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Stith Thompson Motif Index

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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.

46,221 motifs

Page 155 of 185 · 250 per page
Thompson reference Description ▲
H1562 Test of strength. *Type 650; Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman.
H317.4 Test of suitor's love and endurance by constant postponing. Icelandic: Ragnars saga Loрbr. 127—29, Boberg.
H1568 Test of the champion. Irish myth: Cross.
F455.10.1 Test of troll child. Snake placed in dough she is to knead. She calls it "brother". Hartmann 81.
H251 Test of truth by magic object.
H485 Test of unknown father: gold on street. Princess has gold put on street leading to her. The man who rides over the gold-covered street without noticing is the father of her child. Köhler-Bolte I 56.
H1561.5 Test of valor worthy for kingship: taking possession of royal insignia placed between two ferocious lions. Chauvin II 183 No. 24.
H1561.7 Test of valor: attack by warrior and hound. Irish myth: *Cross.
H1561.6 Test of valor: fight with giant. Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: Neuman.
H1561.3 Test of valor: not flinching under a blow. Kittredge Gawain 7ff.; Icelandic: Boberg.
H1561.4 Test of valor: rousing servant's anger. Nobleman, when examining servants for hire, bids each stand before him and comb his long beard. Occasionally he snaps at them as if to bite them. Those who dodge he lets go; those who offer fight he employs. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 862.
H472.1 Test of wife's ability to keep secret: the buried sheep's head. Husband tells her that he is burying head of murdered man. She is to keep secret. She tells. When head is dug up it is sheep's head. *T. Zachariae Zs. f. Vksk. XXXII—XXXIV 77; *De Vries FFC LXXIII 220ff., 224 n. 1; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas IV 25, 275; India: *Thompson-Balys.
H472 Test of wife's ability to keep secret. Jewish: Neuman.
H465 Test of wife's endurance. Haughty princess married to beggar and must endure poverty and menial work. *Type 900; BP I 443ff.; *Philippson FFC L 34ff.; *Fb "tigge" III 793b; Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 10.
H473.5 Test of wife's obedience: decorating house. India: Thompson-Balys.
H473.1 Test of wife's obedience: finger in hole. Disobedient wife puts her finger into the hole where her husband has fixed sharp nails. Herbert III 18; Crane Vitry 226 No. 228; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 318.
H473.3 Test of wife's obedience: not to eat leeks. Although she does not like them, she immediately begins to want them. Herbert III 24; Crane Vitry 258 No. 284; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 317.
H473.2 Test of wife's obedience: the one command. Upon his wife's insistence that he test her by giving one command the husband tells her not to go into the oven while he is away. She does so and oven falls on her. Herbert III 19; *Crane Vitry 231 No. 236; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 318; Spanish Exempla: Keller.
H473 Test of wife's obedience. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys.
H461 Test of wife's patience. Griselda. Children stolen and attendance at wedding to another demanded. *Type 887; *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XXXV—XXXVI 290; Hdwb. d. Märchens s.v. "Geduldsprüfung"; **H. Siefkin Das geduldige Weib in der englischen Literatur bis auf Shakespeare (Leipzig, 1903); *Loomis White Magic 118; *Laserstein; Ilse von Stach Griseldis (1922); Köhler-Bolte II 501, 534; *Fb "Griselda" IV 486a; Huet 66; *Cate Studies in Philology XXIX 389ff.; *Hibbard Medieval Romance in Eng. 289 n. 9; Philippson FFC 1 48ff.—Italian Novella: *Rotunda. Cf. also Types 712, 881, 900.
H501.1 Test of wisdom: wise man sends ruler magic gems. Ruler admires their beauty but neglects to inquire of their virtues. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
H501 Test of wisdom. Irish myth: Cross; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys, Penzer VI 74 n.
H1573.2.3 Test of worthiness for bishop: plowing without plowshare. Irish myth: Cross.
H1558.0.1 Test of worthiness for friendship.
H1517 Test: bite of poisonous snake. India: Thompson-Balys.
H1531.1 Test: dancing on sharp instruments. India: Thompson-Balys.
H1502 Test: enduring hardship. Tested by making girl serve woman who has leprosy, etc. Jewish: Neuman; Africa (Angola): Chatelain 43ff. No. 1.
H508 Test: finding answer to certain question. Irish myth: Cross; Italian Novella: Rotunda.
H1515.3 Test: food with thorns. Hero given food in which thorns are hidden. India: Thompson-Balys.
H1408 Test: going without fear through a wilderness filled with all manner of beasts. India: Thompson-Balys.
H522.2 Test: guessing nature of certain plant. Plant came from scrapings of princesses' bodies. India: Thompson-Balys.
H522.1.1 Test: guessing nature of certain skin—louse-skin. Louse (flea) is fattened and its skin made into coat (drum, etc.) *Type 621; BP III 484; *Taylor MPh XV 224 n. 2; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "bète"; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 5; India: *Thompson-Balys; Filipino: Fansler MAFLS XII 114.
H522.1.2 Test: guessing nature of certain skin—wolf-skin. BP I 444, III 484.
H523.2 Test: guessing nature of devil's cloth. Answer: goat-skin. *Type 812; BP III 12ff.
