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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 |
|---|---|
| J1025 | United cocks defeat partridge. When they quarrel they are defeated. Wienert FFC LVI 48 (ET 70), 135 (ST 409); Halm Aesop No. 22. |
| J1025.1 | Cranes fighting as allies defeat all enemies. If they quarrel they are doomed. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J1025.2 | Cats unite in battle against a wolf. They destroy wolf. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J1030 | Self-dependence. |
| J1031 | Grain will be cut when farmer attends to it himself. Lark leaves her young in the cornfield. They hear farmer tell sons to go to neighbors for help in harvesting. Lark tells young not to worry. Same when he sends for relatives. Farmer decides to harvest it himself. Larks move, for they now know that it will be done Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 867; Wienert FFC LVI *70 (ET 341), 126 (ST 351); Halm Aesop No. 210; Roumania: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII No. 93*. |
| J1032 | Stag found by master when overlooked by servants. Hides under hay and escapes until master himself comes. *Type 162**; Jacobs Aesop 207 No. 30. |
| J1033 | Gardener who plants vegetable tends it best. Wienert FFC LVI 74 (ET 391), 145 (ST 508); Halm Aesop No. 191. |
| J1034 | Gods help those who help themselves. Ox driver must put his shoulder to the wheel before Hercules will help him. Wienert FFC LVI *78 (ET 440), 138 (ST 436); Halm Aesop No. 81; Jacobs Aesop 214 No 61. Cf. also Halm Aesop No. 300. |
| J1040 | Decisiveness of conduct. |
| J1041 | Impossibility of pleasing everyone. One must act therefore without awaiting everyone's approval. |
| J1041.1 | Weather to please one only. Attempt to please everyone with weather unavailing. Weather given therefore without regard to men's desires. Type 1830; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 218 No. 51; Wienert FFC LVI 83 (ET 495), 121 (ST 304); Halm Aesop No. 166. |
| J1041.2 | Miller, his son, and the ass: trying to please everyone. Miller blamed when he follows his son on foot; when he takes the son's place on the ass; when he takes the son behind him; and when he puts the son in front of him. *Chauvin II 148 No 2, III 70, 145, VIII 140; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 244 No. 541; Herbert III 420; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 577; Scala Celi 135a No. 745; Alphabet No. 765. — England: Baughman; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1050 | Attention to warnings. |
| J1051 | Death's three messengers. Warns man by loss of appetite, loss of desire for drink, and sickness. Man does not recognize the messengers. *Type 335; *BP III 293; Pauli (ed. Bolte) Nos. 267, 268. |
| J1052 | Cranes disregard warnings and are killed. Wienert FFC LVI 67 (ET 315), 117 (ST 276). |
| J1053 | Snake disregards warnings to improve his manners: eaten by crab. Wienert FFC LVI 50 (ET 99), 60 (ET 219), 89 (ST 13, 281); Halm Aesop No. 346. |
| J1054 | Man disregards mother's warning and is punished. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| J1055 | Man disregards priest's warning and is punished. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| J1060 | Miscellaneous aspects of wisdom. |
| J1061 | Value depends upon real use. |
| 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. |
| J1061.2 | Baldheaded man finds the comb: it is useless. Wienert FFC LVI 45 (ET 29), 130 (ST 374). |
| J1061.3 | Foolish dog finds treasure and dies rather than leave it. Wienert FFC LVI 57 (ET 182), 93 (ST 70, 434). |
| J1061.4 | Miser's treasure stolen. Advised to imagine that his treasure is still there: he will be as well off as before. Wienert FFC LVI 84 (ET 503), 133 (ST 392); Halm Aesop No. 412; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 259 No. 201; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1062 | Cure yourself before doctoring others. |
| J1062.1 | Frog as beauty doctor unable to cure his own ugliness. Wienert FFC LVI 45 (ET 27), 57 (ET 179), 101 (ST 134); Halm Aesop No. 78. |
| J1062.2 | Doctor unable to cure himself scorned. Chauvin II 227 No. 8; Wienert FFC LVI 73, (ET 384), 136, 138 (ST 424, 432); Halm Aesop No. 312; Babrius No. 2. |
| J1062.2.1 | Bald man tries to sell hair restorer. Scorned. Penzer V 83f. |
| J1063 | Pot calls kettle black. |
| J1063.1 | Mother crab blames her children for not walking straight. Jacobs Aesop 211 No. 48; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1063.2 | Drunk man makes sport of another man for being drunk. Wesselski Bebel I 184 No. 38. |
| J1064 | Futility of trying to teach the stupid. |
| J1064.1 | Raven killed by apes who will not receive his teaching that a shining stone is not fire. Wienert FFC LVI 50 (ET 95), 118 (ST 284); Bødker Exempler 286 No. 34; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J1071 | Results of labor lost in a moment of procrastination. |
| J1071.1 | After laboring to make a brazen head, artist loses labor in moment of procrastination. Dickson 211 n. 137. |
| J1072 | Man to be judged by his own qualities, not his clothes. |
