The lion's share. Ass divides booty equally between himself, fox, and lion. Lion eats ass. Fox then divides: gives lion meat and he takes bones — Mythoi

Motif

The lion's share. Ass divides booty equally between himself, fox, and lion. Lion eats ass. Fox then divides: gives lion meat and he takes bones.

The wise and the foolish. · Wise and unwise conduct. · Adaptability. · Policy in dealing with the great. · view the constellation · filed as J811.1

Filed across the traditions

Italian Novella Rotunda
American Negro Harris Nights 334 No. 58.
general *Type 51
general Wienert FFC LVI 59 (ET 213), 110 (ST 220)
general Halm Aesop No. 260
general Jacobs Aesop 200 No. 4
general Herbert III *14, 39ff.
general *Crane Vitry 199 No. 158. Spanish Exempla: Keller

Within the index

Filed under Wisdom of concessions to power.

1 finer motif beneath it

Lion divides the booty. Best part goes to himself as king of beasts; second, as strongest; third, as most valiant; fourth – "touch it if you dare."

Filed beside it

Fox refuses to mediate between lion and lioness. Lion decides to abandon lioness because of her bad odor. Ass, hog, and fox as judges. Ass says she has bad odor: lioness slaps him. Hog says she has not: lion slaps him. Fox says that he has a bad cold and cannot smell King honors poet and critic: the first so that he will honor the king; the second, so that he will not dishonor him Ruler angered by evil spoken of him is placated by soft words of speakers Prime minister bribes priest to persuade king that ocean of milk he wishes sought for had curdled Fox with three hundred fables ready to tell against lion conveniently forgets them

Carried in tale types

The Lion's Share · ATU 51 1 recorded variant

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