H523.3 Test: guessing nature of devil's gold cup. Answer: cup of pitch. *Type 812; BP III 12ff.
H523.1 Test: guessing nature of devil's horse. Answer: he-goat. *Type 812; BP III 12ff.
H523.7 Test: guessing nature of devil's plate. Answer: stone. *Type 812; BP III 12ff.
H523 Test: guessing nature of devil's possessions. *Type 812; BP III 12ff.
H523.8 Test: guessing nature of devil's purse. Answer: whip. *Type 812; BP III 12ff.
H523.4 Test: guessing nature of devil's roast meat. Answer: dead dog. *Type 812; BP III 12ff.
H523.5 Test: guessing nature of devil's spoon. Answer: whale rib. *Type 812; BP III 12ff.
H523.6 Test: guessing nature of devil's wine glass. Answer: horse's hoof. *Type 812; BP III 12ff.
H522.1.3 Test: guessing origin of animal lungs. Lungs of fattened lizard are further inflated. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
H522.1 Test: guessing origin of certain skin.
H524 Test: guessing person's thoughts. *Anderson FFC XLII 219ff.; Fb "konge" II 264b, "gjætte" I 452a, "liv" II 438b; Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys.
H525 Test: guessing princess's birthmarks. *Type 850.
H516 Test: guessing trolls' names in order to save one's life. Icelandic: Boberg.
H522 Test: guessing unknown animal (plant).
H521.1 Test: guessing unknown propounder's age. *Type 500; Chinese: Graham.
H521 Test: guessing unknown propounder's name. *Type 500; *BP I 490; Africa (Angola): Chatelain 141 No. 14.
H522.3 Test: identifying what type of rice is in sack. India: Thompson-Balys.
H1508 Test: long praying.
H507.2 Test: making senseless remarks. King brought to say, "What is the sense in that?" Anderson FFC XLII 357; Japanese: Ikeda.
H1537 Test: playing game with ferocious beast.
H1132.1.1.1 Test: recovering ring from water. India: *Thompson-Balys.
H1508.1 Test: repeating incantation continuously for months. India: Thompson-Balys.
H1505 Test: sewing clothes into boy's hands and tearing them off together with the skin. Icelandic: Boberg.
H1461 Test: sitting up with corpse. Wake. Type 480; *Roberts 177.
H1472 Test: sleeping by princess three nights without looking at her or disturbing her. *Type 400; BP II 335ff.
H1504 Test: sleeping naked on floor in cold. (Suitor test.) India: Thompson-Balys.
H1451 Test: speechless vigil in church. Wesselski Mönchslatein 101 No. 86; cf. Type 307.
H509.4.1 Test: supplying missing half-stanza. Irish myth: *Cross.
H1511.1.1 Test: swallowing heated brass and iron ornaments. Chinese: Graham.
H509.5.1 Test: telling five lies which should so closely resemble the truth the tester will believe them himself. India: *Thompson-Balys.
H509.5 Test: telling skillful lie.
H252.0.1 Test: telling true stories. Irish myth: *Cross.
H509.1 Test: threading needle. Guest of convent is given choice of nuns. On the morrow he is given three opportunities to thread a needle. Success means reward, failure confiscation of his belongings. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
H511.2 Test: to guess which of veiled sisters has golden hair. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
H528.1 Test: to prophesy offspring of cow and mare. India: Thompson-Balys.
H1460 Test: vigil at tomb.
H255 Test: which of twins is elder. Younger unthinkingly hands chopsticks to elder and thus betrays his junior rank. Burmese: Scott Indo-Chinese 356.
V283 Testament of Virgin Mary. Irish myth: *Cross.
Z78 Testament willing rewards and punishments. Conventional ending of a story. Child V 497 s.v. "testament".
J1151.1 Testimony discredited by inducing witness to talk foolishly.
J1151.3 Testimony gradually weakened. Witness agrees to the following facts in succession: that the person relating the facts may have been in anger, that he may have misunderstood, that he may not have heard it at all. Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1151.4 Testimony of unsuccessful suitor discredited. Adulteress is surprised in intrigue by unsuccessful suitor. He threatens to tell her husband. She tells her husband that the scorned suitor has accused her falsely of indiscretion with many men. When the suitor tells the husband he does not believe him. Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1151 Testimony of witness cleverly discredited.
G277 Testing of witches. **Hertz Aus Dichtung und Saga 198ff.; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3664.
V140.4 Testing the authenticity of relics: bones are cast into fire; with great noise they jump away from the flames. *Loomis White Magic 92.
J2376 Testing the evidence by experiment: biting the ear off. The accused pleads that the plaintiff bit his own ear off. The judge takes time for consideration, tries to bite his own ear, but falls down and breaks his head. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 230 No. 76; *Clouston Noodles 86; U.S.: Baughman.
H300 Tests connected with marriage.
H425 Tests for cuckolds.
H310.1 Tests for hero, husband of supernatural (divine) wife. India: Thompson-Balys.
H1574.1 Tests for noble blood. Irish myth: *Cross.
H422 Tests for true husbands.
H421 Tests for true lover.
H939.2 Tests imposed on woman by prospective paramour. Nouvelles de Sens No. 4.
H510 Tests in guessing. Irish myth: *Cross.
