The wise and the foolish

3,525 motifs · page 8 of 18

• Repartee based on levity toward sacred persons and things. J1261
• Levity toward name of God. J1261.1
• God as a father-in-law. Nuns tell a man that they are daughters of God. "Come and marry me; I should like such a rich father-in-law." J1261.1.1
• Why God has few friends. Priest consoles sick man by saying that God chastens those whom he loves. J1261.1.2
• Man barks his shins on dark night. "By the great bugaboo! If I was the Almighty and had a moon, I'd hang it out on a night like this." J1261.1.3
• Farmer looks at his hay on ground after a rain: "If I was a God, I'd be a God and not a damned fool!" J1261.1.4
• Woman causes disturbance in church, is carried out forcibly. She remarks. "Well I am more favored than my Lord. He had but one ass to ride, while I have two." J1261.1.5
• Disrespect for the sacrament. (Cf. J1269.5.) J1261.2
• The sacrament for sale. Sick woman calls the parson but recovers meanwhile He insists on her taking the sacrament and charges for it. "Set it here on the table; perhaps I can sell it again." J1261.2.1
• Distrusts God when he can be brought by a man. Priest offers to help peasant with "the body of the Lord". – "If God can be brought by a man, he is too weak to help me." J1261.2.2
• Priest may eat communion supper. Thief about to be hanged is told that if he truly repents he will eat Lord's Supper in heaven. "If that is true, won't you eat the supper for me; I'll reward you well." J1261.2.3
• Sacrament too precious to be bought. If that were so, says the apprentice, no one would have given it to you or me. J1261.2.4
• Dante is accused of not kneeling before sacrament. Says that he had his mind on God and did not remember what his body did. If those who criticized him had had their minds on God they would not have noticed it. J1261.2.5
• Priest bringing Host to dying man sees thief on his fig tree. Shouts vituperations at him. J1261.2.6
• Priest throws Chalice at owl. Says that he thought that the owl had stolen the Host. J1261.2.7
• Priest carries the Host across a dangerous stream. Spectators tell him to thank God for not drowning. "I helped Him across!" J1261.2.8
• Will lunch with Christ. Priest tells condemned man after confession that he will dine with Christ that evening. Mule that carries him to scaffold goes very fast and criminal says, "At this rate I shall lunch with Christ." J1261.3
• Blessing not worth a penny. Beggar woman asks pope for shilling and, being refused, for a penny. Finally asks for his blessing, which he gives. Old woman: "If your blessing had been worth a penny, you wouldn't have given me that." J1261.4
• Will spend the funeral money now. King asks how much his funeral will cost. "Give me the three hundred ducats now and when I am dead throw me into the Tiber." J1261.5
• Priest may use his own mother's mass money. At his mother's funeral a boy takes the money laid on the altar for masses. When the priest objects, the boy says, "When your mother dies you may take the money too." J1261.6
• Judgment Day a long way off. Thief told by monk that he must return stolen cloth on Judgment Day "If I have so long a period of grace, I should like to take the whole monastery." J1261.7
• Monk's cordon cannot stand the strain. Franciscan claims that his cordon will save him from Hell. Benedictine answers that he once had a dream in which he saw St. Francis throw his cordon to save members of his order in Purgatory and so many clung to it that it snapped. (Cf. Q291.1.) J1261.8
• "Better a live confessor than a dead martyr." So answers a preacher when asked whether he preferred to stay at home and confess his flock or go to war against the infidels. J1261.9
• How does goddess with thousand faces blow her noses? J1261.10
• Repartee based on doctrinal discussions. J1262
• Earthen cups replaced by golden. Emperor: "God is a thief; he threw Adam into a sleep and then stole a rib from him." Emperor's daughter: "Would you call a man a thief who stole two earthen cups from you and replaced them by golden ones?" J1262.1
• God in the puddle. A Jew objects to the doctrine that God could exist in the Virgin Mary. A disputant asks if he believes God is everywhere; then if God is in a mud puddle. The Jew agrees. The disputant condemns the Jew for believing that God could exist in a puddle and not in a pure virgin. J1262.2
• Acting according to the note. A Jew slaps a Christian and tells him to turn the other cheek. The Christian beats the Jew, who says, "You do not act according to your Gospel." – "I am acting in accordance with the note." – "The note is worse than the text." J1262.3
• Levity regarding biblical passages. J1262.4
• Levity regarding the paternoster. J1262.4.1
• Parishioner hears preacher say that alms are returned "100 to 1". Chops down crucifix and takes money from box. Is told that such return would take place in other world. "I won't need money then, but I can use it now." J1262.5
