μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Stupid person surpasses clever.

Reversal of fortune. · Unpromising hero (heroine). · The unpromising surpasses the promising. · view the constellation · filed as L141

Filed across the traditions
  • Missouri French Carrière
  • Chinese Graham
  • West Indies Flowers 559.
Within the index

Filed under The unpromising surpasses the promising.

4 finer motifs beneath it
The stupid monk recovers the stolen flocks. A nobleman steals the abbot's flocks, saying that the monks have no use for them since they eat no meat. The most learned of the monks tries to recover them, but without success. The most stupid is then sent. Asked to dinner, he eats till he can hold no more. He tells the nobleman that he ate as much as possible since he could take back with him only what he had in his stomach. The nobleman pleased with the reply returns the flocks Simpleton's naive answer to robbers makes them think he knows their secret. They share their loot with him Hero stupid at games but fleet of foot Inept child eventually surpasses others
Filed beside it
Pupil surpasses master Poor man surpasses rich Ignorant surpasses learned man Ugly preferred to pretty sister Neglected surpasses favorite child Tardy surpasses punctual Slowness surpasses haste Peasant girl outwits prince Daughter succeeds on quest where son fails Scorning stops when it turns out that the scorned has saved the king by fighting alone against four Disagreeable and disliked child surpasses the likeable one Unpromising hero kills those who scorn him

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