This is classified as ATU 2042. Chain of Accidents.
The dao-sharpener was sharpening his dao when the crawfish came and prodded his anus. Mr. Dao-Sharpener sliced off the tip of a bamboo end. The tip of bamboo pricked the cheek of a jungle-fowl. The jungle-fowl, scuttling off, scratched out a red ant, which ran and bit Mr. Wild Boar in the testicles. The wild boar dashing about kicked down the wild plantain tree which was the bat's home. The bat flew out and fluttered into Mr. Elephant's ear. The elephant dashed off and knocked over the widow's house.
"Mr. Elephant," said she, "why have you knocked down my house?"
Said the elephant, "The bat flew into my ear."
"Bat, why did you fly into Mr. Elephant's ear?"
"Mr. Wild Boar threw down the wild plantain tree I live in."
"Mr. Boar, why did you do that?"
"The red ant bit my testicles."
"Red Ant, why did you bite the boar's testicles?"
"The jungle-fowl scratched me up."
"Jungle-Fowl, why did you scratch up the ant?"
"The bamboo tip pricked my cheek."
"Bamboo Tip, why did you prick the jungle-fowl's cheek?"
"Mr. Dao-Sharpener sliced me off."
"Mr. Dao-Sharpener, why did you slice off the bamboo tip?"
"The crawfish prodded my posterior."
"Crawfish, why did you prod the dao-sharpener?"
The crawfish did not know what to answer. He said, "You can do nothing by toasting me at a fire. If you put me in a deep pool, I shall turn very red, and the boy will be charmed to see it." He jumped into the pool. "The pool I live in is very deep," said he, and in the pool he stayed.
NOTES
One cannot help suspecting condensation here and the loss of some such incident as that of Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit and the briar patch.
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