• Whoever gives alms in God's name will receive tenfold: preacher's wife gives sweetmeats away. J1262.5.1
• "You don't blame a toolmaker for making all manner of tools, both harmful and helpful, so why blame God for making bad beasts as well as good ones?" J1262.6
• Repartee: "If you can't see the soul in the living man, how can you expect to see it in the dead?" retorts wise man to atheist. J1262.7
• Skeleton has all his ribs. Indian examines skeleton of man at museum, finds there is no rib missing, concludes that ministers have deceived him in telling him the story of Adam. J1262.8
• Three true faiths. Ruler trying to confiscate Jew's money asks him which is the true faith. "There are three, the one which the Lord knows is right and the two his children think are right." (Cf. H659.5.1, J462.3.1.) J1262.9
• Repartee concerning clerical abuses. J1263
• Repartee based on clerical ignorance. J1263.1
• Why ignorant priests are favored. They can always find patrons as ignorant as they are. J1263.1.1
• Consecration of the ignorant priest. A bishop disgusted with priest's ignorance says, "Who consecrated you as priest?" – "You did, the time I gave you ten florins." J1263.1.2
• Priest who never reads mass. Peasants complain of his ignorance. He says that they stand so close to him that he is afraid they might memorize and then pay no attention to his reading of it. J1263.1.3
• Rushing through the mass. Two priests apply for the position of chaplain and argue as to which one can say the mass more quickly. One clinches the argument saying: "You could not say it more quickly than I because I don't read half of it!" J1263.1.3.1
• Christ's disciples did not pass the examination. Ignorant student unable to pass his examination thus consoles himself. J1263.1.4
• Repartee concerning clerical venality. (Cf. J1192, J1263.1.2.) J1263.2
• Price of consecration. Bishop is paid 100 ova (eggs) instead of 100 oves (sheep) for consecrating man as priest. To bishop's protests the man answers, "You should have refused to consecrate me. If I had been worthy I should not have had to promise oves or ova." J1263.2.1
• Rich man shakes ducats into pope's lap. Pope says, "Who could withstand such an armored army?" and decides for the rich man. J1263.2.2
• Priest refuses small bribe: only for large sum will he sell himself to devil. J1263.2.3
• Christians have a merciful God. Jew so decides when he thinks of the scandalous life of the court of Rome. J1263.3
• Repartee concerning clerical luxury. J1263.4
• The abbot's luxury and the cardinal's. Cardinal rebukes abbot for living in luxury beyond that of the founder of his order. Abbot asks cardinal if the cardinals of St. Peter traveled in the luxury he does. J1263.4.1
• Man calls Saints Peter and Paul fools for enduring poverty if rich abbots can reach heaven, too. J1263.4.2
• Clergy in no need of spectacles. Many do not pray at all, many know their prayers by heart, and the great prelates look through their fingers J1263.5
• Choosing his confessor. Ruler explains: "I want a lying priest so that if he repeats my confession he will not be believed." J1263.6
• Confession made easy. Peasant sees priest at work in the fields. Tells him he wishes to confess. He is told to put money in the box and take the same penance as the year before. J1263.7
• Repartee concerning clerical incontinence. J1264
• The church his wife. Priest accused of being too intimate with parishioners' wives says that the church is his wife and that the men treat her far more shamefully than he treats any woman. J1264.1
• Celibacy at the altar. Monk says, "I vowed three things: poverty in the bath, obedience at the table, and celibacy at the altar." J1264.2
• Father wears a crown but is no king. Priest's son is thus taunted. J1264.3
• During the silent period. Nun asked why she did not call for help when raped. She says, "It was during the silent period." J1264.4
• Youth says he is associating with a pious person. He has nun as mistress. (Cf. J1161.5.) J1264.5
• Nun claims her child is by the Holy Ghost. Defense accepted. J1264.6
• Multiplying his talents. Priest is entrusted with reforming five dissolute nuns. Gets all five with child. The priest is rebuked for not using his "talents" when tempted. He answers: "God gave me five talents and I have added five more!" (Pun on word talent.) J1264.7
• Unequal returns. Man at his lady's funeral says to priest: "You enjoy them when they are young and then give them to us to bury. J1264.8
• Abbess has twenty-four nuns for twelve monks: twelve nuns therefore for the guests. J1264.9
• Repartee based on church government. J1265
• Like Christ on Palm Sunday. Bishop has parson to dinner in the seat of honor. The parson fears that the dinner precedes punishment. Parson: "Don't let me be like Christ on Palm Sunday in Jerusalem" J1265.1
