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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 |
|---|---|
| J2217 | Many times the superlative. |
| J2217.1 | Man says: "That's the best horse in all England, but I have one in my stable worth ten of him. (Cf. J1743.1.) England: Baughman. |
| J2217.2 | Man is describing lakes. "One is bottomless; the other is deeper than that." England: Baughman. |
| J2220 | Other logical absurdities. |
| J2221 | How does he know? A rustic refuses to believe reports about hell from a priest who has not been there. Herbert III 82. |
| J2222 | The inconvenience of having a father: The numskull to his father: "If you had never been born I would get my grandfather's estate." Clouston Noodles 4. |
| J2223 | The thief as discoverer. The fool lies still as the thief enters the house, hoping that the thief may find something so that he can take it back from the thief. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 231 No. 83, Mönchslatein 170 No. 134. |
| J2223.1 | Robbed man blames thief for not warning him so that he could have witnesses to the theft. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2224 | Taking the seed out at night. Numskull plants seed in daytime and takes it out at night. "Man must guard his treasures" (or "Growing in the daytime is enough"). Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 245 No. 139. |
| J2225 | Three reasons for not giving alms. (1) Student has only one eye: Aristotle says to beware of those whom nature has marked. (2) Student comes from Bremen: no one of consequence comes from there. (3) His name is Nicholas: no one with that name can succeed. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 611; cf. Type 1661. |
| J2226 | Learn to swim before going into the water. Type 1293; Russian: Andrejev No. 1292*. |
| J2227 | Let them eat cake. The queen has been told that the peasants have no bread. Type 1446*; Bolte Montanus 601 No. 48. |
| J2227.1 | King ignorant of famine says the people can live on pulse (sugar) and rice. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2228 | Loss of eating contest because of weak legs. The sheep thinks that that is the reason for loss of the contest. Type 203*; Russian: Andrejev No. 203. |
| J2231 | Why can't we have holidays the year round? *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 222 No. 56. |
| J2232 | Imitation and the real pig. Imitator of the pig's cries applauded. Fool brings real pig but fails. Wienert FFC LVI 84 (ET 510), 119 (ST 291); Jacobs Aesop 220 No. 80. |
| J2233 | Logically absurd defenses. Thief brought to judgment for breaking into house blames mason for building poor house. Mason blames maker of mortar, who blames potter, who blames pretty woman who diverted his attention. She blames goldsmith who caused her to go for her earrings. Goldsmith has no one to blame but he is too old to make a good execution. Hence a shopkeeper across the way is convicted. Clouston Noodles 87; *Wesselski Hessische Blätter f. Vksk. XXXII 23; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2233.1 | Innocent man executed because his neck fits the noose (or the like). India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2233.1.1 | Men hang old bedridden weaver instead of young, valuable member of colony after the young man has accidentally killed an Indian. The Indian tribe demands punishment. U.S.: Baughman. |
| J2234 | "Is that you or your brother?" Clouston Noodles 12; Nouvelles Récréations No. 71; Christensen DF XLVII 224 No. 87; England, Scotland: Baughman. |
| J2235 | Would have shot himself. Fool shoots full of holes a garment left out at night to dry. "It is a good thing I did not have it on or I would have shot myself." Clouston Noodles 90; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 230 No. 79. |
| J2236 | Only fault with the house. The latrine is too small for the dining room table to go in. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 282 No. 334. |
| J2237 | The bathroom in the minaret. The fool can sing in the small bathroom but cannot be heard from the minaret. He wants a bathroom built on the minaret so that his voice will carry. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 206 No. 4. |
| J2238 | Book gives wisdom. A man believes himself wise because he has a book which he uses but does not understand. Chauvin II 82 No. 3; B[ö]dker Exempler 273 No. 3; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J2241 | The doctor no longer needed. As the fool starts for the doctor the wife changes her mind. He continues to the doctor so as to tell him about it and to say that now he need not come. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 233 No. 456. |
