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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| A1422.0.2 | What animals are to be eaten by man. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.3.1 | What are best and worst stones? Best: altar, whetstone, millstone; worst: hailstone, stone in the eye, gallstone. Anderson FFC LXII 228; BP III 220 n. 3; De Vries FFC LXXIII 95. |
| H659.18 | What are the most accursed things? |
| H659.18.1 | What are the most accursed things? A thriftless wife, a baldheaded daughter, a sour-faced daughter-in-law, a crooked axle, and a field which lies across the village road. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2271.2 | What becomes of the old moon? |
| V115.4 | What church bells say. Fb "kirkeklokke" IV 260A. |
| A2236.1 | What creature has sweetest blood: gnat's tongue torn out. Assembly to decide who has the sweetest blood so that it may be the food for the serpent. Gnat discovers that man has the sweetest blood. Rather than let him tell this secret, swallow tears out his tongue. Gnat can only buzz. (Cf. A2344.2, A2426.3.2.)—Dh I 281, 332ff.; Circassian: Nicolaides and Carnoy RTP I 80; Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 192. |
| H797.2 | What does God do? God is astonished that I sit on a horse and the king on an ass (see H797.1.). Anderson FFC XLII 209. |
| H797.1 | What does God do? He brings low the proud and exalts the lowly (said by shepherd masking as bishop to king, who has exchanged places with him). (Cf. H562.) Anderson FFC XLII 207. |
| H659.2.1 | What four things are hardest to hold? Wolf by eyebrows, bear by claws, snake by tail, hawk by beak. Anderson FFC XLII 228. |
| H853 | What goodness did man find on earth that God did not find? (An overlord.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| A2471.7 | What hawks are looking for. Gold Coast: Barker and Sinclair 128 No. 22. |
| H768 | What house gives no hostages, cannot be burned, and cannot be harried? (The fairy stronghold [sídh] of brugh na Boinne.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| J2485 | What is behind you. Woman tells husband she has cooked what is behind him. He sees the door there and tries to cook it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.5.1 | What is best religion—Christian or Mohammedan? They are equally good: as both eyes are equally dear to you, so are both religions to God. (Cf. J1262.9.) Anderson FFC XLII 237. |
| H648.1 | What is best? God. De Vries FFC LXXIII 95; BP II 358. |
| H648.2 | What is best? Water. De Vries FFC LXXIII 95. |
| H651.2 | What is brightest? Mother's eyes. (Cf. H662.) De Vries De Sage van het ingemetselde Kind (Nederlandsch tijdschrift voor volkskunde XXXII 192ff.). |
| H651.1 | What is brightest? The sun. De Vries FFC LXXIII 89. |
| H638.1 | What is costliest? The earth. Köhler-Bolte I 457f. |
| H643.1 | What is deepest? The heart of man. De Vries FFC LXXIII 92; BP II 358. |
| H659.14.1 | What is easiest? The natural. BP II 359. |
| H659.7.1 | What is greatest? Fame. BP II 358. |
| H646.1 | What is greenest? The Month of May. De Vries FFC LXXIII 94. |
| H637.1 | What is hardest? Parent's heart (said by child being sacrificed). *De Vries De Sage van het ingemetselde Kind (Nederlandsch tijdschrift voor volkskunde XXXII 192ff.); BP III 43; *Krappe Balor 165ff. |
| H645.1 | What is heaviest? Lead. De Vries FFC LXXIII 94. |
| H642.1 | What is highest? Sun, moon, and stars. De Vries FFC LXXIII 93. |
| N688 | What is in the dish: "Poor Crab". A sham wise man named Crab is put to a test of his powers of divination. He is to tell what is in a covered dish (crabs). In despair he says, "Poor Crab!" and is given credit for knowing. *Type 1641; *BP II 401ff., 409; Louisiana French: Fortier MAFLS II 116; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 302; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 7f., 144; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Friends 24ff. No. 3; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 182 No. 62. |
| H644.1 | What is longest? The way through the world. De Vries FFC LXXIII 93. |
| H631.6 | What is mightiest? Rain. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.8 | What is moistest? The south wind. Arab: Azov JPASB II 415f. |
| H641.2 | What is most beautiful? Earth. BP II 358. |
| H641.1 | What is most beautiful? The spring. *Type 875; *BP II 357; Köhler-Bolte I 457f. |
| H647.2 | What is most beloved? Health. De Vries FFC LXXIII 94. |