• Priest offers to exchange places with the bishop when he is told that he is unfit to care for his parish. J1265.2
• The same company of fools. An abbot calls the monks together and asks, "Whom from all you fools can I appoint as steward?" A monk answers, "That should not be difficult since an abbot was found from the same company of fools." J1265.3
• Repartee based on church or clergy – miscellaneous. J1269
• The parson's share and the sexton's. During the sermon the parson bids the sexton see if anyone is coming. The sexton: "A man is coming with a wheel on his shoulder" J1269.1
• Man absents self from church because he does not like to hear people slandered. J1269.2
• Would be first in all things. Chaplain accused of being first to start all knavery thus defends himself. J1269.3
• Scolding priest says he is merely trying to get even for all the scolding he must undergo. J1269.4
• Transmutation of the quail. Bishop brought quail on Friday orders them cooked. Blamed. If he can turn bread into the body of the Lord why can he not turn quail into fish? J1269.5
• The capon and the hen. Bishop refuses a favor to an abbess on the ground that he does not love her. Abbess: "I can well believe that. The capon never loves the hen." J1269.6
• Praying before the King of Kings. Man while praying refuses to salute superior. While standing before the King of Kings he could not show respect to inferiors. J1269.7
• Robber's defense for stealing from rich. God will not permit them to enter heaven unless we take their ill-gotten goods from them. J1269.8
• Who bore the Savior on his back? (St. Christopher.) Parishioner: "The ass, for he bore both the son and his mother." J1269.9
• Mice die of hunger. Complaints against underpaid priest that he does not stay at home. Says he cannot stay at home for the mice are dying of hunger since he receives only forty florins a year. J1269.10
• Their own quarters need it more. Such is the answer given monks who insist that quarters occupied by the king and his train be reconsecrated. J1269.11
• Youth announces fire in imitation of priest's metaphorical language. The fire set by cat's tail gains headway. J1269.12
• Cannot leave court of God: reply of saint when king invites him to court. J1269.13
• Repartee concerning the parentage of children. J1270
• Eunuch visits augurer to see whether he is to be a father. "When I look at the livers, you are to be a father. When I look at you, I see that you are not even a man." J1271
• The gift of the fool. Of three brothers the shoemaker makes shoes for the queen and princess; the tailor, clothes; the fool – children. J1272
• Children by day and by night. Artist paints beautiful children but his own are ugly. One kind, he says, are made by day, the other by night. J1273
• His father has been in Rome. A young man comes to Rome who looks like the emperor. Latter asks him if he mother has ever been in Rome. No, but my father has been here often. (Not son but brother.) J1274
• The child born too soon. J1276
• Child born one month after marriage. Father-in-law to son-in-law: "Do like my grandson and you will always be ahead of others." J1276.1
• Too much for his income. Child born two months after marriage. Husband returns wife to her father (uncle) saying: "I can't afford a child every two months." J1276.2
• Child born on wedding night. Groom leaves. Can't afford a child every time he lies with his wife. J1276.2.1
• Repartee regarding the parentage of children – miscellaneous. J1279
• Plea for a good father. Mother of twelve on deathbed explains to family that not all her children are legitimate. Gives the paternity of each child. Youngest leaves his food to say: "Please, mother, give me a good father!" (Cf. J325.) J1279.1
• Even God can overdo it! Returning sailor finds his hovel transformed into a fine house. "Where does all this come from?" Wife: "God's bounty." Illegitimate child greets mother. Same question, same answer. Sailor: "I don't want God to help me so much!" J1279.2
• Suitor hesitates to marry girl as immature (or too delicate). Girl's father protests, saying that she has had three children. J1279.3
• In numbers there is strength. The children of the Genoese are strong because there is more help. J1279.4
• Repartee with ruler (judge, etc.). J1280
• "If I were a tyrant you would not say so." Answer made by emperor to one who calls him a tyrant. J1281
• Trickster chooses his gift. To be rewarded by ruler with a coin, an ass, a sheep, or a vineyard. Answers that he will take the coin, mount the ass, drive the sheep into the vineyard, and there pray for the ruler. J1282
• Gifts from the brothers. A king gives a man a coin. "Is that all you give your brother?" "Are you my brother?" "Surely, we both pray, Our father, etc." "If all your brothers give you as much as I you will be rich." J1283
