The old man nods "Yes". A monk at an old man's deathbed asks if he hasn't promised this and that to the church. The old man from weakness rather than understanding nods "Yes". The son standing by asks, "Shall I throw this fellow down stairs?" The old man nods "Yes" — Mythoi

Motif

The old man nods "Yes". A monk at an old man's deathbed asks if he hasn't promised this and that to the church. The old man from weakness rather than understanding nods "Yes". The son standing by asks, "Shall I throw this fellow down stairs?" The old man nods "Yes".

The wise and the foolish. · Cleverness. · Clever practical retorts. · The cheater cheated. · view the constellation · filed as J1521.2

Cited in the index

general *Wesselski Bebel I 154 No. 81
general Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 497.

Within the index

Filed under Swindler's plans foiled.

1 finer motif beneath it

Clever wife of king's adopted son keeps king distracted on deathbed so that he cannot disinherit husband

Filed beside it

The shoes carried into the tree. Tricksters induce a numskull to climb a tree, planning to steal his shoes. He takes them in his belt with him. "Perhaps I shall find a nearer road home up there and shall need my shoes." Command would become permanent. A ruler receives gifts from his subjects and later demands them as he due. The fool sets the nobleman's bed on fire. When the nobleman commands him to put the fire out he refuses, since he would ever afterward have to be putting out fires Unjust oath countered by another. A woman entrusts three coins to a headsman. He denies her claim which she fails to substantiate in ordeal. She now claims more and happens to succeed with ordeal Catching by words

ask the rhapsode about this motif · search the shelf for “understanding” · wander