| J1072.1 | Guests strike man who tries to interfere in their quarrel. It is their host in old clothes. Guests are humiliated but forgiven. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 415. |
| J1072.2 | Rich Brahmin wearing poor clothing is treated as a beggar. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1073 | Never use your entire resources. |
| J1073.1 | Man who never does any piece of work so well that he cannot improve it. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 310. |
| J1074 | Value of silence. |
| J1074.1 | Parson's apology for not answering challenge: I have never regretted silence but have often regretted speech. *Wesselski Arlotto II 265 No. 208; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 478. |
| J1074.1.1 | Philosopher does not join in with gossipers. He is silent because he fears that some day he may talk too much and not be able to keep silent. Spanish: Childers. |
| J1074.2 | Man does not court ugly woman: she might say yes. Therefore he keeps silent. Spanish: Childers. |
| J1075 | Time renders all things commonplace. |
| J1075.1 | Woman tests enduring power of gossip by having a servant ride through streets on a flayed ass. By the third day he has ceased to attract attention. She concludes that it will be the same way in connection with her intended marriage. Köhler-Bolte II 571 No. 4; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1075.2 | Fox is terrified on first seeing lion. The third time she meets him she has no fear. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1076 | Futility of distant travel. |
| J1076.1 | Man desirous of traveling sent six miles to deliver a letter. Told that he has now seen the world, for he will never see more than valleys, hills, fields, meadows, water, streets, cities, and villages. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 590. |
| J1081 | Preciousness of untroubled sleep. |
| J1081.1 | King buys spendthrift's bed. It must have been an extraordinary bed to permit a man with so many debts to sleep on it. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 503; Herbert III 128 No. 79, 170 No. 35; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1082 | Futility of trying to hide an obvious deed. |
| J1082.1 | Horn will tell the tale. Thus answers goat to herdsman who begs her not to tell master that he has broken off her horn. Wienert FFC LVI 72 (ET 367), 102 (ST 154); Halm Aesop No. 17. |
| J1085 | Money does not always bring happiness. |
| J1085.1 | The happy friar becomes unhappier as he receives ever more and more money. Gets rid of money and is happy as before. *Type 754; *Toldo Zs. f. Vksk. XIII 420; *Crane Vitry 162 No. 66; Herbert III 281; Alphabet No. 276; Scala Celi 80b No. 459; Nouvelles Récréations No. 19; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 258 No. 204. |
| J1085.2 | Possession of gold turns humble servant into arrogant one. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1085.3 | King sees poor man far happier than himself. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J1085.4 | Poor man returns to the emperor all save enough for comfort: wealth would take happiness from his simple life. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1086 | Ignoring the unpleasant. Wise man refuses to react to unpleasantness. "I don't hear the unpleasant." Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1087 | Futility of expecting stranger to have one's interest at heart. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| 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. |
| J1100 | Cleverness. |
| J1110 | Clever persons. Irish myth: *Cross; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| J1111 | Clever girl. **DeVries FFC LXXIII; *Chauvin VII 118 No. 387; Köhler-Bolte II 602 No. 1; *BP III 202; Bloomfield JAOS XXXVI 65.—Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham. |
| J1111.1 | Princess skillful in argument. Penzer VI 73 n. 3, 74f. |
| J1111.1.1 | Princess skillful in pleading. Malone PMLA XLIII 408; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1111.2 | Illegitimate daughter of trickster inherits father's ability to dupe others. Pierre Faifeu No. 43; Nouvelles de Sens No. 8. |
| J1111.3 | Clever daughter-in-law. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1111.4 | Clever peasant daughter. *Type 875, *BP II 349; **DeVries FFC LXXIII; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1111.5 | Clever minister's daughter. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1111.6 | Clever maidservant. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1111.6.1 | Clever slave girl. Jewish: Neuman. |
