Motif
impossible food as proof device
impossible_food_as_proof_device
A motif of the Sacred Knowledge and Wisdom family, within the sub-family Signs and Recognition. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
1 occurrences
1 traditions
islamicate folklore
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The Arabian Nights Entertainments The Arabian Nights Entertainments; lines 11284-11406 confidence: medium
The Sultan finds his cucumber dish stuffed with pearls; the Talking Bird compares this surprise to the Sultan's earlier belief that the Sultana had produced a dog, a cat, and a log of wood instead of children.
A cucumber stuffed with pearls leads the Sultan to protest that pearls cannot be eaten, and the Talking Bird uses this as an analogy to expose his earlier credulity.
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