Motif-Index of Folk-Literature/Volume 1/B/350

by Stith Thompson

B350—B399. Grateful animals.

B350. Grateful animals. *Types 329, 480, 531, 554, 554*, 559: *BP I 207ff. (Gr. No. 24), 227, II 21 (Gr. Nos. 17, 62, 191), 454 n. 1, III 18ff. (Gr. No. 126), 365 (Gr. No. 191); Hartland Perseus III 193ff.; Clouston Tales I 223ff.; Penzer I 100f., V 157ff., VI 291, VIII 219, IX 156; *Chauvin II 107 No. 71; *Saintyves Perrault 32ff. — Irish myth: Cross. — Greek: **Marx Griechische Märchen von dankbaren Tieren; *Frazer Apollodorus I 86 n. 2; Arabian: Burton SV 326; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Anesaki 322; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "fourmi". — N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 316 n. 146a., CColl II 327f., 333, 342, 417; Indonesian: DeVries's list Nos. 56, 65ff., 135; Malay: Dixon 216; *ibid. 218 n. 23; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 167. — Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 214 No. 31.

B311. Congenital helpful animal. D1658. Grateful objects. E341. The grateful dead. Q10. Deeds rewarded. W27. Gratitude.

B360. Animals grateful for rescue from peril of death. *Types 554, 554*, 560; *BP II 21f., 454; *Dh IV 147ff.; Chauvin II 109 No. 73; Hartland Perseus III 194; *Brown Iwain 16 and passim, 132 n. 3; Hüsing (G.) "Zum Etanamythos" Archiv f. Religionswiss. VI 178ff.; Alphabet No. 166; Wienert FFC LVI 70 (ET 338, 339), 127 (ST 353), Halm Aesop Nos. 92, 130; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 648. — Irish myth: Cross; Icel.: Boberg (B364.5). — India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Anesaki 321ff., Ikeda; Chinese: Graham, Eberhard FFC CXX 29 No. 17; Korean: Zong in-Sob 175 f. No. 76. — Africa (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 163 No. 32; Missouri French: Carrière.

Q53. Reward for rescuer.

B361. Animals grateful for rescue from pit. *Type 160; Chauvin I 106 No. 71; Ward II 196; Bødker Exempler 304 No. 75; *Oesterley Gesta Romanorum No. 119; Wienert FFC LVI 70 (ET 346), 127 (ST 357), Phaedrus III 2; BP IV 139f; *Moe Samlede Skrifter I 192ff.; Hilka Compilatio Singularis Exemplorum 23; Wesselski Märchen 246 No. 56. — Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 31; Spanish Exempla: Keller; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 649. — Hindu: *Penzer V 157; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 30. — Africa: Frobenius Atlantis IX 385 Nos. 103f., (Swahili): Steere 423, (Zanzibar): Bateman 81 No. 6, (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 163 No. 32.

K735. Capture in pitfall. W154.8. Grateful animals; ungrateful man.

B362. Animal grateful for rescue from drowning. Wienert FFC LVI 59 (ET 201), 127 (ST 356), Halm Aesop No. 296 (dove rescues ant). — India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; Japanese: Ikeda; Korea: Ikeda.

B363. Animal grateful for rescue from net. *Type 75; Crane Vitry 194 No. 145. — India: Thompson-Balys. — Africa (Zanzibar): Bateman: 81 No. 6.

B545. Animal rescues from trap (net).

B363.1. Lion is freed from net by mouse. Mouse asks that his son marry lion's daughter. Request granted. The mouse is trampled to death by his bride. — Italian Novella: Rotunda.

B364. Animal grateful for other rescue.

B364.1. Animal grateful for rescue from trap. Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 336; India: Thompson-Balys. — Africa (Lamba): Doke XXXII No. 15.

B364.2. Animal grateful for rescue from fire. Italian Novella: Rotunda.

B364.3. Insect having fallen on back grateful for being turned over. Africa (Ganda): Baskerville King of the Snakes 8ff.

B364.4. Bird grateful for being saved from attacking serpent. Cook Islands: Beckwith Myth 269.

B364.5. Animal grateful for rescue from mud. India: Thompson-Balys.

