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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| D1454.2.1 | Flowers fall from lips. *BP I 100 n. 1; Köhler-Bolte I 126.—Malone PMLA XLIII 405; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| V222.11 | Flowers fall from saint's mouth while he speaks. (Cf. D1454.2.1.) *Loomis White Magic 95. |
| D1454.4.3 | Flowers from tears. Hartland Science 238. |
| A2621.1 | Flowers from under the feet of Virgin Mary. (Cf. A2650.)—*Dh II 258; BP I 100 n. 1. |
| V229.2.7 | Flowers grow on graves from the mouths or hearts of holy persons. (Cf. E631.1.) *Loomis White Magic 95. |
| D2167.3 | Flowers magically kept from withering. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 501. |
| F979.9 | Flowers pressed yield wine. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| F971.6 | Flowers spring up when saint strikes ground. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 675. |
| H316.2 | Flowers thrown to indicate princess's choice. Cosquin Contes Indiens 317ff.; Missouri French: Carrière; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| F162.2.9 | Flowing stream forms arc over otherworld isle. Irish myth: Cross. |
| D1364.25.1 | Flute causes magic sleep. (Cf. D1223.1.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| L113.10 | Flute player as hero. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J953.3 | Flute-player thinks song meant for the prince is sung to him. Punished for presumption. Wienert FFC LVI 81 (ET 478), 93 (ST 71). |
| Z25 | Fly forgets her name; asks woodcutter, axe, tree, etc., in vain. Finally foal in mare's belly says her name is "fly". India: Thompson-Balys. |
| Z43.4 | Fly frightens snake; snake frightens rats; rats frighten monkey, etc. Africa (Cameroon): Mansfield 228, (Fang): Tessman 79ff., (Duala): Lederbogen Märchen 124, (Swahili): Steere 287ff. |
| B251.2.4 | Fly habitually buzzes when cleric returns from matins. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B587.2 | Fly helps loathly suitor pass suitor test. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B152.2 | Fly indicates successful suitor. Girl to marry man on whom specially marked fly lights.—India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J211.2.1 | Fly jeers at king's elephant for his lack of freedom. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2239.2 | Fly punished for failing to answer question: is speechless, buzzes and associates with foul things. (Cf. A2426.3.3, A2433.5.2.) Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 384. |
| A2229.4 | Fly steals fire from spider: may eat everywhere. Spider brings fire from hell. Fly steals it from him on the way. (Cf. A2545.1.)—Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 93 No. 101. |
| B483.1.0.1 | Fly warns saint against devil hidden in a cup with liquor. *Loomis White Magic 66. |
| E64.1.1.3 | Fly-whisk of life and death. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B256.10 | Fly, wren, fox live with cleric. Irish myth: Cross. |
| A2426.3.3 | Fly's buzz. (See A2239.2.) |
| B49.2 | Flying ape. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 235. |
| B43.1 | Flying buffalo. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| F861.2.1 | Flying carts. Have winged framework. Chinese: Werner 391. |
| K25.1 | Flying contest won by deception: riding on the other. Wren hides in eagle's wings. (Cf. K11.2.) *Type 221. |
| K25 | Flying contest won by deception. |
| B48 | Flying crustacean. (Cf. B62, B94.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| B11.4.1 | Flying dragon. (cf. B11.2.1.11.)—BP III 423; *Fb "drage" (flies over the mountain).—Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 319, 345; *Boberg; Greek myth: *Frazer Apollodorus I 38 n. 2 (air-going chariot and dragons); Irish myth: Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| E511.2.1 | Flying Dutchman has dead men as sailors. Fb "skib" III 243a. |
| E511.1.3 | Flying Dutchman sails because he defied the storm. Engert passim. |
| E511.1.1 | Flying Dutchman sails because of cruelty. See all references to E511. |
| E511.1.2 | Flying Dutchman sails because of pact with Devil. Engert 21ff. |
| E511.2 | Flying Dutchman's ship. |
| B62 | Flying fish. Irish myth: Cross. |
| B49.3 | Flying fox. Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 235. |
