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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| K1584 | Innocent confessor duped into being go-between for adulteress and lover. By following suggestions in her false accusations to confessor the lover reaches her side. Boccaccio Decameron III No. 3 (Lee 71); *Borgeld Vrouwenlist: verbreiding en oorsprong van een novelle uit den Decamerone (Neuphilologische Bibliotheek No. 7, Den Haag, 1926); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1362 | Innocent girl sells her "love" and later receives it back. When she tells her mother what has happened, she is beaten. Thinking to right matters, she demands that the knight return what he has taken. (Sequel: K1275.) Type 886; *von der Hagen II v, vi, 3, 19 Nos. 21, 22; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K2150 | Innocent made to appear guilty. B[ö]dker Exempler 303 No. 74; Spanish Exempla: Keller; West Indies: Flowers 555. |
| K2156 | Innocent man compelled to write treasonable letter. It brings about his death sentence. Greek: Frazer Apollodorus II 178 n. 1 (Palamedes). |
| K2116 | Innocent person accused of murder. |
| K2116.1.1.1 | Innocent woman accused of eating her new-born children. *Types 652, 706, 710, 712; *BP I 13ff., 18 n. 1, 20, II 121ff.; Köhler-Bolte I 392, 582; Chauvin VI 159 No. 323; *Dickson 38ff. nn. 34, 42, 45, 48, 49; Irish myth: Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K2116.1.1 | Innocent woman accused of killing her new-born children. *Type 451; BP I 70ff.; *Dickson 43, 73 n. 26; *Schlauch, Chaucer's Constance and Accused Queens (New York, 1927) 12; *Hibbard 26ff.; Irish myth: *Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 94f.; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 311 No. 56; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 89, 99—103; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Africa (Zulu): Callaway 321. See also references to K2116.1.1.1. |
| K2116.1 | Innocent woman accused of murder. Dickson 72, 225; *Hibbard 26ff.; Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 385 n. 4; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2123 | Innocent woman accused of using witchcraft. Sham sickness. India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 427. |
| K661.3 | Insect in nose of murdered person simulates snoring and allays suspicion. Africa (Larusa): Fokken ZsKS VII 82ff. No. 1, (Masai): Hollis The Masai (Oxford, 1905) 212ff. |
| K732 | Intruder captured in chimney. Burned. *Type 124; *BP I 40; U.S. (Maine and New Hampshire): Ford JAFL XV 63; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 11; Japanese: Ikeda; N. A. Indian (Flathead): McDermott JAFL XIV 250; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 38 No. 8, (South Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXXIV 17, (Virginia): Parsons JAFL XXXV 267. |
| K891.1 | Intruding wolf tricked into jumping down chimney and killing himself. *Type 333; *BP I 40. Cf. Type 124. |
| K1681.1 | Inventor of death machine is first to use it. Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1883.6 | Invisible man eats bread and boy and girl quarrel. Each thinks other had eaten bread. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2061.11 | Jackal as nurse for leopard cubs eats their food. Chased by leopard. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1961.1.5.1 | Jackal as sham saint. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K171.0.2 | Jackal cheats other animals of elephant they have killed together. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1022.1.1 | Jackal eating into elephant's dead body becomes a prisoner when it dries up; is released when storm moistens hide. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1131. |
| K565.2 | Jackal entrapped in elephant's carcass tells passing God to show his magic power by making it rain. Elephant's hide swells; jackal escapes. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K547.4 | Jackal escapes by telling farmer he is jackal king and will call upon his subjects. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K815.16 | Jackal feigns holiness but seizes worshipping rats. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 291. |
| K563.1 | Jackal in tiger's house has permission to sit with tail hanging down between bamboo stems. Enlarges gap thus made and escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1973 | Jackal inside carcass of bullock makes people think his voice is God's. Demands gifts. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K361.1 | Jackal ordered to take meat to lion's family takes it to his own. Africa (Hottentot): Bleek 1 No. 1, 5 No. 3, (Kaffir): Theal 92, 186. |
