Beschrijving
The Shepherd Substituting for the Clergyman Answers the King’s Questions. (The King and the Abbot) [H561.2]. A person of high social status (emperor, king, civil servant, teacher) demands that a clergyman (bishop, abbot, priest, petitioner) answers three difficult questions within a certain period of time on pain of death [H512, H541.1].
The clergyman cannot answer the questions and therefore sends a (disguised) representative [K1961] (servant, shepherd, miller, brother). This man answers all the questions correctly for him. When the deception comes to light, the questioner forgives the ruse and rewards the person who answered [Q113.4] (often spares the life of the superior or the brother).
Many of the questions require measuring (counting) something that cannot be measured (counted). By means of wordplay (How much does the moon weigh? A pound, since it has four quarters [H691.1]), by setting an impossible condition at the end of a non-provable statement (How many leaves are on the tree? So and so many, and if you do not believe, count them [H705.2], or as many as there are stems [H705.1]), or of a non-provable comparison (How many stars are in heaven? As many as grains of sand are on the beach, and if you are able to count them, you know how many stars are in heaven [H702]), etc. , the person answering turns the questioning ad absurdum.
The questions include, “How many drops of water are in the sea?” [H696.1]; “How high is heaven?” [H682]; “How many hairs are on my head?” [H703]; “How many seconds are there in eternity?” [H701.1]; “How far is one end of the world from the other?” [H681.1]; “Where is the center of the earth?” [H681.3.1]; “How much is the king worth?” [H711.1]; “What is the sweetest song?” [H634]; “Which is the best fowl?”; “What is the swiftest, the sweetest and the most costly?” [H633, H638]; “How much is a golden plow worth?” [H713.1]; “What does God do?” [cf. H797]; “How far is it from fortune to misfortune?” [H685]; “What am I thinking?” [H524.1]. Cf. Types 875, 920A.
The clergyman cannot answer the questions and therefore sends a (disguised) representative [K1961] (servant, shepherd, miller, brother). This man answers all the questions correctly for him. When the deception comes to light, the questioner forgives the ruse and rewards the person who answered [Q113.4] (often spares the life of the superior or the brother).
Many of the questions require measuring (counting) something that cannot be measured (counted). By means of wordplay (How much does the moon weigh? A pound, since it has four quarters [H691.1]), by setting an impossible condition at the end of a non-provable statement (How many leaves are on the tree? So and so many, and if you do not believe, count them [H705.2], or as many as there are stems [H705.1]), or of a non-provable comparison (How many stars are in heaven? As many as grains of sand are on the beach, and if you are able to count them, you know how many stars are in heaven [H702]), etc. , the person answering turns the questioning ad absurdum.
The questions include, “How many drops of water are in the sea?” [H696.1]; “How high is heaven?” [H682]; “How many hairs are on my head?” [H703]; “How many seconds are there in eternity?” [H701.1]; “How far is one end of the world from the other?” [H681.1]; “Where is the center of the earth?” [H681.3.1]; “How much is the king worth?” [H711.1]; “What is the sweetest song?” [H634]; “Which is the best fowl?”; “What is the swiftest, the sweetest and the most costly?” [H633, H638]; “How much is a golden plow worth?” [H713.1]; “What does God do?” [cf. H797]; “How far is it from fortune to misfortune?” [H685]; “What am I thinking?” [H524.1]. Cf. Types 875, 920A.
Motief
H561.2
H512
H541.1
K1961
Q113.4
H691.1
H705.2
H705.1
H702
H696.1
H682
H703
H701.1
H681.1
H681.3.1
H711.1
H634
H633
H638
H713.1
H797
H685
H524.1
Commentaar
This type is probably of Jewish origin, with Arab sources from the 9th century. First European literary treatment in the 13th century.
Combinaties
This type is usually combined with episodes of one or more other types, esp. 875, and also 821B, 850, 851, 920A, 921, 921A, 924, 927, 950, 1367, 1590, and 1826.
Oorspronkelijk Verhaaltype
922
Subgenre
sprookje