Folklore Database · Browse
Stith Thompson Motif Index
About this index and how to read it
Stith Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature classifies recurring narrative elements in folktales, myths, legends, ballads and related traditional narratives. Each entry below gives Thompson's motif reference and the description recorded in the index.
The index is large, so this browser displays 250 entries per page. You can search by motif reference or by words in the description, restrict the results to one of Thompson's main letter categories, and click motif references mentioned inside descriptions to follow cross-references. Individual motif pages also show any ATU tale types whose concordance explicitly cites that Thompson reference.
All
A
Mythological Motifs
B
Animal Motifs
C
Motifs of Tabu
D
Magic
E
The Dead
F
Marvels
G
Ogres
H
Tests
J
The Wise and the Foolish
K
Deceptions
L
Reversals of Fortune
M
Ordaining the Future
N
Chance and Fate
P
Society
Q
Rewards and Punishments
R
Captives and Fugitives
S
Unnatural Cruelty
T
Sex
U
The Nature of Life
V
Religion
W
Traits of Character
X
Humor
Z
Miscellaneous Groups of Motifs
| Thompson reference ▲ | Description |
|---|---|
| J171.2.3 | King questions six doctors: what do you like best of all on earth? That all evil and hypocrisy will have an end. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 107. |
| J171.2.4 | King questions six doctors: what must you most marvel at on earth? That those who are most respected are the biggest fools. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 107. |
| J171.2.5 | King questions six doctors: what must you most marvel at on earth? That those who speak of spiritual matters are usually the most depraved. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 107. |
| J171.2.6 | King questions six doctors: what must you most marvel at on earth? That man lives in a state in which he cannot die. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 107. |
| J171.3 | Other maxims. |
| J171.3.1 | Crow flying away says, "A wise man remains not in the place of calamity; but a fool stays there, and sups fear and sorrow." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J171.3.2 | Proverbial wisdom: "Seek to win over the accuser, so that he causes you no annoyance." Jewish: Neuman. |
| J172 | Account of punishments prepared in hell brings about repentance. Type 756B; Andrejev FFC LXIX 120ff.; Irish: Beal XXI 324, 330, 332, O'Suilleabhain 63, 95, 100; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J173 | Wisdom taught by suicidal example. Man is ordered by Senate to make tyrant stop bloodshed. He kills himself and family to satiate tyrant of blood. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J174 | Good and bad in all books. Author says that a prudent man notes only the good in a vain book; a malicious person, only the bad in a good book. Spanish: Childers. |
| J175 | Wisdom from young man. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| J176 | Wisdom from evil spirits. Icelandic: Hjálmthèrs saga ok ölvis 491. |
| J177 | Wisdom from brother-in-law. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J178 | Wisdom from robbers (thugs) who disguise selves and show cruel princess how she should treat her husband. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J179 | Other means of acquiring wisdom (knowledge)—miscellaneous. |
| J179.1 | Humble Brahmin teaches king the difference between "mine" and "thine." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J179.2 | Wisdom learned in underground kingdom: the passions of a human being could not be satisfied on earth. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J179.3 | Wisdom from neighbors. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J179.4 | Wisdom from fasting. Jewish: Neuman. |
| J180 | Possession of wisdom. |
| J181 | The years not counted. Man says that he is the youngest present, for he does not count the years before he became monk (or the like). *Chauvin III 108. |
| J182 | Varieties of wisdom. |
| J182.1 | "Forty-nine gates of wisdom" open to Moses (and Solomon). Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J182.2 | Seventy-two kinds of wisdom. Jewish: Neuman. |
| J185 | Wisdom wins contest of wisdom and wealth. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J185.1 | Minister's clever daughter-in-law uses wisdom to defeat Brahmin's wealth. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J186 | Wisdom lost by accepting bribes and gifts. Jewish: Neuman. |
| J190 | Acquisition and possession of wisdom—miscellaneous. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| J191 | Wise men. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J191.1 | Solomon as wise man. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J191.2 | Other biblical heroes as wise men. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J192 | Wise nations. Jewish: Neuman. |
