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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| K1917.7 | "All of these are mine," says wooer as he strokes his whiskers. The girl thinks he is indicating the fields and live stock past which they are riding. U.S.: Baughman. |
| K602.2 | "Bee is eating the sweets." Man has eaten sweets and says his name is B. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1682.1 | "Big 'Fraid and Little 'Fraid." Man decides to frighten another (or his son or servant). He dresses in a sheet; his pet monkey puts on a sheet and follows him. The person who is doing the scaring hears the victim say, "Run Big Fraid, run; Little Fraid'll get you." The scarer sees the monkey in the sheet, runs home. (Cf. K1833.) Canada, England, U.S., Wales: *Baughman. |
| K1354.1 | "Both?" The youth is sent to the house to get two articles. He meets the two daughters and calls back to the master. "Both?" "Yes, I said both!" replies the master. The youth has his will of both daughters. *Type 1563; Chauvin VI 180 No. 342; Bolte Montanus Gartengesellschaft 611 No. 73; Köhler-Bolte I 150, 291; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 420ff.; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 115. |
| K2063 | "Chaste" woman surprised in adultery. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1450A; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K231.12.1 | "Come tomorrow". The devil keeps calling daily until the gate with the inscription rots. He then claims his debtor. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1183*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1183*. |
| K1725.1 | "Dogs are chasing you," says ox to jackal. Really water gurgling in the ox's stomach. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K601.2 | "Don't eat your nephews." Giants thus dissuaded. Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 3/1323). |
| K547.1 | "Get into my belly." The wee cock, lost in the woods, orders the fox, the bear, and the wolf to get into his belly. Overawed, the beasts make their apologies promising never to annoy him again. The bear even carries the cock home. (Cf. K1715.7.) Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2007*. |
| K475.2 | "Have we leave to go?" Two prisoners are made stable boys on their promise not to escape secretly. Before horse race starts they ask: "Do we have your leave to go?" They go home. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2064 | "Holy" hermit surprised in amorous intrigue. Italian Novella: Rotunda; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 533. |
| K1081.1.1 | "I don't believe you have a gold coin." Trickster handed money by each of four blind beggars, each thinking that member of group speaks. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K553.1 | "Let me catch you better game." Captured animal pretends to help captor bring more desirable victim. Escapes. Chauvin II 116 No. 94; India: *Thompson-Balys; Africa (Kaffir): Theal 188, (Basuto): Jacottet 40; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 286 No. 48. |
| K1655.1 | "No argument good without a witness." Lawyer's client therefore refuses payment of fee. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1331 | "No!" The princess must answer all questions by "No". By clever framing of his question the hero wins her to his desires. *Types 851, 853; BP I 192; **Kristoffer Nyrop Nej: et motivs historie (København, 1891); Dania V 1ff., 164ff., 166; *Toldo Zs. f. Vksk. XV 69 n. 2. |
| K602 | "Noman." Escape by assuming an equivocal name. (Sometimes "myself.") *Hackman Polyphemsage 179, 203, 219; *Fb "selv"; Clouston Noodles 194 n.; BP III 378; *Oertel Studien zur vgl. Literaturgeschichte VIII 117f.; *Toldo Zs. f. Vksk. XV 70.—Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 56 No. 480; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 262; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 36. |
| K193.1 | "Old Saddle" granted by the king. This is the name of an estate, which the king unwittingly gives away. Anderson FFC XLII 360; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *925. |
| K373 | "Owner has refused to accept it." A rascal steals a priest's watch. He tells the priest that he has stolen a watch and offers it to him as a payment for a past favor. The priest refuses to accept stolen goods. Commands the thief to return the watch to the owner. "But the owner has refused to accept it." "Then you may keep it." Danish: Kristensen Kirketjeneste 126. |
| K1013.2 | "Painting" on the haycock. The fox persuades the wolf to lie on the hay in order to be painted. He sets fire to it. *Type 8; *Dh IV 239; *Krohn Bär (Wolf) und Fuchs (JSFO VI) 67ff.; American Negro: Harris Friends 60 ff. No. 8. |
| K1013.3 | "Painting" with a red hot iron. *Type 152*; Russian: Andrejev No. 152. |