| K1032.1 | Jackal persuaded to come to fireplace for food. Burns self. (Cf. K955.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2037 | Jackal persuades deer to steal from farmer, then informs farmer who catches deer. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K551.17.2 | Jackal persuades woman to untie his legs so that he may get a drink. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1036.1.1 | Jackal puts head in anus of sham-dead camel: caught and punished. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K233.5 | Jackal refuses payment for being carried. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1084.1.1 | Jackal tells tales so as to get buffalo and tiger to kill each other; feeds on the meat. India: Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 823. |
| K952.1.1 | Jackal, swallowed by elephant so it can drink water in his belly, eats elephant's liver and kills him. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K811.2 | Jackals persuaded to enter pit to escape coming storm. Killed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2141 | Jealous courtiers shake king lion's confidence in his councillor, the virtuous jackal, by accusing the jackal of stealing the lion's food. *Chauvin II 102 No. 64; B[ö]dker Exempler 303 No. 74. |
| K863.1 | Jealous husband tricks blind poet into slaying wife's lover with infallible spear. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K2129.1 | Jealous monk falsely accuses novice of laziness. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 792. |
| K2115.0.1 | Jealous queens tell child-bearing queen to put her head in the hole at the bottom of grain-bin, so that she fails to see what she delivers. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2220.0.1 | Jealous rivals prevail on person to break tabu (prohibition). Type 425; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K832.1 | Jealous wife tells sister to look below: pushes her over cliff. Africa (Kaffir): Theal 153. |
| K1839.4 | Jester disguises as prince. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K2104 | Jewel presented to king brings false accusation of theft. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K872 | Judith and Holofernes: girl from enemy camp chosen to sleep with intoxicated general kills him in bed. Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: *Gaster Exempla 230 No. 251, *bin Gorion Born Judas I 362f., *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1967 | Juggler promises to fly from one house to another. Keeps crowd waiting until dusk and then makes his escape. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K17 | Jumping contest won by deception. Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 51; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 302 n. 104. |
| K17.4 | Jumping frog contest. Frog filled with shot. Anonymous Historia de Pedro Urdemales (Yungay, Chile, 1885) No. 11. Literary treatment by Mark Twain. |
| K1611.5 | Kid puts one of tigress's cubs in his place: she eats the cub. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K551.17.1 | Kidnapped woman escapes by asking for drink of water. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K957.1 | Killing by throwing hot salt into eyes. Africa (Upoto): Einstein 143. |
| K800 | Killing or maiming by deception. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K951.1.1.1 | Killing tiger by throwing hot hatchet into mouth. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K947 | King causes his own men to be burned and killed, by mistake or illusion. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1812.16 | King disguised as mountaineer. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1812.15 | King disguised as own messenger. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1812.10 | King disguised as peasant flees battle. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1812.0.1 | King disguised beaten by his own men. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1812.7 | King disguises as common soldier and is killed. Fulfills prophecy that insures victory. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K873.1 | King given sleeping potion and then beheaded in his bed by his wife. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K2014.1 | King has wounded ally attended by leeches, but bribes them to introduce beetles, awns of barley, etc. into the wounds. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1812.19 | King in disguise as one of his own men rescued in fighting alone against four. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1812.14.1 | King in disguise of merchant is given hospitality by enemy. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1812.17 | King in disguise to spy out his kingdom. Chauvin VI 45 No. 209; Nouvelles Récréations No. 6. |
| K1812 | King in disguise. *Chauvin VI 45 No. 209; Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 95. |
