μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

What is in the dish: "Poor Crab". A sham wise man named Crab is put to a test of his powers of divination. He is to tell what is in a covered dish (crabs). In despair he says, "Poor Crab!" and is given credit for knowing.

Chance and fate. · Lucky accidents. · Other lucky accidents. · Lucky accidents – miscellaneous. · view the constellation · filed as N688

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Scholars’ trail — 8references

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.

  • India*Thompson-Balys
  • IndonesiaDeVries's list No. 302
  • PhilippineFansler MAFLS XII 7f., 144
  • American Negro (Georgia)Harris Friends 24ff. No. 3
  • Cape Verde IslandsParsons MAFLS XV (1) 182 No. 62.
  • general *Type 1641
  • general *BP II 401ff., 409
  • general Louisiana French: Fortier MAFLS II 116
Within the index

Filed under Lucky accidents – miscellaneous.

1 finer motif beneath it
Doctor know-all accidentally saves raja. Roof caves in after he has dragged raja out with the intention of killing him and putting an end to all of his questions
Filed beside it
Lucky foolSeries of lucky successesHusband (lover) arrives home just as wife (mistress) is to marry anotherProphecy of future greatness fulfilled when hero returns home unknown. Parents serve himStranger accidentally chosen king. Picked up by sacred elephantNaked soldier becomes general. Stripped for bathing he takes his place as guard when the king unexpectedly arrives. King invites him to come naked to the castle, where he is chosen as husband by a general's daughterFool passes as wise man by remaining silentHero's (heroine's) identity established as he (she) is on the point of being executedHero unwittingly helps fee's sons: rewardedObjects accidentally picked up used to overawe ogressPerson reported lost joins unwittingly in search for himselfMan sent away from battlefield to deliver message the only survivor of battleApparently dead woman revives as she is being prepared for burial. Cf. Type 990Passengers on a boat are terrorized by a cutthroat. He turns courteous and leaves them unharmedFugitive in tree urinates from fright: pursuers think it rain and leaveHawk carries off necklace from bathing queen and drops it by lucky girl, who gets reward
Carried in tale types

wander