| K512.0.2 | "Prince will soon want me back." Executioner persuaded to let hero go. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1612.2 | "Shoot any thief who comes." King unwittingly shot. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K553.5 | "Soak me in the pond so that I will be juicy." India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K112.2 | "Soup stone" sold. It needs only the addition of a few vegetables and a bit of meat. *Type 1548; *Prato RTP IV 168; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1725 | "St. George's Dogs" (wolves). The man says, "St. George's dogs are coming!" The ogre flees. Type 1150; Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 148; West Indies: Flowers 543f. |
| K553.0.1 | "Wait till I am fat enough to race you." Hero to be eaten by cannibals when he is fattened enough to beat them in a race. He runs away. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K553 | "Wait till I get fat." Captured person (animal) persuades his captor to wait and fatten him before eating him. Wienert FFC LVI 52 (ET 117), 105 (ST 179); Halm Aesop No. 231; Spanish: Espinosa III 446; India: *Thompson-Balys; Africa (Zulu): Callaway 164; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 366ff. No. 65 (variant); West Indies: Flowers 516. |
| K553.1.1 | "Wait till men come to take me from trap, then eat them." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1887.3.1 | (Saint's) bell heard but never found. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K151 | A beggar tells the bishop how to stay warm. For a gulden he tells him that he should wear all his clothes when he goes horseback in winter. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 513. |
| K579.7 | A handy name. Thief is jailed for stealing a quarter of veal. Sends man named "Calf" to captor. "I took only one quarter of veal, but I am sending you a whole calf." Is set free. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K231.5.1 | A man bonds his loyalty. When the debt is due he offers the creditor his loyalty. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 568. |
| K1691.1 | A man in place of a cuckoo. A cruel master commands his serf to climb a tree and imitate the cry of the cuckoo; he shoots the "cuckoo." Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3745. |
| K579.8 | A plea for a larger audience. Fox asks cock to come down from a tree and sing for him. Cock asks fox to awake his companion, a dog, first. Dog kills fox. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K195 | A ribbon long enough to reach from ear to ear. The rascal has had an ear cut off and this is in a distant city. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 713. |
| K1741.2 | A thousand at one shot. Told to shoot one or two wild boars, hero asks, "Why not a thousand at one shot?" The ogre is frightened. *Type 1053; *BP III 333. |
| K551.22.1 | A year's time granted to settle affairs before death. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1113 | Abandonment on stretching tree. A man is induced to get into a tree which magically shoots upward. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 332 n. 199, (California): Gayton and Newman 70, 78; Africa (Jaunde): Nekes 236, (Benga): Nassau 176 No. 23. |
| K1273 | Abbess puts priest's trousers on her head. Suddenly called up while abed with the priest, she thinks to put on her coif. Discomfited by nuns whom she has denounced for incontinence. Boccaccio Decameron IX No. 2 (Lee 274); Mensa Philosophica No. 200; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K521.6 | Abbot escapes from his paramour's husband in disguise of priest. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1227.10.1 | Abducted princess tells her abductor to wait for her menstrual period of 12 years to terminate. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K755.1 | Abduction by fraudulently giving signal of husband's return. (Cf. K1354.3.2.) Chinese: Graham. |
| K1914 | Abductor pretends to have been sent to fetch princess by lover. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K624 | Abductors tricked into running race while captive escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1881 | Absent person seems to be present. Hdwb. d. Abergl. II 246 s.v. "Doppelgänger"; Icelandic: FSS 38, Boberg; Irish: Plummer clxix, *Cross; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn VI (1900) 3ff. |
| K69 | Absurd contest won by deception—miscellaneous. |
| K60 | Absurd contest won by deception. |
| K1349.5 | Access for seduction gained by removing locks. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1349.3 | Access gained by the aid of rival's mule. Man tries in vain to learn the identity of his friend's mistress. Mounts his friend's mule, which takes him to the secret rendezvous. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 31; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K499 | Additional cheats. |
| K1399 | Additional seductions. |
| K1349.10 | Admission to woman's room by means of cap of invisibility. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1556.1 | Adulteress binds husband's eyes and causes him to sing incantations concerning the adultery. |
| K1516.4 | Adulteress covers husband's eyes during incantation. Meanwhile paramour escapes. Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1550.3 | Adulteress detected by food she prepares for paramour. |
| K1550.1.2 | Adulteress detected by food she prepares for paramour. India: Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 341. |
