The account-book of mistakes. A king, hearing that a man keeps an account-book of people's mistakes asks to see about his own record. He reads that the king has made a mistake in trusting a certain sum of money to a servant. King: "How if he comes back with it?" "I shall cross off your name and put him down for making a mistake."

Motif

The account-book of mistakes. A king, hearing that a man keeps an account-book of people's mistakes asks to see about his own record. He reads that the king has made a mistake in trusting a certain sum of money to a servant. King: "How if he comes back with it?" "I shall cross off your name and put him down for making a mistake."

The wise and the foolish. · Cleverness. · Clever verbal retorts (repartee). · Cynical retorts concerning honesty. · view the constellation · filed as J1371

Filed across the traditions

Italian Novella *Rotunda.
general *Wesselski Arlotto I 181 No. 5
general Chauvin II 153 No. 20

Within the index

Filed under Cynical retorts concerning honesty.

Filed beside it

Safe since no white man is near. White man asks Indian if he can safely leave some of his belongings inside the Indian's lodge. The Indian assures him that he can: "There is no white man within a hundred miles of here." (Cf. X600.)

ask the rhapsode about this motif · search the shelf for “account-book” · wander