| K2314.2 | King induced by saint to remit tribute till Luan. "Luan" means both "Monday" and "Doomsday." (Cf. K2319.2.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1288 | King induced to kiss horse's rump: trickster then threatens to tell. *Type 570; *BP III 267ff.; Fb "røv" III 130a, "kysse" II 350; Russian: Andrejev No. 1630*; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 1—8, Espinosa Jr. No. 130. |
| K341.8.4 | King loses signet ring while endeavoring to learn from a thief the art of stealing. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K948 | King lured to send his sons on fatal quests and to kill nephews. Icelandic: Þiðriks saga II 158—79, Boberg. |
| K1771.9 | King menaced into giving his daughter by means of borrowed fleet. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K815.17 | King of fishes eats his subjects as they pay him their respects day and night. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 269. |
| K346.1.1 | King persuaded to change clothes with thief disguised as old woman. Thief rides king's horse away. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1774 | King persuades men to follow him, pretending that he is going to make peace with his brothers, instead battle. [A]ns saga Bogsveigis 335ff. |
| K245 | King promises beggars new clothes: burns their old and gets much gold and silver. Keeps it. Wesselski Theorie 15; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K234.1 | King promises valuable dog to each of two powerful and mutually hostile tribes. At feast prepared by king the two tribes get into fight and king escapes. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K2098 | King sends regrets for death of man he has ordered executed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1235 | King tricked into sleeping with hag. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K839.4 | King who demands milk from all hornless cows forced to accept bogstuff milked from wooden cows: he dies. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1845.2 | King, fearing death at hands of enemy, forces follower to take his place on throne. Follower is killed. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K2126.1 | King's advisor falsely accused of treason. Accusers exposed and punished. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1223.5 | King's daughter deceives king by substituting her maid. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K425 | King's daughter put into brothel to catch thief. *Type 950; *BP III 395ff.; *Chauvin VIII 186; Schoepperle I 214—222 passim. |
| K2034.1 | King's daughter secretly pledged to many to win their aid. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K2121.2 | King's faithful servant falsely accused of familiarity with queen. Icelandic: Þiðriks saga II 164—9, Boberg; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 393. |
| K2126.2 | King's man falsely accused of being in the secret service of another king. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K735.3 | Knight captured in pitfall while his horse escapes. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K2126 | Knight falsely accused of sedition. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K40 | Labor contest won by deception. |
| K185.7.2 | Land bargain: land ridden around during a sermon. *Fb "f[ö]l" I 400, "ride" III 52b. |
| K185.7.1 | Land bargain: land surrounded by a horse (cow) in one day. Fb "ride" III 52b; Harou RTP XIV 90; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K185.14 | Land grant: as far as ox can be heard. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K185.4.2 | Land grant: as much land as can be covered by saint's mantle. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K185.12.2 | Land grant: as much land as can be seen from certain eminence. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K185.12.1 | Land grant: as much land as can be seen on a clear day. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K185.8 | Land purchase: as much as can be plowed (fenced) in a certain time. *Fb "plove" II 850a, "ride" III 52b; cf. Olrik Danske Studier (1910) 4ff.; Icelandic: Hdwb. d. Märchens I 446b nn. 450—454, Mac Culloch Eddic 181, Boberg; Frisian: Lübbing Friesische Sagen 95. |
| K1715.12 | Large animal frightened by smaller showing him well rope (for his tail), curds (for spit), winnowing fans (for ears). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2369.2.1 | Largest part of fleet does not emerge until late in battle. Icelandic: örvar-Odds saga 86—89, Boberg. |
| K87.1 | Laughing contest: dead horse winner. The ogre tries to laugh as long as the dead horse with a grinning mouth. Laughs till he dies. Type 1080*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1080. |
| K1623 | Lawyer agrees to pay debt on winning his first case. He refuses to plead so as not to pay. Debtor sues him for double the amount due him. If he wins he has to pay and if he loses he has to pay double. He settles debt. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K488 | Lawyer's dog steals meat. The lawyer tells the butcher that the dog's owner (himself) is liable for damages. He ask double the amount of the damages as fee. Type 1589. |