| H647.1 | What is most beloved? Life. De Vries FFC LXXIII 94. |
| H659.25 | What is most faithful thing in world? India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.26 | What is most faithless thing in world? India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.10.1 | What is most general? Hope. BP II 359. |
| H659.13.1 | What is most pleasant? Love. (In spite of childbirth pains women continue becoming pregnant.) Arab: Azov JPASB II 415f. |
| H659.12.1 | What is most shameful? Cowardice. BP II 359. |
| H659.11.1 | What is most useful? Excellence. BP II 359. |
| H659.1.1 | What is oldest? God. BP II 358. |
| U149 | What is one man's food is another man's poison—miscellaneous. |
| H636.1 | What is richest? Autumn. Type 875; BP III 349; Köhler-Bolte I 457f. |
| H652.2 | What is softest? Mother's bosom. De Vries De Sage van het ingemetselde Kind (Nederlandsche tijdschrift voor volkskunde XXXII 192ff.) |
| H652.1 | What is softest? The hand. (In order to lie soft one places his hand between the head and the pillow.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 88; BP II 358. |
| H631.3 | What is strongest? Earth. Type 875; De Vries FFC LXXIII 85; *BP II 357; Köhler-Bolte I 457f. |
| H631.7 | What is strongest? Necessity. BP II 359. |
| H631.9 | What is strongest? The king. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| H631.5 | What is strongest? Truth. Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Jewish: Neuman; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| H631.8 | What is strongest? Wine. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| H631.4 | What is strongest? Woman. Italian Novella: Rotunda; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas I 23, 360, Neuman. |
| H633.5 | What is sweeter than sugar? The princess's speech. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H633.3 | What is sweetest? Mother's breast. De Vries De Sage van het ingemetselde Kind (Nederlandsch tijdschrift voor volkskunde XXXII 192ff); BP III 43; Krappe Balor 165ff.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H633.4 | What is sweetest? One's own interest. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H633.2 | What is sweetest? Peace in heaven. *De Vries FFC LXXIII 81. |
| H633.1 | What is sweetest? Sleep. *De Vries FFC LXXIII 81. |
| H632.2 | What is swiftest? The eye. *De Vries FFC LXXIII 72. |
| H632.3 | What is swiftest? The sun. De Vries FFC LXXIII 72. |
| H632.1 | What is swiftest? Thought. *De Vries FFC LXXIII 71; *BP III 233. |
| H659.4.1 | What is the best fowl? The goose, since it makes the cabbage sweet and the bed soft. Type 922; BP III 233. |
| H653.1 | What is the fattest? The earth. De Vries FFC LXXIII 77; BP II 357f.; Anderson FFC XLII 232 n. 3. |
| H659.24 | What is the finest jewel? India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.7.4 | What is the greatest villainy? Stealing. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| H659.7.2 | What is the greatest? A sense of shame. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H659.7.3 | What is the greatest? Charity. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| H659.15.1 | What is the hardest to skin? The male member. De Vries FFC LXXIII 96. |
| H637.2 | What is the hardest? Death. De Vries FFC LXXIII 94. |
| H822.1 | What is the land that has seen the sun only once? (The land on which the waters were gathered after the creation.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| H659.19 | What is the most difficult to find and the most difficult to lose? The truth. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| H631.1 | What is the strongest? A horse. *De Vries FFC LXXIII 85; Arab: Azov JPASB II 415f. |
| H631.2 | What is the strongest? God. De Vries FFC LXXIII 85. |
| H634.1 | What is the sweetest song? Angel song. Anderson FFC XLII 233. |
| H635.1 | What is the sweetest sound? Bell-ringing. Anderson FFC XLII 233; De Vries FFC LXXIII 91; BP II 357. |
| H635.2 | What is the sweetest sound? God's Word. De Vries FFC LXXIII 90. |
| H823 | What is the tree that became flesh? (Moses's staff.) Chauvin V 195 No. 114. |
| J1311 | What is wanted, not what is asked. A servant is so trained that when the host asks for wine from a good cask he brings it from a cheap one. When the guest objects, the host says that the servant brought not what was asked for but what was wanted. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 370. |
| H659.9.1 | What is wisest? Time. BP II 358. |
