μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Literal following of the count.

The wise and the foolish. · Fools (and other unwise persons). · Literal fools. · Literal obedience. · view the constellation · filed as J2466

Within the index

Filed under Literal obedience.

3 finer motifs beneath it
A pebble for each sin. A man cannot remember the number of his sins. The priest has him put a pebble in a sack for each of his sins. He comes to confession with three large sacks of pebbles The reckoning of the pot. A man counts the days of the fastmonth by throwing a pebble each day into a pot. His daughter throws a handful of pebbles in. Asked the day of the month, he says that it is the 125th The long day. If the clock is still striking it must be 50 o'clock
Filed beside it
Disastrous following of misunderstood instructions. (To burn land, then sow seed. Opposite done.) What should I have done (said)? The mother teaches the boy (the man his wife) what he should say (do) in this or that circumstance. He uses the words in the most impossible cases and is always punished Foolish bridegroom follows instructions literally The foolish bride The servant to improve on the master's statements. The wooer makes boasts to the girl and the servant always doubles the master's boast. Finally the master says, "I have poor eyesight." – The servant, "You don't see at all." (Or the master coughs and apologizes; the servant says that he coughs all night.) Disastrous following of instructions Instructions followed literally – miscellaneous

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