| J1112 | Clever wife. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1112.1 | Wife reforms wayward husband. Makes gift to husband's mistress so that she may receive him fittingly. Husband is shamed into reforming. Heptameron No. 38; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1112.1.1 | Disguised real wife orders motley wear for her husband when he goes to fetch new bride-to-be: prospective father-in-law takes him for a fool and real wife reveals herself to husband. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1112.2 | Wife dismisses maid who is husband's mistress and tells him she has fled. Husband understands and reforms. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1112.3 | Clever wife advises husband how to succeed on adventures. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1112.4 | Wives prevent war by placing themselves and their children between two armies. Nouvelles de Sens No. 16. |
| J1112.5 | Clever wife obtains secrets from husband by questioning him. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| J1113 | Clever boy. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1114 | Clever servant. (Cf. J1111.6, J1341, J1561.4, N25, P360, W111.2.) |
| J1114.0.1 | Clever slave. (Cf. J1111.6.1.) Jewish: *Neuman. Cf. Aesop. |
| J1114.1 | Man deceived by his hireling. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1855*. |
| J1115 | Clever professions. |
| J1115.1 | Clever gambler. Penzer IX 25 n. 1; Pierre Faifeu No. 10. |
| J1115.2 | Clever physician. Penzer II 2 n. 1; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| J1115.2.1 | Physician decides that there is no need of purging one who drinks so many liquids. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1115.2.2 | Physician removes pea from patient's ear. Knocks him down and pea rolls out. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1115.3 | Clever barber. Penzer III 99ff. |
| J1115.4 | Clever tailor. *Type 1640; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "tailleur". |
| J1115.5 | Clever minstrel. Thien Motive 28. |
| J1115.5.1 | Clever minstrel gets a new robe. Has tattered robe mended with scarlet. Ridiculed "I wish the rest of the robe were of the same material". Is given one. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1115.6 | Clever peasant. *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 187b. |
| J1115.7 | Clever merchant. |
| J1115.7.1 | Clever merchant profits by being robbed. Monkeys steal his caps. Traps monkeys and sells them. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1115.8 | Clever prostitute. Gives advice on many questions. Spanish: Childers. |
| J1115.9 | Clever shepherd. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1115.10 | Clever official. |
| J1115.10.1 | Clever governor. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1115.10.2 | Clever minister. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1116 | Foolish person becomes clever. *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 184ff. nn. 18, 95, 173—176; Irish myth: *Cross. |
| J1116.1 | Clever madman. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1117 | Animal as trickster. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 294. |
| J1117.1 | Jackal as trickster. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1117.2 | Coyote as trickster. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 294ff. |
| J1118 | Clever bird. |
| J1118.1 | Clever parrot. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1122 | Clever younger generation. |
| J1122.1 | Young crow's alertness. Crow advises young ones to fly away if they see man stooping for a stone to throw. Young crows: "What if he already has stone in hand?" India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1124 | Clever court jester. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1130 | Cleverness in law court—general. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J1131 | Maxims for use of law court. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J1140 | Cleverness in detection of truth. |
| J1140.1 | Solomon able to detect truth without evidence of witnesses. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| J1141 | Confession obtained by a ruse. *Chauvin VIII 89 No. 58; Nouvelles Récréations No. 28. |
| J1141.1 | Guilty person deceived into gesture (act) which admits guilt. |
| J1141.1.1 | Largest part of a prize to go to the guilty man. In order to obtain the prize, he confesses the earlier crime. *Type 785; *BP II 149; *Chauvin VIII 101 No. 73; Africa (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 65 No. 9. Cf. American Negro: Harris Friends 160 No. 22. |
| J1141.1.2 | "Thief has grease from stolen fowl on him": thief begins to feel his beard and is detected. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1141.1.3 | Creditor: "The destroyed bond was a cubit in size." Debtor: "That is a lie; it was only a span." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1141.1.3.1 | Stone as witness. Farmer will not pay servant wages due. Closing his bargain with the servant he had said: "May this stone be witness." Judge orders stone brought to court. The farmer: "Oh, but the stone is too big (or very far away)". Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1549. |
| J1141.1.4 | "Guilty man's stick will grow during night." Guilty man chops end off stick. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1141.1.5 | "Thief has the feathers sticking on his head": guilty woman immediately passes her hand over her head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1141.1.6 | To decide which is master and which servant they are to put heads through window and servant's head is to be cut off. Servant draws back. 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. |
