μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Escape from one misfortune into worse.

Chance and fate. · The ways of luck and fate. · Persistent bad luck. · view the constellation · filed as N255

Within the index

Filed under Persistent bad luck.

6 finer motifs beneath it
Stag escapes from hunters to be eaten by lion Ass gets progressively worse masters. Finally the farmer beats him living and will not spare his hide when he is dead Halcyon builds nest on sea-cliff to escape land hazards. Tempest blows nest away Fugitive slave takes refuge in mill house, where he must work harder than ever Daw fleeing from captivity caught in trees by thread around foot. Starves Old man burns self with gunpowder, and then burns himself worse when he pours hot water over his body
Filed beside it
Bad luck follows man who shoots stork Persecution by bad luck. Wishing to escape it, the luckless couple build themselves a new home. Scarcely do they establish themselves in the new home, when bad luck addresses them from the hearth: "I have already waited for you here three days." Persecution by a god so that will of deity can be followed Bad luck banished and freed. The poor man in some way banishes his bad luck and becomes prosperous. Out of envy his rich brother sets it free; it then follows him Person pursued by misfortune. (Placidas, Eustacius.) His goods are destroyed, his wife carried off by a ship captain and his children by animals Messengers announce successive misfortunes Safety in shadow of wall. After many misfortunes the man is apparently safe. The wall falls on him Unlucky classes Train of troubles from lost horseshoe nail. Master tries to go on in spite of the loss Train of troubles from sparrow's vengeance. A man runs over the dog, friend of the sparrow. Through the sparrow's vengeance the man loses his horse, his property, and finally his life Whether man begs all day or for an hour he gets only a small basket of grain Person brings bad luck to others

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