H1569 Tests of character—miscellaneous.
H1550 Tests of character. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "épreuves"; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys.
H509 Tests of cleverness or ability: miscellaneous. Irish myth: Cross.
H1500 Tests of endurance.
H1556 Tests of fidelity. Irish myth: Cross; Hindu: Tawney I 86 n., 196, 357, II 57, 71, 606; Arabian: Burton Nights V 144, IX 325.
H1558 Tests of friendship. Icelandic: *Boberg; India: *Thompson-Balys.
H1552 Tests of generosity. Irish myth: *Cross.
H1565 Tests of gratitude.
H1555 Tests of honesty. Irish myth: Cross.
H1557 Tests of obedience. Irish myth: *Cross.
H1553 Tests of patience. Gaster Exempla 202 No. 84; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 37, Beal XXI 314.
H509.4 Tests of poetic ability. (Cf. H503.) Irish myth: Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys.
H1576 Tests of possession of magic powers. Irish myth: Cross.
H1510 Tests of power to survive. Vain attempts to kill hero. *Types 461, 516 930; *Rösch FFC LXXVII 120ff.; Chauvin VIII 145 No. 145C; *Oesterley No. 20; *Herbert III 198.—Icelandic: Boberg; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 22; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; S. A. Indian (Central Brazil): Ehrenreich International Congress of Americanists XIV 662; Africa: Werner African 214, (Ekoi): Talbot 208.
H1575 Tests of sight. Irish myth: Cross.
H1574 Tests of social position. Irish myth: *Cross.
H1584 Tests of space. Irish myth: Cross.
H1583 Tests of time.
H1561.1 Tests of valor: tournament. English: Hibbard 229, Wells 151 (Coer de Lyon); Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: Neuman.
H1561 Tests of valor. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg.
A2751.2 Texture of bark of plant.
J1851.4 Thankful numskull puts money in the anus of sheep which he supposes has helped him. Christensen DF XLVII 221 No. 84.
J2562 Thankful that the recipe is left. A hawk steals the fool's meat. He is grateful that the recipe remains. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 231 No. 498.
J1615 That which was promised him. A tenant promises his daughter to his master against her will. The master sends for "that which was promised him." The daughter sends the horse, and it is taken into the master's chamber. *Type 1440.
K1595 The "loyal" adulteress. Complacent in all except kissing. Explains that her mouth is the only part of her body which has promised fidelity to her husband. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 48; Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J2311.2 The "poisoned" pot. The wife tells the husband that a certain pot of preserves is poison. He decides to kill himself and eats the preserves. He believes that he is poisoned and lies down for dead. *Type 1313; *BP III 337; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 237 No. 522; *Wesselski Morlini 49; *Bolte Frey 214; *Clouston Noodles 122; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 4.
K344.1.2 The "spoiled" anchovies. Servant eats all of master's anchovies. When master asks for some, the servant brings in a covered dish, and tells him that the fish smell very bad. The master tells the servant to throw them away. Spanish: Childers.
A1344.1 The "three first cries that made their way to God": the cry of the blood of Abel, etc. Irish myth: Cross.
J1473.1 The 999 gold pieces. A man prays for a thousand gold pieces and says that he will not accept one less. A joker sends him 999. He says that he will trust God for the other coin. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 220ff. No. 54.
J1478.1 The abbot burns his mouth. Says that he is crying because so many have left the monastery. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1651 The abbot cannot find his needle. An undesirable abbot furnishes adequate grounds for his dismissal when he cannot find the needle that all monks are supposed to carry with them. If careless in little things he will be careless in great. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 62.
J1263.4.1 The abbot's luxury and the cardinal's. Cardinal rebukes abbot for living in luxury beyond that of the founder of his order. Abbot asks cardinal if the cardinals of St. Peter traveled in the luxury he does. *Wesselski Bebel II 115 No. 48.
J1371 The account-book of mistakes. A king, hearing that a man keeps an account-book of people's mistakes asks to see about his own record. He reads that the king has made a mistake in trusting a certain sum of money to a servant. King: "How if he comes back with it?" "I shall cross off your name and put him down for making a mistake." *Wesselski Arlotto I 181 No. 5; Chauvin II 153 No. 20; Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
T467 The amorous bite. Penzer II 305.
K1515 The animal in the chest. The husband has locked the surprised paramour in a chest while he fetches his family as witness of his wife's unfaithfulness. She frees the lover, substitutes an animal, and discountenances the husband. (Cf. K1542, K1555, K1566, K1574.) *Type 1419B; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 187 No. 363; Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 61; Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
Z53 The animals with queer names: as hen (henny-penny), cock (cocky-locky), goose (goosey-poosey). (First ed. Z21.3.1.) (Cf. Z32.2.1.) *Wesselski Hessische Blätter f. Vksk. XXXII 55; *Taylor JAFL XLVI 80 No. 2010 IA; Jacobs English Fairy Tales 118; *T. Norlind Svenska Allmogens Liv (Stockholm, 1925) 612; Kristensen Danske Dyrefabler 182 Nos. 431—32.—Antigua (British West Indies): Johnson JAFL XXXIV 68 No. 24.
V292 The Apostles of Christ.