| J1141.1.8 | Accused woman to go three times around building naked: guilty one begins to strip off her clothes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1141.1.9 | Thief persuaded detective can read thoughts: confesses. (Cf. N275.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1141.1.10 | Queen flogs suspects telling them to produce stolen gem: thief promises to do so. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1141.1.11 | Confession of debt secured by having defendant dispute as to whether cat was present when debt was made. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1141.1.12 | B warns A not to tie his horse near B's. Horses fight and A's is killed. In court B plays dumb. A says B could talk the day before, and repeats conversation. Judge blames A for not taking advice. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1141.2 | Magician assigned three places at a table. He confesses to carrying two persons in his body. Wesselski Märchen 186 No. 1; Chavannes 500 Contes I 378. |
| J1141.3 | Cheaters examined apart; first made to repeat paternoster. Others think that he has confessed and truth is discovered. *Herbert III 202; Oesterley No. 128. |
| J1141.4 | Confession induced by bringing an unjust action against accused. False message to thief's wife to send the stolen jewel case as bribe to the judge. She does. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 723, *Zachariae Zs. f. Vksk. XXXIII—XXXIV 78; Köhler-Bolte I 535; *Wesselski Arlotto I 222f. No. 67; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1141.5 | Detection of theft by finding bag-repairer. Two men are in a lawsuit and before witnesses seal the documents in a bag to await arrival of the king. One of the men cuts the bag open, changes the documents, and has a repairer sew it up again. On the king's arrival the change is discovered. By having a fine carpet repaired the expert repairer is discovered. Confession follows. *Zachariae Zs. f. Vksk. XXXIII—XXXIV 70. |
| J1141.6 | Thief's money scales borrowed. A man buries gold and a thief steals it. The owner detects the criminal. He takes some money to the thief and borrows money scales "to weigh so as to bury with the other". The thief decides that he is detected and hastens to return the stolen money. *Wesselski Morlini 294 No. 43. |
| J1141.7 | Thief suspected of crawling through hole must take off clothes. He is full of scratches and confesses. Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas IV 99, 280. |
| J1141.8 | Silence points to guilt. Important man quarrels with commoner. Asks bystanders: "Who is right?" Silence. Newcomer states that the important man is wrong. "Had he been right the others would have said so." Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1141.9 | The guilty protests his innocence. Animals put to graze in man's garden. Owner greets everyone with: "I know about you!" No one pays any attention to him except the guilty one who says: "I did not do it." Confesses. (Cf. N275.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1141.10 | Confession obtained by making thief fear for his life. (Told that crossbow would shoot guilty person as he passed before it.) Pierre Faifeu No. 22. |
| J1141.11 | Detection through ruse. Husbands ask suspected priest to talk to wives on tithing, and thus obtain sufficient evidence to convict him. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 32. |
| J1141.12 | Guilty man freed of murder charge is tricked into making a false accusation for which he is sentenced. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| J1141.13 | Witness always to answer "No." Thus gets self condemned. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1141.14 | Minister threatens divine punishment to thief in congregation. The thief confesses. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J1141.15 | The thief is tricked into revealing himself in church. England: Baughman. |
| J1141.16 | The thief is tricked into betraying himself in supposed ordeal. Canada, England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J1142 | Pseudo-scientific methods of detecting. *Penzer Poison-Damsels 75ff. |
| J1142.1 | Test of mother by weighing milk. The one with the heavier milk the mother of the boy; the other of the girl. *Chauvin VI 63 No. 231; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas IV 155. |
| J1142.2 | Love detected by quickening pulse. A woman's adulterous love detected through her pulse quickening at mention of her lover. *Herbert III 268; Oesterley No. 40; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1142.2.1 | Guilt detected by quickening heartbeat. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1142.3 | Adultery detected by spit marks on the wall. Too high to have been made by husband. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1142.4 | Thief's corpse carried through street to see who will weep for him. *Type 950; *BP III 395ff. |
