The Folktale
Stith Thompson
Weak animal (man) makes large one (ogre) believe that he has eaten many of the large one‘s companions. The latter is frightened. Types 126*, 1149; *BP I 160 n. 1; *Krappe Neophilologus XV 274ff.; Russian: Andrejev No. 126; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 249f.; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: *Dixon 191 nn. 15, 16, 192 n. 17; Africa: Weeks Jungle 394, Werner African 223, (Kaffir): Kidd 230 No. 2, (Vai): Ellis 191 No. 7, (Hottentot): Bleek 24; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 317, 320, 322; West Indies: Flowers 543; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 44 No. 9, 291 No. 49. |
Part Two The Folktale from Ireland to India III – The Simple Tale 1. Jests and Anecdotes I. Deception through Bluffing |
In contests with stronger adherents, the weak or small hero always enjoys the favor of the taleteller. [320] Not only does the unpromising man or animal use his superior cleverness in escape and even in the overcoming of the odds against him, but sometimes he is able to effect his purposes through mere deceptive boasting. The large animal or the giant is thoroughly frightened by these bluffs, and either flees or sues for peace. In one story of this kind, told sometimes of animals ( Rather slight variations from this incident tell how some sheep have found a sack with a wolf's head in it. They make the wolf believe that they have killed one of his companions, and he flees in terror ( An ogre tale represented by a Middle High German poem of the end of the thirteenth century and repeated in many Renaissance jestbooks is about the bear trainer whose bear drives the ogre away. The next year the ogre inquires, "Is the big cat still living?" When he hears that it has many kittens, he is overawed and never ventures near ( A group of short tales, some of which have attained a world-wide popularity, concerns a boast that the hero is desirous of performing a much larger task than that which the ogre has assigned. When the ogre hears the new proposal, he is frightened and runs away. When he is told to bring in a tree, the hero asks "Why not the whole forest?" ( Finally, two stories of bluffing sailors should be mentioned. In one of these, a swimming match starting from the ship is held. The bluffer takes a knap sack of provisions on his tack and when his rival sees this, he gives up without starting ( |
[320] The whole of Chapter " |
Types: 125, 126*, 1045, 1046, 1049, 1053, 1146, 1147, 1149, 1161, 1611, 1612, 1650 |
Motifs K1715, K1715.2, K1715.3, K1718, K1728, K1741.1, K1741.2, K1741.3, K1744, K.1745, K1761, K1762 |