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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| J229.11 | Take money instead of revenge. Fool advises uncle, in letter which he did not send, to take money from wife's paramour instead of revenge. Spanish: Childers. |
| V96.1 | Taking bath in a sacred river (Ganges). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V471 | Taking clerical vows heals disease. Alphabet No. 783. |
| J1628 | Taking cold in effigy. A traitor is hanged in effigy naked. Later the citizens sue for peace and arrange a meeting. They find him in a hot room swathed with many blankets. He says that he has taken cold when the night wind blew on him as he hung naked from the gallows. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 542. |
| K1810.1.3 | Taking king's place by changing dresses. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 252. |
| M114.5 | Taking oath on cowdung. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| M119 | Taking of vows and oaths—miscellaneous. |
| M110 | Taking of vows and oaths. |
| N778 | Taking refuge in a grave leads to adventure. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| G303.9.9.8 | Taking snuff with the devil. Lithuanian: Balys Legends Nos. 772, 785ff. |
| J2469.2 | Taking the prescription. The fool eats the paper with the prescription on it. Clouston Noodles 119. |
| J2224 | Taking the seed out at night. Numskull plants seed in daytime and takes it out at night. "Man must guard his treasures" (or "Growing in the daytime is enough"). Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 245 No. 139. |
| J2119.2.1 | Taking the short-cut. Farmer takes a few feet off his journey and lifts a wheelbarrow over 22 stiles in so doing. Clouston Noodles 54; England: Baughman. |
| G257.4 | Taking tile from witch's house forces her to reveal herself. England: Baughman. |
| Z15 | Tale avoiding all pronouns. Lang English Fairy Tales 118. |
| K1217 | Tale of the basin. Lover caught on magic basin and left in embarrassing position. *BP II 40 n. 2; *Wesselski Märchen 216 No. 27; *Kittredge Witchcraft 201 nn. 102, 103; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 126—132; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1345 | Tale of the cradle. Two youths pass the night with a family where all sleep in a common room, with a cradle at the foot of one of the beds. The moving of the cradle in the night confuses those walking about so that the strangers sleep with the wife and the daughter. Type 1363; *Robinson Complete Works of Chaucer 790a (Reeves Tale); *Varnhagen "Die Erzählung von der Wiege" Englische Studien IX 240; Bédier Fabliaux 463; von der Hagen III *xix, 37ff.; Boccaccio Decameron IX No. 6 (Lee 281); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| S461 | Tale-bearer unjustly drowned for lack of proof of accusation. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z13.1 | Tale-teller frightens listener: yells "Boo" at exciting point. Type 366; Canada, England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| Z16 | Tales ending with a question. *Type 653; *BP III 45; Basset RTP VII 188; Cosquin Revue d'Ethnographie et des Traditions Populaires I 62, II 41; Africa: Werner African 359. |
| Z19.2 | Tales filled with contradictions. West Indies: Flowers 587. |
| N527.2 | Talisman found in bird's stomach. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2362 | Talkative animals incense master. He gives them twice-threshed straw to eat as punishment. Type 206. |
| J2352 | Talkative man betrays his companion. When his faults are pointed out he maintains that he is better than his companion, who is immediately investigated. |
| J2136.5.2 | Talkative thief caught. Zachariae Kleine Schriften 179; Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 22 No. 101; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas IV 66; India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: Coster-Wijsman 66 No. 112. |
| J1151.1.1 | Talkative wife discredited. Husband tells his talkative wife about treasure he has discovered. To discredit her report he tells her also of impossible things (woodcock in the fish net, fish in the bird trap, etc.). She repeats it all and whole story is disbelieved. Husband may keep his treasure. *Type 1381; BP I 527; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| X253.1 | Talkativeness of the fishwives of Paris. Anecdotes of their invective. Nouvelles Récréations No. 63. |
| W141 | Talkativeness. Jewish: Neuman. |
| J1564 | Talker keeps person from eating. |
| B210.2 | Talking animal or object refuses to talk on demand. Discoverer is unable to prove his claims: is beaten.—U.S. Negro: Baughman. |
| E366.3 | Talking bones of eaten man advise hero. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B11.4.5 | Talking dragon. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F814.2 | Talking flowers. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H451 | Talking private parts betray unchastity. *Taylor MLN XXI 249 n. 2; Gering Hermes LI (1916) 632ff.; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 296 n. 83d. |
| D1661.1 | Talking statue, when destroyed, cannot be replaced for thirty thousand years. (Cf. D1268, D1620.) Dickson 214. |
| A1002.2.3 | Talking stone as sign of Doomsday. Jewish: Moreno Esdras (M307.4). |
| X1810 | Tall tales about miscellaneous objects. |