| B41.2 | Flying horse. Sometimes represented as having wings, sometimes as going through the air by magic.—*Chauvin V 228 No. 130; Fb "hest" IV 211a; BP II 134; *Hdwb. d. deutschen Märchens s.v. "Arabische Motive"; Penzer II 224; Rösch FFC LXXVII 110—Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 43 (Sleipnir), 185 (Hofvarpnir).—Arabian: Burton I 160, V 246 n., VI 8, VII 46, 53, S II 85; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 838, 1358; Indo-Chinese: Scott Indo-Chinese 314. |
| F738 | Flying island. Floats in sky. (Cf. F755.3.) Hawaii: Fornander Collection IV 518, V 678, VI 253. Cf. Gulliver's Travels, third voyage. |
| F755.3 | Flying mountain. (Cf. F738.) Hindu: Penzer VI 3 n. 1. |
| F772.2.6 | Flying tower. Jewish: Neuman. |
| A2301.5 | Flying-squirrel's body made larger. (See A2213.3.)—Dh III 4. |
| T465.2 | Foal born of Loki after dealing with mythical stallion. Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 90. |
| D2143.3 | Fog produced by magic. Finnish: Kalevala rune 42; Icelandic: *Boberg; Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 451, Rasmussen I 109. |
| F660.2.1 | Follower of a saint is miraculously made a famous preacher. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1886.1.1 | Following luminous tree in the desert. *Chauvin V 234 No. 134 n. 2. |
| G451 | Following witch's fire into her power. *Type 303. |
| P236.1 | Folly of father's giving all property to children before his death. They abandon him. *Oesterley No. 273; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 116 No. 980A. Cf. Shakespeare's King Lear. |
| A1659.1.1 | Fomorians descended from Ham (or Cain). Irish myth: Cross. |
| V224.2 | Food (animals) eaten by saint miraculously replaced. Loomis White Magic 70; Irish myth: *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J712 | Food alone keeps off hunger. |
| D1982.4 | Food and drink appear and disappear in otherworld. (Cf. D1030, D1040.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| D1472.1.24.3 | Food and drink from elk's ears. (Cf. D1011.2.) Klikitat: Jacobs CU XIX 3. |
| D1472 | Food and drink from magic object. India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 335 n. 210; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 248 No. 25. |
| Q552.16 | Food and drink refused saint miraculously become putrid. (Cf. D2096, Q227.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| D1365.3 | Food causes magic forgetfulness. (Cf. D1030.)—Icelandic: *Boberg; Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 446. |
| Q552.16.1 | Food concealed from saint miraculously changed to stones. (Cf. Q551.3.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| Q585.4 | Food disappears because of wastefulness. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| F1091 | Food does not spoil saint's clothing. Irish myth: Cross. |
| D2089.7.1 | Food dwindles as soon as it is cooked. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| V411.6 | Food given away by saint miraculously restored. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| J1856 | Food given to object. (Cf. J1871.) |
| D1665 | Food has taste of any dainty desired. (Cf. D1030, D1359.4.) Irish: Plummer clxxxv, *Cross; Jewish: Neuman; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 824, 930. |
| D694 | Food left for transformed person. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1561.1.6 | Food left on magic stone brings good luck thereafter. (Cf. D931.) Irish myth: Cross (D1561.8). |
| F406.2 | Food left out for spirits at night. *Fb "offre" II 735a. |
| Q552.3.4 | Food magically disappears. India: Thompson-Balys; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 431. |
| D2167.1 | Food magically saved from corruption. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| A2435 | Food of animal. *Dh III 295ff., 308ff. |
| A2435.3.3 | Food of bear. (See A2251.1.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2435.4 | Food of birds. Joshua: Frachtenberg JAFL XXVIII 232 (corpses). —India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| A2435.4.5 | Food of buzzard. Ojibwa: Skinner JAFL XXXII 282. |
| A2435.3.2 | Food of cat. (See A2247, exchanged with dog.)—Dh III 124, IV 121ff., 128 (to eat before dog). |
| A2435.4.8 | Food of cock. |
| A2435.4.7 | Food of crow. Why crows peck at flesh of men. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2435.4.1 | Food of cuckoo. (See A2241.4.)—Dh III 133. |
| A2435.3.1 | Food of dog. (See A2247, exchanged with cat.)—Dh III 124, IV 112ff., 121ff. |
| A2435.4.4 | Food of eagle. Tahltan: Teit JAFL XXXII 242 (fish).—Ila (Rhodesia): Smith and Dale 372 No. 21. |
| A2435.6 | Food of fish, reptiles, etc. |
