Beschrijving
Drowning the Crayfish as Punishment. This tale exists chiefly in three different forms:
(1) A small water animal (e.g. turtle, crayfish, toad) has made an enemy of a big land animal (e.g. monkey, fox, lion, elephant) or of a man. The small animal, condemned to death, begs not to be drowned. Thereupon it is thrown into the water and escapes [K581.1].
(2) Numskulls find a crayfish. Because of its claws, the fools mistake the unknown animal for a tailor and put it on a piece of cloth which it is to cut up [J1762.1.2]. The crayfish ruins the cloth. He is condemned to be drowned and is thrown into the water. When the animal swims with difficulty, one of the fools says, “See how it suffers.”
(3) Numskulls set out pickled herrings in their pond and hope the fishes will propagate. When the fools drain the pond, they find a big eel which they suspect has devoured the herrings. As a punishment the eel is to be drowned. Continuated like in version (2). Cf. Type 1208*.
(1) A small water animal (e.g. turtle, crayfish, toad) has made an enemy of a big land animal (e.g. monkey, fox, lion, elephant) or of a man. The small animal, condemned to death, begs not to be drowned. Thereupon it is thrown into the water and escapes [K581.1].
(2) Numskulls find a crayfish. Because of its claws, the fools mistake the unknown animal for a tailor and put it on a piece of cloth which it is to cut up [J1762.1.2]. The crayfish ruins the cloth. He is condemned to be drowned and is thrown into the water. When the animal swims with difficulty, one of the fools says, “See how it suffers.”
(3) Numskulls set out pickled herrings in their pond and hope the fishes will propagate. When the fools drain the pond, they find a big eel which they suspect has devoured the herrings. As a punishment the eel is to be drowned. Continuated like in version (2). Cf. Type 1208*.
Motief
K581.1
J1762.1.2
Commentaar
Version (1) is documented in the 5th century in China in the Po-Yu-King (No. 98). Mainly spread outside of Europe. Versions (2) and (3) presumably developed in Germany during the 16th century.
Combinaties
1260A, 1310*, and 1326.
Oorspronkelijk Verhaaltype
1310
Subgenre
mop