Beschrijving
Best Friend, Worst Enemy. The central motif of the tale is the following task: A man should bring his best friend and his worst enemy [H1065]. He fulfills the task by choosing his dog as friend and his wife as enemy. The tale exists chiefly in three different forms:
(1) When the master orders his servant (Aesop) to bring food to the person who loves him most, The servant serves his dog instead of his wife. The wife feels offended and threatens to leave her husband. The servant explains that only the dog would really love his master for it would return even if it had been beaten.
(2) A young man violates the order that all old people should be killed. He hides his father with the help of his wife. Because of the intrigues of some envious men, the king demands that the young man, on pain of death, bring his servant, his friend (jester) and his enemy to the king. Following his father’s advice he takes his donkey as servant, his dog as friend (his child as jester) and his wife as enemy. The offended wife reproaches her husband for classifying her in this way after she had helped him hide his father. This betrayal turns her into his enemy and so he accomplishes the task. Cf. Type 981.
(3) A young man rescues the devil (stranger, saint, ghost, robber) from a wolf (other danger) whereupon the devil promises pay for the service if the young man will bring his most faithful friend to the meeting. The man comes with his wife.
The devil appears in a rich disguise and persuades the wife to kill her husband when he is asleep. Later he promises her marriage and wealth. The woman agrees. When she raises the knife (ax, stone) for the murder, the devil awakens her husband. He says that he has now repaid the man by saving his life, and refuses to pay the recompense. The man should have brought his dog instead of his wife. (The man must bring his real friend the next day. His dog follows him without being called, attacks the stranger, and proves its faithfulness.) Cf. Type 824.
(1) When the master orders his servant (Aesop) to bring food to the person who loves him most, The servant serves his dog instead of his wife. The wife feels offended and threatens to leave her husband. The servant explains that only the dog would really love his master for it would return even if it had been beaten.
(2) A young man violates the order that all old people should be killed. He hides his father with the help of his wife. Because of the intrigues of some envious men, the king demands that the young man, on pain of death, bring his servant, his friend (jester) and his enemy to the king. Following his father’s advice he takes his donkey as servant, his dog as friend (his child as jester) and his wife as enemy. The offended wife reproaches her husband for classifying her in this way after she had helped him hide his father. This betrayal turns her into his enemy and so he accomplishes the task. Cf. Type 981.
(3) A young man rescues the devil (stranger, saint, ghost, robber) from a wolf (other danger) whereupon the devil promises pay for the service if the young man will bring his most faithful friend to the meeting. The man comes with his wife.
The devil appears in a rich disguise and persuades the wife to kill her husband when he is asleep. Later he promises her marriage and wealth. The woman agrees. When she raises the knife (ax, stone) for the murder, the devil awakens her husband. He says that he has now repaid the man by saving his life, and refuses to pay the recompense. The man should have brought his dog instead of his wife. (The man must bring his real friend the next day. His dog follows him without being called, attacks the stranger, and proves its faithfulness.) Cf. Type 824.
Motief
H1065
Commentaar
Documented in the Middle Ages, e.g. Gesta Romanorum (No. 124).
Combinaties
893, 920, 981, and 1381C.
Oorspronkelijk Verhaaltype
921B
Subgenre
sprookje