| K1550.1.1 | Adulteress detected: husband secretly drops dye on her dress. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1593 | Adulteress disguised as boy elopes with paramour. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K521.4.5 | Adulteress escapes prison disguised as an old woman. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1516.3 | Adulteress extinguishes light to hide her paramour. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1524 | Adulteress falls in mud at lover's door. She deceives her husband by saying that she must enter and clean her dress. *Crane Vitry 226f. No. 230; Herbert III 18; *Wesselski Mönchslatein 25 No. 19; Mensa Philosophica No. 70; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K2051.3 | Adulteress feigns great disdain of men; will look at none but husband (and lover). Heptameron No. 43. |
| K2051 | Adulteress feigns unusual sensitiveness. |
| K1213.1.1 | Adulteress frightens paramour with cries of "Rape!" Then she removes her husband's suspicion by feigning a fit. Later the paramour tricks her to his room and shows her naked, except for face, to her husband. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1514 | Adulteress gets rid of husband while she entertains lover. Icelandic: Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1514.13 | Adulteress gives paramour tryst in house of ill-fame. Meets husband who leaves in shame. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K2231.1 | Adulteress has lover killed. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1514.9 | Adulteress has lover unload wood on doorstep. This keeps husband out. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1510.1 | Adulteress kills home-coming husband. Greek: Fox 134 (Clytemnestra). |
| K1514.6 | Adulteress locks up hidden husband and meets lovers. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K778.5 | Adulteress lures husband so as to have him killed. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 980. |
| K1548 | Adulteress makes believe that her suspicious husband is insane. He is taken away. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1514.18 | Adulteress makes excuse to go and attend to bodily needs: meets lover. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1549 | Adulteress outwits husband—miscellaneous motifs. |
| K1510 | Adulteress outwits husband. *Penzer V 106 n. 1; *Bolte Frey 223f. No. 21; *Hollander MLN XXVII 71; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1516.5 | Adulteress persuades husband to milk cow with his eyes blindfolded: meets lover. (Cf. Chaucer's Merchant's Tale.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2051.1 | Adulteress pretends shame before male statue (mirror, male fish). *Fischer-Bolte 217. |
| K2051.2 | Adulteress pretends to faint when her husband strikes her with a rose. She has allowed her lover to abuse her. Fischer-Bolte 217. |
| K1514.12 | Adulteress pretends to go to say her prayers. Keeps tryst with paramour. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1511.1 | Adulteress refuses to admit husband under pretence that he is a stranger. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 678; Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 1. |
| K1514.10 | Adulteress sets husband to watch for intruder while she entertains the paramour. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1532.1 | Adulteress tells her lover how she loves her husband. She thus deceives the spying husband under the bed. Penzer V 108 n. 2; Bødker Exempler 269 No. 59; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1532.2 | Adulteress tells how she may save her husband's life. Discovering him under the bed, she tells lover that at temple she has learned that her husband is to die soon unless she prevents death by sleeping with a strange man. The husband is satisfied. Benfey Panchatantra II 258ff., Panchatantra III 12 (tr. Ryder 348). |
| K1271.4 | Adulteress tells lover "I can see the whole world." Hidden shepherd asks "Can you see my lost calves (ass)?" Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2905*; Italian Novella: Rotunda (K1532.3); Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 12; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1514.15 | Adulteress throws small coffer out of window. While the husband retrieves it the paramour changes hiding places. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1514.17 | Adulteress together with lover while husband sleeps. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1535 | Adulteress transforms her husband into an animal to get rid of him. (The Tsar's Dog.) Type 449*; Malone PMLA XLIII 418, 421, 441; Chauvin V 3, 5f., 198, *VI 198, VII 129f.; Penzer III 194; Kittredge Arthur 246ff.; Anderson Roman apuleja i narodnaja skazka I 376-487, 612-633; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3655; Russian: Andrejev No. 499A*; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1535.1 | Adulteress transforms man to stone up to the waist. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K2111.4 | Adulteress tricks husband into killing allegedly importunate lover. Heptameron No. 1. |