| K1339.8 | Leak in roof over woman's bed: in rain must go to bed with trickster. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 305 n. 109s; S. A. Indian (Tenibé): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 140. |
| K476.6 | Lean geese substituted for fat by trickster. Pierre Faifeu No. 5. |
| K1812.14 | Lecherous prince disguises as merchant in order to kill his grand-children. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1387 | Lecherous trickster seduces women from tree and loses them. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 331 n. 195. |
| K2152.2 | Legs of a corpse cause accusation of murder. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1537A*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1537 I*. |
| K978.1.1 | Leopard and crocodile both sent for the dog. Neither has seen a dog nor have they seen each other. Man sends them to the same place saying that the dog will be there. They kill each other. Africa (Fjort): Dennett 99 No. 26. |
| K607.3.3 | Leopard concealed in bundle betrays self when threat is made to run spear through bundle. Africa (Cameroon): Lederbogen 65. |
| K1715.5 | Leopard frightened away by report of lizard's presence. Lizard has bitten leopard before. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K711.2 | Leopard persuaded to enter bag in order to see trickster perform marvel. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2011.1.4 | Leopard poses as brother and kills child. Africa (Ziba): Rehse ZsKS III 343f. No. 17. |
| K730.3 | Leopard traps lion by having two doors to cave, one large, one small. Lion enters large entrance and leopard leaves by small and attacks back of lion. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1015.2 | Leopard wants teeth filed: large stone dropped from tree knocks all leopard's teeth out. Africa (Cameroon): Lederbogen 63. |
| K2112.2 | Leper (beggar) laid in queen's bed. She is thus incriminated. *Fb "seng" III 187b; *Child II 39ff.; Hibbard 35, 285 n. 5; *Dickson 166 n. 14; India: Thompson-Balys; Korean: Zong in-Sob 138 No. 63. |
| K2276 | Leper as villain. West Africa: Tremearne FL XXII 464ff. |
| K1317.2 | Leper intercepts letter and takes paramour's place with princess. Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 237 No. 79. |
| K551.9 | Let me live as long as this candle lasts. Man who has sold his soul to devil thus escapes. (Cf. G303.12.5.4.) Type 1184*; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 36, Beal XXI 313. |
| K1317.2.2 | Letter delivered to wrong man. He substitutes for the lover. Heptameron No. 35; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1084 | Liar brings about fight between dupes. Irish myth: Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys; West Indies: Flowers 535. |
| K1084.2 | Liar brings enmity between friends. Wesselski Märchen 195; Africa (Fang): Tessman 68ff. |
| K1885.1 | Lighted sponge in mouth of dead causes illusory breathing. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1412 | Lighting the road (or painting the house red). The house set on fire. Type 1008; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K121 | Lime (ashes) sold as gold. *Type 1535; *BP II 10; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1822.1 | Lion disguised as monk. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1715.11 | Lion frightened away by stabbing at it from inside iron cage. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K771.1 | Lioness enticed into putting head into wall to pursue hare who escapes through hole. Gets stuck. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K236.4 | Literal fulfillment of marriage contract. Man to be released when earth is placed at his head (buried). Dies in grave. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K236 | Literal payment of debt (not real). |
| K2151.1 | Live man thought to be returning corpse pleads with trickster to save him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1974 | Living man at the grave pretends to be dead man speaking. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1842 | Living person acts as image of saint. Type 1827**; Anderson FFC XLII 359; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1730B*; Spanish: Espinosa II No. 42; West Indies: Flowers 546f. |
| K2115.2.2 | Log-birth slander. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 420, II 526. |
| K1391 | Long distance sexual intercourse. Trickster by magic has intercourse with woman across stream. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 305 n. 109u. |
| K2094 | Love falsely pledged for wooer's benefit. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1872.3 | Love letter hidden in apple. Icelandic: Boberg |
