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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 |
|---|---|
| J1705 | Stupid classes. |
| J1705.1 | Stupid peasant. *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 187b. |
| J1705.2 | Stupid (ignorant) Brahmin. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1705.3 | Foolish pundits. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1705.4 | Foolish king. Jewish: Neuman. |
| J1706 | Stupid animals. |
| J1706.1 | Tiger as stupid beast. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1710 | Association with fools. |
| J1711 | Numskulls go a-travelling. (Cf. J1742.) *BP II 555; **Field Myth of the Pent Cuckoo. |
| J1711.1 | Animals helpless in sea-voyage together. Sheep, duck, and cock in peril The duck swims; the cock flies to the mast. *Type 204; *Fb "and" IV 12. |
| J1712 | Numskulls quarrel over a greeting. Three men greeted by a stranger. Quarrel as to whom he greeted. "I greeted the biggest fool among you." A contest is held in which tales are told to decide which is the biggest fool. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 263 No. 237; Christensen DF L 91; India: *Thompson-Balys; West Indies: Flowers 484. |
| J1713 | Foolish married couples. (Cf. J1701, J1702.) *Type 1430. |
| J1713.1 | How he knew she was baking cakes. Husband actually knows from observation but wife thinks he has supernatural knowledge and spreads his fame India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1714 | Association of wise men with fools. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1714.1 | A wise man follows a fool against his better judgment. Both are put to death for their foolishness. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 26; Herbert III 192; Alphabet No. 722; Oesterley No. 67; Scala Celi 75a No. 428; Africa (Vai): Ellis 242. |
| J1714.2 | The wise man and the rain of fools. A wise man is persuaded to taste water which has turned many persons into fools. He also becomes a fool. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) Nos. 34, 54. |
| J1714.3 | When with fools, act foolish. A wise man refuses to join a foolish crowd who stayed out in an unexpected rain after a long drought. He is punished by them for being a fool. *Wesselski Arlotto II 224 No. 91. |
| J1714.3.1 | Forty wise men foretell violent rainstorm. Failing to convince people, they go into a cave. After the shower they come out. The people call them fools. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J1714.4 | Author believes that his book must be stupid. Stupid people and gossipers are praising it. Spanish: Childers. |
| J1714.5 | Old man silent in king's presence asks king what he himself does when in company with a fool. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1715 | A fool objects to fools as companions. Leaves when placed between two fools at table. Wesselski Bebel I 179 No. 25. |
| J1717 | Three silly pundits sent to a raja as the two-footed cattle he had demanded. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1730 | Absurd ignorance. |
| J1730.1 | Hero does not learn his name until after first adventure. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J1731 | The city person ignorant of the farm. |
| J1731.1 | The city girl: Do turnips grow in the ground or on trees? Type 2010*. |
| J1731.2 | Man wants roasted honeycomb. Unwilling to admit that he does not know what a honeycomb is, a stupid man asks the innkeeper's wife to roast a slice of honeycomb. Spanish: Childers. |
| J1732 | Ignorance of certain foods. |
| J1732.1 | Fool unacquainted with sausage. He squeezes the inside out and takes the covering for a sack. Type 1316*; cf. Christensen DF XLVII 216 No. 76. |
| J1732.2 | Fool is unacquainted with bananas, throws away the fruit, finds the rest bitter. (Similar for watermelon, plums.) England, Canada, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J1732.3 | Woman is unacquainted with tea, serves the boiled leaves with butter. Scotland: Baughman. |
| J1733 | Why the pigs shriek. The sheep does not understand why the pig being carried to slaughter shrieks. Wienert FFC LVI 60 (ET 222), 91 (ST 32); Halm Aesop No. 115. |
| J1734 | Layman's ignorance of medicine. |
| J1734.1 | Urine diagnosis to tell where a man comes from. A farmer takes some of his master's urine for examination. The doctor asks where the man comes from. "You will soon see," says the man, expecting the analysis to tell. (Cf. K2321.1.) *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 857; Christensen DF L 72; ibid. DF XLVII 202f. Nos. 42, 47. |
| J1735 | Fool cannot tell his right hand in the dark. *Clouston Noodles 91. |
