A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
Crane’s summary of The Little Monk places a monster in a large cave, cooking sheep over a fire. Two lost mendicant monks enter, accepting its hospitality, and the creature closes the entrance with a great stone. It later kills the larger monk with a heated iron thrust into his throat, roasts his body and forces the smaller monk to participate in the meal. The survivor only pretends to eat and throws the flesh away.
During the night the smaller monk heats the iron and strikes the monster’s eyes. He hides in a sheep skin while the blinded creature removes the stone and feels the sheep as they pass out. Thus he escapes to Trapani and tells fishermen what happened. The monster subsequently goes fishing, strikes a rock because it cannot see and breaks its head. Crane notes a related account from Piana de’ Greci separately. The summary does not give this monster a proper name or state that it originally had only one eye; resemblance to a familiar classical escape plot does not supply that anatomy.
Origins & earliest records
Thomas Frederick Crane, Italian Popular Tales (1885), Discussion following XVII, pp. 89–90; identified source: Pitrè 51, The Little Monk; attributed to an eight-year-old girl.
Records & interpretation
The creature is described in the specified historical English tale. Its actions belong to this account, rather than to a general species definition.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Italian Popular Tales: Discussion following XVII, pp. 89–90
English witness; source attribution: Pitrè 51, The Little Monk; attributed to an eight-year-old girl. Original-language collection not independently collated.
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.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary historical literary collectionCrane, Italian Popular Tales (1885): Discussion following XVII, pp. 89–90Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.