| E431.14 | Tall wall around grave to prevent return. Icelandic: Eyrbyggja saga ch. XXXIV 14 in ASB VI, Boberg. |
| X412 | Tame bear tied to church bells. Rings alarm. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| L451.1 | Tame bird and wild bird. The tame bird tells the wild one to look about him. He is shot. Type 245; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| J487 | Tame dog prefers food basin to fleeing hare. Wienert FFC LVI *85 (ET 522), 145 (ST 503); Halm Aesop No. 390. |
| J683.2 | Tame doves close wild ones in trap and thus help common enemies. Wienert FFC LVI 52 (ET 112, 310), 143 (ST 493). |
| B261.1.1 | Tame elephant not accepted by wild brethren. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J683.3 | Tame fox helps dogs against wild foxes. Is no longer trusted by latter. Nouvelles Récréations No. 29. |
| J2107 | Taming the bull by cutting off his horns. It makes him the more violent. *Wienert FFC LVI 71 (ET 360), 116 (ST 263). |
| T251.2 | Taming the shrew. By outdoing his wife in shrewishness the husband renders her obedient. *Types 900, 901; *BP I 443; **Philippson FFC L; *Wesselski Arlotto II 229 No. 95; *Gigas "Et eventyrs vandring" Litteratur og Historie (3e samling) (København, 1902); *Krappe études ital. II 141ff.; *Wesselski Märchen 216 No. 24; Köhler-Bolte I 137; Chauvin II 155 No. 27. — Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| D2171.1.2 | Tankard caused to stick to person's lips. Wales: Baughman. |
| B611.8 | Tapir paramour. S. A. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 60. |
| A871.0.1 | Taprobane at eastern end of the world. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q475.1 | Tar and feathers as punishment for vanity. Type 833*. |
| Q475 | Tar and feathers as punishment. (Cf. K31.1, K216.2.) *Fb "tjære" III 811a, "fjer" I 301; Icelandic: *Boberg; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| L147.1 | Tardy bird alone succeeds at bird convocation. Chauvin V 38 No. 365 n. 1. |
| L147 | Tardy surpasses punctual. |
| F815.6.1 | Taro planted in sacred spot inexhaustible prolific. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 288. |
| H911.1 | Task (quest) assigned at suggestion of jealous co-wife. Chinese: Graham; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 234. |
| H913.2.1 | Task assigned at suggestion of jealous father (of prospective bride). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H913.1.1 | Task assigned at suggestion of jealous mother (of prospective bride). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H919.3 | Task assigned at suggestion of parrot. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H919.5 | Task assigned at suggestion of treacherous soldier. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| H923.1 | Task assigned before wife may rescue husband from supernatural power. Type 316; German: Grimm No. 181. |
| H927.2 | Task assigned by angel on God's order. Moreno Esdras (H928). |
| H937 | Task assigned by dying child. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H946.1 | Task assigned from misunderstanding: search for prince named Sabr ("wait"). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H946 | Task assigned from misunderstanding. |
| H902 | Task assigned the Gods. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H950 | Task evaded by subterfuge. |
| G303.16.19.3.2 | Task for devil: making needles. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1188. |
| G303.16.19.3.1 | Task for devil: sweeping and winnowing peas on ice. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1177. |
| G303.16.19.3.3 | Task for devil: washing a Jew (Jewess), to rid him (her) of the evil smell. (Cf. A1662.1.) Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1187. |
| H916.2 | Task imposed because of girl's foolish boast. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H934.4 | Task imposed by elder brothers. India: Thompson-Balys; Irish myth: Cross (H913.1.3.) |
| H1187 | Task left by departing husband for virgin wife to accomplish: have a son whose real mother she is and whose real father he is. She accomplishes this by disguising as a girl. Köhler-Bolte II 647ff. *Liungman Tvе Folkminnesundersökningar 25 n. 1; FSS 7ff. (H922); India: *Thompson-Balys; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H975.0.1 | Task performed by deity in answer to prayer. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H973.3 | Task performed by dwarfs. (Cf. F451.5.1.) German: Grimm Nos. 13, 55, 64, 91, 113. |
| H973.1 | Task performed by fairy. Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H976 | Task performed by mysterious stranger. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H987 | Task performed with aid of magic object. German: Grimm Nos. 28, 91, 122, 133, 165, 181. |
| H983 | Task performed with help of angel. (Cf. N810.) Jewish: *Neuman. |
| H985 | Task performed with help of druid. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H971.2 | Task performed with help of little old men. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| H974.1 | Task performed with help of mistress. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H971 | Task performed with help of old person. Tonga: Gifford 159f. |
| H974 | Task performed with help of supernatural wife. Irish myth: *Cross; Greek: Grote I 219; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Anesaki 357, Ikeda. |