| J2284 | What killed the wolf. Peasants find a dead wolf and debate what killed it. A learned man shows that it froze internally from eating cold flesh. Bolte Frey 236 No. 59. |
| H659.6.1 | What kind of work occupies most men? Healing, for every sick man practices this. Anderson FFC XLII 228. |
| Z18.1 | What makes your ears so big?—To hear the better, my child, etc. Type 333. |
| J344 | What one has is neglected in search for other things. |
| A2426.2.11 | What parrot says. Benga: Nassau 199 No. 29; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1825.8 | What religious ascetic sees as gold, ordinary people see as scorpions. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2461 | What should I have done (said)? The mother teaches the boy (the man his wife) what he should say (do) in this or that circumstance. He uses the words in the most impossible cases and is always punished. *Type 1696; *BP I 315, III 145; *Taylor JAFL XLVI 78 No. 1696; **Haavio FFC LXXXVIII 94ff.; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 251f. No. 169; *Fb "tosse" III 831b; Lithuanian: Balys Index Nos. 1691*, 1691A*; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC No. 1363A; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 286; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; Indonesia: Coster-Wijsman 54ff. Nos. 79—82; Africa: Werner African 217f. |
| J1488 | What the bear whispered in his ear. Paid guide climbs tree and leaves traveler to mercy of a bear. Traveler feigns death and the bear sniffs at him and leaves. The guide: "What did the bear say to you?" "He said, never trust a coward like you." Wienert FFC LVI 68 (ET 319), 126 (ST 349); Halm Aesop No. 311; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 422; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P17.13 | What the princes most desire: king asks each of three sons separately. Answers: to study, to make pilgrimages, to build a great kingdom. Last chosen. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H828 | What three not born of male and female ate and drank on earth? (Angels who visited Abraham.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| H852 | What two trees do not fade until they wither? (Yew and holly.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H832 | What was not born, yet life was given to it? (The golden calf.) Jewish: Neuman. |
| X311 | What will happen when there are so many lawyers. Woman sees the crowds of students in the law school. She knows that the one lawyer in her village has ruined nearly everyone. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 787; *Wesselski Bebel I 216 No. 110. |
| J2378 | What will the robber do? A man curious as to what a robber is going to do waits to intervene and goes back to sleep. Chauvin II 82 No. 4; B[ö]dker Exempler 273 No. 4; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D2178.7 | Whatever goldsmith proposes to make comes into existence by itself in the forge. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F159.3 | Wheel (apple) to be followed to otherworld. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| D1385.10 | Wheel buried in doorstep to prevent deviltry. (Cf. D1207.) Fb "hjul". |
| A137.3.1 | Wheel symbol. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F916.2 | Whelp leaps through body of hound. Irish myth: Cross. |
| D112.2.1.1 | When a wer-tiger is injured, similar marks appear on the human body of man who has possessed it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1336.10 | When bow is taken away from owner, he loses all strength. (Cf. D1091.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| T415.7 | When boy cannot have his sister for a wife he asks for one of her eyes and ears instead. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1495.2 | When Caleb comes. Man attempts to stay in haunted house all night. One cat after another enters, says, "Everything will be all right when Caleb comes, won't it?" (or something similar). Man finally says, "When Caleb comes, tell him I was here and left." He leaves. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| D2062.2.6 | When certain thief coughs, watchmen become blind. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F321.1.4.5 | When changeling is threatened with burning, child is returned. (Cf. F321.1.4.3.) Scotland: *Baughman; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 116 No. 19; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3692. |
| B852 | When cow calls her calf, all cattle graze. Irish myth: Cross. |