| J1735.1 | How to tell the right hand in the dark. Numskull keeps the candle at his right side as he goes to bed so that he can do so. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 235 No. 104. |
| J1736 | Fools and the unknown animal. |
| J1736.1 | Fools do not know what a crayfish is. Shoot it and build a rampart around it. *Wesselski Bebel II 114 No. 43. |
| J1736.2 | Fools do not know what an owl is and attack it. BP III 286. |
| J1736.3 | Unknown animal: a pig captured in a pit. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1737 | Foolish lover ignorant of mistress's flaws. |
| J1737.1 | Foolish lover does not know that his mistress lacks an eye. Only after his return from an absence does he notice it. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 407; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1738 | Ignorance of religious matters. |
| J1738.1 | Ignorant priest forces rolls of cloth instead of bread down a dying man's throat. Wesselski Bebel I 222 No. 116. |
| J1738.2 | Living crucifix chosen. Peasants take their old crucifix to an artist for a new one. The artist asks them whether they want a living or dead crucifix. Argument: living God takes less for upkeep and he can be killed later. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 409; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1738.3 | Numskulls surprised at news that God has a son. Christensen DF XLVII 205 No. 53A; U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1738.4 | Numskulls surprised to hear that God's son has died. Christensen DF XLVII 205 No. 53B; U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1738.5 | Standing up for the friendless. Preacher in backwoods asks congregation members who are friends of Jesus to rise. No one rises. "What, are there no friends of Jesus in this house?" A cowboy rises to his feet: "Stranger, I don't know who this man Jesus is. I never heard of him before, but I'll stand up for any man who hasn't got any more friends than he has." U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1738.6 | Letting in the light. Backwoods preacher tells couple that they are living in darkness. The woman responds that she has been trying for years to get her husband to cut a window in the house. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J1738.7 | Ignorant people told religious holiday is coming the next day: camel appears and is feasted. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1738.8 | Men hide so that God will not see their sin. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J1741 | Priests (schoolmasters) ignorant of Latin. |
| J1741.1 | Evangelium secundum Pergamum. Pergamus, a rival city of Luca, objects to the reading of the Evangelium secundum Lucam, insisting that it be "secundum Pergamum". *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 345. |
| J1741.2 | "Agnus dei" as a prayer for money. An ignorant schoolmaster interprets many of the texts of scripture as commands for the priests to live lives of luxury. Bolte Frey's Gartengesellschaft 213 No. 8. |
| J1741.3 | Prearranged answers in Latin not always successful. (Essentially same as X111.9.) Nouvelles Récréations No. 7. |
| J1741.3.1 | Stupid scholar memorizes set answers to oral examination in Latin. The questions are not given in the order he expects; comic results. England: Baughman. |
| J1742 | The countryman in the great world. |
| J1742.1 | Countryman expects to find persons from his own village when he travels to another land. *Wesselski Bebel II 139 No. 122. |
| J1742.2 | His address: a big high house. Mayor asked about where he lives, names his village and directs the enquirer to a big high house. Wesselski Bebel I 182 No. 31. |
| J1742.3 | Peasants in city inn order whole portion of mustard. Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI No. 1316*. |
| J1742.3.1 | Countryman visiting rich relative in the city refuses to eat dessert: "No, I am not hungry." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1742.4 | Peasant surprised that king is not larger than other men. Nouvelles Récréations No. 70. |
| J1742.5 | Countryman misunderstands comforts of city. Thinks latrine is kitchen, refuses to take a walk because he fears high houses will fall upon him, etc. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1742.5.1 | Boy who has never seen a real carpet, hops around the side of the room to avoid stepping on the cloth on the floor. U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1743 | Ignorance of dates. |