| A153.5 | Food of gods: meat of "cow of plenty". India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2435.3.12 | Food of hare. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| A2435.6.6 | Food of hawks. Chinese: Graham. |
| A2435.4.6 | Food of hawks. Ibo (Nigeria): Basden 140; Angola: Chatelain 111 No. 7. |
| D1346.3 | Food of immortality. (Cf. D1030.)—**G. Dumézil Le festin d'Immortalité (Paris, 1924)—Irish myth: *Cross. |
| A2435.5 | Food of insects. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2435.4.10 | Food of jackdaw. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| A2435.3.16 | Food of jaguar. |
| A2435.3.17 | Food of leopard. |
| A2435.3.7 | Food of mouse. |
| A2435.4.9 | Food of owl. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| A2435.3.14 | Food of pig. Jewish: Neuman. |
| A2435.3.10 | Food of rat. |
| A2435.3.11 | Food of reindeer. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| A2435.6.2 | Food of snake. Jewish: Neuman; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 386; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2435.3.13 | Food of squirrel. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| A153 | Food of the gods. Ambrosia.—Smith Dragon 188; Hindu: Keith 106, Tawney I 425, 478; India: Thompson-Balys; Greek: Roscher I 280.—Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 67; Icel.: MacCulloch Eddic 313; Irish myth: Cross. |
| A2435.3.9 | Food of tiger. |
| A2435.6.1 | Food of tortoise. Jewish: Neuman; Ila (Rhodesia): Smith and Dale 370 No. 21. |
| A2435.3 | Food of various animals—mammals. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| A2435.3.4 | Food of wolf. Man.—Finnish: Aarne FFC XXXIII 53. No. 75*; Esthonian: Aarne FFC XXV 144 No. 37. |
| A2435.3.5 | Food of wolverine. Tahltan: Teit JAFL XXXII 247 (corpses). |
| A2435.4.11 | Food of wren. |
| D1472.1 | Food or drink received directly from magic object. Cox Cinderella 473; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 106ff. |
| A1420.4 | Food originally obtained without effort. Jewish: Neuman; Calif. Indian: Gayton and Newman 59. |
| E541.1 | Food placed out for returning souls of dead. Germanic: Celander Nordisk Jul I 203ff., Wuttke Volksaberglaube 471, Archiv f. Religionsgeschichte XIX (1918) 134; Lappish: Rheen Svenska Landsmеlen XVII (1898) 27; Slavic: Máchal 230; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1766.1.8 | Food produced by prayer. Scala Celi 138a No. 774. |
| D1318.7.1.2 | Food sticks in thief's throat and betrays him. (Cf. D1030.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D2087.6 | Food stolen by magic. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| D1030.1 | Food supplied by magic. Most of the references in D1030 also belong here. *Types 563, 564.—Irish: *Cross, O'Suilleabhain 38, Beal XXI 314; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 192; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "repas"; Jewish: *Neuman; India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesian: Dixon 238 n. 51; Jamaican: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 248 No. 25; Eskimo (Cumberland Sound): Boas BAM XV 248; S. A. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 44, 88. |
| D1030.1.1 | Food supplied by means of prayer. Irish myth: Cross. |
| C934 | Food supply fails because of broken tabu. Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 452, (West Hudson Bay): Boas BAM XV 200; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 111; Samoa: ibid. 450. |
| C154.1 | Food tabus following childbirth. Eskimo (Greenland): Rasmussen II 295, (Cumberland Sound): Boas BAM XV 312. |
| D476 | Food transformed. |
| F811.5.1 | Food-dropping trees. *Loomis White Magic 87; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| A494 | Food-goddess. India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Anesaki 232. |
| F811.5 | Food-producing trees. |
| D1472.1.12.1 | Food-providing frying pan. (Cf. D1171.1.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| D1472.1.3.2 | Food-providing leaf. (Cf. D955.) Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 491. |
| F183 | Foods in otherworld. Irish myth: Cross. |
| M301.9.1 | Fool (entertainer) as prophet. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N338.2 | Fool (person) disguised as (supposed) king killed. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| J2499.3 | Fool admits crime but pleads mistakes in the details of the accusation. Penzer V 117f. |
