Indian Fairy Tales · Chapter
III: Lambikin explained
This chapter presents the Panjab droll 'Lambikin,' noting its parallels with the English 'Three Little Pigs' and suggesting a common origin through the motif of a small animal rolling downhill in a container to escape a predator.
What happens
This chapter presents the Panjab droll 'Lambikin,' noting its parallels with the English 'Three Little Pigs' and suggesting a common origin through the motif of a small animal rolling downhill in a container to escape a predator.
Themes in this chapter
Cunning and Wisdom
Lambikin uses cleverness and a rolling container (Drumikin) to outwit the predator, echoing the cunning motif found in many folktales.
Cultural Transmission and Borrowing
The chapter highlights the parallel between Lambikin and the 'Three Little Pigs,' indicating cross-cultural tale migration and adaptation.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“The similarity of the concluding episode with the finish of the 'Three Little Pigs' (English Fairy Tales, No. XIV.)”
The ending of Lambikin closely matches the ending of the English tale 'Three Little Pigs.'
This comparison is used to argue for a common origin or borrowing between Indian and European folktales.
“The similarity of Pig No. 3 rolling down hill in the churn and the Lambikin in the Drumikin can scarcely be accidental”
The resemblance between the third pig rolling downhill in a churn and Lambikin rolling in a Drumikin is unlikely to be coincidental.
This reinforces the idea of cultural transmission, though the tale has been significantly modified before reaching England.