μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Marked culprit marks everyone else and escapes detection.

Deceptions. · Thefts and cheats. · Thefts. · Thief escapes detection. · view the constellation · filed as K415

Filed across the traditions
  • Lithuanian Balys Index No. 2440*
  • Italian Novella *Rotunda
  • India *Thompson-Balys
  • Philippine Fansler MAFLS XII 435
  • Africa Werner African 223.
  • general *Type 950
  • general BP III 395ff.
  • general *Schoepperle I 214 n. 3
  • general Boccaccio Decameron III No. 2 (Lee 62)
  • general *Penzer V 274f., 284, VII 36, 217ff.
  • general *Chauvin V 83 No. 24 n. 2
Within the index

Filed under Thief escapes detection.

1 finer motif beneath it
Many persons admit theft so that it is impossible to find real thief
Filed beside it
Blame for theft fastened on dupe The lamb without a heart. Accused of eating the lamb's heart, the thief maintains that it had no heart Thief claims to have been transformed into an ass. While the owner sleeps the thief steals his horse, hitches himself to the wagon, and claims that he is the horse transformed into a man Thief escapes by leaving animal's severed tail and claiming that the animal has escaped and left his tail Thief successfully claims that stolen goods are his own Stolen animal disguised as person so that thief may escape detection Severed limb prevents detection The stolen cow successively pawned. In one night a thief pawns a cow four times, always stealing it immediately and finally delivering it back to its owner Thief presents alibi. Plays all night for dance while confederate commits actual theft Detection of theft of bull escaped by putting boots on bull Thieves stretch chain across road and evade pursuers Quartered thief's body sewed together to escape detection Repentant thief pretends to have found stolen cow. Upbraids owner for not guarding her better Thief swallows stolen goods to escape detection The owner is duped by thief who gives him the task of solving a riddle about the theft just accomplished Thief escapes detection – miscellaneous
Carried in tale types

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