| J1743.1 | All sins since the birth of Christ. A stupid man at confession says, "I confess myself guilty of all sins that I have committed since Christ's birth." "Are you so old?" "Yes, and I have a brother who is three years older than I." Wesselski Bebel II 106 No. 17; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 295. |
| J1743.2 | Family do not realize that Lent has arrived until it is Palm Sunday. Then they explain that Lent will be short because it has been a short winter. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 89; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1743.3 | Wash Bee Day. Woman misinterprets calendar notation "February 22, Wash. B'day." Washes their bee-hives. North Carolina: Brown Collection I 697. |
| J1744 | Ignorance of marriage relations. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| J1744.1 | Bridegroom does not know what to do on his wedding night. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1744.1.1 | Bridegroom gets into bed. The numskull groom on his wedding night does not know how to get to the bed, the curtains being drawn. He scales one of the posts, clambers to the canopy, falls upon his bride below, who screams for help. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1745 | Absurd ignorance of sex. |
| J1745.1 | Fool cannot tell sex of nudes, since they have no clothes on. U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1745.2 | Foolish girl ignorant of what is happening at her first menses. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1746 | Ignorance of reading. |
| J1746.1 | Fool weeps each time he reads a book to see how small letters have become: at school they were big and fat. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1747 | The archbishop's wife and family. Fool asks what he is to talk about when guests arrive. Is told: "Their wives and family." He asks the archbishop about his family. (Cf. J2461.2.) Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1748 | Absurd ignorance of the use of spectacles. Christensen DF XLVII 226 No. 89. |
| J1749 | Absurd ignorance—miscellaneous. |
| J1749.1 | Fool thinks that "aforesaid" is a title of honor. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1749.2 | Ignorant notary cannot draw up document. The names of the participants are not the same as those in his sample form. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1750 | One animal mistaken for another. |
| J1751 | Dungbeetle thought to be bee. "I know you well enough, you have put on a blue coat." Type 1317*. |
| J1752 | Wolf thought to be colt. In the man's absence eats the mare. *Type 1311. |
| J1753 | Bear thought to be dog. Type 1312*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1313. |
| J1754 | Ass thought to be hare. Type 1316****. |
| J1755 | Earthworm thought to be snake (or other monster). Type 1316***. |
| J1756 | Other animals thought to be a giant cat. Hero in search of monster brings home a dog, zebra, etc. thinking it is the animal he seeks. Zanzibar: Bateman 160 No. 8. |
| J1757 | Rabbit thought to be a cow. Servant sent to bring in cows is found chasing rabbits. BP III 260 (Grimm No. 162); U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1758 | Tiger (lion, etc.) mistaken for domestic animal. |
| J1758.1 | Tiger mistaken for goat. Fool trying to steal goat in dark catches thieving tiger. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1758.1.1 | Fool rides tiger thinking it to be a big male-goat. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1758.2 | Tiger thought to be dog. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1758.3 | Tiger mistaken for ass. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1758.4 | Thief mistakes leopard for calf (ass). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1758.5 | Lion thought to be donkey: drunkard rides it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1758.5.1 | Thief thinks lion is horse. Rides him. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J1758.6 | Stupid husband mistakes tiger-cubs for jungle cats despite wife's judgment. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1759 | Other mistaken animals. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J1759.1 | Scotsman thinks moose is a mouse, asks what rats look like in this country. (Cf. X1423.) Canada: Baughman. |
| J1759.2 | Hunter mistakes louse on his eyelash for game. He shoots several times before he notices the trouble. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J1759.3 | Numskull thinks fireflies are mosquitoes carrying lanterns to find victims. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J1759.4 | Bull mistaken for horse. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1759.4.1 | Calf mistaken for colt. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1759.5 | Cat's tail mistaken for worm. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1760 | Animal or person mistaken for something else. |