• Do not leave it to your successor. A widow stops a ruler on his way to war. He may be killed and he should not leave the act of justice as a credit to his successor. J1284
• Show me how it is done. Wronged woman thus addresses ruler, who is indifferent to insults directed at him. She wishes to be shown how to bear insults. This rebukes him. J1284.1
• Cease being a king. A widow asks justice of a king. The latter says that he is too busy to hear her. "Then cease being a king," replies the widow. Her bold reply wins an audience with the king. J1284.2
• Against his will. A thief condemned to the gallows tells the king, "I do what you do and it is against my will." King: "You shall also be hanged against your will." J1285
• His proper title. A peasant goes to a judge and thinking to gain his favor addresses him with high titles. The judge calls him a fool. "I was mistaken, you swine!" J1286
• Repartee with ruler (judge, etc.) – miscellaneous. J1289
• Not a locksmith. A judge asks a pseudo-prophet to prove his powers by opening a difficult lock. "I am a prophet, not a locksmith." J1289.1
• Bishop and prince. Peasant tells bishop, who rides by with forty horses, that he wonders if St. Kilian at Würzburg is also riding with forty horses. Bishop excuses extravagance by saying that he is also a prince and that it is the prince, not the bishop, who is using the horses. "If the prince should become a fool, what would the bishop do then?" J1289.2
• Will not try to correct them. Pope calls persistent courtier a fool. Latter says that there are people who call the pope the same thing and that he for one will not try to correct them. J1289.3
• The needy philosopher. Philosopher asks ruler for money Ruler says that philosophers do not need money. Philosopher: "If I am rewarded, I will say that you are right; I will no longer need money." J1289.4
• Wearing all his clothes. Shivering king (rich man) to tattered peasant: "Aren't you cold?" Peasant: "No, if you wore all your clothes as I do, you wouldn't be cold either!" J1289.5
• The prince's excuse. King to son who has been accused of rape: "I never did anything like that." Prince: "Your father was not king!" King: "Your son will never be one if you keep that up!" J1289.6
• Shoemaker speaks ill of lord's rule. Lord takes his tools away from him. Shoemaker begs for them saying that he cannot carry on his business without them. Ruler: "I thought ruling was your business so I took your tools to learn shoemaking." J1289.7
• One ear saved for other litigant. Judge stops up one ear while first litigant presents his case. He is saving one ear for the second litigant. J1289.8
• Seek harmony in your own house. King brought to sense of duty by philosopher who tells him to seek harmony in his own house before inquiring about the harmony in his kingdom. J1289.9
• King cannot destroy the city. A philosopher of the city came to him asking mercy for it King said he would do nothing he asked. Philosopher then asked him to destroy the city. This saves the city. J1289.10
• Man, fined for sabbath-breaking, asks for receipt, explains that if God asks for it, he will not have to journey to hell to get it from the judge. J1289.11
• Man is arrested for drunkenness; he is so drunk that trial must be postponed. When he is tried later, he is told how at the earlier trial he had kept repeating that the judge was a very wise judge. When he hears this he admits that he must have been very drunk. J1289.12
• Weaver hearing of tax for every doorway of weavers takes his door to the khan: will not return for the sidewalls of his house. J1289.13
• Gem offered by monarch to one who can first go around the kingdom. Trickster goes around king and says king is kingdom. J1289.14
• Thief serves king buffaloes he has killed in hunt and lost; thus reproaches king's wastefulness. J1289.15
• Hairless palms from giving and receiving gold. Jester flatters prince for bounty. J1289.16
• Emperor: "What people have the biggest bellies?" Jester answers: "The landlords." J1289.17
• Holy man asked by king for the heart of religion answers: "You are sitting on your throne and I'm sitting on the ground, so how can I tell." J1289.18
• Tailor caught resting his head on royal robe while he rests tells king there is no better resting place for king's robe, for "the head is the king of the body." J1289.19
• King to smoker: "Even donkeys will have nothing to do with tobacco." Smoker: "Donkeys don't know how to enjoy themselves." J1289.20
• Reductio ad absurdum of question or proposal. J1290
• Question answered by absurd counterquestion. J1291
• Black beans, white soup. Question: How can black beans make a white soup? Answer: How can a white whip on the naked flesh make black welts. J1291.1
• Why is it that black cow eats green grass, gives white milk and yellow butter? Answer: The same reason blackberries are red when they are green. J1291.1.1