| J192.1 | Wisdom from "Children of the East." Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J192.2 | Wisdom from Egypt. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J192.3 | Wisdom from the Greeks. Jewish: Neuman. |
| J192.4 | Wisdom from the Hebrews. Jewish: Neuman. |
| J200 | Choices. |
| J201 | Hobson's choice: choose what is put before you or nothing. |
| J201.1 | Choice between eggs: one egg or none. Nouvelles Récréations No. 50. |
| J210 | Choice between evils. |
| J210.1 | Four choices, all of which are evil; man to make one choice only. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J211 | Choice: free poverty or enslaved wealth. |
| J211.1 | Philosopher chooses poverty with freedom. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 382. |
| J211.1.1 | Man gives all his wealth away, for it is better to die than to give up virtue. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J211.2 | Town mouse and country mouse. Latter prefers poverty with safety. *Type 112; Crane Vitry 199 No. 157; Wienert FFC LVI *59 (ET 208), 124 (ST 325); Halm Aesop No. 297; Jacobs Aesop 202 No. 7; Albini Atene e Roma VI 175.—Spanish Exempla: Keller; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 15 No. 5; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| J211.2.1 | Fly jeers at king's elephant for his lack of freedom. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J212 | Choice: plainness with safety or grandeur with danger. |
| J212.1 | Ass envies horse in fine trappings. Horse killed in battle; ass content. Jacobs Aesop 220 No. 78; Scala Celi 135a No. 744; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J213 | Choice: loss of beauty or speech. Latter chosen. Type 710; BP I 13ff. |
| J214 | Choice: suffering in youth or old age. *Wesselski Märchen 236; Fb "rig" III 55a; Irish myth: Cross; English: Wells 114 (Sir Isumbras); Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *937; Russian: Andrejev No. *931 I; Rumanian: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII No. 948*. |
| J215 | Present evil preferred to change for worse. |
| J215.1 | Don't drive away the flies. Wounded animal (man) refuses to have the flies driven away since they are now sated and their places will be taken by fierce and hungry flies. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 186; Wienert FFC LVI 60 (ET 228), 115 (ST 255); Halm Aesop No. 36; Jacobs Aesop 215 No. 64; Scala Celi 21a No. 132; Alphabet No. 97; Oesterley Gesta Romanorum No. 51; Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 32; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J215.1.1 | Don't set a hungry guard over food. Parrot set to guard figs eats his fill. When replaced he calls attention to the fact that he is now full and therefore safer than another hungry parrot. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J215.1.2 | King refuses to exile gossipers. They would defame him among strangers. At home they serve to test the king's patience and to reform his life. Spanish: Childers. |
| J215.1.3 | Do not pluck off the well-fed leeches. Wolf told not to do so lest hungrier ones take their places as he swims. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J215.1.4 | Old man chooses to be annoyed by occasional and loud chirp of swallows than by never-ending but soft chirp of sandpipers. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J215.2 | Oxen decide not to kill butchers, since inexpert killers might replace them. Wienert FFC LVI 65 (ET 289), 115 (ST 254). |
| J215.2.1 | Old woman prays for safety of cruel tyrant for fear a worse one will succeed him. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J215.3 | Heathcock prefers home with hardships to travel in foreign lands. *Type 232. |
| J215.4 | Monk goes to wilderness to escape work on material things. Finds that he must work to live and returns to monastery. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J216 | Choice of deaths. |
| J216.1 | Army faces enemy rather than the anger of their king who would kill them if they returned in flight. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 529. |
| J216.2 | Lamb prefers to be sacrificed in temple rather than to be eaten by a wolf. Wienert FFC LVI 51 (ET 107), 115 (ST 253); Halm Aesop No. 273. |
| J216.3 | Crab would rather be killed outright than imprisoned and starved. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J216.4 | Soldier asks to be stabbed in chest. Prostrate soldier asks enemy to stab him in chest instead of back in order to save his honor. Captor frees him and the two become friends. Spanish: Childers. |
| J216.5 | Early death with fame preferred. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| J216.6 | Saint chooses to die "after pride of youth" and before "misery of old age." Irish myth: Cross. |
| J217 | Captivity preferred to death. |
| J217.0.1 | Unsatisfactory life preferred to death. |
