ATU 613: The Kind and Unkind Travelers

ATU 613: The Kind and Unkind Travelers Thursday, November 3, 2022 ATU 613 in the Greek sphere is something of a morality tale—behave well and you’ll be rewarded, behave badly and you’ll be dead. (In theme, it can be seen as the male version of The Kind and Unkind Girls: two people in similar situations who choose to act in good or bad ways that leads to reward or comeuppance.) in 613, some of the tales are more realistic, some more magic- or supernatural-based (talking animals or devils). The actions by the “bad” friend wouldn’t normally be considered wrong, if he were directing them against an outsider. The issue is that he wronging a fellow-villager (Kromni, Stavrin/Lies, Sourmena, Ophis), or someone that he has teamed up with (Stavrin/Paul). <ul> <li style="margin-left:8px">Two “friends” who are either going abroad to work (Kromni, Ofis, Stavrin/Lies) or who meet while working abroad (Stavrin/Paul), or are simply going into the hills for a few days (Sourmena)</li> <li style="margin-left:8px">One is hardworking or falls ill (Kromni) or just unlucky; the other one shows he is immoral (by abandoning his sick friend, by becoming a bandit, or by impersonating the other man to his family)</li> <li style="margin-left:8px">The two Stavrin tales are realistic (and the 1966 tale may be a version of the 1946 tale, just told by a less able narrator); the other three have magical elements: talking animals (Kromni, Sourmena) or devils (Ofis).</li> <li style="margin-left:8px">The good man returns home rich (all), or is vindicated (Stavrin/Paul), and/or marries a widow or orphan (Stavrin/Paul and /Lies).</li> <li style="margin-left:8px">The bad friend ends up torn to pieces and/or eaten by wild animals (Kromni, Sourmena) or drowned by devils (Ofis), or falls to his death (Stavrin/Lies) or beaten by villagers and banished (Stavrin/Paul)</li> </ul>