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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

46,221 motifs

Page 123 of 185 · 250 per page
Thompson reference ▲ Description
J1290 Reductio ad absurdum of question or proposal.
J1291 Question answered by absurd counterquestion.
J1291.1 Black beans, white soup. Question: How can black beans make a white soup? Answer: How can a white whip on the naked flesh make black welts. *Wesselski Arlotto II 252 No. 168.
J1291.1.1 Why is it that black cow eats green grass, gives white milk and yellow butter? Answer: The same reason blackberries are red when they are green. U.S.: Baughman.
J1291.2 Theological questions answered by propounding simple questions in science. Where was God before he made heaven and earth? and the like answered by "Why a louse bite raises a blister, a flee bite raises a swelling, and a gnat bite is unnoticeable?" If you cannot answer such simple questions how can you pry into God's secrets. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 97.
J1291.3 How many priests should one have in one place? How many fox tails will reach to heaven? All depends on the length of the tails. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 96.
J1291.3.1 How much cloth would it take to make God's coat? Just as much as for me, for what you have done for a poor person in my name you have done for me. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 325.
J1291.4 "In this sesame flower where is the oil?" "When your mother conceived where were you?" India: Thompson-Balys.
J1292 Tide inquires whether moon is up. Minnow seeing absurdity of question (since tide could not be up without the moon) tells the tide to wait till he gets a drink and he will tell. Africa (Vai): Ellis 200 No. 17.
J1293 Reductio ad absurdum of proposal.
J1293.1 Little bird as large bird's mate. A large bird wishes to mate with a little bird. The latter says that she is going to swallow a large eel. The large bird sees the absurdity of his proposal. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 104.
J1293.1.1 Absurdity: sea (river) is on fire. Not more absurd than crow claiming swan as wife. India: *Thompson-Balys.
J1293.2 If his head is taken off other punishments do not matter. Judge shows criminal mercy: he will not punish him as he deserves, only take off his head. Nouvelles Récréations No. 82.
J1293.3 Turning king into Brahmin like turning donkey into horse. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1293.4 Pot full of milk as sign that city is full of fakirs; flower on top of milk not disturbing it as sign that one more will not matter. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1293.5 All appurtenances included. Butcher buyer demands saddle and ornaments along with camel (or the like). Seller later buys all heads in butcher shop: demands heads of butcher's family. India: *Thompson-Balys.
J1300 Officiousness or foolish questions rebuked. Irish myth: Cross.
J1301 How he shall be mourned. Women insist on knowing how a man wants to be mourned when he dies. "Mourn me as a man who was tormented by women talking foolishness." Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 232 No. 86.
J1302 The overloaded mule. Priest complains that miller's mule is overloaded. "No, he isn't; he can still carry all your and your brothers' patience." *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 473.
J1303 Aesop with the lantern. Aesop goes for fire to a neighbor's in the daytime and lights a lantern so as to bring the fire back. Fool asks him what he is hunting for with the lantern in the daytime. "I seek a man" (not a busybody). *Wienert FFC LVI 38, 40; Italian Novella: Rotunda (J1442.11).
J1304 Why the black clothes. A man goes forth in black clothes. People are curious as to the reason. "I am wearing mourning for the father of my son." Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 211 No. 27.
J1305 How the tail pointed. One who believes in auguries asks peasant woman if she has seen a bird. "Yes, a crow." And in what direction was his tail pointing?" Answer: "Toward the rear!"
J1306 How marriage was consummated. Mother asks newly-wedded daughter if she approached her husband the first night. Answer: "He approached me." Spanish: Childers.
J1309 Officiousness or foolish questions rebuked—miscellaneous.
J1309.1 Man asks naked Indian if he is not cold. Indian asks if man's face is cold. Man replies that it is not. Indian replies: "Me all face!" U.S.: *Baughman.
J1309.2 "How often do you kill your ducks?" Answer: "Only once." England, U.S.: *Baughman.
J1309.3 "Where did dirt go when canal was dug?" Disgusted father-in-law: "I have eaten half and your father half, to have such a fool son-in-law." India: Thompson-Balys.
J1310 Repartee concerning wine.
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.
J1312 The watered wine.
J1312.1 Serve the water and the wine separately. Server of diluted wine thus taunted. *Wesselski Bebel II 108 No. 29.
J1312.2 Washed in the Rhine. Server of diluted Rhine wine thus taunted. Wesselski Bebel II 108 No. 29.
J1312.3 Baptized wine. Christ's making wine from water has made all landlords try to do it too. Man prefers Jewish wine to the baptized kind. *Wesselski Bebel I 169 No 3.
J1313 Old wine. Man given his choice of old or new wine says, "We must honor old age." Wesselski Bebel I 163 No. 100.
J1314 The road to Heaven. To doctor: "If this is the way to get to Heaven (drinking) I don't want to know any other!" Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1315 Points of view. Man to friend who drinks very little: "If everyone drank as you do, wine would be cheap." Answer: "On the contrary, it would be expensive because I drink all I want." Spanish: Childers; Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1316 Very small to be so old. Guest criticizes host's small serving of wine which he said was six years old. Spanish: Childers.
