The wise and the foolish

3,525 motifs · page 4 of 18

• Jackal accidentally made king but joins other jackals in howling at night. Killed. J512.13
• Snake wants to act as pet like parrot: killed. J512.14
• Frogs want to collect honey like bees. J512.15
• One should let well enough alone. J513
• Birds seeking richer lands are nearly all killed. Survivors advise their friends to let well enough alone. J513.1
• Barber tries unsuccessfully to become a trader. J513.2
• One should not be too greedy. J514
• Kite tries to carry off so many partridges that he drops them all. J514.1
• Wolf tries to eat bowstring. Finds hunter, gazelle, and wild boar dead. Tries first to eat the bowstring, and is mortally wounded. J514.2
• Greedy man keeps demanding one more thing from complacent man; at last is magically blinded. J514.3
• Greedy pig looks up into tree for figs. This causes his death. J514.4
• Greedy man dissatisfied with gold looks for jewels; finds only iron and eventually nothing. J514.5
• Fowler wants two rubies as ransom for a caught goose; loses goose and both rubies. J514.6
• Peacock spends so much time preening for coronation that birds become impatient and make the owl king instead. J515
• Prudence in demands. J530
• Good shepherd shears his sheep; does not skin them. Emperor thus replies to suggestion of a new tax to be laid on the people. J531
• Zeal – temperate and intemperate. J550
• Intemperate zeal in truth-telling. J551
• Cocks who crow about mistress's adultery killed. Discreet cock saves his life. J551.1
• Bird warns mistress against committing adultery: gets neck wrung. J551.1.1
• Fool given the truth on his back. He tells his master what the servants have done during his absence. The servants whip him on his bare back, saying at each blow, "That is the truth." When the master returns and tells the fool to tell the truth, the latter replies, "There is nothing worse on earth than the truth." J551.2
• Doctor loses a horse for the sake of the truth. Overlord asks two doctors whether he is entitled to all the possessions of his retainers. One doctor unrighteously answers yes and receives a horse. The other who tells the truth receives nothing. J551.3
• Man asked to tell truth says that his host, his hostess, and the cat have but three eyes between them. He is driven off for his truth telling. J551.4
• Magpie tells a man that his wife has eaten an eel, which she said was eaten by the otter. The woman plucks his feathers out. When the magpie sees a bald man, she says, "You too must have tattled about the eel." J551.5
• Only youngest son tells king truth when asked where they got their food: banished. J551.6
• Honest servant tells people that shop does not have many customers: dismissed. J551.7
• Intemperate pugnacity. J552
• Noblemen who quarreled over a device. Wiser of the two shows foolishness of such a fight. J552.1
• Noblemen being ruined by long lawsuit decide wisely to join their families in marriage and save their fortunes. J552.2
• Bishop fond of lawsuits is ordered by king to settle them: bishop pleads for a few to be left so that he will have something to live for. J552.2.1
• Serpent (weasel) tries to bite a file. J552.3
• Helmet left for woman to quarrel with. Woman insists upon quarreling with a nobleman. He says, "If you wish to quarrel, I shall leave my helmet here. You can talk to it." J552.4
• Brothers compose quarrel and save umpire's fee. J552.5
• Boast at home. In Castile a Spaniard maintains to a Portuguese that the Spanish king is best of all. In Portugal, that the Portuguese king is best. "Each cock crows in his own barnyard." J552.6
• Intemperance in work. J553
• Aesop with the unbent bow. Upbraided when found playing with children, he unstrings a bow and shows how good relaxation is. J553.1
• Ruler interrupts meeting of Senate to amuse his small son. When rebuked for making him a whistle he says: "I would have blown it for him had he asked me to do so." J553.2
• Intemperance in service. Emperor rebukes overzealous servant as being a nuisance. J554
• Intemperance in obedience. J555
• Cum grano salis. Instructions of mother followed literally by one daughter when she marries. All goes wrong. Second daughter follows them in conformity with her father's explanations and all is well. J555.1
