M132A. Ears, not horns. 12.-.14.

The predator thinks that a hornless herbivore has horns and is afraid of it, but it's just ears.

Hausa, Sakho, Bilin, Mehen, and Tunisian Berbers.

West Africa. House [animals think that the donkey's head is not ears, but horns; the lion is his friend and ward; at the watering hole, the animals heard a donkey roar, fled, the elephant trampled the giraffe, the lion ate meat for a week; the donkey with the lion decided to continue acting in the same vein, the animals were afraid to approach the water; the hare came closer, shouted to others that the donkey did not have horns, but ears; the animals tied the donkey, and the man passing by loaded I drove firewood to him]: Mariko 1984:109-110.

Sudanâ€"East Africa. Sakho [the hyena tells the donkey that it is afraid of its horns; he explains that these are just ears; after that, Hyena killed and ate him]: Reinisch 1889, No. 25:216-217; bilin [the lion was afraid of the donkey, thought he had horns; the hyena came, scared too; when she came again, the donkey explained to her that they were ears, not horns; the hyena ate him]: Reinisch 1883, No. 1:199; mehen [the lion met the rabbit, was going to eat it; the rabbit said his weapon was more terrible than the lion's claws and fangs; they were horns (i.e. his ears), he would destroy the entire lion tribe with them; the lion ran away]: Jensen 1959, No. 8:415.

North Africa. The Berbers of southern Tunisia [the hyena tells the hedgehog it is afraid of him: its horns are so long (they are ears); the hedgehog replies that they are not horns, there is only soft flesh; then the hyena ate the hedgehog; hyenas have been eating ever since hedgehogs]: Stimme 1900, No. 23:69.