The Brahmin and the Mongoose

The Brahmin and the Mongoose
Indian grey mongoose
Folk tale
NameThe Brahmin and the Mongoose
Aarne–Thompson grouping178A
CountryIndia (origin)

The Brahmin and the Mongoose (or The Brahmin's Wife and the Mongoose) is a folktale from India, and "one of the world's most travelled tales".[1] It describes the rash killing of a loyal animal, and thus warns against hasty action. The story underlies certain legends in the West, such as that of Llywelyn and his dog Gelert in Wales,[1] or that of Saint Guinefort in France.[2][3] It is classified as Aarne-Thompson type 178A.[4]

  1. ^ a b Blackburn, p. 494
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference greenwood was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference b496 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ D. L. Ashliman, Llewellyn and His Dog Gellert and other folktales of Aarne-Thompson type 178A