Beschrijving
Series of Clever Unjust Decisions. (The Decisions of Shemjaka.) A poor man (merchant, baker) causes a series of accidents:
He pulls off the tail of a (borrowed) horse (one of two oxen that he has borrowed dies). The owner sues him.
The poor man flees into a house and frightens (hits) a pregnant woman so that she miscarries. Or a woman invites him in out of the rain, and he sits on her sofa and accidentally kills her child. Her husband (the woman) sues him as well.
Out of desperation, the poor man jumps from a high tower (bridge) and kills a passer-by [N320, N330], whose brother (other relative) sues him.
The injured parties bring the poor man before a judge. The judge decides as follows [J1173]:
The poor man should keep the borrowed horse until its tail grows back.
He should impregnate the mother with another child (and her husband should hit her again, to give her another miscarriage). Her husband rejects this settlement and withdraws his suit. (In some variants, he has to pay a fine to the poor man.)
The brother (other relative) of the killed man should jump from the tower upon the poor man in order to kill him. He also withdraws his suit. (In some variants he also has to pay a fine to the poor man.).
(The poor man leaves with the horse and his settlements.)
Some variants have a frame tale: The judge persuades a baker (merchant) to give him a goose (duck) that belongs to someone else. He promises to protect him if the owner of the goose accuses him of theft. Then as above.
Cf. Types 926C.
He pulls off the tail of a (borrowed) horse (one of two oxen that he has borrowed dies). The owner sues him.
The poor man flees into a house and frightens (hits) a pregnant woman so that she miscarries. Or a woman invites him in out of the rain, and he sits on her sofa and accidentally kills her child. Her husband (the woman) sues him as well.
Out of desperation, the poor man jumps from a high tower (bridge) and kills a passer-by [N320, N330], whose brother (other relative) sues him.
The injured parties bring the poor man before a judge. The judge decides as follows [J1173]:
The poor man should keep the borrowed horse until its tail grows back.
He should impregnate the mother with another child (and her husband should hit her again, to give her another miscarriage). Her husband rejects this settlement and withdraws his suit. (In some variants, he has to pay a fine to the poor man.)
The brother (other relative) of the killed man should jump from the tower upon the poor man in order to kill him. He also withdraws his suit. (In some variants he also has to pay a fine to the poor man.).
(The poor man leaves with the horse and his settlements.)
Some variants have a frame tale: The judge persuades a baker (merchant) to give him a goose (duck) that belongs to someone else. He promises to protect him if the owner of the goose accuses him of theft. Then as above.
Cf. Types 926C.
Motief
N320
N330
J1173
Commentaar
The episodes of this type also appear individually or in other sequences. Cf. also the judgment of Solomon in Types 926ff.
Combinaties
1660, 1861A.
Oorspronkelijk Verhaaltype
1534
Subgenre
mop