| J2331.2 | Fool appointed to fictitious office boasts of it. "Administrador de la yesca." Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 138 No. 1689A*; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| P192.2 | Fool as clever judge. Irish myth: Cross. |
| Z253 | Fool as hero. (Cf. L121.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| J1905.4 | Fool asks owner of oxen why he does not milk them since he is not working them. Canada: Baughman. |
| J2012.6 | Fool at baths believes he is someone else. Sees everybody naked. Puts straw on his shoulder to identify himself. Straw floats to another bather. "You are me and I am you!" Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2325.1 | Fool believes gold in bag turns to ashes because of child's urinating on it. Actually bag contained only ashes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2045 | Fool believes plea of not guilty even though he has seen man injure him. Nouvelles Récréations No. 2. |
| J1849.1 | Fool believes realistic story. Inappropriate action. |
| J1919.7 | Fool believes that he has begot child with his sister by an earbox. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| J2285.1 | Fool believing in omens refuses to prepare for death. Bird has chirped five times, which he thinks guarantees him five more years to live. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 289. |
| P192.4 | Fool can live under water. Irish myth: Cross. |
| P192.3 | Fool can walk on water. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J1842.2 | Fool cannot answer as his mouth is full; thought to have an abscess in cheeks, allows them to be cut open. India: Thompson-Balys. (Cf. W111.5.8.) |
| J1735 | Fool cannot tell his right hand in the dark. *Clouston Noodles 91. |
| J1745.1 | Fool cannot tell sex of nudes, since they have no clothes on. U.S.: Baughman. |
| J2214.8 | Fool carries his wife to the remedy instead of the opposite. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1916 | Fool carries wife across stream head downwards and drowns her. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2412.8 | Fool claims to cure goitre by striking. Has seen melon thus dislodged from camel's throat. (Cf. F952.3.1, F953.1.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2131.3.1.1 | Fool cuts off his arms to wear sleeveless sweater. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J1919.4 | Fool cuts off tails of oxen so that they will look like fine steeds. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 769. |
| J2133.13 | Fool dangling from tree by hands tries to clap them together: falls. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1011.1 | Fool deceived into curing headache by removing his eyes. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J95 | Fool digs holes in edge of road. Only those departing from straight path will fall in. Truth of principle later seen. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2365 | Fool discloses woman's adultery; lover kills him. Irish myth: *Cross; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1905.1 | Fool does not milk cow for a month so that she will give plenty for a feast. Penzer V 72. |
| J2014 | Fool does not recognize his own house and family. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2081.3 | Fool exchanges his wife with ox; thinks something to be wrong with her head (she has been marked with red at the parting of her hair). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J565.1 | Fool fasts on roof till he becomes so weak he falls off. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2044 | Fool forgets master's message. As result of his absent-mindedness he is given a heavy mortar to take to his master. The latter makes him return it as punishment. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2622 | Fool frightened by stirring of the wind. Falls on a knife and kills himself. Africa (Ibo, Nigeria): Basden 277. |
| T125.1 | Fool given intelligent wife; lame man hardworking wife. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J551.2 | Fool given the truth on his back. He tells his master what the servants have done during his absence. The servants whip him on his bare back, saying at each blow, "That is the truth." When the master returns and tells the fool to tell the truth, the latter replies, "There is nothing worse on earth than the truth." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 1. |
| J2193 | Fool has himself buried because he stinks. Indonesian: DeVries's list No. 271, Coster-Wijsman 53 No. 78. |