| J2241.1 | Useless trip to find a name the wife already knew. Fool goes to astrologer for child's name, but forgets it on way home. Later wife happens to use the word and reminds him. But he cannot see the use of the trip when she already knew this word. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2241.2 | Servant sent to doctor finds trip futile. Doctor may not be in and, if he is there, he may not give the medicine. He may give the medicine but it may not have any effect; or, if it does have any, he has to die someday anyway and the medicine will not prevent him from dying. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2242 | Carrying his own message. A man who is away from home writes a letter to his wife but can find no messenger. He delivers the letter himself and then goes on back to where he has been. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 233 No. 456. |
| J2242.1 | Scribe cannot write a letter because he has bad leg. Must carry letter in person since no one else can read it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2242.2 | Fool writes letter very slowly: recipient cannot read fast. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J2243 | Fool sleeps so as to avoid idleness. Clouston Noodles 78. |
| J2244 | Climb down as you climb up. A peasant falls out of a tree. A neighbor advises him not to climb trees. Another suggests that he always climb down a tree with the same skill and rapidity that he climbed up. Bolte Frey 222 No. 18; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2245 | Every fruit tasted. Fool tastes every piece of fruit before giving it to his master. Penzer V 94; Chauvin VII 115. |
| J2254 | Fools reprove each other for speaking at prayers. They speak while doing so. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2255 | Preliminary drawing of swords. Travelers say they will not have time to do so when attacked. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2258 | Boy cannot read a book written with smaller letters than those he was reading at school. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2260 | Absurd scientific theories—general. |
| J2270 | Absurd astronomical theories. |
| J2271 | Absurd theories concerning the moon. |
| J2271.1 | The local moon. Numskull greets old moon as if it were new. "I haven't seen it before, for I have just come to the city." (Each town thought to have a different moon.) *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 218 No. 52; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2271.2 | What becomes of the old moon? |
| J2271.2.1 | Lightning made from the old moon. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 236 No. 109. |
| J2271.2.2 | Stars made from the old moon. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 208 No. 10. |
| J2271.3 | Numskulls try to throw the moon over a cliff. England: *Baughman. |
| J2271.4 | Numskulls attempt to capture moon and bring it home in a sledge. They get to the top of the hill a few minutes too late to reach it. England, Scotland: *Baughman. |
| J2272 | Absurd theories concerning the sun. |
| J2272.1 | Chanticleer believes that his crowing makes the sun rise. Disappointed when it rises without his aid. *Vossische Zeitung 17. Sept. 1910; India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian (Hopi): Voth FM VIII 176 No. 55. |
| J2272.2 | Is today's sun the same as yesterday's? India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2272.3 | Fools believe sun sleeps at certain woman's house. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2273 | Absurd theories concerning the sky. |
| J2273.1 | Bird thinks that the sky will fall if he does not support it. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 606; *Chauvin II 112 n. 2; Liebrecht *Zur Volkskunde 102; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J2274 | Absurd theories about the earth. |
| J2274.1 | Why everyone doesn't live in the same place. The earth would become unbalanced. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 245 No. 140. |
| J2274.2 | Same air at home as abroad. Because the stars are the same. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 206 Nos. 3, 242. |
| J2274.3 | Same climate at home and abroad. Because his members look the same in the two places. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 206 Nos. 3, 242. |
| J2275 | Absurd theories about the stars. |
| J2275.1 | Falling star supposed to have been shot down by astronomer. Christensen DF XLVII No. 55. |
| J2276 | Absurd theories concerning time. |
| J2276.1 | Dinner time comes soon in mountains because of rare atmosphere. U.S.: Baughman. |
| J2277 | Absurd theories about clouds. |
| J2277.1 | Clouds supposed to come from smoke. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2280 | Other absurd scientific theories. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| J2281 | How the fishes got there. Guests of host who waters his wine put little fishes into the wine jug. "Now I confess that I put water into the wine; otherwise the fishes could not be there." *Wesselski Bebel II 109 No. 32. |