| K2213.2.1 | Love-mad queen pushes her husband into well, as fakir lover directs. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1818.3.2 | Lover approaches mistress disguised as fool. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1582 | Lover blackmails adulteress. |
| K1549.3 | Lover carried away on mistress's shoulders so that his footprints will not be visible in the snow. Spectator Papers No. 181. |
| K1211.1 | Lover caught in roof. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1581.5.1 | Lover claims payment for cloth in the presence of the husband. The woman returns the cloth but puts a live coal in it. Destroys his whole supply. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1232 | Lover deceived by false suicide agreement. The woman persuades her lover to jump from a cliff; she will follow. She does not jump. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 596. |
| K1581.7.1 | Lover delays the gift of the goose hoping to obtain greater favors. Finally has to flee. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1581.5.2 | Lover demands return of cloth on threat to await the husband's return. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1826.1.1 | Lover disguised as monk or friar meets sweetheart. Heptameron No. 21. |
| K1810.3 | Lover disguised as other knight in order to reach sweetheart. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1349.1.1 | Lover disguised as porter gains access to princess's room. (Cf. K1816.7.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1810.1.2 | Lover disguised in slain enemy's clothes. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1521.5.1 | Lover escapes behind the sheet which wife holds up to show her husband. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1348 | Lover gets into maiden's room by means of a ladder. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1349.6 | Lover gets self carried into beloved's house to wait for clean clothes after a purposeful fall in mud. Heptameron No. 42. |
| K1225 | Lover given rump to kiss. Sometimes the trick is played by a rival lover. (Chaucer's Miller's Tale). *Type 1361; *F. N. Robinson Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer (Boston, 1933) 786b; *Bolte Frey 251 No. 89; *Barnouw "The Millers Tale van Chaucer" Handlingen van het 6. nederlandsche Philologencongres, 1910; *Thompson The Miller's Tale (Bryan and Dempster 106ff.); Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1218.1.3.2 | Lover hidden by wife in room made to fall into deep pit of treacle. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1517.4 | Lover hidden in chest with feathers. Husband believes he is a devil. (Cf. K1218.1.) J. Prinz "A Tale of a Prioress and her Three Wooers" Literar.-Hist. Forschungen XLVII (Berlin, 1912) 65ff., 113ff.; Hilka Compilatio Singularis Exemplorum No. 14. |
| K1555.1 | Lover hidden in hen-coop discovered by husband. Boccaccio Decameron V No. 10 (Lee 173); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1233 | Lover humiliated by his impotence. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 28; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1371.4 | Lover in disguise abducts beloved. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1831.2.2 | Lover in disguise as duke's son takes service under king with his followers in order to abduct his sister. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1549.4 | Lover leaves horse outside house as husband comes up: wife tells husband their cow has foaled a horse. India: Thompson-Balys. Cf. English, Scottish: *Child No. 274. |
| K1212 | Lover left standing in snow while his mistress is with another. He later tricks her into standing a whole day in July in a tower naked exposed to the sun and flies. Boccaccio Decameron VIII No. 7 (*Lee 258); Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1826.3 | Lover masks as anchorite to reach sweetheart. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1825.1.1 | Lover masks as doctor to reach sweetheart. Chauvin V 227f. No. 130; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1371.4.1 | Lover masks as king, knight. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1371.4.2 | Lover masks as minstrel. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1514.16 | Lover masks as pregnant woman: adulteress sent by husband to act as midwife, meets lover. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1227 | Lover put off by deceptive respite. |
| K1227.1 | Lover put off till girl bathes and dresses. She escapes. Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas I 257. |
