Numskull is sent to fetch children. He either smothers them during conveyance or scalds them during bathing. (Cf. J2465.4.)

Motif

Numskull is sent to fetch children. He either smothers them during conveyance or scalds them during bathing. (Cf. J2465.4.)

The wise and the foolish. · Fools (and other unwise persons). · Absurd short-sightedness. · Other short-sighted acts. · view the constellation · filed as J2175.5

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Scholars’ trail — 2references

The index’s own references — the collections where scholars sighted this story-shape, tradition by tradition. Titles on our shelf are live links; the rest is the frontier, not yet shelved.

LithuanianBalys Index No. *1677
RussianAndrejev No. *1681 II.

Within the index

Filed under Short-sightedness in dealing with children.

Filed beside it

Anticipatory whipping. A schoolmaster whips his pupils to keep them from wrong-doing. He does not wait until after the deed is done Scolding the drowning child instead of helping him Absent-minded nurse lets child down into well instead of bucket Man lets his infant son play in river. Son drowns Numskull kills his children trying to cure their illness

Travels with

Washing the child. Fool uses boiling water and kills it

wander