Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

Captive animal bargains for release

captive_animal_bargains_for_release

A motif of the Trickster and Boundary Crosser family. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

1 occurrences

1 traditions


greek

  • Aesop's Fables; a new translation THE SHEPHERD'S BOY AND THE WOLF / THE FOX AND THE GOAT / THE FISHERMAN AND THE SPRAT / THE BOASTING TRAVELLER; lines 1733-1757 confidence: high

    A fisherman casts a net into the sea and draws up nothing but a single sprat.

    The caught sprat speaks to the fisherman, asks to be put back into the water, and argues for future benefit if released now.

    read in the book