| K1371.1 | Lover steals bride from wedding with unwelcome suitor. *Type 885; Child IV 218, 230, V 260f.; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 549b nn. 205-215; *Boje 110ff.; literary treatment: Scott "Lochinvar", Ibsen "Peer Gynt"; Icelandic: *Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1349.4 | Lover visits guarded maiden while harper puts mother to sleep. Irish myth: *Cross; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1232.1 | Lover's anger softened by sham suicide attempt. Is later scorned. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1371.1.2 | Lover's foster brother (friend) steals bride from wedding with unwelcome suitor. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1581.4 | Lover's gift regained: accidental discovery of identity. The lover, ignorant of the identity of the husband, tells him of his experience with the wife. The husband persuades the lover to lead him to the scene, where the wife is compelled to restore all but a small part of the money. *Spargo FFC XCI; *Euling Studien über Heinrich Kaufringer (Breslau, 1900) 65ff.; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1581.7 | Lover's gift regained: anser venalis (goose as gift). The lover regains his gift by a ruse (obscene). **Spargo FFC XCI; *Semerau Die Schwäke und Schnurren des Poggio (Leipzig, 1905) No. 69; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1581.3 | Lover's gift regained: borrowing from the husband and returning to the wife. The lover borrows money from the husband with which to corrupt the wife, later telling the husband that the money was returned to the wife during the husband's absence. **Spargo FFC XCI; Boccaccio Decameron VIII Nos. 1, 2 (*Lee 247ff.); F. N. Robinson Works of Chaucer 838a (Shipman's Tale); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1581.2 | Lover's gift regained: horse and wagon as gift. The lover regains gift of horse and wagon by pretending to the husband that the wife has confiscated them because he brought wood of uneven quality. **Spargo FFC XCI; *Erk-Böhme Deutscher Liederhort (Leipzig, 1893—94) I 40ff. |
| K1581.6 | Lover's gift regained: jewelry as gift. The lover presents the wife with a valuable piece of jewelry, which he regains by pretending to the husband that he has left it as a pledge. **Spargo FFC XCI; *Wesselski Bebel II 115f. No. 49; *Bolte Frey 242 No. 76. |
| K1581.10 | Lover's gift regained: payment with worthless money. Lover bargains with the husband. Pays him with worthless money. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1581.5 | Lover's gift regained: piece of cloth as gift. The lover regains by a ruse and thievery the borrowed piece of cloth which he has presented to his mistress. **Spargo FFC XCI. |
| K1581.8 | Lover's gift regained: refusal to leave bed. Woman fearing exposure returns money. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 178; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1581.9 | Lover's gift regained: spending money to purchase lover's worthless goods. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1581.1 | Lover's gift regained: the broken (removed) article. The lover breaks (or removes) an article of household equipment and convinces the husband that for that reason the wife has confiscated that which he gave her as a present. **Spargo FFC XCI. |
| K1357 | Lover's gift regained. The husband appears before payment can be made to wife. *Type 1731; **Spargo FFC XCI 50ff.; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2913*. |
| K1317 | Lover's place in bed usurped by another. *Child I 137-41; Nouvelles Récréations No. 54; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1271.2 | Lovers observed in intrigue make absurd excuses. (Afraid of ghosts, have chill, etc.) Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1397 | Lucretia seduced through threat. Sextus says he will kill her and leave a naked slave in her bed to bring dishonor on her house. She yields. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1.1 | Magic animal wins contest for man. |
| K1.1.1 | Magic bullock wins fight for master. India: Thompson-Balys. H1588. Contest of dogs. |
| K1336 | Magic helper brings girl to hero's bed. *Chauvin V 62 No. 19 n. 1. |
| K985 | Magic horse lent by fairy in disguise brings about death of mortal. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K428 | Magic statue betrays a thief by indirection. He has threatened to smash the head of the magic statue if it betrays him. The statue says, "Whoever would tell the truth now is likely to have his head smashed." *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 8. |
| K1677 | Magician challenged to make good his false claim. Says he can take black and white dogs and make them gray and then reverse process. Trickster furnishes gray dog and challenges magician to show his power. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K311.6.4 | Magician transforms self into crocodile to steal. Africa (Luba): DeClerq ZsKS IV 204. |
| K2032 | Magpie leads other magpies into his master's net. Promises them that the master will teach them to speak. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 633. |