| J1761 | Animal thought to be object. |
| J1761.1 | Whale thought to be island. Sailors light a fire on his back. *Chauvin VII 9 n. 1 No. 373A; *Fb "fish" I 296b, "[ö]" III 1159b; Gunter 84; *Gaster Beiträge 53ff.; *Reinhard PMLA XXXVIII 448 n. 84. — Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: *Neuman; Hindu: Penzer II 193; B[ö]dker Exempler 286 No. 34; Indonesian: DeVries's list No. 210. |
| J1761.1.1 | Turtle thought to be an island. U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1761.1.2 | Serpent is taken for island. U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1761.2 | White mare thought to be church. Type 1315**. |
| J1761.3 | Glowworm thought to be a fire. The bird who tries to keep the monkeys from this error is killed for her pains. Chauvin II 90 No. 32; B[ö]dker Exempler 286 No. 34; Penzer V 58f. |
| J1761.4 | Fish thought to be chewed sugar-cane. Numskulls therefore throw away their fish. Indonesian: DeVries's list No. 262. |
| J1761.5 | Wolf thought to be log of wood. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "bыche". |
| J1761.6 | Snake thought to be flute. Bites tiger who tries to play flute. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1761.6.1 | Snake mistaken for a whip by a blind man. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1761.7 | Living toad or beetles thought to be lost food and therefore eaten by numskulls. Christensen DF XLVII 188, 199 Nos. 13, 31. |
| J1761.8 | Man mistakes dragon for log, sits on it. (Cf. B11.) England: Baughman. |
| J1761.9 | Bear mistaken for a floating log (blanket). India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1761.10 | Blind men and elephant. Four blind men feel an elephant's leg, tail, ear and body, respectively, and conclude it is like a log, a rope, a fan, and something without beginning or end. *Taylor English Riddles in Oral Tradition (Berkeley, 1951) 582 n. 11; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1761.11 | Fool mistakes dung-beetles for fruit: eats them. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1762 | Animal thought to be a person. |
| J1762.0.1 | Animals mistaken for messengers. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1762.1 | Goose mistaken for a tailor. In a ghost house he is thought to be a tailor who snips the devil with his scissors. *Fb "gеs" I 528b. |
| J1762.1.2 | Crab mistaken for tailor. Christensen DF XLVII 171. |
| J1762.2 | Bear on haywagon (on horse) thought to be the preacher. *Type 116. |
| J1762.2.1 | The bear mistaken for a saint. The godless man is cheated and attacks a bear thinking it is a saint, and barely escapes with his life. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1705; Russian: Andrejev No. *2103. |
| J1762.3 | Crab caught on tiger's tail thought to be pursuing man. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1762.4 | Deer thought to be man with basket on head. North Carolina: Brown Collection I 698. |
| J1762.5 | Bees (wasps) mistaken for Jutlanders, etc. Christensen DF XLVII 222 No. 85. |
| J1762.6 | Dressed up monkey thought to be a nobleman. Christensen DF XLVII 197, 231 No. 23. |
| J1762.7 | Lobsters mistaken for Norwegians. Christensen DF XLVII 206 No. 56. |
| J1762.8 | Bear mistaken for a foreigner. The strong man meets a bear in the forest, takes it for a German and struggles with it. Having strangled the bear, fears he has killed a man. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1283*. |
| J1762.9 | Foolish wife believes goats' heads are human heads. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1763 | Person thought to be an object. |
| J1763.1 | Small priest covered with large hat thought to be a hat. Nouvelles Récréations No. 37. |
| J1763.2 | Girl mistaken for stone. Espinosa JAFL XXVII 119—129. |
| J1763.3 | Sleeping soldier thought to be recumbent statue in chapel. Heptameron No. 65. |
| J1765 | Person thought to be animal. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J1765.1 | Shepherd taken to be she-ass. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1765.2 | Man taken to be sheep. (Cf. X424.) India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1766 | One person mistaken for another. |
| J1766.1 | Horsemen thought to be men mounted on cattle. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J1769 | Other creatures with mistaken identity. |
| J1769.1 | Giant thought to be a hill. BP III 333 (Grimm No. 183). |
