μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

The devil in the cemetery. A sexton hears thieves in the cemetery cracking nuts and thinks it is the devil cracking bones. With the gouty parson on his back he comes upon the thieves who, thinking it is their companion with the sheep, call out, "Is he fat?" The sexton: "Fat or lean, here he is!"

Humor. · Humor of social classes. · Humor dealing with professions. · Jokes on parsons. · view the constellation · filed as X424

Filed across the traditions
  • Lithuanian Balys Index No. 1791, Legends No. 889.
  • general *Type 1791
  • general *BP III 395
  • general *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 82
  • general Scala Celi 101b No. 547
  • general Alphabet No. 333
  • general U.S., England: *Baughman
Within the index

Filed under Jokes on parsons.

1 finer motif beneath it
Robbers mistake man for devil (the "sheep" speaks, "Gently, gently!")
Filed beside it
Parson put to flight during his sermon Tame bear tied to church bells. Rings alarm One-eyed parson in dimly lighted church joins the wrong couples. Marries the old man to the girl and the old woman to the boy Parson rides ox into church. He wants to show how Christ rode into Jerusalem. Sexton sticks ox with needle The hog in church. Locked in church all week by mistake. When the congregation comes, the hog runs between the parson's legs and carries him out Parson preaches so that half the congregation weeps and half laughs. Has clothes torn in the back. Those that see this laugh. He wins the wager Parson smears his hand with butter. Rascals have spread butter on the altarbread. The parson preaches, "What is the life of man?" and therewith brings his hand down on the altar-bread: "Pure butter!" Parson is to let a dove fly in the church. It dies in his pocket At the blessing of the grave the parson's ox breaks loose: "Now the devil has him." The corpse with his feet cut off. The coffin-maker has fitted him to the coffin. The parson: "On the last day he will arise." One of the coffin-makers: "Did I say that?" The parson who said there is no devil. The bear-showman lets the bear climb up the pulpit. The parson thinks the bear is the devil If his son were only a fool he would let him study to be a priest. So says the innkeeper A bad year for priests: few funerals. All but the priest rejoice over the good health of the community. He bemoans his loss of income from burials Enmity between priests and monks: chickens and eggs. Monks eat eggs and make chickens expensive; priests eat hens and make eggs high The hungry parson and the porridge-pot. Overnight at the peasant's house. The hungry parson hunts the porridge in the dark, guided by a rope the sexton has given him. Series of accidents The parson put out of countenance
Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)
Man taken to be sheep. (Cf. X424.)
Carried in tale types

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