Aarne-Thompson-Uther (ATU) - Types of Folktales

1555: Milk in the Cask

ATU > 1200-1999: ANECDOTES AND JOKES > 1525-1724: Stories about a Man > 1525-1639: The Clever Man > 1555: Milk in the Cask

Description

Order to put a small vessel of milk into huge container. Of a small shrewd group each by himself pours water thinking this will not be detected if the others pour milk. [K231.6.1.1]. (Sometimes told of wine.)

Variants

1555A. Paying for Bread with Beer

A man orders a bottle of beer, then returns it and takes a loaf of bread instead. He refuses to pay for the bread because he has returned the beer undrunk. He refuses to pay for the beer because he has not drunk it. [K233.4].

1555B. The Rum and Water Trade

A trickster fills his gallon jug half full of water, then has it filled with rum at liquor shop. When the seller refuses credit, he pours back half of the liquid - now half rum and half water. (Sometimes the trickster repeats the operation, getting…

No examples in our database yet

External Examples

StoryATUOriginAuthorYearSource
Without Title 1555 Netherlands 1899 Nederlandse VolksverhalenBank
Paying for Beer with Peanuts 1555A United States Internet Archive
Trading Water for Rum 1555B US New England Internet Archive

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