B365. Animal grateful for rescue of its young. *Hartland Perseus III 194; Köhler-Bolte I 440, 545, 560, *561. — Japanese: Mitford 261, Ikeda; India: *Thompson-Balys; Missouri-French: Carrière.

B365.0.1. Bird grateful for rescue of its young. India: Thompson-Balys.

B365.1. Animal grateful for rescue of its mate. India: Thompson-Balys.

B365.2. Animal grateful to hero for preventing distraction of nest.

B365.2.1. Ant grateful for preventing distruction of nest. German: Grimm No. 62.

B365.3. Animal grateful for release of relative. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 65.

B366. Animal grateful for ransom from captivity. BP II 451 (Gr. No. 104a), *454 n. l.; Wienert FFC LVI 70 (ET 337), 127 (ST 354, 489); Halm Aesop No. 6. — India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda.

B278. Captured animal ransoms self.

B370. Animal grateful to captor for release.

B371. Small animal released from jaws of large one: grateful.

B371.1. Lion spared mouse: mouse grateful. Later releases lion from net. (Cf. B363.) — Jacobs Aesop 203 No. 11, Halm Aesop 256, cf. Type 75. — Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: *Thompson-Balys.

Q55. Reward for sparing life when in animal form.

B371.2. Lion spares fly: fly grateful. Later warns lion. — India: Thompson-Balys.

B374. Other animals grateful for release.

B374.1. Lion rescued from snake: thankful. Spanish Exempla: Keller.

B375. Release of animal by hunter (fisher). Africa (Angola): Chatelain 159 No. 19 (deer). — German: Grimm No. 60, 191. — India: Thompson-Balys.

B375.1. Fish returned to water: grateful. *Fb "fisk"; Hartland Science 174. — India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. — Two special forms of this motif are common; in both the fish is returned to the water and rewards the captor. (1). The "King of the Fishes" form: a man captures the king of fishes (B243) who as a reward for the release tells the man to feed parts of his body (when he is later captured) to his wife and parts to certain animals. As a result the hero and congenital helpful animals (B311) are born: *Type 303; BP I 528 (Gr. Nos. 60, 85); Sébillot Incidents s.v. "poisson", Gaster Exempla 251 No. 373.; Missouri French: Carrière. — For other references see B243. — (2) The "Fisher and his Wife" form. The king of the fishes in this case grants the man's wife the power of fulfilling all her wishes; *Type 555; BP I 138 (Gr. No. 19); see C773.1.2.

B175. Magic fish. B211.11. Speaking fish. B470. Helpful fish. B505. Magic object received from animal. B527.1. Fish promises to spare man in coming flood. T511.5.1. Conception from eating fish.

B375.1.1. Grateful fish grants mad hero his wish: to impregnate a princess. Later the fish saves the hero and his family from death at sea. — Italian Novella: Rotunda.

B375.1.2. Fish grateful for being transferred from tank to river. India: *Thompson-Balys.

B375.2. Frog returned to spring: grateful. Teaches hero animals' language (Cf. B217). — *Type 670B; India: *Thompson-Balys.

B375.3. Bird released: grateful. — *Chauvin II 117 No. 97; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda.

B375.3.1. Eagle released: grateful. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *320.

B375.4. Squirrel released: grateful and helpful. India: Thompson-Balys.

B375.5. Monkey released: grateful. India: Thompson-Balys.

B375.6. Rat released: grateful. India: Thompson-Balys.

B375.7. Leopard released: grateful. Africa (Fang): Tessman 195f.

B375.8. Turtle released: grateful. Korean: Zong in-Sob 169 No. 73.

B375.9. Serpent released: grateful. S. A. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 55.

B375.10. Jackal released: grateful. India: Thompson-Balys.

B376. Wasp released from vase full of honey: grateful. Italian Novella: Rotunda.

B380. Animal grateful for relief from pain. Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys.

B380.1. Grateful hyena leads lost hermit from wilderness as reward for his help. Spanish Exempla: Keller.