| H921.1 | Task set by king to sons to determine heir to kingdom. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H913.1.2 | Task suggested by jealous co-wife of mother. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H919.1.1 | Task upon suggestion of barber. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1138.1 | Task: "to turn low stream and fill the high stream." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1355.4 | Task: achieving kingship by bringing silk from bazaar. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1135 | Task: annihilating (overcoming) army single-handed. Type 513; Irish myth: *Cross; Greek: Fox 112 (Jason). |
| H1113 | Task: bailing out a pond. Type 313; German: Grimm No. 113; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "étang"; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 369, 377; Africa (Benga): Nassau 216 No. 33. |
| H1191.1 | Task: beheading witch, and bringing head to king. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| H1137 | Task: binding waves of the sea. Indonesia: De Vries's list No. 236; Filipino: Fansler MAFLS XII 62. |
| H1191 | Task: blinding a witch. Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 4. |
| H1116 | Task: breaking huge rock to pieces. Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 208. |
| H1116.2 | Task: breaking iron with wooden axe. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1149.6 | Task: breaking pigeon's egg on parapet of castle. Pigeon in ferocious serpent. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| H1021.10 | Task: brewing ale from sweet milk. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1022.8 | Task: brewing impossible amount of ale from one grain of corn. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1154.3 | Task: bridling a wild animal. |
| H1154.3.1 | Task: bridling a wild horse. Finnish: Kalevala rune 14; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 74. |
| H1154.3.2 | Task: bridling ferocious bear. Finnish: Kalevala rune 19. |
| H1151.11 | Task: bringing a baby lion's tail to use as broom. Africa (Hausa): Mischlich 80ff. No. 5. |
| H1041 | Task: bringing a plantain leaf from the garden without tearing it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1023.25 | Task: bringing a well (pond, lake) to king. Hero asks for another lake to tie to it and overawes king. Types 1045, 1650; Zachariae Kleine Schriften 93; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1172 | Task: bringing an ogre to court. Köhler-Bolte I 306. |
| H1117 | Task: bringing as many horses as there are days in the year. (Brings one for each week-day.) Anderson FFC XLII 227 n. 1. |
| H1136.1 | Task: bringing back flour scattered by wind. Indonesia: De Vries's list No. 171. |
| H1174.1 | Task: bringing back two heads of a giant. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1023.3 | Task: bringing berries (fruit, roses) in winter. *Type 403B, 480, *Roberts 134; BP I 99ff., II 232; *Saintyves Perrault 20; De Vries FFC LXXIII 269 n. 2; Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 159; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 313 n. 126c. |
| H1023.3.1 | Task: bringing berries in winter. Reductio ad absurdum: father is sick from snake-bite (impossible in winter). (Cf. H952.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 269 n. 2. |
| H1065 | Task: bringing best friend, worst enemy, best servant, greatest pleasure-giver. (Brings dog, wife, ass, little son respectively.) Köhler-Bolte I 415, 455; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 423; Herbert III 201; Ward II 231; Oesterley No. 124; *Chauvin VIII 199 No. 244; *BP II 365; cf. Type 875; *De Vries FFC LXXIII 220ff.; *Anderson FFC XLII 357 and n. 2; *Wesselski Märchen 237 No. 48; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| H1151.10 | Task: bringing branch from tree guarded by ghosts. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1023.19 | Task: bringing bundle of faggots without rope to tie them. Helpful snake coils himself about them. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1107 | Task: bringing documents from distant city in one day. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 68 No. 513. |
| H1154.0.1 | Task: bringing head(s) of animal(s). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1154.12 | Task: bringing in fierce lion alive. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1047 | Task: bringing melon 12 cubits long with seed 13 cubits long. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1026.2 | Task: bringing past time to present. Jewish: Moreno Esdras (H1023.17). |
| H1022.9 | Task: bringing quantity of mosquito bones within month; countertask: furnishing scales with wind as beams and heat as pans. (Cf. H951.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1151.26 | Task: bringing ruby in head of devastating serpent. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1075 | Task: bringing something ever-increasing (ambition); something ever-decreasing (life); something which neither increases nor decreases (one's fated lot); and something which both increases and decreases (universe). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1049.1 | Task: bringing the foam of the ocean in a large piece of cloth. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1154.3.7 | Task: bringing tigers. |