| J1769.2 | Dead man is thought to be alive. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J1769.2.1 | Dead mistaken for the living. Man with abhorrence for corpse sleeps with one thinking it alive. (Cf. H1410.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1769.3 | Fool lays his hand on demon in the dark, believing it is male goat he has come to steal. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1770 | Objects with mistaken identity. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J1771 | Object thought to be animal. |
| J1771.1 | Big tree thought to be snake. Killed with guns and spears. Type 1315. |
| J1771.2 | Old sausage (roll) taken for frightening animal. Christensen DF XLVII 174 no. 2. |
| J1771.3 | Object thought to be a turkey. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1771.4 | Bush thought to be elephant. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1771.5 | Island thought to be large dog. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 448. |
| J1772 | One object thought to be another. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1772.1 | Pumpkin thought to be an ass's egg. Numskull thinks he has hatched out an ass's egg. He thinks that the rabbit which runs out is the colt. *Type 1319; *BP I 317ff.; *Köhler-Bolte I 323; *Clouston Noodles 38; *Fb "æg" III 1142a; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 249 No. 163; Christensen DF XLVII 208 no. 63. — Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 324 No. 157; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "oeuf", "âne" "lièvre"; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. |
| J1772.1.1 | Boy thinks terrapin hatches from bedbug eggs. Small boy examines bedbug eggs under pillow every morning. One morning he finds a terrapin there. "I don't see how we raised this so quick." U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1772.1.2 | Potatoes mistaken for "irregular eggs", or "eggs of the earth." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1772.2 | Dog mistakes mussel for an egg. Cuts his mouth. Wienert FFC LVI 63 (ET 268), 107 (ST 199); Halm Aesop No. 223. |
| J1772.3 | Coins thought to be red beans. Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 4. |
| J1772.3.1 | Coins thought to be uncooked cakes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1772.4 | Culture hero's pubic hair thought to be bear hair. N. A. Indian (Peoria, Kickapoo, Potawatomi): Michelson JAFL XXX 494. |
| J1772.4.1 | Pubic hair of ardent husband's wife thought to be calf's tail by peasant in tree. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 12. |
| J1772.5 | Man puts food bowl on head thinking it a helmet. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 413. |
| J1772.6 | Fish bones in soup thought to be underdone peas. Nouvelles Récréations No. 73. |
| J1772.7 | Fools think evening star is morning star. Start morning journey evening before. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1772.8 | Cotton pods knocked off by bullock thought to be lumps of bullock's fat. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1772.9 | Excrements thought to be meat and therefore eaten. Christensen DF XLVII 192 No. 18; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1772.9.1 | Excrement thought to be berries. Numskull tries to sell it. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| J1772.10 | Gun thought to be clarinet: one man blows, another presses the "keys". (Cf. K1057.) Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1861*. |
| J1772.11 | Boot mistaken for an axe-sheath. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1282*. |
| J1772.12 | Foolish tiger thinks dog's tail is a gun. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1772.13 | Frog thinks cattle are distant country. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1772.14 | Eight-oared ferry-boat mistaken for an animal which must have long legs to wade the stream. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1780 | Things thought to be devils, ghosts, etc. Indonesian: Coster-Wijsman 57 No. 83. |
| J1781 | Objects thought to be the devil. |
| J1781.1 | Steamship thought to be the devil. Type 1315*. |
| J1781.2 | Watch mistaken for the devil's eye. Knocked to pieces. Type 1321*; Christensen DF XLVII 187; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1679*. |
| J1781.3 | Glowing wheel supposed to be the devil. Christensen DF XLVII 184ff. |
| J1782 | Things thought to be ghosts. |
| J1782.1 | Robber or dog in church thought to be a ghost. Type 1318*. |
| J1782.1.1 | Cows in church thought to be ghost. U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1782.2 | Dropping dough thought to be a ghost. It drops on the floor and the man thinks the place is haunted. Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 137 No. 101; Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 47 No. 101. |