| J217.0.1.1 | Trickster overhears man praying for death to take him; the trickster appears at man's house, usually in disguise, says he is God (or the devil). The man tells him to take his wife (or he runs away). (Compare C11 for a similar situation in which Death appears.) U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J217.1 | Escaped lamb delivers himself to shepherd rather than to slaughter. Wienert FFC LVI 71 (ET 354), 115 (ST 252); Halm Aesop No. 377. |
| J217.2 | Discontented ass longs for death but changes mind when he sees skins of dead asses at a fair. Scala Celi 53b No. 299. |
| J218 | Enemies make peace rather than slay each other. |
| J218.1 | Lion and wild boar make peace rather than slay each other for benefit of vulture. Wienert FFC LVI 48 (ET 72), 108 (ST 202); Halm Aesop No. 253. |
| J221 | Choice: small injustice permitted rather than to cause troubles of state. |
| J221.1 | King overlooks wife's unfaithfulness rather than to cause troubles of state. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 207. |
| J221.1.1 | Senator overlooks wife's adultery rather than impair his reputation. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J221.1.2 | Man rebukes servants for telling him of his wife's unfaithfulness. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J221.2 | King chooses small inconvenience of personal troubles to great troubles for his kingdom. He suffers to help realm. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J221.3 | Man would rather pay 500 florins he did not owe than have it said he did not pay debts. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J222 | Rescue alone from shipwreck chosen over drowning with goods. Wienert FFC LVI 81 (ET 472), 142 (ST 486). |
| J223 | Choice between evils: pay tribute or lose both money and life. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J225 | Choice: apparent injustice over greater wrong. |
| J225.0.1 | Angel and hermit. Angel takes hermit with him and does many seemingly unjust things. Later shows why each of these was just. *Type 759; *BP IV 326 No. 3; **DeCock Studien en Essays 178ff.; *Crane Vitry 179 No. 109; Herbert III 8; Fb "uskyldig"; Alphabet Nos. 68, 411; Scala Celi 15a No. 85; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 508b nn. 9—11; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 32; **O. Rohde Die Erzählung vom Einsiedler und dem Engel (Leipzig, 1894); *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 682. — Irish: Beal XXI 336; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas III 23, *296, Goebel Jüdische Motive in märchenhaften Erzählungsgut (Gleiwitz, 1932) 116ff., *Neuman. |
| J225.0.1.1 | Angel explains to hermit why God lets a sinner die in peace and have big funeral while holy hermit is slain by a wild beast. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J225.0.2 | God punishes many men because of one sinner, like a man who kills hive of bees for stinging of one. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J225.0.3 | Angel in form of young man shows skeptical hermit that ways of providence are inscrutable. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J225.1 | Youth made lame: had kicked his mother. *Type 759; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 682. |
| J225.2 | Lion sent to kill a man: frees him from possibility of sinning and sojourn in purgatory. *Type 759; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 682. |
| J225.3 | Angel takes cup from old man. Done lest he love the cup too much. *Type 759; Wesselski Mönchslatein No. 79. |
| J225.4 | Angel (Jesus) kills man. Done because man is plotting a murder. *Type 759; Wesselski Mönchslatein No. 79; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J225.5 | Angel kills man because he loves his child too much. Type 759; Wesselski Mönchslatein No. 79. |
| J225.6 | Saint gives liberally to gambler, little to beggar. Gambler is generous, beggar hoards. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J225.7 | Forestman who longs to do evil is sent to hell: writer, who repents, is sent to heaven. God justifies this to his sage. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J225.8 | Evil mother has fine funeral, good father poor. Irish: O'Suilleabhain 50. |
| J226 | Difficult choice between relatives. |
| J226.1 | Choice of freeing one son: adopted son or long-missing son. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J226.2 | Choice: blind son with long life or healthy son with short. Latter chosen. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J226.3 | Choice: foolish son always with him or four wise daughters who will leave him. Latter chosen. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J227 | Death preferred to other evils. |
| J227.1 | Death preferred to captivity. Irish myth: Cross (J229.13). |
| J227.2 | Death preferred to dishonor. Irish myth: Cross (J229.9). |
| J229 | Choice between evils—miscellaneous. |