• Theological questions answered by propounding simple questions in science. Where was God before he made heaven and earth? and the like answered by "Why a louse bite raises a blister, a flee bite raises a swelling, and a gnat bite is unnoticeable?" If you cannot answer such simple questions how can you pry into God's secrets. J1291.2
• How many priests should one have in one place? How many fox tails will reach to heaven? All depends on the length of the tails. J1291.3
• How much cloth would it take to make God's coat? Just as much as for me, for what you have done for a poor person in my name you have done for me. J1291.3.1
• "In this sesame flower where is the oil?" "When your mother conceived where were you?" J1291.4
• Tide inquires whether moon is up. Minnow seeing absurdity of question (since tide could not be up without the moon) tells the tide to wait till he gets a drink and he will tell. J1292
• Reductio ad absurdum of proposal. J1293
• Little bird as large bird's mate. A large bird wishes to mate with a little bird. The latter says that she is going to swallow a large eel. The large bird sees the absurdity of his proposal. J1293.1
• Absurdity: sea (river) is on fire. Not more absurd than crow claiming swan as wife. J1293.1.1
• If his head is taken off other punishments do not matter. Judge shows criminal mercy: he will not punish him as he deserves, only take off his head. J1293.2
• Turning king into Brahmin like turning donkey into horse. J1293.3
• Pot full of milk as sign that city is full of fakirs; flower on top of milk not disturbing it as sign that one more will not matter. J1293.4
• All appurtenances included. Butcher buyer demands saddle and ornaments along with camel (or the like). Seller later buys all heads in butcher shop: demands heads of butcher's family. J1293.5
• Officiousness or foolish questions rebuked. J1300
• How he shall be mourned. Women insist on knowing how a man wants to be mourned when he dies. "Mourn me as a man who was tormented by women talking foolishness." J1301
• The overloaded mule. Priest complains that miller's mule is overloaded. "No, he isn't; he can still carry all your and your brothers' patience." J1302
• Aesop with the lantern. Aesop goes for fire to a neighbor's in the daytime and lights a lantern so as to bring the fire back. Fool asks him what he is hunting for with the lantern in the daytime. "I seek a man" (not a busybody). J1303
• Why the black clothes. A man goes forth in black clothes. People are curious as to the reason. "I am wearing mourning for the father of my son." J1304
• How the tail pointed. One who believes in auguries asks peasant woman if she has seen a bird. "Yes, a crow." And in what direction was his tail pointing?" Answer: "Toward the rear!" J1305
• How marriage was consummated. Mother asks newly-wedded daughter if she approached her husband the first night. Answer: "He approached me." J1306
• Officiousness or foolish questions rebuked – miscellaneous. J1309
• Man asks naked Indian if he is not cold. Indian asks if man's face is cold. Man replies that it is not. Indian replies: "Me all face!" J1309.1
• "How often do you kill your ducks?" Answer: "Only once." J1309.2
• "Where did dirt go when canal was dug?" Disgusted father-in-law: "I have eaten half and your father half, to have such a fool son-in-law." J1309.3
• Repartee concerning wine. J1310
• What is wanted, not what is asked. A servant is so trained that when the host asks for wine from a good cask he brings it from a cheap one. When the guest objects, the host says that the servant brought not what was asked for but what was wanted. J1311
• The watered wine. J1312
• Serve the water and the wine separately. Server of diluted wine thus taunted. J1312.1
• Washed in the Rhine. Server of diluted Rhine wine thus taunted. J1312.2
• Baptized wine. Christ's making wine from water has made all landlords try to do it too. Man prefers Jewish wine to the baptized kind. J1312.3
• Old wine. Man given his choice of old or new wine says, "We must honor old age." J1313
• The road to Heaven. To doctor: "If this is the way to get to Heaven (drinking) I don't want to know any other!" J1314
• Points of view. Man to friend who drinks very little: "If everyone drank as you do, wine would be cheap." Answer: "On the contrary, it would be expensive because I drink all I want." J1315
• Very small to be so old. Guest criticizes host's small serving of wine which he said was six years old. J1316
• Small jug preferred. Man asks that large jug be filled with wine. Is told to go to the river. Is accommodated when he presents small jug. (Cf. L251.) J1317
• Wine gives ambassador courage to address Pope. "Another drink and I could have slapped his face!" J1318
• Repartee concerning wine – miscellaneous. J1319
• Man says: "I do love my enemies and I have great affection for them that hurt me." (Enemies are rum and hard cider.) J1319.1
• Repartee concerning drunkenness. J1320