| F934.5 | When dead man's body is thrown into lake, water turns pitch black and all living creatures therein die. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B103.7.1 | When destructive bird is killed, barn is found full of gold. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| G222.1 | When devil combs witches, sparks fly. Fb "kjæmme" II 148. |
| G303.18.0.1 | When devil leaves dead sinner's body, only bones remain. Irish myth: Cross. |
| D1552.9 | When enchanted deer touches rock with her muzzle it flies asunder and reveals entrance to cave. (Cf. D1011.5.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F960.1.6 | When girl (princess) is born, earth is filled with light. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1777 | When he is looked at too threateningly hero feigns failing ability to go on horseback. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| J1563.6 | When hints do not get rid of unwelcome guests, force must be used. Thus man treats his sons-in-law. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Q501.2.1 | When hungry man tries to gather fruit it flies out of his reach. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J571.1 | When in anger say the alphabet. Man thus restrained from hasty judgment. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 257. |
| B81.12 | When mermaid appears. |
| J1166.2 | When royal mace-bearer is attacked he throws away mace: attackers accuse him of insult to king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F544.1.2 | When sad, man lets one lip fall to stomach; other makes hood over his head. Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 190. |
| V515.1.3.1 | When shower falls, small stone becomes larger, large stone wastes away. Vision of present and future state of Irish church. Irish myth: Cross. |
| D1410.8 | When spying follower accidentally touches holy man's cloak he loses his eyesight and falls down senseless. (Cf. D1053.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| G303.6.1 | When the devil appears. Danielsson Djävulgestalten i Finlands Svenska Folktro (Helsingfors, 1930) 74. |
| G303.17.1 | When the devil disappears. |
| J1088 | When the sweet fails try the bitter. Man pleads with thief who is stealing his figs. When pleading fails he brings him down from tree with stones. (Cf. J1581.2, T251.5.) Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| F420.2.4 | When water-spirits are outside their homes the seas are heavy. (Cf. F420.1.5.3.) *Fb "havfolk" I 569. |
| H707.1 | When were you born? Its beginning is like its end, its top like its bottom (1691). Trog Am Urds-Brunnen IV 105. |
| A1128.2 | When wind-spirit is awake it storms; asleep, it is calm. Tonga: Gifford 53. |
| J1714.3 | When with fools, act foolish. A wise man refuses to join a foolish crowd who stayed out in an unexpected rain after a long drought. He is punished by them for being a fool. *Wesselski Arlotto II 224 No. 91. |
| K2043 | When wolf pretends to slander tiger fox agrees; later tells tiger he was trying to test wolf's malice. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2375.1 | Where animal got feet. |
| J1545.3.2 | Where are the shoes? Fault-finding husband threatens to hit wife with shoes. She: "You will have to have some shoes first." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2378.1.1 | Where baboon got tail. (See A2262.2.) |
| A2378.1.6 | Where beaver got tail. (See A2241.10.) |
| T589.6 | Where children come from. Explanations given to children. Hdwb. d. Abergl. IV 1342ff.; v. Wlislocki Germania N. R. XXII 134ff. |
| A2345.2 | Where coyote got his long teeth. Dh III 33f. |
| A2421.3 | Where crow got voice. Traded with thunder-bird. (See A2247).—Dh III 126. |
| J1321.1 | Where did he get the wine? Father shows drunkard son a drunk man being mocked on the street. Instead of taking it as a warning the son says "Where does one get such good wine?" *Pauli (ed. Bolte) Nos. 21, 814; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas II 115, 344, *Neuman. |
| Z39.4 | Where have you been, goose?—In the fields.—What have you in your beak?—A knife.—etc. (Tile, water, ox, firewood, old woman, friars, mass, shirt.) (First ed. Z31.4.4.) *Taylor JAFL XLVI 80 No. 2011, Hdwb. d. Märchens II 174a; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 154 No. 2018A*. |