J1317 Small jug preferred. Man asks that large jug be filled with wine. Is told to go to the river. Is accommodated when he presents small jug. (Cf. L251.) Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1318 Wine gives ambassador courage to address Pope. "Another drink and I could have slapped his face!" Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1319 Repartee concerning wine—miscellaneous.
J1319.1 Man says: "I do love my enemies and I have great affection for them that hurt me." (Enemies are rum and hard cider.) U.S.: Baughman.
J1320 Repartee concerning drunkenness.
J1321 The unrepentant drunkard.
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.
J1321.2 Though old woman is made to believe she is in hell she calls for drinking companions. *Wesselski Bebel I 230 No. 142.
J1322 The great thirst.
J1322.1 Will take care of the thirst. Doctors consult how to rid fever-stricken drunkard of his great thirst. "You take care of the fever; I shall take care of the thirst." *Wesselski Arlotto II 267 No. 217; Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1322.2 Sleeping on salt. Priest blamed for large amount of wine he drinks tells people to consider his great thirst. He has slept on a sack of salt and has enough thirst for a week. *Wesselski Arlotto I 208 No. 45.
J1323 Should have brought him drink. Drunkard's wife takes him when he is drunk to a tomb and, masking as a ghost brings him food. "If you had known me better you would have brought me drink." Wienert FFC LVI 38; Halm Aesop No. 108.
J1324 Stung by the goblet. Doctor tells drunkard, "The goblet has stung you." "If I had known that I would have drunk out of a glass." *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 234.
J1330 Repartee concerning beggars.
J1331 Persistent beggar invited upstairs. A beggar will not come in but insists on the man coming down to the door. When he asks alms the man bids him come upstairs. Then he says he has nothing for him. "You made me come down for nothing; I make you come up for nothing." *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 238 No. 113.
J1332 Beggar wants bread. A numskull tells his mother that a beggar is below asking for bread. Mother: "Tell him I am not at home." Numskull: "He doesn't want you, he wants bread." *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 239 No. 528.
J1333 Prove me a liar. Beggar: "Good day, you stingy fellows." They: "We are not stingy fellows." Beggar: "Then give and prove me a liar." Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 202 No. 397.
J1334 Beggar tells stingy to go beg. They say they have no meat, no bread, no wine, etc. "Then go beg; you have more need than I." *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 236 No. 519.
J1337 Beggar claims to be emperor's brother. (All men are descended from Adam.) Emperor gives him small coin. Beggar protests. Emperor: "If all your brothers gave you that much you would be richer than I." Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1338 Asking costs nothing. So says beggar who asks goldsmith to plate his club with gold. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1340 Retorts from hungry persons. Irish myth: Cross; U.S.: Baughman.
J1341 Retort from underfed servant (child). India: Thompson-Balys.
J1341.1 Softening bread-crusts. An avaricious master feeds bread-crusts to his servants. "The crusts are already getting soft." Type 1567.
J1341.2 Asking the large fish. Parents serve boy a small fish and keep back a large one for themselves. Knowing this, the boy puts the fish to his ear. He says that he has asked the fish a question; the fish cannot answer but tells him to ask the large fish under the bed. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 247 No. 158; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 700; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1565; Italian Novella: Rotunda; L. Schmidt Oesterr. Zs. f. Vksk. 1954, 134.
J1341.3 A dog to scent the rice. Given very thin rice soup, wit inquires about the master's dogs. "He should have one to scent the rice in this soup." Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 259 No 206, Arlotto II 75 No. 105.
J1341.4 Two eggs. Widow serves tailor one egg. He sings, "One egg, one egg." She decides one egg is not enough and serves him two next time. He then sings "Two eggs are two eggs." He is next given two eggs and a sausage, etc. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 142 No. 1715.
J1341.5 Hungry apprentice attracts master's attention by telling lies on him. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 143 No. 1718, Keller.
J1341.6 Hungry shepherd attracts attention. He tells of a cow with four teats who bore five calves. They ask what the fifth calf does while the other four are nursing. "It looks on just as I am doing now." Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 134 No. 1555.
J1341.7 Stingy innkeeper cured of serving weak beer. She always gives the servants a pitcher of weak beer before meals so as to fill them up. One of them: "I wash out my insides so as to have more room for food." She changes her practice. Type 1566*.
J1341.8 The little lumps of sugar are sweeter, says the hostess. The servant says that he doesn't like sweets and takes the large lumps. Type 1389*.
J1341.9 Hungry son gets cherries. He slaps another son, and explains that the other boy was saying that he would not get any of the father's cherries. The father shares the cherries. Spanish: Childers.
J1341.10 Hungry student gets meat. By telling a mewing cat that it could not yet have the bones because no meat has been served him, a collegian calls attention to an oversight on the part of a servant. Spanish: Childers.