• Intemperance in honesty. J556
• St. George teaches the poor man, "Who steals somewhat and lies somewhat will be rich." J556.1
• Forget God for five years and you will become wealthy. J556.2
• Intemperance in undertaking labor. J557
• Monk discouraged by large amount of work to be done persuaded to undertake but a small amount each day. The small task will be done; the large one will merely discourage. J557.1
• True penance for even a day is effective. J557.1.1
• Intemperance in sacrificing. J558
• Intemperance in pursuit. J561
• Man tracking gorilla sees animal's strength. Wisely refrains. J561.1
• Cow-herd looking for cattle thief recognizes him in the lion. Desists. J561.2
• Intemperance in charity. A waste of time to make a bed for a dog who lies down wherever he happens to be tired. Likewise a waste of time to help unappreciative people. J562
• Man resuscitates a lion which devours him. J563
• Intemperance in worship. J564
• Intemperance in fasting. J565
• Fool fasts on roof till he becomes so weak he falls off. J565.1
• Wisdom of deliberation. J570
• Avoid hasty judgment. J571
• When in anger say the alphabet. Man thus restrained from hasty judgment. J571.1
• King given three wheels to control his anger. J571.2
• King in anger punishes misdeed on Easter day. Is almost killed himself in retaliation. He submits and says that he deserves this punishment for hasty action. J571.3
• Avoid hasty punishment. J571.4
• Man has disinterested party punish servant for him lest he himself be unfair in his anger. J571.4.1
• Master when angry will not punish servant who has ruined him. J571.4.2
• King restrained from hasty judgment by being told story. J571.5
• Judge not that you be not judged: thus judge upbraided when he is later accused in court and claims mercy. J571.6
• Answer questions of a fool the next day. J571.7
• Unpaid servant refuses to blame master: later rewarded. J571.8
• Wisdom of deliberation in fight. J572
• Bravest know how to wait. Three men are pursued in battle. First throws himself on enemies; second waits a little; third does not fight until the enemy begins. Latter is bravest. J572.1
• Wisdom of caution. J580
• Foolishness of noise-making when enemies overhear. J581
• Wolf as dog's guest sings. He has drunk too much and sings in spite of the dog's warning. He is killed. J581.1
• Paramour who insists on quarreling with mistress about escape caught by her husband. He finds the escape different from that which had been described to him. J581.2
• Monk's enemies quarrel and thus save him. Robber who wants to steal monk's cow and devil who wants to steal his soul quarrel as to which shall begin first; they thus awaken him and the neighbors. J581.3
• Drones dispute possession of honey. Ordered to make honey. Dispossessed. J581.4
• Kites and crows quarrel over division of wounded fox. Meantime fox escapes. J581.5
• Foolishness of premature coming out of hiding. J582
• Hidden goat discovered by his horn protruding above ground. J582.1
• Hidden stag discovered when he begins to eat grapevine too soon after hunters have passed. J582.2
• Caution in eating. J585
• Clever girl refrains from eating figs which would bring on magic sleep. J585.1
• Forethought in conflict with others – general. J610
• Wise man before entering a quarrel considers how it will end. J611
• Wise man considers whom he is attacking. J612
• Flea and fever exchange night-lodgings. Flea had attacked abbess and been chased all night; fever, a washerwoman who nearly froze it to death by going to the river and washing clothes. They exchange and succeed. J612.1
• Wise fear of the weak for the strong. J613
• Frogs fear increase of sun's power which will dry up all their puddles. J613.1
• Frogs fear defeated bull. See two bulls fighting; know that the loser will take refuge in their marsh. J613.2
• Forethought in prevention of others's plans. J620
• Destruction of enemy's weapons. J621
• The swallow and the hemp-seeds. Swallow in vain urges other birds to eat seed as fast as it is sowed. Ridiculed, he builds his nest among the dwellings of men. Later, birds are caught in nets made from the hemp. J621.1
• Snake gives away magic pills later used to kill him. J621.1.1