| K1971.3.1 | Maid behind statue of Virgin advises the mistress to give the servants better food. Type 1388*; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K787 | Maiden sent to rendezvous with lover, who is captured. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1636 | Maids must rise even earlier. They have killed the cock for waking them too early, but their mistress punishes them. Wienert FFC LVI 64 (ET 279), 116 (ST 262); Halm Aesop No. 10. |
| K2112.2.3 | Maidservant's confederate feigns coming out of woman's bedroom. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K551.4.3 | Making modesty pay. Robber insists on disrobing woman before throwing her from precipice. She pleads to have him turn his face while she disrobes. She pushes him off. (Cf. K1645.) Italian Novella: Rotunda (K551.4.2). |
| K1445 | Making sheep laugh and dance. Told to bring in sheep laughing and dancing, trickster cuts off their upper lips and breaks their legs. Meson JAFL XXXV 45. |
| K1013.1 | Making the beard golden: "such a one". A man named "Such a one" persuades an ogre to have his beard gilded. He covers it with tar and leaves the ogre caught to the tar-kettle. The ogre with his tar-kettle wanders about and asks everyone, "Have you seen such a one?" *Type 1138. |
| K1012.1 | Making the dupe strong—by castration. *Types 153, 1133. |
| K1012.2 | Making the dupe strong—by scalding. *Type 1134. |
| K1012 | Making the dupe strong. The false doctor injures him. |
| K1013.2.1 | Making wife beautiful by burning her. S. A. Indian (Chiriguano): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 175; Africa (Cameroon): Rosenhuber 79. |
| K1272 | Man abed with his wife is frightened away by an intruder who steals his clothes. *Type 1360A. |
| K2116.2.2 | Man accused of having starved woman to death and taken treasure. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1842.1 | Man acts as statue of saint in order to enter convent. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 145 No. 1787B*. |
| K558 | Man allowed to pick out tree to be hanged on. Cannot find one. *Crane Vitry 161 No. 62; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 283; Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 25; U.S., England: Baughman; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 324 No. 161; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K311.6.2 | Man allows himself to be carried off by monkeys, who mistake him for cow: steals their magic cups. Chinese: Graham. |
| K629.1.1 | Man and woman escape by sending the she-bear to bring the woman's "forgotten" comb. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2095.1 | Man announces finding lost jewel, but so softly that no one hears. He thus has clear conscience. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1971.5.1 | Man as God behind the tree forces the girl to admit having an illegitimate child. Or prophesies himself as father so as to marry the girl. Type 1380**; Russian: Andrejev No. 1380**. |
| K832.6 | Man asked to look at birds: pulled into pool. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K558.2 | Man asks to be beheaded standing in tank of water. He ducks and executioners kill each other. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1971 | Man behind statue (tree) speaks and pretends to be God (spirit). *Type 1380; von der Hagen II 141f. No. 29; Zs. f. Vksk. XXXIX 215; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 239; *Taylor MPh XV 227 n. 1; *BP III 120ff.; *Chauvin II 91 No. 34.—India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 659; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 272, Coster-Wijsman 25 Nos. 3, 4, 5; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 431, 437; West Indies: Flowers 549—552. |
| K1971.2 | Man behind the tree threatens his debtor. The latter thinks God is calling and repays the debt. Type 1575*; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 203 No. 403; Russian: Andrejev No. 1575*. |
| K940.1.1 | Man betrayed into eating his own children and setting the village on fire. (Cf. K941.2, K944.) Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 56. |
| K940.1 | Man betrayed into eating his own children. |
| K940.2 | Man betrayed into killing his wife or grandmother. *Type 1535, BP II 3ff. |
| K2356.1 | Man blinded by throwing dust in his eyes: he is robbed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1349.7 | Man burns down own neighboring house to gain access to bedroom of beloved. Heptameron No. 26. |
| K361.1.1 | Man calling self "her husband" abducts child. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K527.5 | Man calls animal by his son's name so he can sacrifice it instead of his son. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K1268 | Man carried and dropped in mid-stream. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 582; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 340 n. 227. |