| J229.1 | Choice: staying at home with loving wife or going to tavern and having unfaithful wife. Man chooses latter. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 205. |
| J229.2 | Sheep and ignorant shearer. Had rather die than suffer longer from him. Wienert FFC LVI 72 (ET 366), 115 (ST 251); Halm Aesop No. 382. |
| J229.3 | Choice: a big piece of cake with my curse or a small piece with my blessing. Type 480; *Roberts 138; BP I 214. |
| J229.4 | Better send an ugly woman to the devil than a pretty one. Man chooses ugly mistress. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 404. |
| J229.5 | Choice between bad master, bad official, or bad neighbor. Bad master can do evil if he desires to do so; bad official can harm a poor person and complain against him to his master; bad neighbor can betray secret things about his neighbors. Bad neighbor worst. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 586. |
| J229.6 | Bad choice between poor and miserly man. Neither makes good leader. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 571. |
| J229.7 | Rower prefers to be stoned by his master rather than remain out in the storm. Wienert FFC LVI *83 (ET 498), 115 (ST 258). |
| J229.8 | Contentment with evil master for fear of worse successor. Scala Celi 21a No. 128; Herbert III 35ff.; Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 45; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J229.8.1 | Weaver prefers master with one hedgehog. Insists on his master putting hedgehog out of house. When master refuses, weaver leaves. Next master has two hedgehogs, and next has three. Weaver returns to first master. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 603. |
| J229.9 | Man retains questionable bride for fear of getting one who is worse. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J229.10 | The smaller the evil the better. Therefore choose the smallest woman possible for a bride. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J229.11 | Take money instead of revenge. Fool advises uncle, in letter which he did not send, to take money from wife's paramour instead of revenge. Spanish: Childers. |
| J229.12 | Prisoners given choice between emasculation and blinding. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J229.13 | God's punishment: the sinner may have twelve years of famine or twelve hours of heavy rainfall. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J229.14 | Physical pain preferred to poverty. Jewish: Neuman. |
| J230 | Choice: real and apparent values. |
| J231 | Wisdom chosen above all else. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J231.1 | Solomon, permitted by God to make any request, asks wisdom. Granted wisdom and wealth. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J231.2 | Choice between love and wisdom. Greek: Fox 76 (Herakles). |
| J232 | Health chosen as the most precious thing. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J233 | Choice between desire and duty. Icelandic: Þiðriks saga I 235, Boberg. |
| J240 | Choice between useful and ornamental. |
| J241 | Fruitful tree chosen. |
| J241.1 | Athena chooses olive tree because of fruitfulness. Wienert FFC LVI 76 (ET 417), 143 (ST 488). |
| J241.2 | Peasant leaves honey tree standing. Sparrows and crickets ask peasant to leave tree standing. He refuses, but when he finds honey in the tree he consents. Wienert FFC LVI 71 (ET 350), 143 (ST 494); Halm Aesop No. 102. |
| J242 | Useful wins contest over beautiful. |
| J242.1 | Contest between rose and amaranth: worth lies not in beauty. Wienert FFC LVI 43 (ET 4), *142 (ST 484); Halm Aesop No. 384. |
| J242.2 | Pine and thornbush dispute as to their usefulness. Beauty of form does not give worth; pine grows slowly but it will withstand storms. Wienert FFC LVI 44 (ET 15), 74 (ET 398), *142 (ST 483); Halm Aesop No. 125. |
| J242.3 | Fox and panther contest in beauty. Fox's spirit worth more than panther's skin. Wienert FFC LVI *43 (ET 1), 142 (ST 482); Halm Aesop No. 42. |
| J242.4 | Peacock proved to be bad king. Chosen because of beauty; too weak to defend his flock. Wienert FFC LVI 47 (ET 63), 90 (ST 22), 142 (ST 480); Halm Aesop No. 398; Dh IV 185ff. |
| J242.5 | Peacock and crane in beauty contest. Better be able to soar like crane than to strut about like peacock. Wienert FFC LVI 43 (ET 3), 142 (ST 479); Halm Aesop No. 397. |
| J242.6 | Contest in beauty between swallows and crows (ants and flies): worth lies not in beauty. Wienert FFC LVI 43 (ET 5, 9), 124 (ST 330), 142 (ST 482); Halm Aesop No. 415. |
| J242.7 | Choice of a learned crow: a dead cat better than a golden crown. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J242.8 | In dividing property clever younger brother takes hind part of buffalo, upper part of tree, and use of curtain during night. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J243 | Usefulness better than speed. |
| J243.1 | Dog and hog dispute over their children: worth lies not in speed. Wienert FFC LVI 44 (ET 19), 142 (ST 478); Halm Aesop No. 409. |