J1341.11 Hired men sing of displeasure with food; change song when food is improved (cante fable). The Westmoreland text follows:
J1341.12 Hired man shows in saying grace how better food has resulted from arrival of unexpected guests. Nebraska text:
J1342 Prayer over the underdone hen. A guest is seen uttering a prayer before an underdone hen at the table. "She must be a goddess turned into a hen, for she has been over the fire and spared." Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 193 No. 378.
J1343 The liking for food and drink.
J1343.1 The best music. What music do you like best? The sound of plates and spoons. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 244 No. 133.
J1343.2 Before, during, and after. A priest, asked when he would have certain choice wine served, before or after the meal, replies, "The holy Mary was Virgin before, during, and after the birth." *Wesselski Arlotto I 202 No. 33.
J1344 Unwelcome guest tells about the hidden food. Having seen his hostess hide it, he tells about it in the form of a tale. Italian: Basile Pentamerone II No. 10; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda.
J1345 Why he did not eat the bread. When host inquires, he replies, "If thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Mensa Philosophica No. 171.
J1346 Maid rebukes pilgrim for eating too much. "If both of us had been present at the miracle of the loaves and fishes you would have eaten me too!" Pilgrim: "I wouldn't have eaten you but I would have chewed on you a bit!" Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 83; Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1350 Rude retorts. Irish myth: *Cross.
J1351 Women call each other prostitutes.
J1351.1 Prostitutes wander. A woman having given her cook leave of absence for the next day asks her what day it is. "Saturday." "No, it is the day on which the prostitutes wander." The cook: "Yes, from one prostitute to another. Today I am with you, tomorrow with your sister." *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 160.
J1351.2 The envious accuser. A woman accuses another of being a harlot. The second: "You would like to be in my place but no one wants you." *Wesselski Bebel II 127 No. 83.
J1352 Person calls another an ass.
J1352.1 The burden of two asses. A king and his son hunting on a hot day put their fur coats on the fool's back. King: "You have an ass's load on you." Fool: "Rather the burdens of two asses." *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 239 No. 527; India: Thompson-Balys.
J1352.2 Age is relative. Young rival derides old one for his age. Oldster: "An ass of twenty is older than a man of seventy." Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
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.
J1354 Not in his line of business. At market a man enquires of another: "How is the moon, three-quarters or full?" "I don't know. I have neither bought nor sold one." Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 209 No. 17.
J1355 The one exception. "You are a good man; there is not your equal on the earth. You have everything for yourself alone; only your wife is public property." Wesselski Bebel II 135 No. 104.
J1356 The flatterer's retort. Two men meet a homely girl. One of them: "Who wouldn't call that girl pretty?" The girl overhears and says, "No one would say it of you." The man: "Anyone might say it who would lie as I have lied about you." *Wesselski Bebel II 148 No. 155; Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1357 Ancient and modern ancestors. To a prince who boasted that he was descended from the Trojans a doctor replies: "My people are of Nurenberg. Everyone knows who they are; but of the Trojans no one knows anything except that Aeneas was a traitor and Romulus a robber." *Wesselski Bebel II 114 No. 46.
J1358 No thanks to the messenger. A messenger tells a man that he has a newborn son. "Thanks are to God, but I am not beholden to you for it." Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 223 No. 59.
J1361 Monk says that he is a stallion. In reply to women's taunts he boasts of his powers. A woman calls on the devil to come and ride him. Bolte Frey 253 No. 97.
J1363 Too late for the same advice. Impoverished spendthrift sarcastically to thrifty person: "Stop spending so freely!" "It's too late to give you the same advice." Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1364 To be rewarded by his kind. Unworthy person is rewarded. Asks worthy one: "Why is it that I am rewarded and you are not?" Answer: "Because you have found more of your kind that I have of mine." (Also told of Dante and a minstrel.) Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1369 Rude retorts—miscellaneous.
J1369.1 Man decides to spend 100 florins to become known. Friend: "You had better spend 200 so as to not be found out." Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1369.2 The prodigy's retort. An old man says of a youthful prodigy: "He will be an idiot in old age because perfection before maturity brings on deterioration of the mind." Youth: "You must have been very wise in your youth!" Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1369.3 Two men meet in narrow passage. One says: "I do not give every coxcomb the wall!" The other says: "I do, sir!" England: Baughman.
J1369.4 Person asks: "Whose fool are you?" Answer: "I am the Bishop of Durham's fool; whose fool are you?" England: *Baughman.
J1369.5 Why soldier is silent before king: is always so when questioned by stupid person. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1370 Cynical retorts concerning honesty.
J1371 The account-book of mistakes. A king, hearing that a man keeps an account-book of people's mistakes asks to see about his own record. He reads that the king has made a mistake in trusting a certain sum of money to a servant. King: "How if he comes back with it?" "I shall cross off your name and put him down for making a mistake." *Wesselski Arlotto I 181 No. 5; Chauvin II 153 No. 20; Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1373 Safe since no white man is near. White man asks Indian if he can safely leave some of his belongings inside the Indian's lodge. The Indian assures him that he can: "There is no white man within a hundred miles of here." (Cf. X600.) U.S.: Baughman.
J1380 Retorts concerning debts.
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.
J1382 Payers of cash favored.