| J1483.2 | Where his mule will. A man on a runaway mule is asked, "Where are you going?" "Wherever my mule wants to." *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 181 No. 343; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| A2343.1.4 | Where hornbill got his big beak. (See A2241.9.)—Africa (Cameroon): Mansfield 234. |
| A2351.6 | Where horse got arched neck: arches neck to kick tiger from rear; remains so. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2345.1 | Where horse got his upper teeth. Borrowed them from buffalo. (See A2241.) |
| H681.3.2 | Where is the center of the earth? Here, for the earth is round and any point can serve as center. Anderson FFC XLII 158. |
| H681.3.1 | Where is the center of the earth? Here; if you don't believe it, measure it yourself. Anderson FFC XLII 158; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z49.5 | Where is the warehouse?—The fire burned it down.—Where is the fire?—The water quenched it. (First ed. Z41.13.) Type 2018. |
| A2351.3 | Where Jahrvogel (rhytidoceros) got its necklace. Borrowed form dove. (See A2241.)—Dh III 133. |
| G307.1 | Where jinn comes from. |
| A2343.1.1 | Where kingfisher got his long beak. Dh III 27; Korean: Zong in-Sob 35 No. 19. |
| A2378.1.3 | Where lizard got tail. From the snake. (Cf. A2247.)—Finnish: Aarne FFC VIII 20 No. 110, XXXIII 55 No. 110; Jewish: Neuman. |
| A2378.1.4 | Where mole got tail. Traded eyes for it. (See A2247, A2332.6.5.)—Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 38 No. 287. |
| A2332.1.5 | Where owl got his eyes. Eskimo (Alaska): Jenness 32. |
| A2378.1.2 | Where rat got tail. (See A2241.7.) |
| A2345.3 | Where reindeer got his small teeth. Dh. III 34. |
| A2345.5 | Where snake got his fangs. (See A2247.2.)—Jewish: Neuman. |
| A2343.1.2 | Where snipe got his long beak. Tahltan: Teit JAFL XXXII 219. |
| A2378.1.5 | Where squirrel got tail. (See A2241.7, A2242.) |
| G303.10.5 | Where the devil can't reach, he sends an old woman. (Cf. K1085.) *Type 1353; Wesselski Märchen 196. |
| J1919.2 | Where the ducks ford. A fool is asked where the river is fordable. He says, "Everywhere." The man tries to ride across and is almost drowned. The fool, "Those little ducks were able to cross here; why couldn't a big fellow like you?" Wesselski Bebel II 146 No. 146. |
| J1424 | Where the foxes will meet. Two foxes in a trap converse: "Where shall we meet again?" "In three days at the furrier's." Chauvin III 77 No. 51. |
| N529 | Where treasure is found—miscellaneous. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N510 | Where treasure is found. Chinese: Graham. |
| A2345.4 | Where walrus got his tusks. Traded antlers with caribou for tusks. (See A2247.) |
| J1381 | Where you got it last year. Parson tells borrower to get the corn at the same place as he got it last year. There is none there. "Then you didn't return it as you said you would, and there is none to lend you this year." *Wesselski Arlotto II 259 No. 186; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N264 | Whether man begs all day or for an hour he gets only a small basket of grain. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1418 | Whetting the knife: the whole blade whetted away. *Type 1015. |
| J1545.3.1 | Which does the more work. Wife shows that she does many more tasks in one morning than the husband. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.22 | Which is best, domestic or ascetic life? With good wife domestic life is best. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1664.1 | Which is coldest season? Rainy season or winter (debate between animals). Solution by man as umpire: neither as cold as windy season. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1141.1.7 | Which is man and which demon in man's shape? Decision to go to whichever can go through end of reed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N141.3 | Which is more beautiful, nymph of Luck or of Ill-Luck (Luck when coming, Ill-Luck when going). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N141.1 | Which is more important, learning or wit? India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N141.2 | Which is more powerful, wealth or wisdom? India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.23 | Which is the best of flowers? Cotton. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1171.4 | Which mare is mother of colt: colt taken in boat to the middle of river; mother will swim to it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1552.1.1 | Which was most generous—husband, lover, or magician (similar)? Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H1552.1 | Which was the most generous—husband, robber, or lover? Woman has promised her lover to go to him on her wedding night. Husband lets her go. On way she meets robbers and tells her story. Robbers take her to her lover. She tells what has happened. Lover returns her immediately to her husband. *Type 976; *Köhler-Bolte I 214—216; *Chauvin VIII 123f. No. 110; Penzer VII 7ff.; Chaucer's "Franklin's Tale"; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2062.1 | Which way the sheep shall return. One man plans to buy sheep; another says that he shall not drive them across the bridge. They quarrel over the sheep, which have not yet been acquired. A third numskull to convince them of their foolishness pours all his meal out in the water so as to show them the empty sack. "How much meal is in the sack?" he asks. "None." "There is just that much wit in your heads." *Clouston Noodles 26; Field Pent Cuckoo 2; England: Baughman. |
| K1371.6 | While chief is performing suitor task, rival steals the bride. Easter Island: Métraux Ethnology 57. |
| T584.0.5 | While saint's mother was giving birth to the child, she grasps a stout rod which roots and becomes a sturdy tree. Loomis White Magic 22f. |
| K476.5 | While swimming with the lizard, toad exchanges own ugly daughter for lizard's pretty one. Africa (Luba): DeClerq ZsKS IV 209. |
| K813.1 | Whimbrel sends his adulterous mate to meet him in cave. He has arranged with lion to be there to eat her. Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| F321.1.1.7 | Whipping causes changeling to betray his nature. *BP I 369. |
| E581.1 | Whirlwind as ghost's vehicle. N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 84. |
| R17.1 | Whirlwind carries princess away. (Cf. R10.1.) *Fb "hvirvelvind" I 708. |
| B214.2 | Whistling animals. |
| X442 | Whistling at mass. Bell breaks and priest's patron whistles in place of ringing the bell at mass. *Wesselski Arlotto I 187 No. 7. |
| B157.1 | Whistling of bird leads searcher. Calif. Indian: Gayton and Newman 68. |
| C480.1 | Whistling tabu. *Fb I 326 "fløjte". |
| B214.2.1 | Whistling toad. Chinese: Graham. |
| D1293.3 | White as magic color. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z142.2 | White as symbolic of martyrdom. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| D1447.3 | White ash stick held before snakes causes them to flee. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| D454.3.1.1 | White chasuble suddenly turned into red. *Loomis White Magic 81. |
| D2143.1.13 | White elephant can make rain fall. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 945. |
| A124.2 | White god. Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 152 (Heimdall), 129 (Balder). |
| E501.4.2.1 | White horse in wild hunt. *Schwartz Zs. f. Vksk. VII 235; Schweda 25. |
| J2013.1 | White man made to believe that he is a negro. Sleeps with a negro. His friends blacken him during the night. When he is waked up, he complains that they have waked the wrong man. Clouston Noodles 7; L. Schmidt Oesterr. Zs. f. Vksk. 1954, 130; England, U.S.: Baughman. |
| F811.3.2 | White mango tree. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 448. |
| J1761.2 | White mare thought to be church. Type 1315**. |
| A2412.1.1 | White markings on deer. Liberian: Bundy JAFL XXXII 417. |
| V131.2 | White robes of druids. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| Z142.1 | White rose the symbol of death. BP III 460. |
| F711.3.1 | White sea. Tonga: Beckwith Myth 287. |
| F67 | White sheep carries to upper world, black to lower. *Cosquin Contes indiens 486ff. |
| J1961 | White sheep-skin used as a source of light. Type 1245*. |
| T562 | White woman bears black child. Fb "prins og prinsesse" II 876. |
| V70.2 | Whitsuntide. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| N411.1 | Whittington's cat. A cat in a mouse-infested land without cats sold for a fortune. *Types 1650, 1651; *BP II 69ff.; *Fb "kat" II 108, IV 255b, "mus" II 632a; *Brueyre RTP III 36; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H659.20 | Who are really irresistible? Meat and drink. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.21 | Who are really meek? Cows and daughters. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H659.16 | Who are the best painters? Women (in the art of make-up). Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1269.9 | Who bore the Savior on his back? (St. Christopher.) Parishioner: "The ass, for he bore both the son and his mother." Bolte Frey's Gartengesellschaft 245 No. 81. |
