μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

The smaller the evil the better. Therefore choose the smallest woman possible for a bride.

The wise and the foolish. · Wise and unwise conduct. · Choices. · Choice between evils. · view the constellation · filed as J229.10

Filed across the traditions
  • Italian Novella Rotunda.
Within the index

Filed under Choice between evils – miscellaneous.

Filed beside it
Choice: staying at home with loving wife or going to tavern and having unfaithful wife. Man chooses latter Sheep and ignorant shearer. Had rather die than suffer longer from him Choice: a big piece of cake with my curse or a small piece with my blessing Better send an ugly woman to the devil than a pretty one. Man chooses ugly mistress Choice between bad master, bad official, or bad neighbor. Bad master can do evil if he desires to do so; bad official can harm a poor person and complain against him to his master; bad neighbor can betray secret things about his neighbors. Bad neighbor worst Bad choice between poor and miserly man. Neither makes good leader Rower prefers to be stoned by his master rather than remain out in the storm Contentment with evil master for fear of worse successor Man retains questionable bride for fear of getting one who is worse Take money instead of revenge. Fool advises uncle, in letter which he did not send, to take money from wife's paramour instead of revenge Prisoners given choice between emasculation and blinding God's punishment: the sinner may have twelve years of famine or twelve hours of heavy rainfall Physical pain preferred to poverty
Carried in tale types

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