μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

The laughing ass. King has trickster's horse's tail cut off. Trickster retaliates by cutting off part of upper lip of king's ass. At trial the animals are brought forth. Everyone laughs at the ass. Trickster: "If everyone laughs at the ass, how could the ass help laughing at her companion without a tail?" Freed.

The wise and the foolish. · Cleverness. · Clever persons and acts. · Cleverness in the law court. · Clever pleading. · view the constellation · filed as J1169.5

Filed across the traditions
  • U.S. Baughman.
  • general *Wesselski Gonnella 116 No. 12
Within the index

Filed under Clever pleading – miscellaneous.

Filed beside it
The woman with bad eyes. Physician called to doctor woman's eyes bandages them and then steals things each day. She refuses to pay fee and is haled to court. She says that her sight is worse than ever for whereas she used to see many things in her house she now sees very little. Theft is thus revealed Bought behind the village. Lawyer declares unjustly that stolen horse has been bought and paid for. Angry farmer: "Yes, behind the village he bought and paid for it" (meaning that he stole it from the pasture). Lawyer pleads successfully that it is as well to buy a horse outside as inside the village Their assistance not asked. Knight attacks enemy contrary to orders. Part of army helps him and is killed. He disclaims responsibility since he had not asked their aid The ass beheaded. King vows to sacrifice first thing he meets. It is a miller driving an ass. Miller pleads that the ass preceded him. They behead the ass Receiver of stolen goods. A tailor makes a Jew a coat of stolen goods. Accused of theft, he says that the Jew has the cloth Suit about the ass's shadow. Man hires ass and driver for trip across plain. In the heat the traveler sits down in the ass's shadow. The driver pushes him away. Plea: he didn't hire the ass's shadow The prophet's first disciple. Judge demands that a pseudo-prophet show a miracle. Latter offers to cut off judge's head and resuscitate him. Judge agrees to be the first disciple Three unlawful acts in killing one sheep: two lambs were inside
Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)
Horses mutilated: tails cut off and manes torn off with the skin in order to humiliate their owner. (Cf. J1169.5.)
Carried in tale types

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