μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Contest in beauty between swallows and crows (ants and flies): worth lies not in beauty.

The wise and the foolish. · Wise and unwise conduct. · Choices. · Real and apparent values. · Choice between useful and ornamental. · view the constellation · filed as J242.6

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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.

  • general Wienert FFC LVI 43 (ET 5, 9), 124 (ST 330), 142 (ST 482)
  • general Halm Aesop No. 415.
Within the index

Filed under Useful wins contest over beautiful.

Filed beside it
Contest between rose and amaranth: worth lies not in beautyPine and thornbush dispute as to their usefulness. Beauty of form does not give worth; pine grows slowly but it will withstand stormsFox and panther contest in beauty. Fox's spirit worth more than panther's skinPeacock proved to be bad king. Chosen because of beauty; too weak to defend his flockPeacock and crane in beauty contest. Better be able to soar like crane than to strut about like peacockChoice of a learned crow: a dead cat better than a golden crownIn dividing property clever younger brother takes hind part of buffalo, upper part of tree, and use of curtain during night

wander