J1382.1 The one to blow the whistle. Many persons request a man on the way to market to buy them a whistle. Finally one hands him a coin with the request. "You are the one who shall blow the whistle." *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 246 No. 146.
J1382.2 The weighted order-cards. To a man going on a voyage, various people give commissions for purchases, which he writes down on cards. Some give him money; some promise it on his return. On ship he looks the cards over, placing the proper gold on the proper card. A wind blows into the sea those not weighted with gold. *Wesselski Arlotto II 234ff. No. 122.
J1383 Unstable security. Stag tries to borrow grain from the sheep, using the wolf as security. Sheep says that they are both so swift that he does not know where they will be on the day of payment. Wienert FFC LVI 54 (ET 144), 98 (ST 118).
J1384 A three thousand year old debt. Guests in inn discuss reincarnation. "Since we shall come back in three thousand years, the host might trust us till then." Host: "You still owe me what you didn't pay three thousand years ago." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 858.
J1390 Retorts concerning thefts.
J1391 Thief makes a lame excuse. India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesian Coster-Wijsman Uilspiegel Verhalen 35ff. Nos. 17—22.
J1391.1 Thief's excuse: the big wind. Vegetable thief is caught in a garden. Owner: How did you get into the garden? A wind blew me in. How were the vegetables uprooted? If the wind is strong enough to blow me in, it can uproot them. How did they get into your bag? That is what I was just wondering. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 207 No. 7, cf. II 214 No. 441.
J1391.2 The ladder market. A thief climbs over a wall by means of his ladder. When caught in the garden he says that he is a seller of ladders. Owner: "Is this a ladder market?" "Can't one sell ladders everywhere?" Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 210 No. 18.
J1391.3 The sheep's teeth. Two thieves caught with stolen sheep. One says that he told the other than sheep have lower teeth but no upper, and that they caught the sheep to see. India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Vai): Ellis 221 No. 34.
J1391.3.1 Bitten by the sheep. Man caught just as he knocks sheep in the head: The sheep bit me (or: I'm not going to let sheep butt me to death). U.S.: *Baughman.
J1391.4 How he would act if he were a hawk. A hawk steals a piece of liver from a trickster and flies away with it. The trickster likewise steals some liver from another man and escapes to a high place with it. He says that he is seeing how he would act if he were a hawk. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 214 No. 41.
J1391.5 Fox pretends that he has been to the farmyard only to see if any of his kindred were there. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1391.6 Lame excuse: one cannot drink because he has no teeth. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1391.7 Were merely measuring cup. King demands that each subject bring small amount of milk to put in his new cup. They plan to cheat him by bringing him water. Accused, they say that they were merely measuring the cup to see how much it would take to fill it. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1391.8 Needles and anchors. Fox leaving merchant's warehouse: "I had wanted a needle as big as an anchor and an anchor as small as a needle." India: Thompson-Balys.
J1392 Owner assists thief.
J1392.1 Thief followed home. A thief ransacks a man's house and departs. The man gathers together the rest of his belongings and tracks the thief. Comes to the thief's door. Thief: "What do you want with me?" "What, isn't this the house we set out for?" *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 212 No. 32.
J1392.2 Robbers commiserated. A buffoon says to robbers in his house, "You can't find anything here in the dark, for I can find nothing in broad daylight." *Wesselski Bebel I 132 No. 32; Scala Celi 104b No. 567; Mensa Philosophica No. 62.
J1392.2.1 Owner advises thieves to return later. He is not yet in bed Spanish: Childers.
J1392.3 Cynic helps robber steal his money so he and robber can get sleep. Spanish Exempla: Keller.
J1392.4 Owner laughs at thief who finds nothing in house. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1392.5 Bridegroom promises thief spoils later if he will not interfere with wedding. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1393 The double fool. A numskull caught changing meal from others' sacks into his own. Miller asks him what he is doing. "I am a fool." "Why then don't you put your meal into their sacks?" "I am only a simple fool. If I did that I should be a double fool." Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 181 No. 342.
J1394 Thieves' nocturnal habits.
J1394.1 Night study. A thief having scorned Demosthenes for his constant study, the latter says, "I know that you have not failed to notice that I study much at night." *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No 801.
J1394.2 Man who rises too early. The king in order to correct the habit has him robbed. He says that robbers get up even earlier than he. Chauvin II 196 No. 26.
J1395 Was going to give it to him any way. Thus a hunter answers a thief who steals his hare. Wienert FFC LVI 84 (ET 504), 125 (ST 337); Halm Aesop No. 163.
J1396 Removing chance for worry. A king noticing that a student has stolen a capon, asks, "Does not the Bible say that you should not worry about tomorrow?" "Exactly. I was trying to remove all chance of worry tomorrow." Wesselski Mönchslatein 109 No. 92; Nouvelles Récréations No. 35.
J1397 The cost price recovered. A man takes a shirt to market for a friend who has stolen it. At market it is stolen from the seller. He tells his friend that the market was bad and that he was able to get back only the cost price (nothing). *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 230 No. 491.
