μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
Scholars’ trail — 3references

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.

  • Missouri FrenchCarrière
  • ChineseGraham
  • West IndiesFlowers 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 flocksSimpleton's naive answer to robbers makes them think he knows their secret. They share their loot with himHero stupid at games but fleet of footInept child eventually surpasses others
Filed beside it
Pupil surpasses masterPoor man surpasses richIgnorant surpasses learned manUgly preferred to pretty sisterNeglected surpasses favorite childTardy surpasses punctualSlowness surpasses hastePeasant girl outwits princeDaughter succeeds on quest where son failsScorning stops when it turns out that the scorned has saved the king by fighting alone against fourDisagreeable and disliked child surpasses the likeable oneUnpromising hero kills those who scorn him

wander