The Fox (or Jackal)
and the Fleas

folktales of Aarne-Thompson type 63
selected and edited by

D. L. Ashliman
© 1999

Contents

1. The Fox and the Flees (Scotland).

2. The Jackal and the Flees (India).

Return to D. L. Ashliman's index of folklore and mythology electronic texts.

The Fox and the Fleas

Scotland

The fox is much troubled by fleas, and this is the way in which he gets rid of them. He hunts about until he finds a lock of wool, and then he takes it to the river, and holds it in his mouth, and so puts the end of his brush into the water, and down he goes slowly. The fleas run away from the water, and at last they all run over the fox's nose into the wool, and then the fox dips his nose under and lets the wool go off with the stream.

• Source: J. F. Campbell, Popular Tales of the West Highlands (London: Alexander Gardner, 1890), v. 1, p. 276.

• Campbell heard the tale from a namesake, John Campbell, piper, "and many other sources." J. F. Campbell adds the following note: "This is told as a fact. The place where an 'old gray fellow' was seen performing this feat, was mentioned by one of my informants. The fox was seen in the sea near the Caithness hills."

• Return to the table of contents.

The Jackal and the Flees

India

Once upon a time a monkey noticed some wheat which had fallen into a small hollow in a rock. Thrusting in his hand, he filled it with the grain, but the entrance was so narrow that he was unable to draw it out without relinquishing most of his prize. This, however, he was unwilling to do, greedily desiring to have it all. So the consequence was that he remained without any, and finally went hungry away.

• Source: Charles Swynnerton, Indian Nights' Entertainment; or, Folk-Tales from the Upper Indus (London: Elliot Stock, 1892), no. 66, p. 267.

• Return to the table of contents.

Return to D. L. Ashliman's index of folklore and mythology electronic texts.

Revised October 27, 1999.