws till it thunders. B761
• Giant turtle. B875.3
• Transformation: man to tortoise (turtle). D193
• Magic adhesion to turtle. D2171.3.3
• Turtle's war-party. Turtle recruits war-party of strange objects (knife, brush, awl, etc.) and animals. Because of their nature the companions get into trouble. F1025.2
• Unsuccessful marriage of jackals and turtles (different abits). J414.3
• Turtle released by man to carry him across stream. Threatens him midway. Fox to be judge. Feigns deafness and makes turtle come so near shore man jumps and saves self. J1172.4
• Turtle thought to be an island. J1761.1.1
• Hedgehog and crab jump from boat after turtle. They fall on floating leather. J2133.11
• Race won by deception: relative helpers. One of the contestants places his relatives (or others that resemble him) in the line of the race. The opponent always thinks the trickster is just ahead of him. (Told of animals or of men; often of the hare and the turtle.) K11.1
• Thieving turtle. K366.6
• Turtle allowed to go to pool to pick flowers before death. Escapes. K551.26
• Drowning punishment for turtle (eel, crab). By expressing horror of drowning, he induces his captor to throw him into the water – his home. K581.1
• Turtle persuades an animal to swallow him: causes the animal's death and escapes. K582.1
• Turtle induced to rob in a man's garden. K1022.5
• Turtle carrying man through water upsets him because of a broken promise. M205.1.1
• Woman bears tortoise (turtle). T554.5
• Scorpion, in spite of himself, stings the turtle carrying him across the stream. Is drowned. U124
• The Twelve Days (Gifts) of Christmas: 1 partridge, 2 turtle-doves, 3 French hens, 4 colly birds, 5 gold rings, 6 geese, 7 swans, 8 maids, 9 drummers, 10 pipers, 11 ladies, 12 lords. Z22.1
• The Twelve kinds of Food: 1 partridge, 2 turtledoves, 3 woodpigeons, 4 ducks, 5 rabbits, 6 hares, 7 hounds, 8 sheep, 9 oxen, 10 turkeys, 11 hams, 12 cheeses. Z22.2
• Trial among the animals. Deer steps on kitten: cat investigates. Deer has been frightened by bird, this bird by another bird .... by crab's pointed claw, crab by mouse in his hole. Cat eats mouse. (Frog croaks because turtle carries his house on his head; turtle carries house because firefly is bringing fire; firefly brings fire because mosquito tries to bite him, etc.) Z49.6