J1747 The archbishop's wife and family. Fool asks what he is to talk about when guests arrive. Is told: "Their wives and family." He asks the archbishop about his family. (Cf. J2461.2.) Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1882.2 The ass as mayor. Fool made to believe that his ass (ox) has been educated and has become mayor. *Type 1675; *BP I 59; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 224 No. 63; *Fb "tyr" III 908b; Christensen DF XLVII 229; England: Baughman; India: *Thompson-Balys.
J1169.4 The ass beheaded. King vows to sacrifice first thing he meets. It is a miller driving an ass. Miller pleads that the ass preceded him. They behead the ass. Pauli (ed. Bolte) Nos. 507, 733; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1552.1 The ass consulted about the loan. A man wants to borrow an ass. The owner goes to see what the ass says. The ass is unwilling. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 223 No. 60.
J1862 The ass deprived of his saddle. A man's coat is stolen when he leaves his ass for a moment. He takes the saddle off the ass and says that he will give it back if the ass will return the coat. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin *223 No. 61.
J1552.1.1 The ass is not at home. A man wants to borrow an ass. The owner says that the ass is not at home. The ass brays and the borrower protests. "Will you believe an ass and not a graybeard like me?" *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 224 No. 65; L. Schmidt Oesterr. Zs. f. Vksk. 1954, 128; Italian Novella: Rotunda.
K402.3 The ass without a heart. The ass as toll-gatherer is killed by the lion for asking for toll. The fox eats the ass's heart. When the lion asks for it, the fox replies that the ass could have had no heart since he was such a fool as to ask the lion for toll. **Keidel "Die Eselherz Fabel" Zs. f. vgl. Litgsch. n. ser. VII No. 58; Gaster Exempla 229 No. 244; Penzer V 130 n. 1; *Chauvin II 99 No. 58; Bødker Exempler 299 No. 63; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys.
J2612 The attack on the hare (crayfish). Seven men make strenuous plans for the attack on the fierce animal. One screams with fright and the animal runs away. (Cf. J1736.1.) *BP II 556, III 286; Christensen DF XLVII 220 No. 82; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 307 No. 34.
T315.2.1 The audacious water and the continent husband. A woman with a continent husband (lover) splashes water on her thighs as she crosses a stream and then reproves it for being bolder than her husband. She thus calls attention to her situation. *Schoepperle 413ff.; *Köhler-Bolte II 346f.; Irish myth: *Cross.
N127 The auspicious (lucky) day (days). (Cf. N53.) Irish myth: *Cross; Jewish: *Neuman.
J2665 The awkward servant.
J2171.4 The axes thrown away. The first lets his axe fall. The others throw theirs in the same place. Type 1246; Fb "hammer" IV 199a; Christensen DF XLVII 194.
K153 The backwards and forwards dance. Dupe persuaded to pay for learning this dance (really moving toward and away from a fire). India: Thompson-Balys.
U251 The bad custom in the world: the young die as well as the old. Hence youth enters monastery. *Crane Vitry 184 No. 116; Alphabet No. 212; *Mensa Philosophica No. 181.
K1271.1.1 The bag of lies: threat to tell of queen's adultery. The boy, who is to tell the bag of lies, is stopped and his wishes granted. *Type 570; *BP III 273; Icelandic: Sveinsson FFC LXXXIII No. 570; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2904*; Russian: cf. Andrejev No. 1630*; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 5—8.
K444.3 The bag with the rice for the road. Boy eats rice and throws empty bag on the road. India: Thompson-Balys.
G303.10.14 The bagpipe is the devil's bellows. Dh I 189.
J2237 The bathroom in the minaret. The fool can sing in the small bathroom but cannot be heard from the minaret. He wants a bathroom built on the minaret so that his voice will carry. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 206 No. 4.
K1047 The bear bites the seemingly dead horse's tail. Is dragged off by the horse. *Type 47A; *BP III 75; Dh IV 235; Krohn Bär (Wolf) und Fuchs (JSFO VI) 70; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 163—7, 172—4; Korean: Zong in-Sob 105 No. 56; N. A. Indian (Chickasaw): Speck JAFL XXVI 292; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 8 No. 2, 208 No. 36.
K461.1 The bear helps the fox's mother get berries: the fox eats them. Type 39.
J1762.2.1 The bear mistaken for a saint. The godless man is cheated and attacks a bear thinking it is a saint, and barely escapes with his life. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1705; Russian: Andrejev No. *2103.
J2187 The bear riding the horse lets his paws fall on the horse's flanks. He is caught on a tree and leaves his claws in the horse's flesh. Type 117*.
K1728 The bear trainer and his bear. (Schrätel und Wasserbär.) Ogre is driven out by hero's bear. The next year the ogre asks, "Is the big cat still living?" Hero says that it now has many kittens. Ogre is overawed. *Type 1161; **Taylor MPh XVII 305ff.; **Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XXXIII—XXXIV 33ff.; Christiansen "Kjætten paa D[ö]vre" Videnskapsselskapets Skrifter 2 kl. (1922) No. 6; *Fb "hund" I 678b; Kristensen Danske Sagn I (1892) 434ff., (1928) 291—92; Scotland: Baughman.
A2494.8 The bear's enemies. (Cf. A2494.10.3.)