| J1782.2.1 | Sound of water dripping on dinner pail thought to be ghost using pick in mine. U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1782.3 | Noise in house thought to be ghost. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J1782.4 | Man sleeping in stable (abandoned cabin) thinks entering animals are ghosts: kills them. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3445, Legends Nos. 872ff.; U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1782.5 | Animal with lighted candle thought to be ghost. (Cf. K335.0.5.1.) U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1782.6 | Person in white thought to be ghost. U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1782.7 | Sleep-walker thought to be a ghost until discovered. U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1782.8 | Person in haunted house shoots off all his toes thinking they are ghosts. (Cf. J1838.) U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1783 | Thing thought to be corpse. |
| J1783.1 | Butter cask thought to be a dead man. Fools knock it in two. Type 1314. |
| J1784 | Things thought to be spirits. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3446, Legends Nos. 875-885. |
| J1784.1 | Laughter of boy thought to be spirits' laughter. Africa (Masai): Fuchs 21ff. No. 4. |
| J1785 | Animals thought to be the devils or ghosts. Lithuanian: Balys Legends Nos. 886ff. |
| J1785.1 | Grasshopper thought to be the devil. *Field Pent Cuckoo 7; England: Baughman. |
| J1785.2 | Crab thought to be the devil. Becomes red. Type 1310*. |
| J1785.3 | Ass thought to be the devil. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1785.4 | Man sees Hereford cow at night; thinks it is devil, says, "Devil I deny thee! I am a psalmsinger and a worshiper of God!" England: Baughman. |
| J1785.4.1 | Man addresses colt: "Abide, Satan! I am a righteous man and a psalm singer." England: Baughman. |
| J1785.5 | Cat mistaken for devil. Fool in the dark mistakes cat's eyes for embers. Is attacked by the cat and he thinks it is the devil. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1785.6 | Fox in coffer thought to be devil. Pierre Faifeu No. XXXII. |
| J1785.7 | Black sheep thought to be the devil. Christensen DF XLVII no. 64. |
| J1786 | Man thought to be a devil or ghost. Lithuanian: Balys Legends Nos. 868—871, 890; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1786.1 | Man costumed as demon thought to be devil; thieves flee. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1786.2 | Woman thought to be devil; thieves flee. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1786.3 | Man mistaken for Famine and Cholera in person. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1786.4 | Priest exorcising demon mistaken for demon and beaten to death. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1786.5 | Man thought to be devil by lion. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J1786.6 | Men, on first seeing wives with hair, think they are witches and run away. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1786.7 | Lion thinks man astride him is monster: frightened. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1786.8 | Man reported to be dead so that people flee from him as from a ghost. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1789 | Things thought at night to be other frightful object. |
| J1789.1 | Windmill thought to be holy cross (church, God). Type 1322**; Christensen DF XLVII 212 No. 68; Russian: Andrejev 1322**; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1789.2 | Clock ticking thought to be gnawing of mice. Type 1323*; Christensen DF XLVII 187. |
| J1790 | Shadow mistaken for substance. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1790.1 | Numskull thinks his shadow is a man pursuing him. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1790.2 | Shadow mistaken for thief: is beaten. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1790.3 | Monkey seeing tiger attack his shadow is frightened so that he falls from tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1791 | Reflection in water thought to be the original of the thing reflected. |
| J1791.1 | Drinking the moon. The numskull sees a cow drink from a pool where the moon is reflected. The moon goes under a cloud. He thinks the cow has eaten the moon and slaughters her to recover it. Type 1335; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 241 No. 124; *Köhler-Bolte I 90, 498; Christensen DF XLVII 181. |