| J2091.1 | Fool hides treasure and leaves sign "Here it is." Thief leaves sign "Here it is not." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 74; Mensa Philosophica No. 141. |
| J2093.3 | Fool ignorant of value of jewel throws it away. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2012.4 | Fool in new clothes does not know himself. Wesselski Mönchslatein 193 No. 152; Christensen DF XLVII 221 No. 83. |
| J2489.1 | Fool interprets metaphors (or slang expressions) about drink. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J163.2.1 | Fool is told to get a pottle of brains. He tries to buy them. He finally learns that advice was to marry a clever girl. England: Baughman. |
| J1732.2 | Fool is unacquainted with bananas, throws away the fruit, finds the rest bitter. (Similar for watermelon, plums.) England, Canada, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J2671.2 | Fool keeps repeating his instructions so as to remember them. (He usually forgets them.) *Clouston Noodles 133. |
| J2173.5 | Fool kills chickens by throwing them off a balcony against a stone. Kites carry them off. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 66 No. 1692. |
| J2518.1 | Fool kills himself in despair because a sparrow has taken one grain from his field. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| J2518.2 | Fool kills himself in despair because an ox has been killed. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| J2345 | Fool kissed in sleep. Dreams he is being kissed by fairy. Is really a pig. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| U15 | Fool laughs at the absurdities he sees about him. (1) Sees a man who is to die that day buy shoes. (2) Sees sheriff leading a man to the gallows: a big thief leading a little one. (3) Sees farmer weeping at funeral of his child, while priest (the real father) sings. Wesselski Mönchslatein 193 No. 153. |
| J1769.3 | Fool lays his hand on demon in the dark, believing it is male goat he has come to steal. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2461.2.2 | Fool learns to repeat commonplace expressions: by chance thus scares off wife's suitors. Chinese: Graham. |
| J2176 | Fool lets wine run in the cellar. He (she) falls into a study (or chases a dog) while the spigot is open. *Type 1387; BP I 316, 521ff.; *Fb "tosse" III 832a, "t[ö]nde" III 935a, "[ö]l" III 1175; Christensen DF L 49; Italian Basile Pentamerone I No. 4. |
| J2524 | Fool liking salt decides to eat nothing else. Penzer V 71f. |
| J2332 | Fool locked in dark room made to believe that it is continuous night. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 137 No. 1684; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2355.1 | Fool loses magic objects by talking about them. *Type 563; **Aarne JSFO XXVII 1-96; BP I 349ff.; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 1. |
| P192.5 | Fool makes friends with birds and beasts. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J1873.1 | Fool makes shoes for animals as well as men, since he expects a cold winter. *Type 1695. |
| J1761.11 | Fool mistakes dung-beetles for fruit: eats them. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1836 | Fool not recognizing coins lying on roadside leaves them. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P523.2.1 | Fool not to be punished for his crime. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1372.2 | Fool passed off as very eligible young man by matchmaker. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N685 | Fool passes as wise man by remaining silent. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 32; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J2367 | Fool points out hiding place to evil spirits. Banks Islands: Beckwith Myth 442. |
| J2133.14 | Fool re-enacts the accident. Falls and injures self and others. (Cf. J2062.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| P192.7 | Fool recognized by lump on his forehead. Irish myth: Cross. |
| R169.10.1 | Fool rescues girl and wins her for his wife. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1758.1.1 | Fool rides tiger thinking it to be a big male-goat. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2199.1.1 | Fool rings bell to announce that he has won at chess. No one comes when he rings to save his home from fire. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2171.2.2 | Fool roofs his house on the inside. New Britain: Dixon 123. |
| J1922.2.1 | Fool seeks the ears of grain in the direction of the cloud toward which he has sowed them. Type 1278*. |