J1398 Compliments from the hangman. A man complimented a hangman on the good job he had done in hanging a thief. The hangman takes off his hat: "One thief I hang, to the other I take off my hat." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 591.
J1399 Retorts concerning thefts—miscellaneous.
J1399.1 The Lord has Risen. A parson hides his money in a holy place and leaves a sign, "The Lord is in this Place." A thief takes the money and leaves a sign, "He is risen and is no longer here" Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 74.
J1400 Repartee concerning false reform.
J1401 The tailor's dream. A tailor dreams that at Judgment Day he sees a flag made up of all the pieces of cloth he has stolen Upon waking he asks his servants to warn him if they ever see him tempted to steal again. This happens. He replies, "The piece I am about to steal does not fit into the flag." *BP I 343; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 256 No. 190.
J1410 Repartee concerning fatness.
J1411 The hay wagon and the gate. A parson arriving late at a city gate asks if he can get in. Guard sees that he is fat and in fun says that he doesn't know. The parson: "Why not; doesn't the hay wagon get in?" *Wesselski Arlotto II 265 No. 209; Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1420 Animals retort concerning their dangers.
J1421 Peace among the animals. (Peace fable.) The fox tries to beguile the cock by reporting a new law establishing peace among the animals. Dogs appear; the fox flees. "The dogs have not heard of the new law." *Type 62; *BP II 207; Wienert FFC LVI 52 (ET 120), 98 (ST 125); Halm Aesop No. 225; Jacobs Aesop 214 No. 59; *Chauvin II 202 No. 51, V 241 No. 141; *Lancaster PMLA XXII 33; *Graf FFC XXXVIII 26; Fb "ræv" III 114a.—Spanish: Espinosa III No. 225; India: Thompson-Balys.
J1422 Good bath. A cat seeing a mouse leave a bath says, "Good bath!" Mouse: "If I had not seen you!" Chauvin III 55 No. 11.
J1423 Roast falcon. A falcon reproaches a cock for fleeing from the master who has fed him. The cock: "I have never seen a falcon roasted." *Chauvin II 117 No. 96.
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.
J1430 Repartee concerning doctors and patients.
J1431 I know not how. Sick man: "I came to a place I know not where; something happened I know not how; I am sick I know not where." Doctor: "Go to the pharmacy and buy I know not what, and eat it I know not how, and you will become well I know not when." *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 629; Scala Celi 47b No. 268.
J1432 No physician at all. A bad physician having predicted the immediate death of a patient meets him recovered. "How go things down below?" "They put you at the head of the list of bad physicians, but I maintained that you were no physician at all." Wienert FFC LVI 39; Halm Aesop No. 168.
J1433 "Do as I say and not as I do." Doctor forbids patient to drink wine. When patient reproves doctor for drinking wine the latter says: "Just now it is bad for you and good for me." Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1434 Strenuous cure for madness. Doctor throws patients into a pit of water. Servant warns queer-looking hunter to flee before master throws him into the pit. (Cf. K2137.) Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1438 Veterinarian becomes doctor. When he killed animals he had to pay for them; but he did not have to pay for killing people. Spanish: Childers.
J1440 Repartee—miscellaneous.
J1441 God of the earth. Question from the king: "Who are you?" "I am God." "Make my eyes larger." "I am only God of the earth and have power only below the girdle." *Köhler-Bolte I 504; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 279 No. 326.
J1442 A cynic's retorts.
J1442.1 The cynic wants sunlight. King (to cynic): "What can I do for you?" "Get out of my sunlight. Don't take away from me what you can't give me." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1442.1.1 Cynic praises power of reason. Tells Alexander that the power of reason makes even a poor man as great as a king. Spanish Exempla: Keller.
J1442.2 The cynic at the bath. Leaving an unclean bath house: "Where can I go now to wash?" Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.3 The cynic and the pale gold. "Why is gold so pale?" "It is in great danger." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.4 The cynic's burial. Asked who will carry him to his grave if he has no friends: "He who needs my house." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.4.1 Cynic asks that his body be exposed to the elements. When told that the beasts and the birds will prey on him he says: "Put a stick at my side so that I may chase them away." Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1442.5 The cynic as judge of wine. Asked which wine tastes best, he says, "That belonging to other people." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.6 The cynic and the big gates. Coming to a little town with big gates, he says, "Close the gate so that the town won't run away." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.7 The cynic and the bastard stone-thrower. Cynic: "Be careful; you might hit your father." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802; Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1442.8 The cynic discusses heaven. Hearing a man discoursing at great length about heaven, he asks, "When did you come down from there?" Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.9 The cynic and the bald-headed man. His only reply to the baldheaded man's slanders is to compliment the hair that has left such a horrible head. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.10 The cynic and the deceiver. When the deceiver calls him wicked, he says, "I am glad that you are my enemy; for you do good to your enemies and evil to your friends." Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 802.