B635.1 The Bear's Son. Human son of woman who marries a bear acquires bear characteristics. (Cf. B601.1.)—*Type 301; *BP II 300ff.; Cosquin I 6; MacCulloch Childhood 270; Panzer Beowulf I 246; *Wesselski Märchen 249 No. 57; *Fb "bjørn" IV 42b; *Dickson Valentine and Orson 118 nn. 49, 50, 172 n. 30.
F451.2.3 The beards of dwarfs.
L435.4 The beggar on the cross in place of Christ. Is made to leave the cross for his impatience concerning the sinners. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 800A*.
J461.1 The belly and the members. Debate as to their usefulness. All mutually useful. *Prato Archivio per lo studio delle tradizioni popolari IV (1885) 25ff.; Penzer V 135 n.; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 399; Wienert FFC LVI *43 (ET 6), 92 (ST 59); Halm Aesop No. 197; Jacobs Aesop 206 No. 29; *Crane Vitry 167 No. 73; *H. Gombel Die Fabel vom Magen und den Gliedern (Beihefte zur Zs. f. romanische Philologie LXXX [Halle, 1934]).—Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas III 71, *301f., *Neuman; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 139; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 393.
J1545.4.1 The besieged women's dearest possession. (Women of Weinsberg.) Permitted to carry from the city their dearest possession, they take their husbands. *DeVries FFC LXXIII 278ff.; *Gaster Germania XXV 285ff.; *Wehrhan Die Sage 31ff.; *Bolte Montanus Gartengesellschaft 615 No. 80.
J1343.1 The best music. What music do you like best? The sound of plates and spoons. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 244 No. 133.
X1071 The big wedding. Giant with sixty daughters. (First ed. X1045.) Type 1961.
J1552.1.1.1 The bigger fool. When told by servants their master is not at home, man says it is a fool that goes out in such midday heat. Whereupon master sticks his head out of the window, saying "Thou who art moving about at this time art the big fool: I have been seated all day in my house." India: Thompson-Balys.
J2173.3 The bird boasts about capturing the rabbit. Meantime other birds eat the rabbit. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 172.
B31.2 The Bird Gam. Throws sand in a stream and makes a lake. Appears at turn of century. Also carries men. Leaps into the sea and sleeps.—Fb "Fugl Gam", "Gam" IV 173b.—Kristensen Danske Sagn II (1893) 131ff., (1928) 94.—Icel.: *Boberg.
Z49.3 The bird indifferent to pain. A man catches a mango-bird eating mangoes and strikes it against the roots of a mango-tree. The bird cannot be made to say it suffers from the blow. In turn, he puts it in water, strikes it on the ground, a stile, a door-frame, singes its feathers, cuts it up, cooks it, and eats it. The bird always expresses indifference in a cumulative rhyme. At last the bird asks him to look out of the window, whereupon it flies out of his nose and the man dies. (First ed. Z41.11.) *Taylor JAFL XLVI 87 No. 2041.
K402.2 The bird without a tail. Thief maintains that the bird had no tail. Africa (Kaffir): Theal 184.
B31.1.0.1 The bird Ziz, Hebrew counterpart of roc. Jewish: Neuman.
K2021.1 The bitten cheek. In payment of a debt, a woman permits a man to kiss her; he bites her cheek so that she has a permanent mark. *Chauvin V 98, 295.
J1622 The blacksmith's and the horse-trader's dreams. They are forced to sleep together because of lack of room. The blacksmith tells the horsetrader that he often dreams that he is striking the bellows and that he may accidently strike him in the night. The horsetrader retaliates by dreaming that he is riding a horse and drives the spurs into the blacksmith. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 109.
J1884 The boat gets tired. The woman tries to tire out her rival's boat so as to win the race, but only tires herself. Type 1277; Christensen DF XLVII 190.
J251.1 The bookman and the boatman: each ignorant of other's work. Bookman's swimming saves their lives. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1561.4.2 The boy "loses his sight." No butter on the bread. Type 1561*.
X435 The boy applies the sermon. Makes a present application of the words of the parson. *Type 1833; U.S.: Baughman.
W111.2.6 The boy eats breakfast, dinner, and supper one immediately after the other; then lies down to sleep. *Type 1561.
X1854.1 The boy in the hollow tree. He frightens the woodchopper who leaves behind his horse. (First ed. X913.1.) Type 1877*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1877*.
T371 The boy who had never seen a woman: the Satans. When he sees a girl and asks his father what it is, the father tells him it is Satan. Asked what he most likes he says, "The Satans." *Type 1678; *Chauvin III 105 No. 16; Herbert III 5; *Crane Vitry 169f. No. 82; Alphabet No. 170; Scala Celi 15b No. 89; Boccaccio Decameron IV (proem) (*Lee 110); Nouvelles de Sens No. 2. — U.S.: Baughman; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas IV 169, 282.
W211.1 The boy: "If I had one and then got two more, I should have three." Type 2411.
J2661.4 The boy's disasters. Foolishly kills his horse and throws his axe into the lake to kill a duck. Undresses to recover axe. Clothes stolen. Goes into barrel of tar to hide. In tar and feathers. *Type 1681.
X1116 The breathing tree. Hunter cuts down tree packed full of animals. The tree is so full of animals that a crack in tree opens as animals inhale, closes when they exhale. U.S.: *Baughman.