| J1791.10 | Fool sees golden-crested bird reflected in water. Thinks it is gold. Penzer V 115 n. 1. |
| J1852.1.1 | Fool sells balls of thread to great lizard. Next day he finds a treasure there. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1853.1 | Fool sells goods to a statue. He is told not to sell to talkative people. The statue is the only one he can find who is not talkative. *Chauvin VI 126 No. 280; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 211 No. 426; Fansler MAFLS XII 352; Clouston Noodles 144; Spanish: Espinosa III 147; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 4. |
| J1881.1.7 | Fool sends letter home by a flooded river. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2243 | Fool sleeps so as to avoid idleness. Clouston Noodles 78. |
| J2129.8 | Fool sows his mother's seed rice on other people's fields. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2129.4 | Fool sticks needle in haywagon. He has been told to stick it in his sleeve. It is lost. Type 1696; *BP I 314; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 141 No. 1703. |
| J1851.3.1 | Fool stops hole with money. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "argent". |
| J2465.11 | Fool takes threat to child as an order. Cuts off child's ears. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2565 | Fool thankful that God has built a palace without columns. Else the stones might fall down and kill us. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 270 No. 272. |
| J2561 | Fool thanks God that he was not sitting on the ass when it was stolen. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 230 No. 495. |
| J1817 | Fool thinks belly is speaking to him; stabs himself. Other animals are shouting at him. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 78. |
| J1816 | Fool thinks gold is being destroyed when snails crawl over it. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| J1749.1 | Fool thinks that "aforesaid" is a title of honor. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2132.2.1 | Fool ties rope to his leg and to dog. Is dragged. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2176.1 | Fool tries to dry up spilt wine with meal. Type 1387; *BP I 522. |
| J1974 | Fool tries to purify cotton by burning it (as the goldsmith does with gold). Penzer V 70; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1909.2 | Fool tries to shoot dead antelope until it will come to him. Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 156 No. 3. |
| J1732.1 | Fool unacquainted with sausage. He squeezes the inside out and takes the covering for a sack. Type 1316*; cf. Christensen DF XLVII 216 No. 76. |
| J1919.5.3 | Fool undergoes castration to put on weight. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2215.4 | Fool waits for God to provide. Nearly starves. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1819.3 | Fool wakes with sleeping mat over head and thinks it is still night. Marquesas: Handy 25. |
| K1810.1.1 | Fool wears king's crown. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| J1746.1 | Fool weeps each time he reads a book to see how small letters have become: at school they were big and fat. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2162.2 | Fool whose house is burning puts wood on the fire. Herbert III 63; Hervieux IV 280 No. 40. |
| J2525 | Fool will not drink from a river because he cannot drink it all. Penzer V 88; Christensen DF XLVII 211 No. 67. |
| L161.2 | Fool wins beautiful woman as wife. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 530B*; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2242.2 | Fool writes letter very slowly: recipient cannot read fast. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J2311.1.5 | Fool, told yellowing soles of his feet sure sign he is going to die, digs his grave and lies in it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K661.1 | Fool's brothers substitute a goat for the body of the man he has killed: thus save him. *Type 1600; *Chauvin VI 126 No. 280; Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 183 No. 347; India: *Thompson-Balys; cf. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 308, Coster-Wijsman 53 No. 78. |
