The constellation
J2220 Other logical absurdities
A constellation is one motif’s neighborhood in the record — the story-shapes filed around it, the tale types that carry it, and the texts where it is witnessed, every line a receipted link. Click a motif to travel. Click a text to read it. The entry · wander
● motif
● tale type
● on the shelf
● attested
The same sky, in words
beneath it
- How does he know? A rustic refuses to believe reports about hell from a priest who has not been there · J2221 entry
- The inconvenience of having a father: The numskull to his father: "If you had never been born I would get my grandfather's estate." · J2222 entry
- The thief as discoverer. The fool lies still as the thief enters the house, hoping that the thief may find something so that he can take it back from the thief · J2223 entry
- Taking the seed out at night. Numskull plants seed in daytime and takes it out at night. "Man must guard his treasures" (or "Growing in the daytime is enough") · J2224 entry
- Three reasons for not giving alms. (1) Student has only one eye: Aristotle says to beware of those whom nature has marked. (2) Student comes from Bremen: no one of consequence comes from there. (3) His name is Nicholas: no one with that name can succeed · J2225 entry
- Learn to swim before going into the water · J2226 entry
- Let them eat cake. The queen has been told that the peasants have no bread · J2227 entry
- Loss of eating contest because of weak legs. The sheep thinks that that is the reason for loss of the contest · J2228 entry
- Why can't we have holidays the year round? · J2231 entry
- Imitation and the real pig. Imitator of the pig's cries applauded. Fool brings real pig but fails · J2232 entry
- Logically absurd defenses. Thief brought to judgment for breaking into house blames mason for building poor house. Mason blames maker of mortar, who blames potter, who blames pretty woman who diverted his attention. She blames goldsmith who caused her to go for her earrings. Goldsmith has no one to blame but he is too old to make a good execution. Hence a shopkeeper across the way is convicted · J2233 entry
- "Is that you or your brother?" · J2234 entry
- Would have shot himself. Fool shoots full of holes a garment left out at night to dry. "It is a good thing I did not have it on or I would have shot myself." · J2235 entry
- Only fault with the house. The latrine is too small for the dining room table to go in · J2236 entry
- The bathroom in the minaret. The fool can sing in the small bathroom but cannot be heard from the minaret. He wants a bathroom built on the minaret so that his voice will carry · J2237 entry
- Book gives wisdom. A man believes himself wise because he has a book which he uses but does not understand · J2238 entry
- The doctor no longer needed. As the fool starts for the doctor the wife changes her mind. He continues to the doctor so as to tell him about it and to say that now he need not come · J2241 entry
- Carrying his own message. A man who is away from home writes a letter to his wife but can find no messenger. He delivers the letter himself and then goes on back to where he has been · J2242 entry
- Fool sleeps so as to avoid idleness · J2243 entry
- Climb down as you climb up. A peasant falls out of a tree. A neighbor advises him not to climb trees. Another suggests that he always climb down a tree with the same skill and rapidity that he climbed up · J2244 entry
- Every fruit tasted. Fool tastes every piece of fruit before giving it to his master · J2245 entry
- Fools reprove each other for speaking at prayers. They speak while doing so · J2254 entry
- Preliminary drawing of swords. Travelers say they will not have time to do so when attacked · J2255 entry
- Boy cannot read a book written with smaller letters than those he was reading at school · J2258 entry