| K1587 | Adulteress uses the public baths as a meeting-place with her lover. A naive remark by her child exposes the deception to the husband. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 66; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1784.2 | Adventurer on otherworld island sees great hornless oxen guarded by giant: tries to frighten them. "Why dost thou frighten the stilly calves?" says the huge herdsman. "Where are the dams of these calves?" asks the adventurer. "They are on the other side of yonder mountain," said he. So he went thence. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1952.4.1 | Adventurer poses as son of dead king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1582.1 | After seducing priest's wife, peasant demands earrings as price of silence. He thus avenges himself on priest who has cheated peasant's wife of her earrings. Russian: Andrejev No. 1726**. |
| K263 | Agreement not to scratch. In talking the trickster makes gestures and scratches without detection. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XIX 310 n. 2; North Carolina: Brown Collection I 701; India: Thompson-Balys; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 214 No. 37, (South Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXXVIII 218; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 36 No. 29; West Indies: Flowers 502. |
| K231.13 | Agreement to leave sum of money on coffin of friend. One puts on his share in cash; other makes out a check for the total amount and takes cash left by the other. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K1966.2 | Alchemist secures payment for his "secret". Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1966.1 | Alchemist steals money from corpse and claims he has made the silver. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1966 | Alchemist. |
| K119.1 | Alleged automatic object sold. U.S.: Baughman. |
| K111.2 | Alleged bill-paying hat sold. *Type 1539; BP II 10; *Fb "hat" IV 202b; India: Thompson-Balys; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 196, 443. |
| K111.1 | Alleged gold-dropping animal sold. *Type 1539; BP II 10ff.; Penzer V 5—13; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: Coster-Wijsman 26 No. 5. |
| K115.1.1 | Alleged healing letter (charm) sold: to aid in childbirth. Actually works. When opened it contains nonsense. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K115.1 | Alleged healing letter sold. Woman sold a letter to wear around her neck which will prevent eye trouble. It helps only so long as she believes in it. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 153. |
| K115.2 | Alleged healing stone sold. A sailor boy sells a seasick Jew "Babylon stones" as a cure. They are pieces of coal. Type 1532*. |
| K1971.13 | Alleged idol promises teacher certain payment for his book when finished. Dupe overhears and pays him bargain price for what he is later to receive. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K117.1 | Alleged inexhaustible bottle sold. *Wesselski Bebel I 224 No. 128. |
| K117 | Alleged inexhaustible vessel sold. |
| K114.2 | Alleged oracular bird-skin sold. *Type 1535; *BP II 18. |
| K114.1 | Alleged oracular cow-hide sold. *Type 1535; *BP II 18. |
| K114.1.1 | Alleged oracular horse-hide sold. Type 1535. |
| K114.3 | Alleged oracular pill sold. |
| K116 | Alleged rejuvenating object sold. (Cf. D1338.) |
| K116.2 | Alleged rejuvenating stick sold. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K113.1 | Alleged resuscitating bone sold. (Cf. D1013.) Nubian: Sébillot RTP III 394. |
| K113.3 | Alleged resuscitating book sold. (Cf. D1266.) Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 137. |
| K113.8 | Alleged resuscitating bugle sold. Korean: Zong in-Sob 179f. No. 77. |
| K113.5 | Alleged resuscitating fiddle sold. (Cf. D1233.) *BP II 10; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| K113.7 | Alleged resuscitating horn sold. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K113.6 | Alleged resuscitating knife sold. (Cf. D1083.) *BP II 10, Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K113.4 | Alleged resuscitating wand sold. (Cf. D1254.1.) *BP II 10; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K113.2 | Alleged resuscitating whistle sold. (Cf. D1225). *BP II 10; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 99; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 196; N. A. Indian: *Thompson CColl II 422ff. |
| K112.1 | Alleged self-cooking kettle sold. *Type 1539; BP II 10; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K112.2.1 | Alleged soup-making pot sold. It already has the ingredients in it. Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 242 No. 16. |
| K137 | Alleged speaking animal sold. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K131.1.1 | Alleged speaking hare sold as messenger. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1569.7 | Alleged speaking privates. Husband pretends that his wife's privates tell him of her adultery. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1355 | Altered letter of execution gives princess to hero. On his way robbers steal the letter and change it so that instead of being killed he is married to the princess. *Type 930; **Aarne FFC XXIII; *BP I 276ff.; *Chauvin VIII 145 No. 145ABC; Alphabet No. 593; Herrmann Saxo II 287; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 116. |
