μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Detection of theft by finding bag-repairer. Two men are in a lawsuit and before witnesses seal the documents in a bag to await arrival of the king. One of the men cuts the bag open, changes the documents, and has a repairer sew it up again. On the king's arrival the change is discovered. By having a fine carpet repaired the expert repairer is discovered. Confession follows.

The wise and the foolish. · Cleverness. · Clever persons and acts. · Cleverness in the law court. · Cleverness in detection of truth. · view the constellation · filed as J1141.5

Cited in the index
  • general *Zachariae Zs. f. Vksk. XXXIII–XXXIV 70.
Within the index

Filed under Confession obtained by a ruse.

Filed beside it
Guilty person deceived into gesture (act) which admits guilt Magician assigned three places at a table. He confesses to carrying two persons in his body Cheaters examined apart; first made to repeat paternoster. Others think that he has confessed and truth is discovered Confession induced by bringing an unjust action against accused. False message to thief's wife to send the stolen jewel case as bribe to the judge. She does Thief's money scales borrowed. A man buries gold and a thief steals it. The owner detects the criminal. He takes some money to the thief and borrows money scales "to weigh so as to bury with the other". The thief decides that he is detected and hastens to return the stolen money Thief suspected of crawling through hole must take off clothes. He is full of scratches and confesses Silence points to guilt. Important man quarrels with commoner. Asks bystanders: "Who is right?" Silence. Newcomer states that the important man is wrong. "Had he been right the others would have said so." The guilty protests his innocence. Animals put to graze in man's garden. Owner greets everyone with: "I know about you!" No one pays any attention to him except the guilty one who says: "I did not do it." Confesses. (Cf. N275.) Confession obtained by making thief fear for his life. (Told that crossbow would shoot guilty person as he passed before it.) Detection through ruse. Husbands ask suspected priest to talk to wives on tithing, and thus obtain sufficient evidence to convict him Guilty man freed of murder charge is tricked into making a false accusation for which he is sentenced Witness always to answer "No." Thus gets self condemned Minister threatens divine punishment to thief in congregation. The thief confesses The thief is tricked into revealing himself in church The thief is tricked into betraying himself in supposed ordeal

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