μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
Within the index

Filed under Inappropriate action from misunderstanding.

4 finer motifs beneath it
Numskull (female devil) thinks her pubic hair has been telling her lies and pulls it out together with the skinFool cannot answer as his mouth is full; thought to have an abscess in cheeks, allows them to be cut openBird protruding from king's stomach cut out with swords: king killedChild's stomach split open to cure him of wandering
Filed beside it
Swimming (fishing) in the flax-field. Peasants go to visit the sea. They see a waving flax-field, and, thinking it is the sea, jump in to swimSweeping with a stick instead of a broomMisunderstanding of church customs or ceremonies causes inappropriate actionFatal bread. Numskull refuses communion because his sister died shortly after eating the breadTurkish ambassador misunderstands Christian ceremonies. Makes ridiculous report to his kingThe falcon not so good as represented. A nobleman praises his falcon. His fool, supposing they were praising the falcon as food, kills the bird, but is disappointed in the tasteThe king no priest's son. A pope in writing to a king says, "To our dear son Frederick." Upon hearing this the fool cries out, "That is a lie; he is no priest's son. I knew his father and mother and they were both honest people."The obedient log. A fool sees a boat (with rowers) obedient to commands, "Right! Left!" etc. He asks what kind of wood the boat is made of. Later he gets a log of that wood and tries to make it obey commandsNumskull throws the dishes out. A landlord in anger throws a dish out the window. The numskull throws the rest out, thinking that the landlord wanted to eat outdoorsJumping into the river after their comrade. Through misunderstanding one of the men jumps into the river. He calls out; the others think that he wants them to follow, and all jump in and are drownedNumskull thinks the bishop's snoring is his death rattle. He strikes at a fly on the bishop's nose because it seems to be killing the bishopNumskulls lose corpse and bury live person insteadGoat chewing cud angers fool, who thinks goat is mimicking himFool not recognizing coins lying on roadside leaves themMan thinks own toe is snake's head and cuts it off. (Cf. J1782.8.)Serfs congratulate their master. The delegate slips and falls, cursing: "The devil may take you!" The serfs outside think this was the congratulation, and all cry in chorus: "You and your family!"

wander