| K778.2 | Amazonian woman disguised as leper seduces and binds enemies one by one. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1641 | Ambushed trickster killed by intended victim. *Penzer V 59 n. 2; Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 69; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 247 No. 23. |
| K2378.4 | Ammunition saved till enemy has used his. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1271.3 | Amorous intrigue exposed and faithless husband humiliated. Heptameron No. 38. |
| K1271 | Amorous intrigue observed and exposed. Irish myth: *Cross; West Indies: Flowers 536. |
| K2116.2.1 | Anchorite falsely accused of murder. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1811.4.2 | Angel takes form of certain person. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K172.1 | Anger bargain: may God give you a penny. A servant and his mistress agree that when they are angry with each other they shall say, "May God give you a penny!" When the master says this, the servant says, "May he give you two!" They keep increasing the amount till those who hear wonder at the performance. The mistress tells them, "You don't know the coin." *Pauli (ed. Bolte) Nos. 365, 813. |
| K172 | Anger bargain. The trickster makes a bargain with his master that the first to become angry must submit to punishment. He thereupon heaps abuses on his master till the latter breaks out in anger and must take his punishment. *Types 650A, 1000; *BP II 293; *Fb "næse" II 716a, "vred" III 1195b; Köhler-Bolte I 327; Irish myth: *Cross, Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "domestique"; Missouri French: Carrière; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 240; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 433f.; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 113. |
| K942 | Angry man kills his own horse by mistake. Trickster has shifted the places of his horse and that of the dupe. Type 1544. |
| K581 | Animal "punished" by being placed in favorite environment. |
| K952 | Animal (monster) killed from within. India: Thompson-Balys; Cook Islands: Beckwith Myth 267; Tonga: Gifford 79, 83; Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 438, (West Hudson Bay): Boas BAM XV 538; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 321 n. 159; Africa (Benga): Nassau 206 No. 32. See also all references to F912. |
| K713.1.1 | Animal allows himself to be tied so as to avoid being carried off by storm. Africa (Wute): Sieber ZsES XII 215; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Friends 12ff. No. 2, Harris Nights 325ff. No. 56; West Indies: Flowers 523f.; Cape Verde Islands: *Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 324 n. 2; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 233 No. 1. |
| K713.1.2 | Animal allows himself to be tied to another for safety. Carried to his death. (Cf. J2132.6.) *BP III 75 n. 2; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 28; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 87. |
| K713.1.6 | Animal allows self to be tied so as to learn music. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K614 | Animal captor appeased by being fed captive's family. Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 9 No. 5, 35 No. 27. |
| K561.1 | Animal captor persuaded to talk and release victim from his mouth. Usually cock and fox, fox and wolf, or mouse and cat. *Type 6; *BP II 207; *Chauvin II 200 No. 39; *Fb "ræv" III 113b; **Dargan MPh IV 39; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 743; *Graf FFC XXXVIII 39f.; *F. N. Robinson Works of Chaucer 858 (Nun's Priest's tale). —Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 239*; Russian: Andrejev No. 241 I*; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "coq"; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; Africa (Hottentot): Bleek 23 No. 12; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 146 No. 27; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 326 No. 110; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 239f. No. 12. |
| K1825.1.5 | Animal disguised as doctor. (Cf. K1822.) Africa (Angola): Chatelain 190 No. 23. |
| K1822 | Animal disguises as human being. (Cf. K1825.1.5.) India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 395 No. 18. |
| K811.0.1 | Animal enticed into palace after it had long fed out of trickster's hand. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 851. |
| K341.2.1 | Animal feigns death repeatedly and then entices owner from goods. Japanese: Ikeda; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 72 No. 15; (North Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXX 172, (Virginia): Bacon and Parsons JAFL XXXV 275f.; Andros Islands, Bahamas: Parsons MAFLS XIII 10 No. 8. |
