μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

The belly and the members. Debate as to their usefulness. All mutually useful.

The wise and the foolish. · Wise and unwise conduct. · Choices. · Unnecessary choices. · view the constellation · filed as J461.1

Filed across the traditions
  • Indonesia DeVries's list No. 139
  • Africa (Ekoi) Talbot 393.
  • general *Prato Archivio per lo studio delle tradizioni popolari IV (1885) 25ff.
  • general Penzer V 135 n.
  • general Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 399
  • general Wienert FFC LVI *43 (ET 6), 92 (ST 59)
  • general Halm Aesop No. 197
  • general Jacobs Aesop 206 No. 29
  • general *Crane Vitry 167 No. 73
  • general *H. Gombel Die Fabel vom Magen und den Gliedern (Beihefte zur Zs. f. romanische Philologie LXXX [Halle, 1934]). Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas III 71, *301f., *Neuman
Within the index

Filed under Senseless debate of the mutually useful.

3 finer motifs beneath it
Tail and head of serpent quarrel as to usefulness Fortune, Intellect, Knowledge, and Health dispute as to which is the greatest Debate of tongue and other bodily members
Filed beside it
Common wives of man debate as to which has helped him most. Help of each was indispensable Tobacco, pipe, and match debate usefulness to smoker Deer, opossum, and snake each render indispensable aid to man. Foolishly debate their usefulness Rice, wheat, and dal dispute as to which is the best Dispute of hammer and anvil Wealth and wisdom dispute as to who is greater Elephant and ape debate about superiority. Owl gives them task neither can perform and ends futile debate
Carried in tale types

ask the rhapsode about this motif · search the shelf for “usefulness” · wander