One should not be too greedy

Motif

One should not be too greedy.

The wise and the foolish. · Wise and unwise conduct. · Prudence and Discretion. · Prudence in ambition. · view the constellation · filed as J514

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In our texts — keyword-matched, unreviewed

Scholars’ trail — 1reference

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 Type 555.

Within the index

Filed under Prudence in ambition.

6 finer motifs beneath it

Kite tries to carry off so many partridges that he drops them all Wolf tries to eat bowstring. Finds hunter, gazelle, and wild boar dead. Tries first to eat the bowstring, and is mortally wounded Greedy man keeps demanding one more thing from complacent man; at last is magically blinded Greedy pig looks up into tree for figs. This causes his death Greedy man dissatisfied with gold looks for jewels; finds only iron and eventually nothing Fowler wants two rubies as ransom for a caught goose; loses goose and both rubies

Filed beside it

One should not attempt to change his color Animal should not try to change his nature One should let well enough alone Peacock spends so much time preening for coronation that birds become impatient and make the owl king instead

Carried in tale types

The Hen that Laid the Golden Eggs · ATU 219E**1 recorded variant
The Fisherman and his Wife · ATU 5551 recorded variant

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