| J244 | Goodness preferred to beauty. |
| J244.1 | Father with handsome son and hideous daughter. Advises both to look in mirror daily lest son exchange handsome face for bad character; daughter to triumph over face by good manners. Wienert FFC LVI 83 (ET 494), 149 (ST 536). |
| J245 | Useful and ugly preferred to expensive and beautiful. |
| J245.1 | Millstone preferred to jewels. Man shown jewels that cost much money; he replies that he has better stones (millstones) that earn that much. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 164; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J245.2 | King who experiences the cultural civilization of an empire in dream would rather be poor and primitive. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J246 | Strength preferred to cleverness. |
| J246.1 | Man criticizes the devil because his deeds are not fair. Devil says that they are strong nevertheless. Hence strong speakers rather than clever are to be preferred. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 609. |
| J246.2 | Hero, despising weapons, fights with fists alone. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| J247 | Goodness preferred to wealth. Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J247.1 | Man advised to choose good poor man for his daughter's husband rather than rich man. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J251 | Practical knowledge more vital than theoretical. Jewish: Neuman. |
| J251.1 | The bookman and the boatman: each ignorant of other's work. Bookman's swimming saves their lives. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J252 | Learned person worth two unlearned. Latter wastes time, former not. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *2445. |
| J260 | Choice between worth and appearance. |
| J261 | Loudest mourners not greatest sorrowers. Wienert FFC LVI 83 (ET 496), 142 (ST 485); Halm Aesop No. 369. |
| J262 | Noisy things often empty. |
| J262.1 | Fox and noisy but empty drum. Chauvin II 86 No. 21; Bødker Exempler 278 No. 20; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J262.2 | Little coin in empty bottle noisy. Jewish: Neuman. |
| J263 | Among many vain words may be found some of wisdom. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J264 | Apparent beauty may be of the least importance. Ruler admires jewels's beauty but neglects to inquire about their marvelous virtues. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J266 | Choice between short and dangerous or long and sure way. (Cf. J21.5.3.) Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| J267 | Choice between flattering lies and unflattering truths. |
| J267.1 | Raven drowns his young who promise to aid him when he becomes old. He saves one who admits he will not help, because he will have to carry his own young. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *244; Finnish: Aarne FFC V No. 33*. |
| J280 | Quality preferred to quantity. |
| J281 | Quality of offspring preferred to quantity. |
| J281.1 | "Only one, but a lion". Lioness thus answers fox (hog) who twits her that she has only one cub. Wienert FFC LVI 44 (ET 20), 142 (ST 477); Halm Aesop No. 240. |
| J310 | The present preferred to the past. |
| J311 | Heed not the past. |
| J311.1 | Count only the waves before you. Fox sees man trying to count the waves. Advises him to count only those immediately before him and to pay no attention to those which have already passed. Wienert FFC LVI 70 (ET 340), 144 (ST 496); Halm Aesop No. 60. |
| J311.2 | Do not ask: "Why were the former days better than the present ones?" Jewish: Neuman. |
| J312 | Not what you were but what you are counts. |
| J312.1 | Wasp twits butterfly with coming from ugly chrysalis: unimportant where you come from. Wienert FFC LVI 43 (ET 14), 144 (ST 497). |
| J320 | Present values preferred to future. |
| J321 | Present possessions preferred to future possibilities. |
| J321.1 | A bird in the hand foolishly given away in hope of greater gain. Wienert FFC LVI 50 (ET 94), 105, 147 (ST 175, 525); Halm Aesop No. 9. |
| J321.1.1 | Today's catch of fish traded for prospective larger catch tomorrow. Africa (Akan-Ashanti): Rattray 252 No. 67. |
| J321.2 | Little fish in the net kept rather than wait for uncertainty of greater catch. Wienert FFC LVI 66 (ET 308), 105 (ST 176); Halm Aesop No. 28; Jacobs Aesop 212 No. 53; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J321.3 | Lion leaves sleeping hare to follow the shepherd. Loses both victims. Wienert FFC LVI 51 (ET 105), 106 (ST 180); Halm Aesop No. 254. |
| J321.4 | Present possessions preferred to future. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J322 | Don't injure yourself to insure your family's future. |
| J322.1 | Man wagers he can run with his head off. Asked what it will profit him, he says that it will profit his family. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 567. |
