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Aarne–Thompson–Uther index
About this index and how to read it
The ATU index classifies international folktales by type. Each row gives the type number, its title and summary, followed by the references it inherits: Arne Thompson is the earlier Aarne–Thompson type number, and Thompson lists the motif references from Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature associated with that type.
Cross-references inside a summary open the relevant tale-type or motif record. Thompson motif references in the final column are linked directly to the corresponding entry in the Stith Thompson Motif Index when that reference exists in the database. Any column heading can be clicked to sort by it, and clicking again reverses the order. Following a type number opens that type on its own page.
Anecdotes and Jokes 1200–1999
| ATU | Title | Summary ▲ | Arne Thompson | Thompson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1211 | The Peasant Woman Thinks the Cow Chewing her Cud is Mimicking Her | Kills the cow. [J1835]. | ||
| 1417 | The Cutt-off Nose (Hair) | Lai of the Tresses. A woman leaves her husband's bed and has another woman take her place. The husband addresses her, gets no answer, and cuts off her nose (hair). In the morning the wife still has her nose (hair). The husband is made to believe that… | , 1417 | J2315.2., K1512. |
| 1935 | Topsy-Turvy Land | Land where all is opposite from the usual. [X1505]. | ||
| 1695 | The Fool Spoils the Work of the Shoemaker, the Tailor and the Smith | Makes shoes for animals as well for men since he expects a cold winter. [J1873.1, W111.5.9]. | ||
| 1336 | Diving for Cheese | Man (animal) sees moon reflected in water and, thinking it a cheese, dives in for it. [J1791.3]. This is Type 34 with human actors. | 1336A | J1791.7. |
| 1800 | Stealing Only a Small Amount | Man promises in confession to steal only a small amount. Steals rope with mare on end of it. [K188]. Cf. Type 1630A*. | ||
| 1812 | Wager: to Dance with Nun | Man tells nun she must undress. Nun outraged refuses. Then you must dance a few steps with me. Nun prefers this and does. Man wins wager. (Nun's song while dancing a part of tale). | ||
| 1591 | The Three Joint Depositors | Money is left with a banker by three joint depositors. The money is to be delivered only on demand from all three. One of the men steals the money. The others sue the banker for the money. He agrees to deliver it when all three jointly demand it.… | 1591 | J1161.1. |
| 1699 | Misunderstanding Because of Ignorance of a Foreign Language | New recruits learn answers to questions in foreign language. Order changed in asking brings confusion. [J1741.3.1]. | , 1699 | J2496.2., X111.7. |
| 1287 | Numskull unable to count their own number | No examples in the Database yet | 1287 | J2031., J2031.1. |
| 1319 | Other mistaken identities | No examples in the Database yet | 1319, 1319A*, 1319J* | J1761.11., J1772.1., J1781.2. |
| 1342 | Hot and Cold with the Same Breath | No examples in the Database yet | 1342 | NA |
| 1348 | The Imaginative Boy | No examples in the Database yet | 1348 | W211.2. |
| 1383 | A Woman Does Not Know Herself | No examples in the Database yet | , 1383 | J2012.2., J2012.3. |
| 1391 | Every hole to tell the truth | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1406 | The merry wives wager . . . | No examples in the Database yet | , 1406 | J2013.2., J2301., J2311.0.1., J2312., J2314., J2315., J2316., J2317., J2324., K1545. |
| 1422 | The Parrot and the Adulterous Woman | No examples in the Database yet | 1422 | J1154.1. |
| 1454 | The greedy fiancee | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1459 | Keeping up appearances | No examples in the Database yet | 1459** | K1984. |
| 1462 | Clean and tidy | No examples in the Database yet | 1462 | K1971.6. |
| 1464 | Nothing to cook | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1468 | Marrying a stranger | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1503 | The daughter-in-law and the real daughter | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1543 | The man without a member | No examples in the Database yet | 1543*, 1543A*, 1543C* | J1919.8., NA |
| 1548 | Stone Soup | No examples in the Database yet | 1548 | K112.2. |
| 1561 | The boy 'loses his sight' | No examples in the Database yet | 1561 | W111.2.6. |
| 1563 | 'Both' | No examples in the Database yet | , 1563 | K1354.1., K1354.2.1. |
| 1568 | The master and the servant at the table | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1573 | Inspecting the daughter | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1635 | Eulenspiegel's tricks | No examples in the Database yet | 1635 | K300. |
| 1687 | The forgotten word | No examples in the Database yet | 1687 | D2004.5. |
| 1718 | God can't take a joke | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1730 | The entrapped suitors | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1810 | Jokes about catechism | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1824 | Parody sermon | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1829 | Living Person Acts as Image of Saint | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1835 | Not to turn round | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1843 | Parson visits the dying | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1845 | The student as healer | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1851 | Jokes about Devout Women | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1894 | The man shoots a ramrod full of ducks | No examples in the Database yet | 1894 | X1111. |
| 1895 | A man wading in water catching many fish in his boots | No examples in the Database yet | 1895 | X1112. |
| 1896 | Hunting the wolves with rod and line | No examples in the Database yet | 1896 | X1132.1. |
| 1925 | Wishing contests | No examples in the Database yet | ||
| 1965 | Lying tales | No examples in the Database yet | 1965 | X1791. |
| 1255 | A hole to throw the earth in | Numskull plans to dig a hole so as to have a place to throw the earth from his excavations. [J1934]. | 1255 | J1934. |
| 1892 | The Trained Horse Rolls in the Field | Oats grow in his flanks. The man ties a club to the horse's tail and thus kills many moor-hens. [X1241.2.2]. | ||
| 1653 | The Robbers under the Tree | Object falls on robbers from a tree. They flee and leave money. | ||
| 1425 | Putting the Devil into Hell | Obscene trick used to seduce woman. [K1363.1]. | 1425, 1425B* | K1363.1., na |
| 1331 | The Covetous and the Envious | Of two envious men one is given the power of fulfilling any wish, on condition that the other shall receive double. He wishes that he may lose an eye. [J2074]. Cf. Type 750. |