| J1791.2 | Rescuing the moon. A numskull sees the moon in the water and throws a rope in to rescue it, but falls in himself. He sees the moon in the sky. At least the moon was saved! *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 241 No. 124; Christensen DF XLVII 217—18 no. 78; American Negro: Harris Nights 100 No. 19. |
| J1791.3 | Diving for cheese. Man (animal) sees moon reflected in water and, thinking it a cheese, dives for it. *Type 34; *Dh IV 230f.; *Fb "øst"; *Clouston Noodles 44; *Field Pent Cuckoo 18; Köhler-Bolte I 107; Christensen DF XLVII 217—18 no. 78; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 206f.; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 295 n. 81; Africa (Zulu): Callaway 357 (cf. J1791.4). |
| J1791.3.1 | Wolf tries to drink well dry to get cheese. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 29 No. 34. |
| J1791.3.2 | Dogs by river try to get food in river by drinking the river dry. Wienert FFC LVI 62 (ET 246), 119 (ST 287); Halm Aesop No. 218. |
| J1791.3.2.1 | Demon tries to recover object from river by drinking it dry. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1791.3.3 | Moon's reflection thought to be gold in water. Fools dive for it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1791.3.4 | Jackals jump into well after drums and are killed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1791.4 | Dog drops his meat for the reflection. Crossing a stream with meat in his mouth he sees his reflection; thinking it another dog with meat he dives for it and loses his meat. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 426; *Chauvin II 85; B[ö]dker Exempler 275 No. 13; Wienert FFC LVI 64 (ET 270), *105 (ST 178); Halm Aesop No. 233; *Crane Vitry 140 No. 18; Scala Celi 19a No. 111; Jacobs Aesop 199 No. 3.—Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Zulu): Callaway 357 (cf. J1791.3). |
| J1791.5 | Diving for reflected enemy. India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 352 n. 270a. |
| J1791.5.1 | Shooting at enemy's reflection in water. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 352 n. 270c. |
| J1791.5.2 | Man throws stone at own reflection in water. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1791.5.3 | Frog leaps into water after elephant's reflection. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1791.6 | Diving for reflection of beautiful woman. Indonesian, Melanesian: Dixon 227 n. 34; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 352 n. 270b. |
| J1791.6.0.1 | Woman dives in water three times after reflected image of man peering down from a tree. Marquesas: Handy 46. |
| J1791.6.1 | Ugly woman sees beautiful woman reflected in water and thinks it is herself. Prides herself on her beauty. *Type 408; BP II 121ff.; Italian: Basile Pentamerone V No. 9; Indonesian: Dixon 226. |
| J1791.6.2 | Ogre sees beautiful woman reflected in water. Attempts to drink the lake dry. (Cf. J1791.3.1.) Type 1141*; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| J1791.7 | Man does not recognize his own reflection in the water. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 276 No. 311; Penzer VI 86f.; India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 17; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 441; American Negro: Harris Remus 68 No. 14. |
| J1791.7.1 | Simpleton thinks his reflection in jar of melted butter is thief; strikes at the jar and breaks it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1791.8 | Goose dives for star, thinking it a fish. The next day when she sees fish, she lets it escape. Chauvin II 89 No. 28; B[ö]dker Exempler 284 No. 30; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J1791.9 | Fools see bee's nest reflected in water: try to carry off the well. Clouston Noodles 67. |
| J1791.10 | Fool sees golden-crested bird reflected in water. Thinks it is gold. Penzer V 115 n. 1. |
| J1791.11 | Diving for reflected fruit. Meantime rascal steals the fruit itself. Spanish: Espinosa III 206f.; Indonesia: Coster-Wijsman 37 No. 25. |
| J1791.12 | Elephant frightened at agitated reflection of moon in water. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1792 | Picture mistaken for original. |
| J1792.1 | Dove sees painted cups of water and dashes into them. Wienert FFC LVI 64 (ET 276), 107 (ST 196); Halm Aesop No. 357. |
| J1793 | Mask mistaken for face. Jacobs Aesop 204 No. 20; Wienert FFC LVI 75 (ET 405), 124 (ST 333); Halm Aesop No. 47. |
| J1794 | Statue mistaken for living original. (Cf. K1840.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| J1795 | Image in mirror mistaken for picture. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
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