Numskull bales out the stream. He comes to a stream but not wishing to get his feet wet he sits down to wait for the stream to run down. He helps to bale the stream out with a hazelnut shell and keeps it up for months

Motif

Numskull bales out the stream. He comes to a stream but not wishing to get his feet wet he sits down to wait for the stream to run down. He helps to bale the stream out with a hazelnut shell and keeps it up for months.

The wise and the foolish. · Fools (and other unwise persons). · Absurd disregard of facts. · Other absurd disregard of facts. · view the constellation · filed as J1967

Filed across the traditions

Italian Gonzenbach No. 17, Italian Novella: Rotunda.

Within the index

Filed under Other absurd disregard of facts.

Filed beside it

White sheep-skin used as a source of light The yeast as an afterthought. An old woman who has forgotten to knead it in the dough throws it into the stove The fool puts but one stick of wood in the stove. "Several others have burned up." Tree-trunks laid crosswise of the sledge Protected by the needle. In a storm on the ice, numskulls stick needles into the ice to keep from blowing away The wall accuses the crowbar. But the man who uses the crowbar is to blame for the downfall of the wall Foolish fight with the sea. Absurd attempt to punish sea Fools try to use buffalo tongue as a knife Stupid woman swims on the roof Tree pulled down in order to give it water to drink Fool tries to purify cotton by burning it (as the goldsmith does with gold) Numskulls are affected by heat from stove which has no fire in it Mouth and ears stopped up lest wisdom escape

Carried in tale types

Bailing Out the Stream (previously Numskull Bailes Out the Stream) · ATU 1273A* 1 recorded variant

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