Four men's mistress. A husband disguises as a priest to hear his wife's confession. She says that she has been mistress of a servant, a knight, a fool, and a priest; i.e., her husband when he was her servant, and later her knight. He had then been a fool for demanding her confession, and was a priest because he had heard it — Mythoi

Motif

Four men's mistress. A husband disguises as a priest to hear his wife's confession. She says that she has been mistress of a servant, a knight, a fool, and a priest; i.e., her husband when he was her servant, and later her knight. He had then been a fool for demanding her confession, and was a priest because he had heard it.

The wise and the foolish. · Cleverness. · Clever practical retorts. · Retorts between husband and wife. · view the constellation · filed as J1545.2

Filed across the traditions

Italian Novella *Rotunda.
general *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 793
general Wesselski Mönchslatein 109 No. 93
general Boccaccio Decameron VII No. 5 (Lee 198)
general Scala Celi 49a No. 275
general *Hibbard 41 n. 12
general Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No 78

Within the index

Filed under Wife outwits her husband.

Filed beside it

Will work when beaten. A wife whose husband has beaten her sends a rumor to the sick king that her husband is a skilled physician but will practice only when he is well beaten. He is seized and whipped Fault-finding husband nonplussed. The wife has cooked so many dishes that when he complains, she can always supply another. Finally he says, "I had rather eat dung." She produces some The exiled wife's dearest possession. A wife driven from home is allowed by her husband to take her one dearest possession. She takes her sleeping husband and effects reconciliation Husband tells wife in indecent posture to "lock up shop". She retorts that he has the key Wife by cleverness wins back fortune overbearing husband has foolishly lost and humbles him Clever laughter and response of wife stops husband from fondling maid Corpse to be cut in two for easy carrying. Husband who feigns death hears wife propose this. He upbraids her; she replies: "If you had really died I should have given myself up to be burnt." Wife shows deep water. Husband declares that he will drown himself. The wife shows him a deep spot in the stream

Carried in tale types

Four Men's Mistress · ATU 1410 1 recorded variant

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