| J2282 | A drunkard cannot drown. A drunken man falls overboard but the skipper refuses to pick him up. "A man who is soaked in wine cannot drown. No part of his body will absorb water." Wesselski Bebel II 143 No. 134. |
| J2283 | The four-footed bishop. A fool finding a nun in bed with a bishop and not seeing her face concludes that the bishop must have four feet and so announces it. Bolte Frey 247 No. 86; Nouvelles Récréations No. 2; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2284 | What killed the wolf. Peasants find a dead wolf and debate what killed it. A learned man shows that it froze internally from eating cold flesh. Bolte Frey 236 No. 59. |
| J2285 | Foolish interpretation of omens. Jewish: Neuman. |
| 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. |
| J2287 | Belief that island may be towed by ships to new location. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J2300 | Gullible fools. |
| J2301 | Gullible husbands. (Cf. J2311.0.1., J2311.2, J2311.7, J2312, J2313, J2314, J2315, J2316, J2324, J2331.) *Types 1313, 1406; *Liebrecht Zur Volkskunde 124; Bédier Fabliaux 265ff., 475; *Crane Vitry 227 No. 231; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 225 No. 66; *BP III 337; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 866; B[ö]dker Exempler 280, 296 Nos. 24, 59; Christensen DF XLVII 59; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2301.1 | Husband takes back faithless wife on her oath to be faithful. Heptameron No. 61. |
| J2301.2 | His wife has become a widow. Numskull buys cloth used only by widows and is therefore convinced. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2301.3 | Gullible husband removes from wife's garment dust gathered while she lies with another man. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J2302 | Gullible wives. |
| J2303 | Gullible mother. |
| J2310 | Nature of gullibility. |
| J2311 | Person made to believe that he is dead. *Penzer IX 156; Christensen DF XLVII 228 No. 94. |
| J2311.0.1 | Wife makes her husband believe that he is dead. (Cf. J2301.) *Type 1406; Bédier Fabliaux 475; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 866; *Clouston Noodles 166; Christensen DF L 59; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J2311.1 | Numskull is told that he is to die when his horse breaks wind three times. When this happens he lies down for dead. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 216f. No. 49; *Fb "æsel"; Köhler-Bolte I 135, 486, 505. |
| J2311.1.1 | Man believes he is to die when he breaks wind. Lies down for dead. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2311.1.2 | Numskull is told that he will die when his mouth bleeds. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2311.1.3 | Man believes, he will die when water falls on his head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2311.1.3.1 | Numskull believes he is dead when pumpkin falls on his head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2311.1.4 | Man believes he will die when he gets a scarlet thread on his coat. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| 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. |
| J2311.2 | The "poisoned" pot. The wife tells the husband that a certain pot of preserves is poison. He decides to kill himself and eats the preserves. He believes that he is poisoned and lies down for dead. *Type 1313; *BP III 337; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 237 No. 522; *Wesselski Morlini 49; *Bolte Frey 214; *Clouston Noodles 122; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 4. |
| J2311.3 | Sham revenant. A man takes refuge from robbers in an open grave. Robbers see him and ask what he is doing. "It is my grave. I went out to get a breath of air." Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 206 No. 6. |
| J2311.4 | The dead man speaks up. A numskull who has lain down thinking he is dead is carried off in a bier. The carriers lose their way. He speaks up, "I always went that way when I was alive." Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 216f. No. 49; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. Cf. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 860. |
| J2311.5 | The dead man in spite of himself. Neighbors who have heard of the numskull's death insist on the funeral although he is alive and well. He is persuaded and is carried on a bier. They meet a busy man whom they try to persuade to join them. He pleads business. The "dead" man speaks: "It's no use, friend, to try to dissuade them." *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 239 No. 121; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2311.5.1 | Supposed dead man on bier threatens his bearers. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2311.6 | Sham-dead man punished. A numskull lies in an old grave to see the Day of Judgment. He hears bells and thinks that the Last Day has come. He is beaten by mule-drivers when he tells them that he is a dead man. He returns home and tells his wife that he returns from the dead. "How goes it in heaven?" "For one thing, avoid mule-drivers." *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 216 No. 46. |
