μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
Scholars’ trail — 2references

The index’s own references — the collections where scholars sighted this story-shape, tradition by tradition. Titles on our shelf are live links; the rest is the frontier, not yet shelved.

  • general *Chauvin VIII 89 No. 58
  • general Nouvelles Récréations No. 28.
Within the index

Filed under Cleverness in detection of truth.

16 finer motifs beneath it
Guilty person deceived into gesture (act) which admits guiltMagician assigned three places at a table. He confesses to carrying two persons in his bodyCheaters examined apart; first made to repeat paternoster. Others think that he has confessed and truth is discoveredConfession 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 doesDetection 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 followsThief'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 moneyThief suspected of crawling through hole must take off clothes. He is full of scratches and confessesSilence 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 himGuilty man freed of murder charge is tricked into making a false accusation for which he is sentencedWitness always to answer "No." Thus gets self condemnedMinister threatens divine punishment to thief in congregation. The thief confessesThe thief is tricked into revealing himself in churchThe thief is tricked into betraying himself in supposed ordeal
Filed beside it
Solomon able to detect truth without evidence of witnessesPseudo-scientific methods of detectingThief detected by building straw fire so that smoke escapes through thief's entrance. The secret hole into the building is thus discovered and the thief caughtEaters of stolen food detectedDetection through aid of animalDetection by strewing ashes (sand). Trespasser (lover, mistress, ghost, fairy, etc.) leaves footprints in the ashesDetection through feigned dreamMiscellaneous means of detecting
Travels with
Man unable to persuade wife to confess misdeed to priest succeeds when he makes her drunk. (Cf. J1141.)
Carried in tale types

wander