| J323 | Man to be reforged chooses present unhappiness. He is in heaven and God is to reforge him, but he chooses not to change. Indonesian: *DeVries's list No. 239. |
| J325 | Children choose father they know rather than real father they do not yet know. Woman confesses that child is not by her husband. Child, however, chooses to keep the father he knows. (Cf. J391, J1279.1.) Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 809. |
| J326 | Man prefers servant girl who is present to her absent mistress. Nouvelles Récréations No. 1. |
| J327 | Soldier prefers to live rather than die and be avenged on enemy. Nouvelles Récréations No. 44. |
| J340 | Choices: little gain, big loss. |
| J341 | Weight of bodily member chosen rather than its loss. (Cf. J351.) |
| J341.1 | Fox prefers to bear weight of his tail rather than give part of it to ape. *Crane Vitry 204 No. 171; Herbert III 15. |
| J342 | High wages bring expensive living. West Indies: Flowers 475. |
| J342.1 | Barber leaves inexpensive village for high wages in city. Finds cost of living more than enough to take all his profit. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 602; Scala Celi 60a No. 332; Alphabet No. 448. |
| J342.1.1 | In spite of master's advice disciple stays in country where everything has cheap price. Gets into trouble. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J342.2 | Wise man refuses income of half a kingdom since expenses will outweigh gain. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J343 | Man refuses cure which brings greater inconvenience. |
| J343.1 | Drunkard refuses cure of fever if it is to take away his thirst. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 236. |
| J344 | What one has is neglected in search for other things. |
| J344.1 | The monkey and the lost lentil. Lets all others he has in his hand fall in order to search for it. *Chauvin II 104 No. 67; Bødker Exempler 302 No. 70; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J344.2 | Host wants to learn Hebrew even at risk of forgetting his own language. Chauvin II 106 No. 69; Bødker Exempler 303 No. 72. |
| J345 | The valuable neglected for the interesting. |
| J345.1 | Herdsman neglects his she-goats in favor of wild-goats. She-goats die; wild-goats run off. Wienert FFC LVI 72 (ET 368), 106 (ST 181); Halm Aesop No. 12. |
| J345.2 | Man leaves farming for fishing. When water dries up he goes hungry. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J346 | Better be content with what you have, than try to get more and lose everything. Icelandic: [A]ns saga bogsv. 361, Boberg. |
| J347 | Wealth and glory sacrificed for freedom and virtue. |
| J347.1 | Man refuses vast wealth because with it will come covetousness. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J347.2 | King lays aside crown since it brings too many cares. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J347.3 | Prince chooses exile and honor to foul life at his father's court. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J347.4 | Rich merchant is poorer in happiness than poor man. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J347.5 | Man refuses rich marriage with house filled with dangerous wild animals. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J350 | Choices: small inconvenience, large gain. |
| J351 | Bodily member(s) sacrificed to save life. (Cf. J341.) Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J351.1 | Beaver sacrifices scrotum to save life. Cuts it off and leaves it for pursuers. Wienert FFC LVI 63 (ET 264), 141 (ST 475); Halm Aesop No. 189. |
| J352 | Inconvenience disregarded when booty is in sight. |
| J352.1 | Wolf does not mind the dust. Told that dust from flock of sheep will annoy him; he finds it useful. Chauvin III 41 No. 7. |
| J352.2 | Snake is willing to suffer the indignity of serving frog king as mount because frog king gives him frogs to eat. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J355 | Slight inconvenience in weather, large gain. |
| J355.1 | The widow's meal. King upbraids wind for blowing away a poor widow's last cup of meal. Finds that the wind has saved a ship full of people by that very act. The king is humbled. **Schiller Anthropos XII—XIII 513; DeVries FFC LXXIII 324ff.; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas III 67, *301, *Neuman. |
| J356 | Less inconvenience in fighting though tired than in losing all for a little rest. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J357 | Priest sells his donkey because worry for its safety distracts him from prayer. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J369 | Small inconvenience, large gain—miscellaneous. |
| J369.1 | Solomon refuses water of immortality for himself when he cannot have it for his possessions also. Chauvin II 126 No. 129. |
| J369.2 | Ape throws away nut because of its bitter rind. *Crane Vitry 188 No. 127; Herbert III 11, 36ff.; Hervieux Fabulistes latins I 218 No. 47. |