J1442.11 The cynic and the fig tree. Man tells friend that his wife has hanged herself on a fig tree. Friend: "Give me a shoot of that tree!" Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1442.11.1 The cynic's wish. When he learns that a woman has hanged herself from a tree he explains: "Would that all trees bore such fruit!" Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1442.12 Cynic is asked if widower should remarry. "One who has just escaped from drowning should not return to sea." Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1442.13 The smallest woman makes the best bride. "Of an evil choose the smallest part." Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1443 The fools in the city. Man ordered to number the fools in the city replies, "It is easier to number the wise men." *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 241 No. 535; Chauvin VII 126 No. 393bis.
J1444 They gave it away themselves. A wandering actor rewarded by a city with a coat of their color gambles it away. When upbraided about giving away their present he replies that they hadn't wanted to keep it themselves. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 396.
J1445 The forgotten traditions. A man has been told by a seer that there are two ways in which a believer may be distinguished. But he has forgotten one of them and the seer had forgotten the other. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 186 No. 353.
J1446 Aaron's censer. A man strikes a priest with a cane: "This is Moses' staff." The priest shoots with a pistol: "This is Aaron's holy censer." Type 1847*.
J1447 The favored swine. Dog reproaches sow that Venus will not allow those who have eaten swine to enter her temple. Sow says that it is because the goddess abhors those who kill swine. Wienert FFC LVI 56 (ET 161), 107 (ST 191); Halm Aesop No. 408.
J1448 The contagious yawns. A husband planning to punish his wife, who has yawned in church at the same time as a man, sees his error when his wife in the woods calls out, "The squirrels hop from bough to bough as the yawns from mouth to mouth." Finnish: Aarne FFC VIII 6 No. 23; XXXIII 52 No. 23; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 141 No. 12; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI 84 No. 35.
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.
J1452 Why he was thin. Philosopher explains that with his own blood he was nourishing as large a population as that of the Roman Emperor (lice). *Wesselski Bebel II 145 No. 140.
J1453 It's better to fight in the shade. Soldier tells captain that the enemy are so numerous that their arrows darken the sun. Captain: "Good, it will be more comfortable fighting in the shade." Italian Novella: *Rotunda.
J1454 The lion and the statue. A man points out the statue to show the supremacy of man. The lion: "If it had been a lion sculptor, the lion would have been standing over the man." Wienert FFC LVI 70 (ET 343), 101 (ST 145); Halm Aesop No. 63; Jacobs Aesop 208 No. 35.
J1455 Has never died yet. Slave (workman) recommended to master whose recent slaves have died: "He has never died while I owned him." *Clouston Book of Noodles 8; England, U.S.: Baughman.
J1456 The liar. A man attempts to lie out of having called another a liar: "You lie if you say that I said you lied." The other: "It's a good thing for you that you didn't call me a liar." (Cf. J817.) *Wesselski Bebel I 204 No. 85.
J1457 The gray fox. An old husband tells his young wife, who is concerned about his gray hair, "A gray fox is as good as a red one." "But an old gray fox is not so good as a young red one." Bolte Frey 242 No. 75.
J1458 An oath to break oaths. Village called on to join in war deliberates in meeting. A man says, "We have taken oaths not to go to war. We must now take an oath to break all the oaths we have taken." Wesselski Bebel I 205 No. 88.
J1461 The cause of grayness. Fool asked what made him gray-headed replies, "My hair." *Wesselski Bebel I 228 No. 133.
J1462 Customary suits. Man who wears a red cap after his father's death says, "I can grieve just as much in red as in black." *Wesselski Bebel I 125 No. 16.
J1463 A long beard and sanctity. Told that a forest dwarf with a long beard is a saint, a man replies: "If a long beard indicates sanctity, the goat is a saint." *Wesselski Bebel I 129 No. 30.
J1465 Trumpeter's false defense. A trumpeter captured pleads that he did not fight. Answered: "You may not fight, but you encourage your men to do so." Jacobs Aesop 220 No. 79.
J1467 Must drink from the common cup. A man always drinks out of his own cup. In storm at sea a sailor says, "Today we all drink out of the same cup (the sea). *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 247.
J1467.1 Sailor prays for gods to sink ship during storm, since gods never do what they are asked to do. Spanish: Childers.
J1468 Not in good form. A duke invites a notorious eater. The latter consumes eight fowls, forty eggs, and other things in proportion. In leaving he apologizes for eating so little as he had not felt well the night before. He will do better next time. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 249; Nouvelles Récréations Nos. 57, 73.
J1471 The eunuch's defense. Reproached with his mutilation, the eunuch says that his ill fortune is no shame. The only shame is to merit what you suffer. Wienert FFC LVI 82 (ET 485), 149 (ST 546).
J1472 The fairest thing in the garden. Three brothers asked by princess what is the most beautiful thing in the garden. The youngest replies, "Yourself." He wins the princess. Type 925*.
J1473 The greedy dreamer. He dreams that he receives nine coins. He demands ten. He wakes and finds that he has dreamed. He is willing to accept the nine. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 206 (No. 5); Spanish Exempla: Keller.
J1473.1 The 999 gold pieces. A man prays for a thousand gold pieces and says that he will not accept one less. A joker sends him 999. He says that he will trust God for the other coin. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 220ff. No. 54.