• The unrepentant drunkard. J1321
• Where did he get the wine? Father shows drunkard son a drunk man being mocked on the street. Instead of taking it as a warning the son says "Where does one get such good wine?" J1321.1
• Though old woman is made to believe she is in hell she calls for drinking companions. J1321.2
• The great thirst. J1322
• Will take care of the thirst. Doctors consult how to rid fever-stricken drunkard of his great thirst. "You take care of the fever; I shall take care of the thirst." J1322.1
• Sleeping on salt. Priest blamed for large amount of wine he drinks tells people to consider his great thirst. He has slept on a sack of salt and has enough thirst for a week. J1322.2
• Should have brought him drink. Drunkard's wife takes him when he is drunk to a tomb and, masking as a ghost brings him food. "If you had known me better you would have brought me drink." J1323
• Stung by the goblet. Doctor tells drunkard, "The goblet has stung you." "If I had known that I would have drunk out of a glass." J1324
• Repartee concerning beggars. J1330
• Persistent beggar invited upstairs. A beggar will not come in but insists on the man coming down to the door. When he asks alms the man bids him come upstairs. Then he says he has nothing for him. "You made me come down for nothing; I make you come up for nothing." J1331
• Beggar wants bread. A numskull tells his mother that a beggar is below asking for bread. Mother: "Tell him I am not at home." Numskull: "He doesn't want you, he wants bread." J1332
• Prove me a liar. Beggar: "Good day, you stingy fellows." They: "We are not stingy fellows." Beggar: "Then give and prove me a liar." J1333
• Beggar tells stingy to go beg. They say they have no meat, no bread, no wine, etc. "Then go beg; you have more need than I." J1334
• Beggar claims to be emperor's brother. (All men are descended from Adam.) Emperor gives him small coin. Beggar protests. Emperor: "If all your brothers gave you that much you would be richer than I." J1337
• Asking costs nothing. So says beggar who asks goldsmith to plate his club with gold. J1338
• Retorts from hungry persons. J1340
• Retort from underfed servant (child). J1341
• Softening bread-crusts. An avaricious master feeds bread-crusts to his servants. "The crusts are already getting soft." J1341.1
• Asking the large fish. Parents serve boy a small fish and keep back a large one for themselves. Knowing this, the boy puts the fish to his ear. He says that he has asked the fish a question; the fish cannot answer but tells him to ask the large fish under the bed. J1341.2
• A dog to scent the rice. Given very thin rice soup, wit inquires about the master's dogs. "He should have one to scent the rice in this soup." J1341.3
• Two eggs. Widow serves tailor one egg. He sings, "One egg, one egg." She decides one egg is not enough and serves him two next time. He then sings "Two eggs are two eggs." He is next given two eggs and a sausage, etc. J1341.4
• Hungry apprentice attracts master's attention by telling lies on him. J1341.5
• Hungry shepherd attracts attention. He tells of a cow with four teats who bore five calves. They ask what the fifth calf does while the other four are nursing. "It looks on just as I am doing now." J1341.6
• Stingy innkeeper cured of serving weak beer. She always gives the servants a pitcher of weak beer before meals so as to fill them up. One of them: "I wash out my insides so as to have more room for food." She changes her practice. J1341.7
• The little lumps of sugar are sweeter, says the hostess. The servant says that he doesn't like sweets and takes the large lumps. J1341.8
• Hungry son gets cherries. He slaps another son, and explains that the other boy was saying that he would not get any of the father's cherries. The father shares the cherries. J1341.9
• Hungry student gets meat. By telling a mewing cat that it could not yet have the bones because no meat has been served him, a collegian calls attention to an oversight on the part of a servant. J1341.10
• Hired men sing of displeasure with food; change song when food is improved (cante fable). The Westmoreland text follows: (Mowers sing this very slowly, mow in tempo)|Curds and whey, Iv-ve-ry day,|(After the food is improved they sing and work in tempo)|Ham and eggs, mind thy legs. (Cf. K1546.) J1341.11
• Hired man shows in saying grace how better food has resulted from arrival of unexpected guests. Nebraska text: O Lord of Love who art above|Thy blessings have descended:|Biscuits and tea for supper I see|When mush and milk was intended. J1341.12
• Prayer over the underdone hen. A guest is seen uttering a prayer before an underdone hen at the table. "She must be a goddess turned into a hen, for she has been over the fire and spared." J1342
• The liking for food and drink. J1343
• The best music. What music do you like best? The sound of plates and spoons. J1343.1