| J1451 | Who gets the beehive. Badger: "I was a hundred years old when grama grass first grew." Crane: "My daughter was a hundred years old when grama grass first grew." Wolf: "I am only eight years old, but we shall see who gets the beehive." Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 31 No. *80, Espinosa III Nos. 268—270, Espinosa Jr. Nos. 26, 27. |
| H674 | Who is greater than God? Man's purpose. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z49.11 | Who is guilty of the accident. (One person blames another who blames another, etc.) India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N551 | Who may unearth a treasure. |
| J2183.2 | Who shall go first? Train leaves overpolite travelers. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H355.0.1 | Who will find the most marvelous thing? Each finds some marvelous thing. It turns out, that to save the girl's life all the things must be used together. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 467*. |
| M312.3.2 | Whoever eats outside of fruit will become a king and whoever eats the seed will drop gems from his mouth every time he laughs. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1262.5.1 | Whoever gives alms in God's name will receive tenfold: preacher's wife gives sweetmeats away. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K445.2 | Whoever hears singing snake must die. Killed by deaf man. (Cf. B214.1.10.) Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 145. |
| F692.1 | Whole epic remembered from one hearing. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera I 262f. |
| N2.5 | Whole kingdom (all property) as wager. *Fb "spille" III 487b, "konge" II 264b; Icelandic: Boberg; India: *Thompson-Balys; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 429. |
| A1006.7 | Whole tribe descended from lone woman-survivor of doomed city. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| X941.1 | Whole village lifted. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2174.2 | Wholesome food for the day of hanging. A man about to be hanged is very particular about his bread lest it impair his health. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 28. |
| J1353 | Whom it concerns. There is someone carrying a goose. How does that concern me? He is carrying it to your house. How does that concern you? *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 231 No. 497. |
| M493 | Whomsoever demons curse is blessed, and vice versa. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J2183.6.1 | Whose duty to put out fire? Officers investigate; meanwhile fire burns town. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A1683.2 | Why a certain tribe wear clothes like dogs (supposed descendants of a bitch mother). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A1365 | Why a lad at puberty is energetic and later lazy. Tahltan: Teit JAFL XXXII 239. |
| A1599.14 | Why a lamp must be lighted in a house at least every fortnight. —India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A1575.1 | Why a mother has prior claim on her children. Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 101. |
| A1665.1 | Why Africans have bad feet. Jewish: Neuman. |
| A2731.4 | Why agar-tree has magic properties. A transformed magician. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A1689.2 | Why Agaria are not afraid of fire. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A1391.1 | Why all limbs are dependent on body. Africa (Cameroon): Mansfield 234. |
| A2760.1 | Why all trees have leaves. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2356.2.11 | Why alligator has rough back. Am. Negro: (Georgia) Harris Nights 141 No. 26. |
| A2344.1.2 | Why alligator has short tongue. Dh III 28. |
| A1312.2 | Why an uneven number of ribs. Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 83 Nos. 21, 22.—Tahltan: Teit JAFL XXXII 226 (floating ribs). |
| A1545.6 | Why animal bones only are used in sacrifice. Greek: Grote I 59. |
| A2464 | Why animal does not attack. |
| A2378.6 | Why animal has bushy tail. |
| A2378.7 | Why animal has flat tail. |
| A2378.5 | Why animal has forked tail. |
| A2578 | Why animal has long life. Jewish: Neuman. |
| A2378.3 | Why animal has long tail. |
| A2344.2 | Why animal has no tongue. |
| A2378.4 | Why animal has short tail. |
| A2344.1 | Why animal has short tongue. |
| A2355.1 | Why animal has small waist. Dh III 36ff. |
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