A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
A royal child is born with the ears of an ox, and his father compels the barber to conceal the fact. Keeping the secret makes the barber’s belly swell until he tells a drummer. When the drummer later sings the secret before the king, he avoids punishment by claiming that the drum itself supplied the words. The boy’s ears are explicit, while an independently living or speaking drum is only the drummer’s explanation; no other animal features are described.
Origins & earliest records
Santal Parganas, eastern India; source-specific Santali storytelling
Records & interpretation
Complete relevant tale and preface directly read; exact locator identified.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Folklore of the Santal Parganas
LIII, The Child with the Ears of an Ox, pp. 171–172
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Cecil Henry Bompas, Folklore of the Santal Parganas (1909)
Historical Santal narrative collection. LIII, The Child with the Ears of an Ox, pp. 171–172
Relevant tales completely read along with full preface. Bodding/Murmu/Bompas mediation explicitly retained; original Santali manuscripts not independently inspected. Narrative supernatural claims distinguished from independently verified history or medicine.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical translation of collected narrativesBompas, Folklore of the Santal Parganas (1909), LIII, The Child with the Ears of an Ox, pp. 171–172Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.