Synopsis

A man has married a woman of higher birth than him. She scorns the household labor. The man kills a wether

Wether

Wether may refer to:*A castrated male goat*A castrated male sheep...

, skins it, and wraps her in it. He declares that he can not beat her, but he can

Quibble (plot device)

In literature, a quibble is a common plot device, used to fulfill the exact verbal conditions of an agreement in order to avoid the intended meaning. Its most common uses are in legal bargains and, in fantasy, magically enforced ones....

certainly beat a wether's skin. She recants her refusal and works.

In other variants, such as Ruggleton's Daughter of Iero, he does not have a pretext for his beating her not really being beating her.

External links

• The Wife Wrapt in Wether's Skin
• Ruggleton's Daughter of Iero