| J1142.4.1 | Mother's weeping for thief made to seem natural. |
| J1142.4.1.1 | Clever son falls from tree, so mother's tears over dead body of father being carried through street will seem natural. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1142.4.1.2 | Woman breaks milk jars so that weeping for thief will seem natural. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1143 | Thief detected by building straw fire so that smoke escapes through thief's entrance. The secret hole into the building is thus discovered and the thief caught. *Type 950; BP III 395ff.; Köhler-Bolte I 200ff.; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1144 | Eaters of stolen food detected. |
| J1144.1 | Eaters of stolen food detected by the giving of an emetic. Italian Novella: Rotunda (J1142.4.); French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 24. |
| J1144.2 | Animal thief of eggs detected when he comes to a spring to drink. All animals must tell why they are thirsty. Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 27 n. 1. |
| J1145 | Detection through aid of animal. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| J1145.1 | Murderer detected by actions of murdered man's dog. Attacks murderer whenever possible. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 434. |
| J1146 | Detection by strewing ashes (sand). Trespasser (lover, mistress, ghost, fairy, etc.) leaves footprints in the ashes. *Schoepperle Tristan and Isolt I 117ff., 221ff.; *Gaster Germania XXV 290f.; Fb "mel" II 570; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian (Seneca): Curtin-Hewitt RBAE XXXII 510 No. 109, 526 No. 111, 810 n. 410. |
| J1146.1 | Detection by pitch-trap. Pitch is spread so that footprints are left in it, or that shoe is left behind as clue. *Type 510; Cox 1-80, 87-104 passim. |
| J1147 | Detection through feigned dream. |
| J1147.1 | Husband relates his wife's adultery in pretended dream. She dies from fright. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1149 | Miscellaneous means of detecting. |
| J1149.1 | Feigned madness unmasked by threatening man's child. Greek: Fox 123 (Odysseus). |
| J1149.2 | Cheater discovered by fishing in the street. Man arouses the curiosity of the rascal who has swindled his wife. Type 1382. |
| J1149.3 | Detection by disrobing in a dance. A man masking as a maiden has committed adultery with the queen. A clever girl by challenging him to disrobe in a dance exposes the imposture. *Wesselski Märchen 197 No. 7; Nouvelles de Sens No. 8; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1149.4 | Urinalysis reveals coition as cure for illness. Treatment successful. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1149.5 | Detection of guilt by smile. Buried money is stolen from blind man. Latter has boy watch and notify him when passerby smiles at him. The smiler is the thief. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1149.6 | Thief detected by his answer to question. "How would you treat a woman who came into your possession?" Answer: "I would use her and then give her to the servants." This reveals his true character. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1149.7 | Thief posing as corpse detected by pricking soles of his feet. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1149.8 | Magistrate detects thief's complicity by associating cut hand with companion's severed head. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1149.9 | Magistrate finds thieving innkeepers guilty of arson. Silver buckles are not melted by the fire. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1149.10 | Truth detected by spies listening to reactions of defendants at night. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1149.11 | Washing test: defendants given basin of water. Guilty one wastes it uselessly. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1149.12 | Ninety-nine wise men and one fool ordered to pour milk into a tank all at one time: only the fool obeys. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1150 | Cleverness connected with the giving of evidence. |
| J1151 | Testimony of witness cleverly discredited. |
| J1151.1 | Testimony discredited by inducing witness to talk foolishly. |
| J1151.1.1 | Talkative wife discredited. Husband tells his talkative wife about treasure he has discovered. To discredit her report he tells her also of impossible things (woodcock in the fish net, fish in the bird trap, etc.). She repeats it all and whole story is disbelieved. Husband may keep his treasure. *Type 1381; BP I 527; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1151.1.2 | Husband discredited by absurd truth. Wife puts fish in furrow where husband plows them up (or like absurdity). At mealtime the husband says, "Where are the fish?" — "What fish?" — "Those I plowed up." He is laughed to scorn. Bédier Fabliaux 196, 436; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1151.1.3 | The sausage rain. (Or rain of figs, fishes, or milk.) A mother in order to discredit testimony of her foolish son who has