| J2346 | Fool's errand. An apprentice, or newcomer or ignorant person, etc., is sent for absurd or misleading or nonexistent object or on a ridiculous quest. Canada, England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J2356 | Fool's talking causes himself and companions to be robbed. Thieves stumble over him as he lies on the ground. "What is this, a log?" The fool: "Does a log have five annas in its pocket?" When they have robbed him he says, "Ask the merchant in the tree if my money is good." They rob the merchant. Clouston Noodles 100. |
| J2671.2.1 | Fool's talking to himself thought to be inappropriate greetings. He keeps repeating a word to remember it but changes it so that it seems to refer unfavorably to people whom he meets. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J445 | Foolish association of young and old. |
| N471 | Foolish attempt of second man to overhear secrets (from animals, demons etc.). He is punished. *Types 461, 503, 613, 676; *BP II 468ff., III 137ff., 324ff.; *Aarne FFC XXIII 169; *Christiansen FFC XXIV 103ff.; *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 230b s.v. "Belauschen von Dämonen". — Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 117; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda, Mitford 191; Korean: Zong in-Sob 151 No. 66; Indonesia: Dixon 216; N. A. Indian (Pochulata): Boas JAFL XXV 223; Africa (Yoruba): Ellis 249ff. No. 2. |
| J1882 | Foolish attempt to educate animals. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2081.2 | Foolish bargain: good fish for worthless shell; shell with pearl in it for small fish. Chauvin II 83 No. 10, cf. II 89 No. 28. |
| J2081.1 | Foolish bargain: horse for cow, cow for hog, etc. Finally nothing left. *Type 1415; *BP II 199; English: Wells 118 (Octovian); India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: Coster-Wijsman 57 No. 84; N. A. Indian (Zuni): Boas JAFL XXXV 74 No. 3. Cf. Africa (Ibo, Nigeria): Thomas 128. |
| J2099 | Foolish bargain: miscellaneous. U.S.: Baughman. |
| J2081 | Foolish bargain: progressive type. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2080 | Foolish bargains. Missouri French: Carrière; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J954 | Foolish boast of ancestry by lowly. |
| J2353.1 | Foolish boasts get man into trouble. Man boasts to boss that his brother can do twice the work he does. The boss hires him. The two brothers tell him their father can do as much work in a day as the boys can do in a week. The boss fires them, tells them to send their father to work for him. (Cf. H915, H916, N455.4.) U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J2463.1 | Foolish bride gives away dowry. While her parents are away from home, a matchmaker and a suitor come to the foolish girl. By following her mother's advice literally, she gives away her dower to the tricksters. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1463. |
| J2462 | Foolish bridegroom follows instructions literally. *Type 1685; *BP I 311; *Fb "brud" IV 64b; Gaster Oldest Stories 167; U.S.: Baughman; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| J2174 | Foolish demands before death. |
| J1795.1 | Foolish demon sees his reflection in trickster's mirror and is convinced he has been captured. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2130 | Foolish disregard of personal danger. |
| X372.4 | Foolish doctor performs useless operation. |
| J1061.3 | Foolish dog finds treasure and dies rather than leave it. Wienert FFC LVI 57 (ET 182), 93 (ST 70, 434). |
| J1968 | Foolish fight with the sea. Absurd attempt to punish sea. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 254. Cf. Yeats's "Cuchulain's Fight with the Sea." |
| J1968.1 | Foolish fight with the sun. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1745.2 | Foolish girl ignorant of what is happening at her first menses. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2462.3 | Foolish husband puts out wife's eyes at night because he heard that a beautiful wife is an enemy. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2062 | Foolish illustration of argument. |
| J2413 | Foolish imitation by an animal. Tries to go beyond his powers. |
| J2412 | Foolish imitation of healing. |
| J2417 | Foolish imitation of leader. Christensen DF XLVII 189 No. 14, 194 no. 19. |
| J2415 | Foolish imitation of lucky man. Because one man has had good luck a numskull imitates and thinks he will have equal luck. He is disappointed. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3252, 3255, 3594, 3691; Arab: Azov JPASB II 412; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; West Indies: Flowers 490. |
| J2411 | Foolish imitation of miracle (magic). |
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