K1631 The bribed boy sings the wrong song. The sexton steals the priest's cow. The next day the sexton's son sings, "My father stole the priest's cow." The priest pays the boy to sing the song in church. But the sexton teaches the boy a new song, "The priest has lain with my mother," and this is sung in church. England, U.S.: Baughman; Danish: Kristensen Vore Fædres Kirketjeneste 88ff.; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 144 No. 1735A*; West Indies: Flowers 541f.
J1192 The bribed judge. *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 38; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: *Thompson-Balys.
J1192.3 The bribed judge's ancestors. Clever animal says in court that she drops dung on ancestors of judges who take bribes (unless they confess). Judges confess. India: *Thompson-Balys.
T135.7 The bride must have someone to give her away, usually her father or brother. Icelandic: Boberg.
K2052.1 The bride's (wife's) false modesty. Wears gloves, etc. to bed. Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
T251.6 The browbeaten husband from under the table: "The man always has a man's heart." Type 1366*; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 141 No. 1705.
A137.7 The bull with three cranes. (cf. A132.6). Irish myth: Cross.
J2425 The bungling host. A trickster (animal) visits various animals who display their peculiar powers in obtaining food (often magic). He returns the invitation and tries to provide food in similar ways. He fails and usually has a narrow escape from death. (Cf. J2411.3.) N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 301 n. 103, Speck U Pa I 141 n. 2; Lepers Island: Dixon 128; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 27 n. 1; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 280 No. 97.
J2666 The bungling speaker.
J1352.1 The burden of two asses. A king and his son hunting on a hot day put their fur coats on the fool's back. King: "You have an ass's load on you." Fool: "Rather the burdens of two asses." *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 239 No. 527; India: Thompson-Balys.
H1574.3.1 The burning forge (smithy): he who salvages anvil will be king. Irish myth: *Cross.
N384.0.1.1 The cadaver arm. Medical students (or student nurses or hospital employees) play trick on one of their number by suspending a cadaver arm or leg from the light cord in the person's room (sometimes the object is placed in the person's bed). Some circumstance keeps them from being on hand to observe the person's reaction; the next day they remember the joke and go to the victim's room to investigate. They have to break down the door. They find the victim sitting on the bed—her hair is snow white—and she is gnawing on the cadaver arm. U.S.: *Baughman.
V48 The canonical hours. Irish myth: *Cross.
J1269.6 The capon and the hen. Bishop refuses a favor to an abbess on the ground that he does not love her. Abbess: "I can well believe that. The capon never loves the hen." Wesselski Mönchslatein No. 59; Mensa Philosophica No. 115.
N170 The capriciousness of luck. Icelandic: *Boberg; Jewish: Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys.
K241 The castration bargain: wife sent. The trickster castrates the dupe and is to come the next day and be castrated himself. He sends his wife as substitute. *Types 153, 1133; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn I (1892) 441, (1928) 276—81.
J1908.1 The cat and the candle. A man has a cat trained to hold up lighted candles on its head. The king has a mouse let loose. The cat drops the candle and chases the mouse. *Type 217; **Cosquin études 403ff.; *Fb "kat" IV 255a; *Wesselski Arlotto II 238 No. 131; India: *Thompson-Balys.
J2103.1.1 The cat and the eel-pie. Woman puts cat in flour bin to catch a mouse. The cat eats the pie in the bin and loses interest in the mouse. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
B281.9.1 The cat as vixen's husband. Frightens the other wild animals invited by the vixen. (Cf. K2324.)—Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *103A.
J1175.1 The cat in the warehouse. One of four companions is left in a warehouse to care for a cat which has a broken leg. Cat scratches self near flame and sets warehouse afire. The three must pay the one left behind. Broken leg could not walk and it was the three legs belonging to the three traders which caused the fire. *Zachariae Zs. f. Vksk. XXXIII—XXXIV 72; India: *Thompson-Balys.
J2103.1 The cat to guard the cheese. A farmer troubled with mice eating his cheese places a cat in the tub with the cheese. She eats the mice and the cheese. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 35; *Crane Vitry 138 No. 11; Spanish Exempla: Keller.
A2494.1 The cat's enemies.
J1662 The cat's only trick. She saves herself on a tree. The fox, who knows a hundred tricks, is captured. *Type 105; *BP II 119; *Fb "kat" II 108b, "ræv" III 114a; *Krohn Am Urquell III 177ff.; Magoun California Folklore Quarterly IV 390ff., Jacobs Aesop 209 No. 38; Wienert FFC LVI 66 (ET 303), 143 (ST 492); Halm Aesop 65; *Chauvin III 54 No. 10; *Herbert III 36ff. — Roumanian: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII No 33 I*; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: *Thompson-Balys; cf. Africa (Angola): Chatelain 215 No. 37 (turtle goes into hole).
J1461 The cause of grayness. Fool asked what made him gray-headed replies, "My hair." *Wesselski Bebel I 228 No. 133.