killed a man makes him believe that it has rained sausages. When he says that he killed the man on the night it rained sausages his testimony is discredited. Chauvin VI 126, VIII 35, 69; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 184, 195, 204 Nos. 347, 383, 407; *BP I 527; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No 4; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1151.2 | Witness claims the borrowed coat: discredited. Trickster summoned to court on Jew's complaint refuses to go unless he has a new coat: Jew lends him his. In court the trickster says that the Jew is a liar: "He will even claim that I am wearing his coat." The Jew does so and no one believes him. *Type 1642; *BP I 65; Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 220ff. No. 54; *Chauvin VI 126 No. 280; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1642A; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| 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. |
| J1152 | Witness cannot speak language of accusation: discredited. Two parrots taught accusation of mistress in a particular dialect. They know nothing more of the language. (Cf. G1154.1.) Chauvin II 93 No. 41; Bødker Exempler 290 No. 44; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J1153 | Separate examination of witnesses discredits testimony. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 114. |
| J1153.1 | Susanna and the elders: separate examination of witnesses. Testimony as to exact circumstances of her deed does not agree. Witnesses discredited. **W. Baumgartner Susanna, die Geschichte einer Legende (Archiv f. Religionswiss. XXIV 259—80); *Chauvin VI 193 No. 362; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas I 361f., Neuman. |
| J1153.2 | To which of two men does woman belong? Only one can answer questions just as she has. Other discredited. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1154 | Witness discredited by inability to tell details. (Cf. J1153.1.) |
| J1154.1 | Parrot unable to tell husband details as to wife's infidelity. Wife has parrot describe a storm very realistically. Husband observes contrast in the two tales. (Cf. J1152.) *Chauvin VIII 35f. No. 3; Bødker Exempler 286 No. 35; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1154.2 | Witnesses to make image of diamond they claim to have seen. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1154.3 | False witnesses cannot describe stolen jewel. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1155 | "Then I woke up": man discredits his confession by declaring it all a dream. *Type 1790; Wesselski Märchen 187 No. 2; *Toldo Zs. f. Vksk. XV 69f.; *Hilka and Soederhjelm Neuphilologische Mitteilungen (Helsingfors, 1913) 15ff.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1155.1 | Confession discredited by claim to be notorious liar. (Cf. X905.) U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J1157 | Bribed witnesses nonplussed when judge asks wrong question. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1158 | Witness claims not to have seen crime. |
| J1158.1 | Witness says that dust storm blew and shut his eyes so that he did not see. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1160 | Clever pleading. |
| J1161 | Literal pleading: letter of law has been met. |
| J1161.1 | The three joint depositors may have their money back when all demand it. Money is left by three joint depositors subject to their joint order. It is stolen by one. When the banker is sued he agrees to give up the money when he receives joint order from all three. *Type 1591; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 113; Scala Celi 7b No. 46; Alphabet No. 139; Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 21 No. 77; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1161.2 | Pound of flesh. (Fleischpfand.) Literal pleading frees man from pound of flesh contract. Contract does not give the right to shed blood. Impossible, therefore, to carry out. *Type 890; Köhler-Bolte I 211f.; Wesselski Mönchslatein 172 No. 138; *Wesselski Märchen 252 No. 61; *Chauvin VIII 200ff. No. 245; *Taylor Hdwb. d. Märchens s.v. "Fleischpfand"; Oesterley No. 195; Dunlop-Liebrecht 262; JEGPh. XXX (1931) 348—60; Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice; Icelandic: *Boberg; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1161.3 | Trespasser's defense: standing on his own land. Man has earth from his own land in his shoes. *Type 1590; Herbert III 507 No. 62; *Anderson FFC XLII 362 n. 1; Fb "ed" I 234, "jord" II 45b; Künssberg Jahrbuch f. hist. Vksk. I 120f.; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn V (1897) 443ff., (1934) 324ff.; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1161.4 | Money in the stick. Before swearing, the cheater hands a stick containing the stolen money to the man he has stolen it from. He then swears that he has repaid it. *Köhler-Bolte I 137; *Zachariae Zs. f. Vksk. XXXIII—XXXIV 78; **Lewy ibid. XXXVII—XXXVIII 83; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: *Neuman, *Gaster Exempla 210 No. 121a. |