| H1129.1.1 | Task: bringing twelve cartloads of mud without the use of buffaloes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1109.1 | Task: bringing water from distant fountain more quickly than a witch. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 68 No. 513. |
| H1023.25.1 | Task: bringing well to king; countertask: sending his own well to accompany it. (Cf. H951.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1136 | Task: bringing winds from the whole world. Fb "vind" III 1059a. |
| H1129.5 | Task: building a fire; whole tree burns up while man is bringing another. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1104.3 | Task: building a house of iron in one night. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| H1104.1 | Task: building a lodge entirely of bird's feathers in one night. S. A. Indian (Carib): Alexander Lat. Am. 264. |
| H1131.1 | Task: building bridge over land and sea. *Fb "guldæble" I 516a. |
| H1133 | Task: building castle (fort). Irish myth: *Cross; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| H1133.2 | Task: building castle in air. Fb "slot" III 377a; Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 5. |
| H1104 | Task: building castle in one night. Type 313; Fb "slot" III 377a. |
| H1133.3 | Task: building castle in sea. Fb "slot" III 377a; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1104.0.1 | Task: building castle in three days. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1036 | Task: building castle suspended between heaven and earth. *Chauvin VI 38 No. 207 n. 3. |
| H1129.6 | Task: building causeway, clearing land, etc. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1131 | Task: building enormous bridge. (Cf. H359.1.) Irish myth: Cross; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| H1104.2 | Task: building entire village in one night. Africa (Fang): Einstein 70ff. (= Trilles 190ff. No. 11.) |
| H1133.6 | Task: building exact replica of castle in wax. German: Grimm No. 107. |
| H1104.5 | Task: building granary full of grain overnight. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1077 | Task: building house neither on ground nor in sky. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1133.1 | Task: building magic castle. *Type 554; BP II 19ff. |
| H1133.5 | Task: building palace and city. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1133.4 | Task: building palace of gold (crystal). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1165 | Task: bullfight (buffaloes). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1185.1 | Task: buying a coin's worth of eggs and another of "ay, ay." Servant puts nettles in bag with eggs, and master cries "Ay, ay" when he touches the nettles. Spanish: Childers. |
| H1154.3.3 | Task: capturing and binding ferocious boar. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1154.10 | Task: capturing badgers. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1154.7 | Task: capturing bird. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1154.7.2 | Task: capturing blackbird (yearly). Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1154.2 | Task: capturing deer from herd watched by giant. English: Wells 115 (Sir Eglamour). |
| H1154.5 | Task: capturing elk. Finnish: Kalevala rune 13. |
| H1154.8 | Task: capturing magic horse. Type 313. |
| H1154.1 | Task: capturing magic pig carrying scissors, comb, and razors between its ears. Irish myth: *Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 187. |
| H1154.2.1 | Task: capturing ninety pigs, ninety horses, and one hundred wild oxen. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1154.9 | Task: capturing pair of every wild animal in the land. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1154.6 | Task: capturing squirrel and rattlesnake. American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 203 No. 35. |
| H1154.3.4 | Task: capturing wild elephant. Africa (Fang): Einstein 70ff. (= Trilles 190ff. No. 11). |
| H1155.4 | Task: caring for mad elephant. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1183 | Task: carrying a wagon axle which has broken a wheel. *BP III 16. |
| H1114.2 | Task: carrying ever-increasing burden up mountain. German: Grimm No. 179. |
| H1129.11 | Task: carrying fuel. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1111 | Task: carrying hundreds of sheep across stream one at a time. *BP II 209; cf. Type 2300; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| H1146 | Task: carrying mountain on head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1127 | Task: carrying off huge quantity of money. *Type 513. |
| H1129.3 | Task: carrying soil to cover stony ground. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1023.2 | Task: carrying water in a sieve. *Types 480, 1180, Roberts 138, 165; *BP I 5, 215, III 16, 477 n. 1; *Fb "sеld" III 750a; Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 354; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; S. A. Indian (Ackawoi): Alexander Lat. Am. 269. |
| H1023.2.1.2 | Task: carrying water in leaky vessel; frog sits in hole. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1023.2.1.1 | Task: carrying water in leaky vessel; vessel repaired with clay or gum. Africa (Mpongwe): Nassau 32 No. 4, (Basuto): Jacottet 15 No. 10. |