J1474 The fatal bed. A sailor says that all his ancestors have drowned. Citizen: "Aren't you afraid of drowning?" Sailor: "How did your ancestors die?" Citizen: "All of them in bed." Sailor: "Aren't you afraid to go to bed?" *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 264.
J1475 Is ready to go. A peddler scolds the dog who is waiting and tells him to get ready to go with him. The dog replies that he has nothing to carry, that it is the peddler who is late. Wienert FFC LVI 73 (ET 379), 125 (ST 343).
J1476 The proud hide humbled. A hide is in the river. River: "What is your name?" Hide: "Hard hide." River: "Hunt another name; I'll soon soften you." Wienert FFC LVI 75 (ET 403), 101 (ST 148); Halm Aesop No. 381.
J1477 Demonstrate here. A man boasts of his jump on Rhodes and says that if he were in Rhodes he could prove his boast. Reply: "No need to go to Rhodes. Show us your jump here." Wienert FFC LVI 82 (ET 480), 100 (ST 135); Halm Aesop No. 203.
J1478 Husband and wife burn their mouths. A wife served overhot soup, forgets and burns herself so that tears come to her eyes She says that her departed father liked soup so much that she weeps when she eats it. The husband is also burned and weeps: "I am weeping because your accursed mother didn't take you with her when she died." Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 238 No. 115; Köhler-Bolte I 498; Indonesian: Coster-Wijsman 71 No. 129.
J1478.1 The abbot burns his mouth. Says that he is crying because so many have left the monastery. Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1481 As you surely will. After her husband's death a woman cannot find a hammer and anvil. She goes to a dying neighbor and says, "If you die, as you surely will, and go to Heaven, as you surely will not, ask my husband where he left the hammer and anvil." The dying man's wife replies, "If you go to Heaven, as you surely will, if you die as you surely will not, do not run around and get into trouble, but sit down by the Eternal Father and observe and keep still." Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 93 No. 805.
J1482 Keeping the secret. Man tells parson secret and asks him to keep it. The parson refuses; "If you can't keep the secret, you must not expect me to." *Wesselski Arlotto II 263 No. 199.
J1483 Repartee concerning runaway horses.
J1483.1 King and jester flee: the king's swift horse. Jester: "You did have a swift horse. When I had to stop because my horse was tired out, you went two miles further." Wesselski Bebel I 207 No. 94.
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.
J1483.3 Storms on land. An inexperienced rider borrows a horse, which runs away with him. He says, "There are no such storms on sea as on the land." *Wesselski Bebel II 107 No. 21.
J1483.4 "Why didn't you stay on the horse?" The rider: "I couldn't; you see, it ended there" (pointing to horse's head). India: Thompson-Balys.
J1484 The sound of shaving. An unskillful barber keeps cutting a man's face. A noise is heard. The man: "What is that?" Barber: "A smith shoeing horses." Man: "I thought it was someone being shaved." *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 226f. No. 473.
J1485 Mistaken identity. A bride slips up behind her husband and kisses him. He is annoyed. She: "Pardon me, I did not know it was you" Clouston Noodles 94.
J1485.1 Husband mistaken for lover in bed. Farmer has whiskers shaved off, hair cut short. He gets home late, slips into bed with his wife. She runs her hand over his face, says: "Young man, if you're goin' to do anything, you'd better be agittin' at it, 'cause Old Whiskers'll be here pretty soon." U.S.: Baughman.
J1486 Listening to the debate. A lazy youth explains his late rising by saying that he lay abed to hear the argument between industry and laziness. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 761; Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1487 Progress in school. A man sends his two sons to schools and later enquires of their progress. One: "I am past Grace." The other: "I am at the devil and all his works." *Clouston Noodles 222; England: *Baughman.
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.
J1491 Artist paints too few birds. Is engaged to decorate room. Owner: "You did not paint as many birds as I told you to." Artist: "The windows were left open and most of them flew out." Italian Novella: Rotunda.
J1492 Trickster artist hoodwinks king: cuckold's eyes cannot see picture. King pretends to see the picture. Courtiers reveal that there is no picture. Spanish: Childers.
J1493 Daydreamer has lost his chance for profit. He has broken his master's pots while dreaming of future profits. He has therefore lost more than the master and excuses himself of blame. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1494 Why captain takes lame and one-eyed soldiers into army. The lame cannot flee from the enemy; the one-eyed soldiers will not see enough to make them afraid. Spanish: Childers.
J1495 Person runs from actual or supposed ghost. (Cf. E293, J1483.)
J1495.1 Man runs from actual or from supposed ghost. The ghost runs beside him. The man stops to rest; the ghost stops, says, "That was a good run we had!" The man says, "Yes, and as soon as I get my breath, I'm going to run some more." U.S.: *Baughman.
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.
J1500 Clever practical retort.
J1510 The cheater cheated.
J1511 A rule must work both ways.
J1511.1 Make-believe eating, make-believe work. At table the peasant says, "We will only act as if we were eating." At work the servant replies, "We will only act as if we were working." *Type 1560.