| J1161.5 | Literal penance: boy outwits pope. For three years not to drink wine, not to lie in bed, nor sleep with a prostitute. He goes to a convent, sleeps on eider down, and sleeps with the nuns. (God's daughters). When the pope condemns him he says he will go to his brother-in-law (Christ: he has wedded God's daughters). (Cf. J1764.5.) *Fb "nonne" II 693; Danish: Kristensen Jyske Folkeminder VII No. 36. |
| J1161.6 | Barber paid to change color of woman's face burns her with acid. He has fulfilled contract. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 414. |
| J1161.7 | Ruler forbids blacksmith to reveal solution of riddle unless he has seen him 100 times. Smith reveals the solution on receipt of 100 crowns bearing the ruler's likeness. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1161.8 | Ruler orders doctor to wear his hair and his robe "not too long and not too short". Has both his hair and his cloak cut half short and half long. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1161.8.1 | Bishop orders priest to wear his beard and his robe "not too long and not too short." Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 94. |
| J1161.9 | Drunk philosopher wagers that he can drink the ocean dry. Agrees to do so if the other will hold back streams emptying into the ocean. Agreed to drink only the ocean. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1161.10 | Man tells servant that he may have anything he can take with his teeth (eat). Servant takes master's cape with his teeth. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J1161.11 | Thief makes it fall out that he has but taken what has been given him (he has followed literal instructions). India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1162 | Plea by admitting accusation and discomfiting accuser. |
| J1162.1 | Nurse's false plea admitted: child demanded. A nurse falsely demands pay for caring for a child which she says is the hero's. In court: "The child is indeed mine; give him to me." The child belongs to a peasant. Nurse confesses and is punished. Wesselski Märchen 229 No. 40. |
| J1162.2 | Robbers' false plea admitted: counteraccusation. Robbers claim a man's knife. In court: "The knife may indeed be theirs. I and my father were attacked yesterday by robbers. I fled. On returning I found my father killed and this knife in his body." Robbers condemned. *Wesselski Märchen 229 No. 40. Irish myth: Cross (K448.1). |
| J1162.3 | Own name inscribed on a stolen object as sign of property. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J1162.4 | Clever pleading: youth in court for calling king a fool, proves truth of statement because king allowed self to be duped by alchemist. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J1163 | Pleading for accused by means of parable. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1164 | Clever pleading: fighting for King of Kings. Knight hailed before king for fighting blasphemer, tells king that he would fight to protect the honor of the king's name so why not for the name of the King of Kings? Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J1165 | Plea by showing great temptation to crime. |
| J1165.1 | Thieves tell judge walls of houses were so weak they could not resist temptation of breaking in. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1166 | Plea by shifting blame to another. |
| J1166.1 | Barber operating on child's skin kills it: blames mother for child's thin skin. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1166.2 | When royal mace-bearer is attacked he throws away mace: attackers accuse him of insult to king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1169 | Clever pleading—miscellaneous. |
| J1169.1 | The woman with bad eyes. Physician called to doctor woman's eyes bandages them and then steals things each day. She refuses to pay fee and is haled to court. She says that her sight is worse than ever for whereas she used to see many things in her house she now sees very little. Theft is thus revealed. Wesselski Mönchslatein 20 No. 15; Wienert FFC LVI 39; Halm Aesop No. 107.—India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1169.2 | Bought behind the village. Lawyer declares unjustly that stolen horse has been bought and paid for. Angry farmer: "Yes, behind the village he bought and paid for it" (meaning that he stole it from the pasture). Lawyer pleads successfully that it is as well to buy a horse outside as inside the village. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 838. |
| J1169.3 | Their assistance not asked. Knight attacks enemy contrary to orders. Part of army helps him and is killed. He disclaims responsibility since he had not asked their aid. Wesselski Bebel I 157 No. 86. |
| 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. |
| J1169.5 | The laughing ass. King has trickster's horse's tail cut off. Trickster retaliates by cutting off part of upper lip of king's ass. At trial the animals are brought forth. Everyone laughs at the ass. Trickster: "If everyone laughs at the ass, how could the ass help laughing at her companion without a tail?" Freed. *Wesselski Gonnella 116 No. 12; U.S.: Baughman. |