• Preventing the birth of enemies. J622
• Wise man destroys serpent's eggs. J622.1
• Swallow advises hen against hatching out serpent's eggs. She is hatching her own destruction. J622.1.1
• Prevention of hostility by inspiring fear in enemy. J623
• Snake complains to Zeus that people step on him. Zeus: "If you had bitten the first foot that stepped on you it would not be done now." J623.1
• Uniting against a common enemy. J624
• Two sheep kill a fox who has licked up the blood they have spilled in a fight. J624.1
• Sheep-dogs stop quarreling to hunt wolf who has raided the flock. J624.2
• Enemy brothers unite to fight a common enemy. J624.3
• Prevention of hostilities by agreeing to demands while in danger. Barber makes heavy demands of customer while the razor is at his throat. Customer agrees but after the shave throws the barber out. J625
• Prevention of hostilities by disarming the suspect. Later learned that he is a fugitive murderer. J626
• Dissuasion from suicide. Man dissuades simpleton from hanging himself by telling him that hell is a place of pain and torments. J628
• Crab takes hold of heron's neck and fearing attack cuts neck and kills him. J631
• King takes measures against assassination. J634
• King to avoid possible assassination singes his beard rather than have barber shave him. J634.1
• King to avoid possible assassination has queen's quarters searched before he enters. J634.2
• Avoidance of others' power. J640
• Escaping before enemy can strike. J641
• One bird escapes as hunter bends his bow; other remains and is shot. (Told also of fish.) J641.1
• Foolishness of surrendering weapons. J642
• Lion suitor allows his teeth to be pulled and his claws to be cut. He is then killed. J642.1
• Robbers persuaded to give hero sword with which they are afterwards killed. J642.2
• Care against future tyranny. J643
• Frogs demand a live king. King Log. Zeus has given them a log as king, but they find him too quiet. He then gives them a stork who eats them. J643.1
• Kite as king of chickens. J643.2
• Lion as king of animals reinstated after elephant is tired. J643.3
• Avoiding places which have been fatal to others. J644
• Fox sees all tracks going into lion's den but none coming out. He saves himself. J644.1
• Avoiding power of future enemy. J645
• Birds flee from cuckoo who, they believe, will later become a hawk. J645.1
• Disregard advice of your enemy. J646
• Palamides, having injured Ulysses, seeks advice from him. Following the advice proves fatal. J646.1
• Bird hears voices from within unhatched eggs and flies away: voices plot to dine on their bird-mother when they are born. J646.2
• Avoiding enemy's revenge. J647
• Avoid enemies' revenge either by making peace and friendship or by killing them all. So says old man to conqueror. J647.1
• Advice not to rob women while they are alone, for fear of returning husbands' revenge. J647.2
• Care against future imprisonment. J648
• Monkeys planning to found a city desist lest with walls up it will be easier to catch them than before. J648.1
• Inattention to danger. J651
• Throstle giving all attention to sweet fruits is caught by bird catcher. J651.1
• Man inattentive to the danger of drowning enters water to save treasure and is drowned. J651.2
• Inattention to warnings. J652
• Frog persists in living in puddle on road. Disregards advice of another frog and is run over. J652.1
• Swallows warn other birds against roosting in tree with glue. They disregard and are caught. J652.2
• Man disregards priest's warning that he will seduce his wife. Adultery committed. J652.3
• Warnings against certain peoples. J652.4
• Hector warns Trojans against attacking the stronger Greeks. Warning disregarded. Disastrous defeat. J652.4.1
• Don't play tricks on Gascons. J652.4.2
• Approaching danger too familiarly. J655
• Birds discuss the trap. One of them is caught in it. J655.1
• Fox jeers at fox-trap. Is caught. J655.2
• Avoiding things which are harmful by nature. J656
• Thornbush blamed by fox for wounding him. He should have known better than to lay hold of something whose nature is to lay hold of others. J656.1
• Care in selecting the creature to carry one. J657
• Youth trusts self to horse over which he has no control. Thrown off. J657.1
