ATU 922
The Shepherd Substituting for the Clergyman Answers the King's Questions
Aarne–Thompson–Uther tale-type index · Religious Tales · The full type description is not served here; the number and name are the classification facts.
Motifs the recorded variants carry
- "What am I thinking?" "That I am the priest." So answers youth masking as priest. 4 variants
- King and abbot. King propounds three riddles to abbot to answer on pain of death. Herdsman disguises as abbot and answers questions. 4 variants
- Riddle: what is the sweetest song? 4 variants
- Riddle: how far is it from one end of the earth to the other (east to west)? 4 variants
- Where is the center of the earth? Here; if you don't believe it, measure it yourself. 4 variants
- Riddles of heavenly distance. (Cf. A658.) 4 variants
- Riddle: how far is it from happiness to misfortune? 4 variants
- Riddle: how much does the moon weigh? 4 variants
- Riddle: how much water is in the sea? 4 variants
- How many seconds in eternity? A bird carries a grain of sand from a mountain each century; when the whole mountain is gone, the first second of eternity has passed. (Cf. D791.1.2, H1583, X950.2, Z61.) 4 variants
- Riddle: how many stars in the heavens? 4 variants
- Riddle: how many hairs are in the head? 4 variants
- How many leaves are on the tree? As many as there are stems for. 4 variants
- How many leaves are on the tree? So and so many; and if you don't believe it, go count them. 4 variants
- How much am I (the king) worth? Twenty-nine pieces of silver, for Christ was sold for thirty. (Cf. H716.) 4 variants
- How much is a golden plow (throne, crown, palace) worth? A rain in May. 4 variants
- Sham churchman. 4 variants
- Appointment to priesthood as reward. 4 variants
- Guessing with life as wager. 2 variants
- Riddle propounded on pain of death. (Cf. H512.) 2 variants
- Riddle: what is sweetest? 2 variants
- Riddle: what is costliest? 2 variants