ATU 1568*    ATU 1568*   

ATU 1568*: Alle volksverhalen

- The Master and the Farmhand at the Table.

The Master and the Farmhand at the Table. A farmer and his farmhands help themselves to food out of a common dish. The farmwife always places the dish so that the best piece of meat lies near the farmer. Once the farmhand comes to the table early. No one is in the room, so he moves the dish to put the best serving near his own place. The farmer sees what he did, picks up the dish saying, “This dish once costed one thaler,” and moves it back to its customary position. Before he can stab the meat, the farmhand picks up the dish, says, “And it is still worth that today,” and moves the dish back near his own place.
In some variants the farmer (clergyman) gets the best pieces (e.g. cracklings, butter) from the common dish by asking the other diners whether they know which way the sun (moon) rotates. He rotates the dish right or left to move the best part near himself. When the dish is in place, the farmhand says, “And then the thunderstorm begins,” stabbing his fist into the dish (stabbing the dish on the farmer’s head) [Cf. J1562.1].

J1562.1

1568*

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