| K1818.5 | Animal feigns lameness. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1115.1 | Animal gets bait from trap by luring another animal into it. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 35*; Prussian: Plenzat 6; Russian: Andrejev No. 30*; Africa (Hausa): Mischlich Lehrbuch der Hausa-Sprache (Berlin, 1911) 111f. No. 1. |
| K525.4 | Animal jumps out of skin so that only skin is caught. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K897.2 | Animal killed by axes (knives) left in tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K951.5 | Animal killed by forcing ball (of hide, wax, etc.) into throat. Greek: *Robinson Works of Chaucer 966; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K896 | Animal left out of his element: dies or escapes. |
| K714.6 | Animal lured into lion's den. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1023.4 | Animal made to believe sound of swarming bees is that of her children singing in school. Rushes to water to relieve stings and is drowned. Africa (Suto): Jacottet I 36ff. No. 5. |
| K2153.1 | Animal nurse wounds self so as to throw blame for eaten young on other animal. Africa (Kaffir): Alexander and Mohl Mitteilungen des Seminars für orientalische Sprachen VIII (3) 24ff., (Vandau): Boas and Simango JAFL XXXV 170ff. No. 7, (Thonga): Junod 232ff. No. 2, (Lamba): Doke MAFLS XX (1927) 71 No. 31. |
| K713.1.3 | Animal persuaded to be tied by promise of food. India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 32 No. 4, (Kaffir): Kidd 242 No. 9, (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 397 No. 18, (Jaunde): Nekes 201. |
| K713.1.4 | Animal persuaded to be tied through curiosity to learn secret names. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K366.1.3.1 | Animal shams death and is sold. Returns to master. Japanese: Anesaki 329. |
| K131 | Animal sold as messenger. |
| K1643 | Animal strangled by victim which he tries to eat. B[ö]dker Exempler 281 No. 26; Chauvin II 88 No. 24. |
| K512.2.1 | Animal substituted for child served at meal. BP III 137 (Grimm No. 141); English: Wells 96 (Chevalere Assigne), Alphabet No. 593; Italian: Basile Pentamerone V No. 5; S. A. Indian (Yuracare): Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 503. |
| K730.1 | Animal trapped through curiosity as to what the trap is. Wienert FFC LVI 47 (ET 59), 66 (ET 307), 90 (ST 23), 94 (ST 73), 97 (*ST 111, 114); Halm Aesop Nos. 44, 340. |
| K952.3 | Animal tricked into seizing hollow log. Man reaches through and pulls animal's heart out. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K2115 | Animal-birth slander. A woman is accused of having given birth to animals. Her children are put out of the way and animals substituted. *Types 707, 710; *BP I 13ff., 20, II 380ff.; *Schlauch, Chaucer's Constance and Accused Queens (New York, 1927) 21; *Huet Revue d'Ethnographie et de Sociologie II 200; *Chauvin VII 97 No. 375 n. 1; *Dickson 39ff. nn. 39, 40, 45; Fb "kattekilling" II 111; *Cox 486.—Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; English: Wells 130 (Emare); Missouri French: Carrière; Italian: Basile Pentamerone III No. 2, *Rotunda; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 137, Espinosa II Nos. 99—104; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 383; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 116; Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 190 No. 28, (Benga): Nassau No. 22. |
| K2115.1 | Animal-descent slander. Malicious story that man is son of an animal. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K341.7 | Animal's cry imitated to distract owner's attention from his goods. Meantime rascal steals an animal. Type 1525D; *BP III 391 n. 2. |
| K891.5.1 | Animals (giants) enticed over precipice. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 299 n. 91; Africa (Hottentot): Bleek 37 No. 18. |
| K335.1.4 | Animals climb on one another's backs and cry out; frighten robbers. *Type 130; *Aarne FFC XI 112; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K335.1.4.1 | Animals cry out; frighten robbers. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| K2351 | Animals help in military victory. |
| K2 | Animals help man in contest. Type 1081; S. A. Indian (Chincha, Peru): Alexander Lat. Am. 231. |
| K1161 | Animals hidden in various parts of a house attack owner with their characteristic powers and kill him when he enters. *Types 130, 210; **Aarne FFC XI; *BP I 75, 135; *Hoebel JAFL LIV 1ff.; Missouri French: Carrière; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda, Anesaki 331; Korean: Zong in-Sob 160 No. 70; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 99. |
| K139.1 | Animals made by magic exchanged for real ones. The magic animals disappear. Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 96. |
| K1721.2 | Ant-eater deceives jaguar by excrement-exchange. S. A. Indian (Caingeng, Bacairi): Horton BBAE CXLIII (3) 294. |
| K345.4 | Antelope sends leopard for fire, eats game while leopard is gone. Africa (Kiyansi): Van Whig Biblioteca Africana IV 52. |
| K874.1 | Ape pretends to louse heron, but plucks out his feathers. Indonesia: *DeVries's list No. 34, Dixon 193 n. 19*. |
| K891.2 | Ape tricked into jumping on to stakes and killing himself. Indonesia, Japan, Melanesia: Dixon 194 nn. 26-28, Indonesia: DeVries's list Nos. 68, 92. |