J1511.2 Turnips called bacon: cat called rabbit. A peasant compels his servant to call turnips bacon. Under favorable circumstances the servant compels the master to call a cat a rabbit. Type 1565**.
J1511.2.1 Man bathing rich man uses sand instead of sandalwood: "Consider the sand of the Ganges to be sandalwood." When man asks for his fee, other takes a frog and gives it to him: "Know that the frog of the Ganges is a cow." India: Thompson-Balys.
J1511.3 Eating cure becomes epidemic. A woman feigns periodic attacks of a sickness that can be cured only by eating a great number of delicacies. The husband feigns the same disease. Type 1372*.
J1511.4 Fits become epidemic. After dinner a servant feigns a fit and goes to sleep. The master thereupon feigns a fit and beats the boy, who is thus cured of his laziness. Type 1572*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1572A*.
J1511.5 The wine-spilling host rebuked. A host spills his customer's wine so that he must buy more. He consoles the guest with "It is a sign of the great abundance you shall have this year." With the same remark the guest draws the spigot from the host's wine cask. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 372; *Wesselski Mönchslatein No. 106; *Crane Vitry 269 No. 310.
J1511.6 The porter's revenge for the three wise counsels. A man offers a porter three wise counsels for carrying his goods. "When anyone tells you that hunger and satisfaction are the same, don't believe him." The second and third are similar and equally valueless. The porter throws down the load: "When anyone tells you that any part of this load is not broken, don't believe him." *Basset 1001 Contes II 391; Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 260 No. 211; Chauvin VIII 139 No. 136; *Fb "sandhed".
J1511.7 No clothes needed for Day of Judgment. Friends tell a man that the next day is the Day of Judgment and urge him to kill a lamb and give a feast. He apparently consents. He then burns up their clothes. They will not need clothes on the Day of Judgment. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 212 No. 31.
J1511.8 Forbidden to think. A husband forbids a wife to think. During his absence she roasts a chicken, eats it, and leaves two drumsticks on the table. The husband asks for the chicken. "Since you have forbidden me to think, I did not think of you." The ban is lifted. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 145.
J1511.9 Master says that he has eyes in back of head: servant cheats him. Holds up food to master's back and then not having objection raised, eats it. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1511.10 Counterfeit money burned up. A priest who has lent money to a Jew, but will not lend to a farmer, on being reproached by the latter, says that the money he lent the Jew was "false". When the Jew gets to know of this, he claims that as soon as he heard the money was false he burnt it up. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1772.
J1511.11 Boy pretends to speak only Latin. Father, chastising his lazy son, also speaks in "Latin". Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *2423; Russian: Andrejev No. *2082.
J1511.12 The man in place of a watch-dog. The master orders his serf to watch the manor at night in place of the dog. When the thieves come, the serf barks: "Dress, dress .... They take, take .... They lead, lead .... " The master does not understand the barking and pays no heed to it — is robbed of his property. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *2421.
J1511.13 Oisin's poor diet in Patrick's house—pancake size of ivy leaf, measure of butter only size of rowan berry. Later Oisin gives Patrick quarter of a wild boar, servant ivy leaf and rowan berry. Irish myth: Cross.
J1511.14 Things on highway belong to the public. Man reproves another for picking his cherries that overhang the highway. He is told that things on the public highway belong to no one in particular. He invites the man to climb the tree for better cherries, drives off with his horse and buggy, giving the same answer about things in the public highway. U.S.: Baughman.
J1511.15 Can drink only one kind of wine at a time. Priests come to an inn where host gives them good wine and bad. They insist on having all good since they must drink only one kind of wine. On their return he serves them with all bad. They claim to have had the rule changed. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 245.
J1511.16 "Eat spiritual food, not material," say monks to lazy brother who criticizes them for working in the garden. Spanish Exempla: Keller.
J1511.17 Ox bought; buyer also claims load of wood attached. Later deceived man disguises and sells sharper another ox for "handful of coppers." He is allowed by court to claim the hand as well. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1511.18 Priests say dying woman's unfulfilled request for mangoes must be paid in golden mangoes to them. Priests burned with iron since she had asked to be cauterized. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1511.19 Wife surrendered to king. Vizier advises doctor to give up his wife to love-sick prince since everything belongs to a sovereign. Doctor then tells him prince is in love not with his (the doctor's) wife but with the vizier's. India: Thompson-Balys.
J1511.20 Goldsmith sells thinly plated gold; peasant retaliates: a pot of dirt with a little gyav on top. (Cf. J1556.1.) India: Thompson-Balys.
J1512 Impossible demand rebuked. Irish myth: *Cross.
J1512.1 Milk from the hornless cow. A king demands a hundred men's drink from the milk of a hornless dun cow from every house in the land. Wooden cows are made and bog-stuff substituted for milk; the king must drink it. Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 26, *Cross.
J1512.2 To return the eye to the one-eyed man. "Let me have your other so that I can see whether the one I bring you matches." India: *Thompson-Balys.




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