μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

The forgetful fool.

The wise and the foolish. · Fools (and other unwise persons). · Bungling fool. · Bungling fool. · view the constellation · filed as J2671

In our texts — keyword-matched, unreviewed
Filed across the traditions
  • India Thompson-Balys.
Within the index

Filed under Bungling fool.

4 finer motifs beneath it
A fox or a hare? A servant is sent by his master to find a girl for him. If he returns with one he is to say, "I have a fox"; if without, "I have a hare." When he returns he has forgotten the agreement. "I don't know whether it is a fox or a hare, but the girl is down stairs Fool keeps repeating his instructions so as to remember them. (He usually forgets them.) Bungling fool forgets what elephant is called. Says it is an "earth egg" (confused with name for potatoes) Foolish messenger muddles message
Filed beside it
Bungling fool has succession of accidents Sent back for the rest of the money. A fool finds a treasure and takes some of it to a judge so as to purchase influence. The judge sends him back for the rest The awkward servant The bungling speaker The fool testifies: "I had been drinking and was lying on the bench asleep. I saw him hit him over the head with an axe but don't know whether he hit him or not." The fool betrays his brothers. They escape but he is captured and stupidly betrays their hiding places The stolen bedcover. A man hears a noise outside the house at night. He wraps a bed cover about him and goes to investigate. The robbers take the bed cover and flee. The wife asks what the debate was about. "About the bed cover. When they got it, the quarrel was over." Bungling rescuer caught by crab. He tries to rescue woman caught by crab. Is caught himself and found in embarrassing position Buyer draws picture of grindstone on his order list. The grocer sends him a cheese. The buyer has forgotten to draw the hole

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