| J2311.7 | Cold hands and feet for the dead man. His wife has told him that one tells a dead person by his cold hands and feet. He freezes his feet and hands and lies down for dead. Wolves eat his ass. "Lucky for you that his master is dead!" *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 225 No. 66; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2311.8 | Parents made to believe that they are dead and are married to each other again. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 270, Coster-Wijsman 73 No. 11. |
| J2311.9 | Foolish peasants carry couple to burial; when "corpses" speak they flee in terror. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2311.10 | Drunken man insists that he be beheaded. Is struck with the flat of his sword. He thinks he is dead. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 6; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J2311.11 | Idiot tells his mother he has been dead twelve years. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2311.12 | Supposed dead man roused with whip. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2312 | Naked person made to believe that he is clothed. *Types 1406, 1620; *Clouston Noodles 163; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 866; H. C. Andersen "Kejserens ny Klæder"; Christensen DF L 64; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2314 | Layman made to believe that he is a monk. *Type 1406; *Bédier Fabliaux 265, 468; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 866; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J2315 | Wife persuades husband that she has returned immediately. She goes to a neighbor's to cook a fish. She is gone a week. She gets a new fish and cooks it and returns home with the hot fish. She convinces her husband of her short absence. Type 1406; Bédier Fabliaux 265, 458. |
| J2315.1 | Wife leaves home, offers self to lover. Returning persuades husband that she has not been away. Irish myth: Cross; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2315.2 | Gullible husband made to believe he has cut off his wife's nose. She, in another house, has had her nose cut off by mistake. She makes him believe he has done it by making him angry enough to throw a razor at her. When he throws the razor she claims it has cut off her nose. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J2316 | Husband made to believe that his house has moved during his absence. The wife and her confederates transform the house into an inn with tables, signs, drinkers, etc. The husband cannot find his house. *Type 1406; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 274 No. 298; Bédier Fabliaux 266; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J2316.1 | Man cannot recognize his own house which has been turned into a mansion by emperor. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2317 | Well man made to believe that he is sick. *Chauvin VI 138 No. 291; Clouston Noodles 161; Clouston Tales II 30ff.; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 869. |
| J2317.1 | Man thinks that he has diabetes. Rascals have sewed his trouser leg till it is too tight. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 680. |
| J2318 | Numskull convinced that he is a thief. An article is stolen. Declared that whoever does not eat all his cheese is the thief. A stone is put in the numskull's cheese so that he cannot eat it all. He admits the theft. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 679. |
| J2321 | Man made to believe that he is pregnant (has borne child). Chauvin V 185 No. 107; Penzer V 69; von der Hagen Gesammtabenteuer II *ix, 49 No. 24; Boccaccio Decameron IX No. 3 (Lee 277); Christensen DF XLVII, DF L 78; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; U.S.: Baughman. |
| J2321.1 | Parson made to believe that he will bear a calf. In having his urine examined by a doctor, a cow's is substituted by mistake. (Or he dreams that he has borne a calf.) When a calf comes into the house he thinks that he has borne it. (Cf. J1734.1, K1955.2.) *Type 1739; *BP I 317 n. 1; *Fb "kalv"; *Wesselski Bebel I 232 No. 148. |
| J2321.2 | Man thinks he has given birth to a child by letting wind. Italian: Basile Pentamerone II No. 3; Christensen DF XLVII 228 No. 93. |
| J2321.3 | Husband makes wife and mother-in-law believe he will bear a sheep. His wife was pregnant when he married her. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| J2322 | Drunken man made to believe that he has been to heaven and hell. He is dressed up as a rich lord and given rich food and drink. When put back into his own clothes he thinks that he has been to heaven. *Type 1531; Köhler-Bolte I 68; Wesselski Archiv Orientální I (1929) 80 f.; Shakespeare Induction to Taming of the Shrew; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J2323 | Numskull believes that he is married to a man. Two men's hands joined in fun with words "I marry you." Fool thinks that he must get a bishop to annul the marriage. Wesselski Bebel II 142 No. 130. |