| K426 | Apparently dead woman revives when thief tries to steal from her grave. Type 990; **Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XX 353; XXX—XXXII 127; *Hertel ibid. XXI 282. |
| K2058.1 | Apparently pious man (sadhu) a thief. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2065 | Appearance of Death exposes hypocrisy. |
| K1215 | Aristotle and Phyllis: philosopher as riding horse for woman. The philosopher warns the king against uxoriousness. In revenge the queen beguiles the philosopher into letting her ride him on all-fours. The king comes and sees. *Type 1501; **Moth Aristoteles-sagnet; **Borgeld Aristoteles en Phyllis (Groningen, 1902); **Sarton Isis XIV (1930) 8ff.; *Basset 1001 Contes II 140; *G. Paris Romania XI 138; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 203 No. 402; Bédier Fabliaux 204, 386, 448; *Herbert Catalogue III 87; Chavannes III 236; *RTP XV 110; von der Hagen I xxv, 17; Hertz Spielmannsbuch 57, 420; Campion MPh XIII 347; Speyer Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsche Taal- en Letterkunde XXVI 268; Scala Celi 86a No. 501. — Italian Novella: Rotunda; Indonesia: Voorhoeve 164 No. 170, Bezemer Javaansche en Maleische Fabelen en Legenden 170f. |
| K1872.1 | Army appears like forest. Surprises enemy. Each soldier carries branches. (Birnam wood comes to Dunsinane.) *Fb "skov" III 300a; Shakespeare's Macbeth; Rohde Der griechische Roman 485; Grimm Kleinere Schriften V 43; Herrmann Saxo II 341, 498; Kurth Histoire poetique des Merovingiens 396ff.; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K871.1 | Army intoxicated and overcome. Köhler-Bolte I 512; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K632.1 | Army of mice save kingdom from enemy invading force by gnawing their provisions, ammunition, etc., to shreds. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K922 | Artificial whale made as stratagem. Enemies surprised and killed. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 358 n. 287j. |
| K2285.1 | Ascetic as villain. India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 531. |
| K1011.2 | Ashes as remedy for sore eyes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2351.2.2 | Ashes transformed into bees, wasps, scorpions and snakes drive invading army away for hero. India: Thompson-Balys |
| K566 | Ass begs wolf to pull thorn out of foot before eating him: kicks wolf in mouth. Wienert FFC LVI 52 (ET 115), 114 (ST 244); Halm Aesop No. 334; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 30, 31; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K1715.10 | Ass claims to have killed cow: frightens tiger. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K10 | Athletic contest won by deception. |
| K778.4 | Attack made on groom after he has been invited to female apartments to have meal with bride. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2388 | Attempt to kill by throwing knife. *Boje 90; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K756.2 | Attempted capture by causing animal to make noise. |
| K756.2.1 | Attempted capture by causing owner's pig to squeal at night. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K756.2.2 | Attempted capture by ringing cowbell to sound as if cow has wandered far away. (Cf. K341.7.) U.S.: Baughman. |
| K561.0.1 | Attempted escape by persuading captor to talk fails. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K82.1.2 | Attempted intoxication avoided by boring a hole in the bottom of cup. Marquesas: Handy 119. |
| K477 | Attention secured by trickery. |
| K477.1 | Audience secured with the pope by rudeness. A woman bribes a man to get her an audience with the pope. By turning his back to the sacrament and saying that the woman had instructed him to do so, he brings it about that she is summoned into the presence. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 347. |
| K341.7.0.1 | Baby's cry imitated to distract owner's attention from his goods. Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K1822.3 | Bad breath and forked tongue reveal identity of snake-king in guise of human. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2023 | Badgers treacherously slain in violation of pledge given by prince. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K444.2 | Bag of cakes said to be full of cobras. Boy eats cakes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1872.5 | Banners of army appear like flock of many-colored birds. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K964 | Barber killed when hero reports king's ancestors need his services in heaven. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1827.0.2 | Barber passes for a brahmin. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K171.8 | Barber's and jackal's common garden: jackal pretends that garden has not yielded any fruit at all. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K194 | Bargain: if the sun reverses its course. Because of an eclipse the sun is held to have done so, and Atreus becomes king. Greek: Fox 120. |