K607.1 The cave call. ("Hello, house!") An animal suspecting the presence of an enemy in his cave (house), calls and receives no answer. He then says, "Don't you know, O cave, that we have agreed that I must call you when I come from abroad and that you in turn must answer me?" The hiding animal answers and the other flees. **M. Bloomfield JAOS XXXVI 58; Louisiana Creole: Fortier MAFLS II 110; Mexican Spanish: Espinosa JAFL XXIV 419ff.; India: *Thompson-Balys, Panchatantra (tr. Ryder) III 15, 361; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 853; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 31; N. A. Indian (Oaxaca, Mexico): Boas JAFL XXV 208; Africa (Zanzibar): Bateman 41; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Friends 142 No. 19; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 247 No. 23; West Indies: Flowers 517.
J1510 The cheater cheated.
J1276 The child born too soon.
N122.0.1 The choice of roads. At parting of three roads are equivocal inscriptions telling what will happen if each is chosen. Brothers each choose a different road. Köhler-Bolte I 537ff.; India Thompson-Balys.
V317 The chosen people. Jewish: *Neuman.
J1264.1 The church his wife. Priest accused of being too intimate with parishioners' wives says that the church is his wife and that the men treat her far more shamefully than he treats any woman. Bolte Frey's Gartengesellschaft *253 No. 96.
J1731.1 The city girl: Do turnips grow in the ground or on trees? Type 2010*.
J1731 The city person ignorant of the farm.
V52.12 The clever brothers work, the foolish brother only prays; finally he acquires all the property. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1666*.
H461.1 The clever wife in disguise wins a second wife for her husband. India: Thompson-Balys.
Z46 The climax of horrors. The magpie is dead. Overate on horseflesh. —Horses dead?—Overworked at fire.—House burned down? —etc. (First ed. Z41.10.) *Taylor JAFL XLVI 87 No. 2040; Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 203; Wesselski Mönchslatein 25 No. 20; **Zachariae Kleine Schriften 191ff.; *Crane Vitry 216ff. No. 205; *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. VII 99 n. 5. —Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2040*; Russian: Andrejev No. 2014 I*; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: *Thompson-Balys.
J1061.1 The cock and the pearl: prefers a single corn to a peck of pearls. Wienert FFC LVI 45 (ET 28), 130 (ST 375); Jacobs Aesop 198 No. 1; Crane Vitry 157 No. 54; Spanish Exempla: Keller.
Z43.2 The cock strikes out the hen's eye with a nut. The cock blames the hazel bush for tearing its knickers, the hazel bush the goat for gnawing at it, the goat the shepherd-boy for not tending it, the boy his mistress for not baking him a bun, the mistress the pig for eating up the dough, the pig the wolf for killing its young. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2030G; Livonian: Looritz FFC LXVI No. 241@1; Russian: Andrejev No. 241 II*.
Z43 The cock's whiskers. A mouse throws a nut down and hits the cock on the head. He also steals the cock's whiskers. The cock goes to get an old woman to cure him. The final formula is: Fountain give up water for forest, forest give up wood for baker, baker give up bread for dog, dog give up hairs to cure the cock. (Variant: mouse loses tail.) *Taylor JAFL XLVI 85 No. 2032; *BP II 107; Norlind Svenska Allmogens Liv (Stockholm, 1925) 613 "Tupen och hänen"; Haavio FFC LXXXVIII 89 n. 1; RTP XV 220.—Russian: Andrejev No. 241 I; N. A. Indian (Zuсi): Cushing 411.
K171.7.1 The common cow and bull: one gets front of cow and back of bull. India: *Thompson-Balys.
K2135 The complaint about bad breath: trouble for the king's favorite. A steward advises the courtier to hold his head away when serving the king, since the king objects to his bad breath. He then tells the king that the courtier holds his head back to avoid the king's bad breath. Penzer II 113; *Chauvin VIII 144 No. 145 B; *Zs. f. Vksk. IX 188ff., 311ff.; *Oesterley No. 283; Herbert III 198; *Cosquin études 82, 116; *Paris Romania V 454ff.; Hertz Deutsche Sage im Elsass (1872) 283ff.; Dunlop-Wilson II 49; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys.
J2088 The considerate seller. A numskull having an over-short turban for sale at auction warns the prospective buyer that it is too short. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 223 No. 58.
J1448 The contagious yawns. A husband planning to punish his wife, who has yawned in church at the same time as a man, sees his error when his wife in the woods calls out, "The squirrels hop from bough to bough as the yawns from mouth to mouth." Finnish: Aarne FFC VIII 6 No. 23; XXXIII 52 No. 23; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 141 No. 12; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 84 No. 35.
T315.2 The continent husband. (Cf. T271.)
E121.4.1 The cooked and revived child. Saint to a woman: "Cook me what you like most." Gullible woman cooks son. Saint revives child. Lithuanian: Balys Legends Nos. 80f.
K2151 The corpse handed around. (The thrice-killed corpse.) Dupes are accused of murder when the corpse is left with them. The trickster is paid to keep silent. *Types 1536C, 1537; *Taylor MPh XV 221ff., 226 n. 1; **Suchier Der Schwank von der viermal getöteten Leiche (Halle a. S., 1922); *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 598; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 214 No. 438; Köhler-Bolte I 190; Bédier Fabliaux 469; BP II 10; Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 73 n. 3.—Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 176, 189, *Espinosa JAFL XLIX 181—193; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda.