| H1023.2.1 | Task: carrying water in leaky vessel. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "cruche"; India: *Thompson-Balys; Africa (Mpongwe): Nassau 32 No. 4; (Zulu): Callaway 16, (Basuto): Jacottet 15 No. 10, 202 No. 30, (Kaffir): Theal 15, (Angola): Chatelain 163, 171, 179 No. 21. |
| H1023.2.0.2 | Task: carrying water in sieve; pious child able to do so. BP III 477 n. 1. |
| H1023.2.0.1 | Task: carrying water in sieve; sieve filled with moss. *BP I 5, 215, III 477 n. 1; England: Baughman; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 107 No. 22. |
| H1046 | Task: carrying woman across river without wetting feet. Hero fails. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1023.13 | Task: catching a man's broken wind. Type 1176; BP III 16. |
| H1023.12 | Task: catching a noise. Type 1177*. |
| H1023.22 | Task: catching a sunbeam. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1191.2 | Task: catching devastating witch who haunts king's best garden. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1154.4 | Task: catching huge fish without nets or tackle. Finnish: Kalevala rune 19. |
| H1193 | Task: causing dry spring to flow again. *Type 613; *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 346a nn. 121—22. |
| H1199.2.1 | Task: causing sickness to come to certain tribe. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1194.0.1 | Task: causing silent person to speak. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1026 | Task: changing the course of time. |
| H1024.3 | Task: chasing a hare into every trap in a high tree. *Type 1171; BP III 16. |
| H1115 | Task: chopping down large tree with blunt (fragile) implements. (Cf. H1095.) Type 313; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "arbres"; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 208; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 251 No. 29. |
| H1102 | Task: cleaning Augean stable. Stable has not been cleaned in years. Must be done in one night. River turned through it. Type 313; Köhler-Bolte I 170; *Fb "stald" III 534a; Greek: Fox 82, Frazer Apollodorus I 195 n. 2; New Zealand: Dixon 71. |
| H1102.1 | Task: cleaning cowshed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1097.2 | Task: cleaning enormous cistern in one day. Italian: Basile Pentamerone II No. 7; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.14 | Task: climbing extraordinary (high, thin) cliff. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1114 | Task: climbing glass mountain. *Type 425; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1022.2.1 | Task: clothing an army from one hank of flax; countertask: making horseshoes for cavalry from one needle. (Cf. H951.) Köhler-Bolte I 459. |
| H1149.4 | Task: collecting enormous amount of material (number of rare objects, etc.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1095.1 | Task: collecting firewood quickly, sufficient to last remainder of one's life. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1192 | Task: combing hair of fairies. Type 480; Roberts 168; Italian: Basile Pentamerone III No. 10. |
| H1054.4 | Task: coming "neither in softness nor in hardness." (Comes clad in garments of mountain down.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1064 | Task: coming laughing and crying at once. (Rubs eyes with a twig to simulate crying.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 212. |
| H1055 | Task: coming neither barefoot nor shod. (Comes with one shoe on, one off; or in soleless shoes.) Type 875; *BP II 362; De Vries FFC LXXIII 200. |
| H1057 | Task: coming neither by day nor by night. (Comes at twilight.) *De Vries FFC LXXIII 202; *BP II 362; Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1063 | Task: coming neither hungry nor satiated. (Eats a thin soup, a leaf, a single grain, or the like.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 210; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1054.2 | Task: coming neither naked nor clad. (Comes clothed in own hair.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 181. |
| H1054.3 | Task: coming neither naked nor clad. (Comes with part of body clothed.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 181. |
| H1054.1 | Task: coming neither naked nor clad. (Comes wrapped in net or the like.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 182; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| H1054 | Task: coming neither naked nor clad. *Type 875; *De Vries FFC LXXIII 181; BP II 349ff.; Fb "klæder"; Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| H1053 | Task: coming neither on horse nor on foot (riding nor walking). *Type 875; *BP II 362; Köhler-Bolte I 446ff.; *De Vries FFC LXXIII 186ff.; Fb "kjöre", "ridende"; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 423; Filipino: Fansler MAFLS XII 63. |
| H1053.1 | Task: coming neither on horse nor on foot. (Comes on another animal.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 187; Irish myth: *Cross; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| H1053.2 | Task: coming neither on horse nor on foot. (Comes sitting on animal but with feet reaching ground.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 188; Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1053.3 | Task: coming neither on horse nor on foot. (Comes with one leg on animal's back, one on ground.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 188. |
