μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
In our texts — keyword-matched, unreviewed
Within the index
9 finer motifs beneath it
Clothing the servant. The master is to clothe the servant (at his expense). The servant insists that his master shall put on his clothes for himPutting fear into him. A plaintiff insists that the judge shall put some fear into the defendant debtor. The judge puts his fingers over the eyes of the defendant and cries, "Boo! Now give him his money."Names of dogs literally interpreted. The names are "The Shepherd" and "Get the stick". When the man calls his dogs to dinner, the thief thinks that he is telling the shepherd to get a stickGetting a box on the ears. The man, advised to cure his wife with a box on the ears, goes to the pharmacy and gets one. He cures his wifeReligious words or exercises interpreted with absurd literalness"I don't know" thought to be a person's name. A man in a country that cannot speak his language hears "I don't know" so frequently that he thinks it must be the name of the owner of all the places he inquires about"Honey is sweet." A wayward son, asked by his mother to give her a sweet word, thus answersRepeating the ceremony. Fool told to repeat part of the ceremony at baptism persists absurdly in repeating every remarkLiteral fool – additional motifs

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