Poison-Mouth

Overview

The girl called Poison-Mouth repeats her mother’s complaints with immediate physical effects: invading cattle die, bees fill the home with honey, and messengers insulted as dogs become dogs. A prince sends instructions to protect her from hearing harmful words, but successive groups of messengers are transformed before delivering his message.

An elderly intermediary approaches while the mother is absent and encourages the child to use her speech to bless. She agrees to leave with him. In the prince’s household, where she hears only good words, her speech thereafter brings benefits. The power belongs to the girl’s utterances, rather than to a described venomous mouth or animal anatomy.

Origins & earliest records

Historical Laos country within Siam, as identified by the collection

Records & interpretation

Complete relevant narrative and Willis G. Craig’s introduction directly read.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India

   Katherine Neville Fleeson, collector/translator · 1899

   VIII.2, Poison-Mouth, pp. 103–105

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

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Historical folktale collectionFleeson (1899), VIII.2, Poison-Mouth, pp. 103–105Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.