| K1342.0.1 | Man carried into woman's room hidden in basket. (Cf. K1343.1.) *Spargo Virgil the Necromancer 139, 370 n. 7; English: Wells 140 (Floris and Blauncheflur); Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1317.4 | Man caught running by guards has to tell his destination. One of the guards substitutes for him with his sweetheart. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K825.3 | Man causes victim to bite his tongue off. U.S.: Baughman. |
| K11.0.1 | Man challenges devil to race. Cheats him. |
| K219.5 | Man cheats devil by giving him sole instead of soul. (Cf. E459.1.) U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K235.3 | Man cheats devil of reward: to have man if he gets him at first grasp. Man holds cat which flies in devil's face. (Cf. K210.) French: Sébillot France IV 182. |
| K157.1 | Man collects toll fraudulently, stamps "Brass Gate" on receipts he gives. People think this is some Government phrase. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K282.1 | Man contracts for load of hay on the road (without making any payment), orders the seller to deliver it at a certain inn. He then goes to the inn, sells the hay to the innkeeper, and pockets the money. The owner of the hay delivers it at the inn, tries to collect at the inn; the trickster absconds. England: Baughman. |
| K548.2 | Man convinces robbers that house is fully occupied by beating drums all over the house; they flee. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 574. |
| K1394 | Man coveting his friend's wife causes her to leave her husband. Friend mutually agree to beat wives. Trickster only pretends to do so while other beats his and angers her. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2358 | Man disguised as animal sent among enemy that first blood be spilled by other side. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1823.4 | Man disguised as bear. Jewish: Neuman. |
| K1823.2 | Man disguised as elephant. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1323 | Man disguised as gardener enters convent and seduces nuns. (Cf. K1321.4.) Boccaccio Decameron III No. 1 (Lee 59); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1349.1.4 | Man disguised as groom enters mistress's room. Heptameron No. 26. |
| K1823.3 | Man disguised as lamb. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1321.1.1 | Man disguised as pregnant woman admitted to girl's bed. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1321.2 | Man disguised as woman abducts princess. *Type 516; *BP I 46; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1321.1 | Man disguised as woman admitted to women's quarters: seduction. *Types 516, 1542; Rösch FFC LXXVII 109; *Fischer-Bolte 215; *Krappe Balor 12 n. 42; Penzer I 47n., 48n.; Herrmann Saxo II 239, 493, 641; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus II 73 n. 2 (Achilles); India: *Thompson-Balys, Ruben FFC CXXXIII 41. |
| K1321.3.1 | Man disguised as woman beguiles hostile chief. Infatuates him and then kills him in drunken sleep. *Wesselski Archiv Orientální II 430; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 88; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Anesaki 303f. |
| K1343.2 | Man disguised as woman carried into princess's room: marries her. (Cf. K1321.1.) Korean: Zong in-Sob 126 No. 60. |
| K1321.3 | Man disguised as woman courted (married) by another man. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 104 No. 857; India: *Thompson-Balys; Eskimo (West Hudson Bay): Boas BAM XV 248; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 304 n. 109n. |
| K1823 | Man disguises as animal. |
| K1823.1 | Man disguises as tortoise. East Africa: Woodward FL XXXVI 182ff. No. 2. |
| K1343.1 | Man drawn up into female apartments in basket. (Cf. K1342.0.1.) *Spargo Virgil the Necromancer 136ff., 368ff.; Penzer V 147 n. 1; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys; all references to K1211. |
| K1343 | Man drawn up into female apartments on rope. *Spargo Virgil the Necromancer 139, 369 n. 6; Penzer V 24. |
| K1064 | Man dupes animals into turning their tongues upside down. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K361.3 | Man eats up food given him by tiger as bait for deer. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2021.3 | Man embraces other to see if he carries gold in his girdle. Jewish: Neuman. |
| K1603 | Man falls into sacrificial grave prepared for others. Rich man orders poor people to dig a grave in order to bury all in it as sacrifice to avert famine. But a Christian frees them and promises those who become Christian a living. The rich man himself falls in the grave and dies. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K2114 | Man falsely accused of infidelity. (Cf. K2121.) Icelandic: Boberg; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |