Numskulls count selves by sticking their noses in the sand. They then count the holes

Motif

Numskulls count selves by sticking their noses in the sand. They then count the holes.

The wise and the foolish. · Fools (and other unwise persons). · Absurd absent-mindedness. · Absurd inability to count. · view the constellation · filed as J2031.1

Cited in the index

general *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 268 No. 261.

Within the index

Filed under Counting wrong by not counting oneself. Numskulls conclude that one of their number is drowned.

Filed beside it

There are ten horses; then when he is mounted there are only nine. Why? Culture hero throws coconuts to various islands, but forgets one he stands on: hence none now on that island

Carried in tale types

Numskulls Unable to Count their own Number · ATU 1287 1 recorded variant

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