| J370 | Choices: important and unimportant work. |
| J371 | No time for minor fights when life is in danger. |
| J371.1 | Bull refuses to fight goat. Bull being pursued by lion tries to go into cave. Goat refuses to let him in. Bull must go on, for with lion pursuing he has no time to fight goat. Wienert FFC LVI 56 (ET 168), 112 (ST 234); Halm Aesop 396. |
| J372 | King ridiculed for inventing trifle of musical instrument but praised for constructing a great mosque. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J390 | Choices: kind strangers, unkind relatives. |
| J391 | Kind foster-parents chosen rather than cruel parents. (Cf. J325.) |
| J391.1 | Lamb chooses her foster-mother, the she-goat. Owes more to her than to her own mother, who has deserted her. Wienert FFC LVI 63 (ET 259), 145 (ST 507). |
| J400 | Choice of associates. |
| J401 | Scarcity of real friends. |
| J401.0.1 | "A friend is known in need." Irish myth: Cross. |
| J401.1 | Socrates builds himself a little house. Criticized for its smallness he says, "I wish I had true friends enough to fill it." Wienert FFC LVI 39; Phaedrus III 9. |
| J410 | Association of equals and unequals. |
| J411 | Great refuse to associate with lowly. Missouri French: Carrière. |
| J411.1 | Boar refuses to fight with lowly ass. Wienert FFC LVI *76 (ET 158), 120 (ST 298). |
| J411.2 | Zeus refuses wedding present from snake. Presents to be received only from equals. Wienert FFC LVI 76 (ET 423), 120 (ST 297); Halm Aesop No. 153. |
| J411.3 | Prince refuses to play with common children. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 165. |
| J411.3.1 | Noble poets refuse to associate with truly good poet because of his lowly birth. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J411.4 | Peasant ashamed of being thrown off by ass. Shameful to be thrown by such a creature. Wienert FFC LVI 73 (ET 378), 120 (ST 299); Halm Aesop No. 3. |
| J411.5 | Wolf tries to make friends with lion: killed. Wienert FFC LVI 49 (ET 82), 92 (ST 54); Halm Aesop No. 280. |
| J952.1 | Presumptuous wolf among lions. |
| J411.6 | Dolphin and whale scorn crab as peacemaker. Wienert FFC LVI 48 (ET 69), 92 (ST 45); Halm Aesop No. 116. |
| J411.7 | Laurel and olive tree scorn thornbush as umpire in their dispute as to who is most useful. Wienert FFC LVI 43 (ET 12), 74 (ET 392), 92 (ST 46). |
| J411.8 | Mouse on lion's mane. Lion angry at impudence of mouse. Wienert FFC LVI *56 (ET 167), 113 (ST 238); Halm Aesop No. 257. |
| J411.9 | Knight disregards insult by servant. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J411.9.1 | King refuses to quarrel with bird. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J411.10 | Leopard ashamed of having been bitten by lizard. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J411.11 | Rich man refuses to associate with poor sister. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J412 | Profitable association of great and lowly. |
| J412.1 | Prince of democratic tastes chosen. King asks three sons what kind of bird they would prefer to be. First: an eagle, because it is ruler of birds; second: a falcon; because it is beloved by the nobles; third: a bird which flies with many others, so as to receive advice. King chooses third. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 677. |
| J413 | Unprofitable association of unequals. |
| J413.1 | Lion licks sick man, who is thereby disgusted. India: Thompson-Balys. |
If you wish to get access to data for projects and research, then please contact us, we do our best to help
How to cite: Fielder-White, Jonathan (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com
0009-0006-1672-4451
Please cite the relevant sources, catalogues, and classification systems, including the Folklore Database, Berezkin-Duvakin Catalogue, ATU, Thompson, alongside the page accessed and the last time accessed. Please respect copyright and licenses.
Editorial annotations and database enhancements © Jonathan Fielder-White licensed under CC BY 4.0. Berezkin-Duvakin derived narrative and metadata licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Full rights information can be found here.
All rights are reserved in the database structure, selection, arrangement, metadata, classifications, software, interface design, and original editorial content.
Important: The Folklore Database expressly reserves all rights in relation to text and data mining, automated extraction, scraping, machine learning, dataset creation, and the training, development, validation, or improvement of artificial intelligence technologies or systems. No part of this website or database may be scraped, copied, reproduced, harvested, downloaded in bulk, or otherwise used for AI training or commercial data extraction without prior written permission.
Designed and Developed by Jonathan Fielder-White.
© 2024–2026 Crecganford / Jonathan Fielder-White. All rights reserved.