| K1924 | Barren wife makes child by magic and claims it as her own. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1923.3 | Barren woman pretends to bear child. Substitutes another woman's child. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 68; Easter Island: Métraux Ethnology 101. |
| K1021.2 | Basket tied to wolf's tail and filled with stones. Wolf is persuaded that it is filled with fish. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 28 No. 2, Espinosa III Nos. 199—204, 209, 211, 223, Espinosa Jr. Nos. 3. 4. |
| K1674 | Bear (tiger) substituted for woman in floating box; kills villain who tries to steal the woman. (Cf. K1625.) India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1755.1 | Bear frightened away by man threatening to cleave its skull with his penis. He meets a woman who, upon being told what man had threatened, shows him a vestige of the cleaving she once got. Only partly healed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2345.2 | Bear frightened by wife's sneezing. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K914.1 | Bear killed from ambush as he leaves his cave. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1021.3 | Bear persuaded to slide down rock. Wears off tail. American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 113 No. 21. |
| K133.2 | Bear sold as watch-dog. *Type 1542. |
| K1022.3 | Bear throws hens to the fox, falls from the roof-beam, and is beaten. Type 3B*. |
| K2275 | Beardless villain. *Cosquin Lorraine I 44 No. 3. |
| K1821.7.1 | Beautiful woman blackens face as disguise. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1821.7 | Beautiful woman in hideous disguise. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K98.1 | Beauty contest won by deception: other contestants covered with leaves. Tonga: Gifford 186. |
| K98 | Beauty contest won by deception. |
| K896.1 | Beaver and porcupine trick each other. Beaver carries porcupine and abandons him in the center of a lake. Porcupine causes the lake to freeze and escapes. He then carries beaver and abandons him in the top of a tree. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 302 n. 106. |
| K2351.2.1 | Bees carried in drum attack and defeat attacking army. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2351.2 | Bees thrown into redoubt drive out enemies. *Fb "bi" IV 36b; Deutschbein I 256; Hdwb. d. Abergl. I 1249; *Liebrecht 75; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1016 | Beetles and barley introduced into wounds on pretence of healing them. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1361 | Beggar buys right to sleep before the girl's door, at foot of bed, in the bed. Usually with jewel. *Type 900; *Fb "sove" III 472b, "seng" III 187a; West Indies: Flowers 537f. |
| K1024 | Beginning with the smallest. Animals are to eat one another up to avoid starvation. The fox persuades them to start with the smallest. *Type 20; *Krohn Bär (Wolf) und Fuchs (JSFO VI) 81ff. |
| K1112 | Bending the tree. Hero bends tree over but when he catches breath the tree shoots him to the sky. *Type 1051; BP III 333. |
| K2367 | Besieger scatters beads in protecting hedge: besieged destroy hedge to find beads. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2369.5 | Besiegers drowned by diversion of river. England: Baughman. |
| K2021 | Betrayal by a kiss. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K2213.4 | Betrayal of husband's secret by his wife. *Oertel JAOS XXVIII 96; Irish myth: Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K439.1 | Betrayal through exchange of stolen goods. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 26. |
| K116.1 | Betrayal through pretended fountain of youth. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 51. |
| K1952.2 | Better things at home. A poor boy posing as a prince in the king's court always says that he has better things at home. *Types 545AB; BP I 325ff., III 487. |
| K1717 | Big shoes in front of the barn. Man makes giant shoes and places them so that ogre thinks a giant lives there. Type 1151. |
| K756.3 | Bird catches fishes by imitating voice of friend. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K946 | Bird flies on head of dupe's child. Dupe strikes at bird and kills child. Japanese: Ikeda; Africa (Ibo, Nigeria): Basden 279, Thomas 159. |
| K233.1 | Bird has new clothes made: flies away without paying. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 37 No. 244; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K1082.3 | Bird lighting on the heads of group of men causes them to kill one another with blows on the head. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2382.1 | Bird plucks another bird's feathers out. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 105. |
| K581.4 | Bird punished by being thrown into air. England: Baughman; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 397. |
| K131.2 | Bird sold as messenger. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K648 | Bird's call attracts attention of pursuer so that trickster escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K756.1 | Birds captured by imitating their song. Irish myth: Cross; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1065. |
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