| J1169.6 | Receiver of stolen goods. A tailor makes a Jew a coat of stolen goods. Accused of theft, he says that the Jew has the cloth. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 257 No. 191. |
| J1169.7 | Suit about the ass's shadow. Man hires ass and driver for trip across plain. In the heat the traveler sits down in the ass's shadow. The driver pushes him away. Plea: he didn't hire the ass's shadow. *Wienert FFC LVI 37; Halm Aesop No. 339. |
| J1169.8 | The prophet's first disciple. Judge demands that a pseudo-prophet show a miracle. Latter offers to cut off judge's head and resuscitate him. Judge agrees to be the first disciple. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 257 No. 197. |
| J1169.9 | Three unlawful acts in killing one sheep: two lambs were inside. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1170 | Clever judicial decisions. |
| J1170.1 | Series of wise judgments settles quarrels of village. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1170.2 | The Irish Solomon (Cormac mac Airt). Famed for his clever decisions. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| J1171 | Judgment by testing love. |
| J1171.1 | Solomon's judgment: the divided child. Two women claim a child. Judge offers to cut it in two. Real mother refuses. *Frazer Old Testament II 570; *Goebel Jüdische Motive im Märchenhaften Erzählungsgut (Gleiwitz, 1932) 21ff.; *Gaidoz Mélusine IV 313, 337, 366, 385, 414, 446, 457; *Köhler-Bolte I 531; *Chauvin VI 63 No. 231.—Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "partage"; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian (Menomini): Skinner and Satterlee PaAM XIII 397; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 348 n. 1; West Indies: Flowers 479. Cf. Cook Group: Dixon 37 (child actually cut in two to settle dispute). |
| J1171.1.1 | The ring to be cut in two and divided between quarreling persons: real owner laments the waste of the gold. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J1171.2 | Solomon's judgment: the divided bride. Three suitors dispute over a woman. When it is proposed to divide her, true lover is discovered. *Type 653; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| J1171.3 | The woman with two husbands is to be killed. One of the husbands refuses to bury her. She is awarded to the other. Type 926*; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1171.3.1 | Clever judgment: man must belong to the third wife because the first had buried him and the second did not protect him. 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. |
| J1172 | Judgment as rebuke to unjust plaintiff. |
| J1172.1 | Not the same purse as was lost. Finder of a purse containing 800 gulden returns it to owner for reward. Latter says that purse had 900 gulden in it. In court. Decision: The rich man speaks truth. The purse found is not the one he lost. The finder may keep it. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 115; Chauvin IX 26 No. 15; Scala Celi 21b No. 135; Alphabet No. 650; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 44; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J1172.2 | Payment with the clink of the money. Man sued for payment for enjoyment of the flavor of meat when roasting. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No 48; Nouvelles de Sens No. 9; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 297. |
| J1172.3 | Ungrateful animal returned to captivity. A man rescues a serpent (bear) who in return seeks to kill his rescuer. Fox as judge advises the man to put the serpent back into captivity. *Type 155; **Krohn Mann und Fuchs 38; **McKenzie MPh I 497ff.; Herbert III 14, 37, 54; *Köhler-Bolte I 50; *Chauvin II 121 No. 109; IX 18 No. 4; *Gaster Exempla 268 No. 441; *Crane Vitry 201 No. 160; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 745; Wienert FFC LVI 65 (ET 293), 147 (ST 515); Halm Aesop No. 97; *Fb "utak"; Scala Celi 86b No. 502; Alphabet No. 706; Oesterley No 174; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 39. -Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 27 No. 15; Indonesia: Dixon 197 n. 36; American Negro: Harris Nights 274 No. 46; Africa: Milligan Jungle 98f., (Cameroon): Lederbogen 63. |
| J1172.3.1 | Unjust claimant of woman duped into entering jar. Jackal as judge declares that real husband shall enter jar woman carries on her head. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J1172.3.2 | Animals render unjust decision against man since man has always been unjust to them. India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Bushman): Honey South African Folk Tales (New York, 1910) 101f., (Tumbuka-Kamanga): Young Customs and Folklore of the Tumbuka Kamanga (Livingstonia, 1931) 233ff., (Shilluk): Oyler Sudan Notes and Records II 221f., (Tschi): Bellon Mitt. d. Sem. f. Orient. Spr. XVII (3) 20ff. No. 4, (Saho): Reinisch Die Saho-Sprache (Wien, 1889) I (5) 205ff. No. 17, (Senegal): Colin RTP I 140f., Zeltner Contes du Senegal et du Niger (Paris, 1913) 81ff. |
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