μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

King overhears girl's boast as to what she should do as queen. Marries her.

Chance and fate. · Lucky accidents. · Valuable secrets learned. · Secrets overheard. · view the constellation · filed as N455.4

Filed across the traditions
  • India *Thompson-Balys
  • N. Am. Indian Thompson CColl II 388.
  • general *Type 707
  • general BP II 380ff., *393
Within the index

Filed under Overheard (human) conversation.

Filed beside it
Overheard boast about hidden money brings about robbery Robbers' plans overheard: owner warned Secret formula for opening treasure mountain overheard from robbers (Open Sesame) Secret remedies learned from green-clad woman Husband learns of wife's fidelity through conversation overheard Secret about prince's father learned by eavesdropper from his mother's talking to him Friend lingering in the kitchen learns of friend's distress and helps him Location of sought object learned from overheard conversation By hiding, stupid son overhears conversation and claims magic power for bamboo cup Servant overhearing conversation realizes the misery of his employment Men hear father threaten to marry daughters to first comers
Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)
Foolish boasts get man into trouble. Man boasts to boss that his brother can do twice the work he does. The boss hires him. The two brothers tell him their father can do as much work in a day as the boys can do in a week. The boss fires them, tells them to send their father to work for him. (Cf. H915, H916, N455.4.)
Carried in tale types

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