Page 25–26 (B¹⁻⁵). In a Biloxi tale not belonging in other respects to our group, the hero’s uncle puts the hero to some hard tests, hoping to make away with him (see Thompson, 376).
Page 26 (B²). The attempts to kill the hero in a well by throwing huge rocks on him are found in some of the American variants of the “Strong John” cycle. (See Thompson, 435–436, for French-Canadian and Maliseet versions.)
Page 26 (D.) In a Maliseet tale (Thompson, 340) the strong hero sets out on his travels with a giant cane that will hold fifty salted cattle.
Page 27 (E). In ten of the American Indian versions of “John the Bear” are found the extraordinary companions (see Thompson, 336–344).
Page 29. With Kakarangkang’s adventure inside the crocodile, compare an Araucano story (Saunière, No. 3), in which the heroine with a knife is swallowed by the big king of fishes. She cuts her way out, saving her brother and others imprisoned.
[4].
Interrupted-cooking episode. For a Negro version from Bahamas, see MAFLS 13, No. 93; also bibliography on p. 142 (footnote). In his analysis of “John the Bear “ stories among the American Indians, Thompson (336–342) notes this episode in Assiniboin, Tehuano, Shoshone, Thompson River, Maliseet, Loucheux, and Micmac versions.
Bee-hive hoax. Three Mexican variants on this idea may be noted. In one (JAFL 25 : 237), rabbit pretends that the bee-hive is a school, which he permits coyote to keep. In another (ibid., 206) rabbit pretends that a wasp-nest is a cradle, and gets coyote to rock it. The third is a Cora story given in abstract by Dr. Boas (ibid., 260), which is nearest the form of the incident as found in our tales. Opossum pretends that the bee-hive is a bell which coyote is to ring when he hears the sky-rockets. In a New-Mexican Spanish story (JAFL 27 : 134–135) fox tells coyote that the bee-hive is his school humming.
[5].
Parker’s Sinhalese story “The Elephant-Fool” (3 : 100–111, No. 203) tells of a man who borrowed another’s elephant; but the beast died before it could be returned. The borrower offers payment or another animal, but the owner will accept nothing but his own elephant alive. Through the cleverness of his wife, the borrower is able to make the obdurate man break a water-pot, and in turn demands his very water-pot back unbroken. Unable to do anything else, the owner of the elephant says that the two debts cancel each other, and goes away. Parker notes that in another Sinhalese form of this story both persons institute law-suits. He also cites a Chinese variant (p. 111).