B381. Thorn removed from lion's paw (Androcles and the Lion). In gratitude the lion later rewards the man. — *Type 156; *BP III 1 n. 2; Cf. Type 74*; Jacobs Aesop 205 No. 23; Wienert FFC LVI 70 (ET 345), 127 (ST 357); *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 29; **Brodeur (A.G.) "The Grateful Lion" PMLA XXXIX 485; Herbert Catalogue of Romances III 210; Penzer V 162 n. 1, IX 47 n. 1; Alphabet No. 451; Oesterley Gesta Romanorum No. 278. — *Loomis White Magic 58—61. — Spanish Exempla: Keller. — India: *Thompson-Balys. — Chinese: Graham. — N. A. Indian (Wyandot): Barbeau GSCan XI 106 No. 29.

B525. Animal spares man he is about to devour.

B381.1. Wolf fetches a man to remove thorn from his children's paws. Does not attack the man's livestock. — Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *156A.

B381.2. Thorn removed from monkey's tail. India: Thompson-Balys.

B382. Animal grateful for removal of bone lodged in its throat. India: Thompson-Balys; S. A. Indian (Cashinawa): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 685.

W154.3. Crane pulls bone from wolf's throat: wolf refuses payment.

B383. Man called by animal for help to his cubs in danger. *Loomis White Magic 59.

B384. Saint cures the blind young ones of a hyena or wolf by the sign of the cross and the application of his saliva. (Cf. D1500.1.8.1.) The animal mother is grateful. — *Loomis White Magic 59 f.

B385. Serpent relieved from sand blown in eyes: grateful. India: Thompson-Balys.

B386. Tigress grateful for opening of abscess. India: Thompson-Balys.

B387. Tiger grateful for woman assisting tigress as midwife. Chinese: Graham, Eberhard FFC CXX 29.

B388. Cobra grateful for cure of ulcer. India: Thompson-Balys.

N647. Thorn accidentally removed from cobra's throat by woman's finger. Grateful cobra.

B390. Animals grateful for other kind acts.

B11.6.1. Dragon helps hero out of gratitude.

B391. Animal grateful for food. *Types 300, 531, 550, 554; Warnke Quellen des Esope der Marie de France 221ff.; *BP II 21f., 463; Halm Aesop No. 173; Wienert FFC LVI 70 (ET 347), 127 (ST 358); Ward III 208; Oesterley Gesta Romanorum No. 141 (Cf. B335.1.) — Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 387. — Danish: Fb "kalv"; Missouri-French: Carrière — India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Mitford 185f., 270, Anesaki 313, Ikeda; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 29. — Africa (Benga): Nassau No. 33.

B325.1. Animal bribed with food. Q45. Hospitality rewarded.

B391.1. Child feeds snake from its milk-bottle. *Type 285; BP II 459, cf. II 463. — India: Thompson-Balys.

B765.6. Snake eats milk and bread with child.

B391.1.1. Cobra grateful to prince for milk. India: Thompson-Balys.

B391.1.2. Snake grateful because man feeds her young snakes milk. India: Thompson-Balys.

B391.1.3. Snake grateful for pouring milk into its hole. India: Thompson-Balys.

B391.2. Child shares food with toad. German: Grimm No. 105.

B391.3. Hero kills horse to feed young ravens. German: Grimm No. 17.

B391.4. Animals given water to drink: grateful. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 150.

B392. Hero divides spoil for animals. *Type 300; Fb "dele" IV 96b; *BP II 22 n. 1. — Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *554A.; Italian Novella: Rotunda. — Missouri-French: Carrière; Africa (Angola): Chatelain 70 No. 3.

B392.1. Animals grateful for being given appropriate food. Hero finds dog with hay and horse with meat. He changes it about. — Köhler-Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. VI 63 (to Gonzenbach No. 13.); Missouri-French: Carrière.

J512.11. Camel and jackal exchange food: camel is led by his good friend to thorny fruit and thorn sticks into his throat. U147. Animals try unsuccessfully to exchange food.

B393. Animals grateful for shelter. Japanese: Mitford 270.

B394. Cow grateful for being milked. (Cf. B411.) — Type 510A; Cox passim.

B395. Buffaloes grateful for care of their calves. India: Thompson-Balys.

B395.1. Buffaloes grateful for being cleaned and combed. India: Thompson-Balys.

B396. Cows grateful for hero's housekeeping for them. India: Thompson-Balys.