Motif
self-inflicted harm while attacking a smaller enemy
self_inflicted_harm_while_attacking_a_smaller_enemy
A motif of the Pride, Hubris, and Downfall family, within the sub-family Self-Defeating Remedies and Choices. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
1 occurrences
1 traditions
greek
-
Aesop's Fables; a new translation THE DOGS AND THE HIDES / THE LION, THE FOX, AND THE ASS / THE FOWLER, THE PARTRIDGE, AND THE COCK / THE GNAT AND THE LION; lines 4775-4790 confidence: medium
The gnat sounds its horn, darts in, bites the lion on the nose, and the lion scratches his own nose bloody while failing to hurt the gnat.
The lion, trying to crush the gnat, scratches his own nose badly and makes it bleed while failing to hurt the gnat.
read in the book →