X422 The corpse with his feet cut off. The coffin-maker has fitted him to the coffin. The parson: "On the last day he will arise." One of the coffin-makers: "Did I say that?" Type 1699*.
J1397 The cost price recovered. A man takes a shirt to market for a friend who has stolen it. At market it is stolen from the seller. He tells his friend that the market was bad and that he was able to get back only the cost price (nothing). *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 230 No. 491.
J1742 The countryman in the great world.
J1193.2.1 The Court keeps the change. Man is fined half-ducat. Judge has no change. Defendant strikes judge for the change. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
B282.23 The courtship of the stork and the crane. Go a-courting one another across the marshes but never come to an understanding, as each time either one or the other changes his mind. (Cf. T91.)—Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *223; Russian Andrejev No. *244 I.
B715 The cow Audhumla sprang from the dripping rime of the creation of the universe. (Cf. A1245.4. and B19.2.1.)—Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 324.
B19.2.1 The cow Audhumla. Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 324.
K2323 The cowardly duelers. In the war between the wild and the domestic animals, the cat raises her tail; the wild animals think that it is a gun and flee. *Type 104; *BP I 425; Dh IV 209; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 246—248.
N271.3 The Cranes of Ibycus. Murdered man calls on cranes, the only witnesses of the murder, to avenge him. The cranes follow the murderer and point him out. *BP II 532; *Amalfi Zs. f. Vksk. VI 115ff.; *Zachariae ibid. IX 336; Scala Celi 100b No. 539; Hertz Abhandlungen 334; Köhler-Bolte II 563; Chauvin II 123, VII 146; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 27. — England: Baughman; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 209; Jewish: *Neuman.
Z39.3 The crow on the tarred bridge. His beak and tail alternately stick. (Endless.) (First ed. Z31.4.3.) (Cf. Z11.) *Taylor JAFL XLVI 81 No. 2017, Hdwb. d. Märchens II 190a; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2017.
V211.2.3 The Crucifixion. Irish myth: *Cross.
W182 The crying child. He stops crying so that after a rest he can cry louder than ever. *Crane Vitry 265 No. 300; Herbert III 13 No. 85; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 594; Scala Celi 158b No. 892.
K362.3 The cup to be repaired. A thief poses as a messenger from a husband to his wife asking that a certain silver cup be sent for repairs. *Wesselski Mönchslatein 126 No. 109; Scala Celi 101a No. 543; Mensa Philosophica No. 56; Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J2665.1 The cup with two and three handles. When the servant girl presents the cup to the emperor she holds the handle herself. When there are two handles she holds one in each hand, and when there are three she holds the third one toward her. Type 1327*.
T258.1 The curious wife: wait and see. A man and his wife overhear thieves planning to rob the house, put the man out of the way, and have their will of the wife. The man wants to raise an alarm. She says, "Wait and see." *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 242 No. 538.
T258 The curious wife. India: *Thompson-Balys.
C94.1.1 The cursed dancers. Dancers rude to holy man (Jesus) cursed and must keep dancing till Judgment Day.—*Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XIX 309 n. 1; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 388; Ward Catalogue II 660 No. 30; *Herbert ibid, III 283, 312; Alphabet No. 215; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 296f. Nos. 3, 28; Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 18 No. 168.
K1512 The cut-off nose. (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 it has grown back by a miracle (or that he was dreaming). *Type 1417; Bédier Fabliaux 228ff.; Chauvin VI 100 No. 267; *Penzer V 47 n. 3, 223ff., VI 271; Mensa Philosophica No. 40; Boccaccio Decameron VIII No. 8 (Lee 222); Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 38; Bødker Exempler 280 No. 24; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys.
J1442.9 The cynic and the bald-headed man. His only reply to the baldheaded man's slanders is to compliment the hair that has left such a horrible head. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.7 The cynic and the bastard stone-thrower. Cynic: "Be careful; you might hit your father." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802; Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1442.6 The cynic and the big gates. Coming to a little town with big gates, he says, "Close the gate so that the town won't run away." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.10 The cynic and the deceiver. When the deceiver calls him wicked, he says, "I am glad that you are my enemy; for you do good to your enemies and evil to your friends." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.11 The cynic and the fig tree. Man tells friend that his wife has hanged herself on a fig tree. Friend: "Give me a shoot of that tree!" Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1442.3 The cynic and the pale gold. "Why is gold so pale?" "It is in great danger." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.5 The cynic as judge of wine. Asked which wine tastes best, he says, "That belonging to other people." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.2 The cynic at the bath. Leaving an unclean bath house: "Where can I go now to wash?" Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.8 The cynic discusses heaven. Hearing a man discoursing at great length about heaven, he asks, "When did you come down from there?" Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.1 The cynic wants sunlight. King (to cynic): "What can I do for you?" "Get out of my sunlight. Don't take away from me what you can't give me." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1442.4 The cynic's burial. Asked who will carry him to his grave if he has no friends: "He who needs my house." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.11.1 The cynic's wish. When he learns that a woman has hanged herself from a tree he explains: "Would that all trees bore such fruit!" Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
K341.21 The dance of the thief. While singing and dancing in the farmer's house, the thief gives hints to his friend in the loft, how to steal the bacon. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1629*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1525 II*.