μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Foolish illustration of argument.

The wise and the foolish. · Fools (and other unwise persons). · Absurd short-sightedness. · Absurd plans. · view the constellation · filed as J2062

Within the index

Filed under Absurd plans. Air-castles.

3 finer motifs beneath it
Which way the sheep shall return. One man plans to buy sheep; another says that he shall not drive them across the bridge. They quarrel over the sheep, which have not yet been acquired. A third numskull to convince them of their foolishness pours all his meal out in the water so as to show them the empty sack. "How much meal is in the sack?" he asks. "None." "There is just that much wit in your heads." Foolish logician upsets ghee in argument. "Does the ghee protect the saucer, or the saucer the ghee?" How was the town burned?
Filed beside it
Quarrel and fight over details of air-castles Man plants hedge: sheep will leave wool on the thorns and bring riches To build a palace in the sky: hawk as architect is let fly in the air Fools cast lots for royal purple of queen who is still alive Air-castle shattered by lack of forethought Distress over imagined troubles of unborn child. (Clever Else.) Girl sent to cellar to get wine to serve the suitor begins weeping over the troubles of the child which she might have if she married the suitor. Her parents join her. Meanwhile the suitor leaves Servant plans to deceive his master by refusing to eat Foolish waiting Sacrifice equal to the reward
Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)
Fool re-enacts the accident. Falls and injures self and others. (Cf. J2062.)

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