Beggar wants bread. A numskull tells his mother that a beggar is below asking for bread. Mother: "Tell him I am not at home." Numskull: "He doesn't want you, he wants bread." — Mythoi

Motif

Beggar wants bread. A numskull tells his mother that a beggar is below asking for bread. Mother: "Tell him I am not at home." Numskull: "He doesn't want you, he wants bread."

The wise and the foolish. · Cleverness. · Clever verbal retorts (repartee). · Repartee concerning beggars. · view the constellation · filed as J1332

Cited in the index

general *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 239 No. 528.

Within the index

Filed under Repartee concerning beggars.

Filed beside it

Persistent beggar invited upstairs. A beggar will not come in but insists on the man coming down to the door. When he asks alms the man bids him come upstairs. Then he says he has nothing for him. "You made me come down for nothing; I make you come up for nothing." Prove me a liar. Beggar: "Good day, you stingy fellows." They: "We are not stingy fellows." Beggar: "Then give and prove me a liar." Beggar tells stingy to go beg. They say they have no meat, no bread, no wine, etc. "Then go beg; you have more need than I." Beggar claims to be emperor's brother. (All men are descended from Adam.) Emperor gives him small coin. Beggar protests. Emperor: "If all your brothers gave you that much you would be richer than I." Asking costs nothing. So says beggar who asks goldsmith to plate his club with gold

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