| H1053.4 | Task: coming neither on horse nor on foot. (Coming drawn by an animal on net, trough, or sledge.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 189. |
| H1053.6 | Task: coming neither on horse nor on foot. (Crawls on all fours.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 190. |
| H1053.5 | Task: coming neither on horse nor on foot. (Walks on a stick horse.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 190. |
| H1051 | Task: coming neither on nor off the road. (Comes in the rut or the ditch at side of the road.) *Type 875; BP II 349ff.; De Vries FFC LXXIII 195f. |
| H1062 | Task: coming neither washed nor unwashed. (Comes partly washed.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 211. |
| H1061 | Task: coming neither with nor without a companion. (Comes with an animal.) Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; De Vries FFC LXXIII 212. |
| H1056 | Task: coming neither with nor without a present (game). (Lets bird fly as the reaches it toward king.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 205. |
| H1022 | Task: construction from impossible amount of material. |
| H1021 | Task: construction from impossible kind of material. |
| H1118.2 | Task: counting daily how many leaves fall off a tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1118 | Task: counting hairs in pig's back (feathers in bird). *Fb "tælle" III 922b. |
| H1118.3 | Task: counting palm trees within view of king's palace. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1118.1 | Task: counting the seeds in a package of mustard. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1144.2 | Task: counting the waves. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1103.3 | Task: covering mango tree grove with fruit in a single night. (Cf. H1023.17.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1197 | Task: crossing weed-filled stream. Hero spreads cloth on weeds and floats across. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.2.2 | Task: curing extraordinarily incurable ulcer. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1046.2 | Task: cutting and bringing leaves from thorn thicket without tearing them at all. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1115.3 | Task: cutting down a giant tree. Marquesas: Beckwith Myth 470. |
| H1115.1 | Task: cutting down huge tree which magically regrows. Type 577. |
| H1184 | Task: cutting down tree without scratching for stinging insects. (Scratches surreptitiously while gesticulating.) *Jamaica Beckwith MAFLS XVII 250f. No. 29. |
| H1116.1 | Task: cutting firewood from rocks with brass axe (rock struck to splinters by lightning used). Africa (Ganda): Baskerville 8ff. |
| H1149.3 | Task: defeating a certain old woman. (She is Old Age.) Hdwb. d. Märchens I 445b n. 432; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1199.8 | Task: defending oneself alone against fifteen ships, sixty men. (Cf. H915.1.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1562.12 | Task: destruction of iron castle. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| H1105 | Task: digging a pond quickly. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "étang"; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1143 | Task: dipping out the sea with a spoon: countertask: stop all the rivers. (Cf. H1113., H1142.3.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 251.—French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule (H1023.2.3.); Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| H1046.1 | Task: dipping water without wetting dipper. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.9.1 | Task: discovering ring-thief. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.5 | Task: disenchantment. (Cf. D700.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1097 | Task: draining sea-covered land in one night. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1149.7 | Task: drawing spear thrust through seven iron plates. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1046.3 | Task: drinking beer without touching pot. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1142 | Task: drinking enormous amount. *Type 513; Icelandic: Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1142.2.1 | Task: drinking the sea dry (illusion produced by magic thread which makes hero think he is drinking from spring). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1142.3 | Task: drinking the sea dry: countertask: stop all the rivers. (Cf. H951.) BP II 369. |
| H1142.2 | Task: drinking the sea dry. *Anderson FFC XLII 139, 356; BP II 369; *Chauvin VIII 62 No. 26; Norse: MacCulloch Eddic 93 (Thor); Gascon: Bladé I 8 No. 1. |
| H1142.1 | Task: drinking wine—cellar empty. *Type 571; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| H1097.1 | Task: drying up a lake in one night. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| H1166 | Task: duel. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1071 | Task: eat bread but bring it back whole. (Center of loaf eaten.) Köhler-Bolte I 437. |
| H1141 | Task: eating enormous amount. *Type 513; Missouri French: Carrière; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa: Werner African 153. |
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