• Tortoise lets self be carried by eagle. Dropped and eaten. J657.2
• Crane persuades fish to let him change him from one lake into another: he eats fish. J657.3
• Forethought in defences against others. J670
• Practical and impractical defences. J671
• Belling the cat. Mice decide that a bell should be put on the cat but can find no one to tie it on her. J671.1
• Defences by strengthening one's own weakest spots. J672
• Ears stopped with wax to avoid enchanting song. Odysseus and the Sirens. J672.1
• Cotton put in ears so as not to hear abusive words. J672.2
• Defence when one needs it most. J673
• Armor ordered thin in front and thick in back, since it would be most needed in flight. J673.1
• Defences in and out of season. J674
• Wild-boar sharpens tusks when no enemy is in sight. Tells fox that when enemy comes there are other things to do. J674.1
• Man decides to make himself strong in peaceful times rather than wait until attacked. J674.2
• Man slays another in order not to be slain himself. J675
• Son slays father in order not to be slain himself. J675.1
• Youthful fencer yields to infuriated opponent who has picked up a pestle. "Two against me. I surrender." J676
• Foolishness of king's taking a washerman for chief minister; washerman makes no preparation for war and kingdom is conquered. [Inadvertant duplication of U129.3.] J677
• Forethought in alliances. J680
• Alliances which make both parties more vulnerable. J681
• Rat and frog tie paws together to cross marsh. Carried off by falcon. J681.1
• Jackal and leopard tie tails together for mutual protection. Frightened, they run apart and injure each other. J681.1.1
• Foolishness of alliances with the weak. J682
• Foxes desert their allies, the hares, when they foresee defeat by the eagle. J682.1
• Foolishness of attacking real allies. J683
• Ass turns on his driver who would save him from falling over the precipice. J683.1
• Tame doves close wild ones in trap and thus help common enemies. J683.2
• Tame fox helps dogs against wild foxes. Is no longer trusted by latter. J683.3
• Alliances with the strong. J684
• Fox with lion protector goes hunting alone and is killed. J684.1
• Foolishness of taking on too strong a partner: crow crowds sparrow out of its nest. J684.2
• Tortoise joins peacock in dance. Cannot escape hunter; peacock flies off. J684.3
• Victorious ally feared by others. J684.4
• Alliances with the intelligent. J685
• Man, lion, and bear in pit. Bear tells lion not to eat the man, since he would grow hungry again. Rather they should have the man use his intelligence to get them out. J685.1
• Forethought in alliances – miscellaneous. J689
• Forethought in provision for life (general). J700
• Provision for the future. J701
• Planting for the next generation. Man who is planting tree told that it will never mature in his day. He is planting for the next generation. J701.1
• King improves kingdom before leaving it to his sons. He leaves it smaller but much stronger and richer. J701.2
• Necessity of work. J702
• Dervish who stops work. Sees bird feed its young and decides that God takes care of everyone without work. He is shown his mistake. J702.1
• King (queen) teaches children to work at all tasks to prepare them for life's possible hazards. J702.2
• Planning for the greater office. J703
• Looking for the keys of the abbey. Monk goes about with downcast eyes until he is made abbot; then lives in luxury. He explains that he was looking for the keys of the abbey. Now he has them. J703.1
• "Eat small fish now if you wish larger ones later." Bishop refuses to eat small fish as he used to when an abbot. "Then I used small fish to catch big ones I have now!" J703.2
• Safe provision for life not to be lightly surrendered. J705
• Priest must give up his charge or his mistress. Gives up his parish and immediately loses his fickle mistress. J705.1
• Acquisition of wealth. J706
• Be diligent and spend little: how to become wealthy. Advice of a self-made man. J706.1
• Wealth is most important. J707
• Forethought in provision for food. J710
• In time of plenty provide for want. J711
• Ant and lazy cricket (grasshopper). Lazy bird is put to shame by thrift of industrious bird. In winter he is in distress. J711.1