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{{Inset Story | {{Inset Story | ||
|Has | |Has Summary=<nowiki>'''The Lion's Track'''</nowiki> | ||
A king wishes to sleep with a married woman, and comes to her house after sending her husband away. Unable to reject the king directly, the wife pointedly leaves a text that explains the sinfulness of adultery in clear view, then leaves the room to prepare herself for their relations. The king reads the text, and is ashamed of his lechery, and leaves - but forgets a ring (or, in some texts, a slipper) unnoticed as he departs. When the husband returns home, he sees the king's lost possession, infers that the womanising king must have slept with his wife, and refuses to sleep with her himself. The wife appeals to her male relatives who call the husband to come before the king to have an audience. In metaphorical terms, they explain to the king that the husband no longer 'ploughs' his 'fields.' When asked to explain himself, the husband says this is because he found the footprints of a lion near his field, and did not wish to return out of fear. The king understands, and without breaking the language of metaphor, tells the husband that his fields are safe: the lion only passed through, but did no harm, and will not return. The husband understands that his wife was faithful to him, and the two are reconciled. | A king wishes to sleep with a married woman, and comes to her house after sending her husband away. Unable to reject the king directly, the wife pointedly leaves a text that explains the sinfulness of adultery in clear view, then leaves the room to prepare herself for their relations. The king reads the text, and is ashamed of his lechery, and leaves - but forgets a ring (or, in some texts, a slipper) unnoticed as he departs. When the husband returns home, he sees the king's lost possession, infers that the womanising king must have slept with his wife, and refuses to sleep with her himself. The wife appeals to her male relatives who call the husband to come before the king to have an audience. In metaphorical terms, they explain to the king that the husband no longer 'ploughs' his 'fields.' When asked to explain himself, the husband says this is because he found the footprints of a lion near his field, and did not wish to return out of fear. The king understands, and without breaking the language of metaphor, tells the husband that his fields are safe: the lion only passed through, but did no harm, and will not return. The husband understands that his wife was faithful to him, and the two are reconciled. | ||
Revision as of 09:33, 5 June 2024
'''The Lion's Track'''
A king wishes to sleep with a married woman, and comes to her house after sending her husband away. Unable to reject the king directly, the wife pointedly leaves a text that explains the sinfulness of adultery in clear view, then leaves the room to prepare herself for their relations. The king reads the text, and is ashamed of his lechery, and leaves - but forgets a ring (or, in some texts, a slipper) unnoticed as he departs. When the husband returns home, he sees the king's lost possession, infers that the womanising king must have slept with his wife, and refuses to sleep with her himself. The wife appeals to her male relatives who call the husband to come before the king to have an audience. In metaphorical terms, they explain to the king that the husband no longer 'ploughs' his 'fields.' When asked to explain himself, the husband says this is because he found the footprints of a lion near his field, and did not wish to return out of fear. The king understands, and without breaking the language of metaphor, tells the husband that his fields are safe: the lion only passed through, but did no harm, and will not return. The husband understands that his wife was faithful to him, and the two are reconciled.
Nishimura notes the relationship of this text to broader folklore motifs, specifically: Thompson Motif Index J81 ('The dishes of the same flavor' - a womanising man is fed many dishes that taste the same and is disuaded from his amorous purpose), J816.4 ('Woman tactfully restrains amorous king'), and T320 ('Escape from undesired lover') and especially T320.4 ('Wife escapes lust of king by shaming him').
Critical Literature
No critical literature available