| J2324 | Wife persuades her husband to have a good tooth pulled. Type 1406; Bédier Fabliaux 266ff.; Herbert III 20; *Crane Vitry 238 No. 248; Boccaccio Decameron VII No. 9 (Lee 231); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J2325 | Husband made to believe that yarn has changed to tow through his carelessness. Thus his lazy wife is relieved from spinning. Type 1405; BP III 44. |
| 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. |
| J2326 | The student from paradise. A student tells a woman that he comes from Paris. She understands him to say from paradise and gives him money and goods to take to her husband. *Type 1540; **Aarne FFC XXII 3—109; *Clouston Noodles 204—217 passim; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 463; *Wesselski Bebel I 189 No. 50; Christensen DF L 35; Indonesia: Coster-Wijsman 73 No. IV. |
| J2326.1 | Foolish woman gives swindler money for her parents in heaven. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2326.2 | Dream explained as a dead father's demand for horses. Dupe gives them to trickster. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2326.3 | Emperor wants to travel to paradise. Blindfolded and put on an ass. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2326.4 | Alleged messenger from relatives in distress given goods to deliver. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2327 | Man who asks for good weather given a box full of hornets. He thinks that it is filled with the weather. Köhler-Bolte I 324. |
| J2328 | The moving church tower. To see whether the church is moving someone lays down his coat in front of it. It is stolen. They think that the church has passed over it. Type 1326; Köhler-Bolte I 324; Christensen DF L 218 No. 79. |
| J2331 | Numskull with unimportant office boasts of it. |
| J2331.1 | Proud sheriff has only nine farmers in his jurisdiction. *Wesselski Bebel I 139 No. 46. |
| J2331.2 | Fool appointed to fictitious office boasts of it. "Administrador de la yesca." Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 138 No. 1689A*; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J2332 | Fool locked in dark room made to believe that it is continuous night. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 137 No. 1684; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2333 | The sledges turned in the direction of the journey. At night turned around by a joker. Type 1275. |
| J2334 | Master persuaded to buy big fish since small ones creep out of all parts of his body. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 699. |
| J2335 | The stag with iron shoes. Hunters shoot a stag and hide it. Another who sees puts a dead ass in the bag instead. When the bag is opened, one cries, "Oh Jesus, we have shot a stag with iron shoes!" Köhler-Bolte I 325. |
| J2336 | Jewess makes parents believe that she is to give birth to the Messiah. She bears a girl. *Wesselski Mönchslatein 65 No. 53; *Wesselski Bebel I 213 No. 104; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1864; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2337 | Dupe persuaded that he is invisible. Boccaccio Decameron VIII No. 3 (Lee 254); Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2338 | Adulteress makes husband believe that the birth of her mulatto child has been due to suggestion. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2341 | Near-sighted man persuaded by doctor that he can see. Nouvelles Récréations No. 28. |
| J2342 | Husband refuses to believe in wife's infidelity. |
| J2342.1 | Husband refuses to believe that his wife is unfaithful, even when she is caught in the act. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J2342.2 | Husband away three years accepts children born in his absence as his own. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2342.2.1 | Woman gives birth to child fourteen months after husband's departure. The latter is made to believe it is legitimate. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J2342.2.2 | Cuckolded "as per instructions." Woman tells husband that she has become pregnant during his absence according to his own instructions. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2342.3 | She knows best: woman denies accusation of adultery. Husband dismisses the truthful accusers saying that she knows her shortcomings better than anyone else, and she denies it. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J2342.4 | Husband praises wife's fidelity. Rascal tests it and finds it lacking. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2342.5 | Only husband remains ignorant about his wife's infidelity. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2345 | Fool kissed in sleep. Dreams he is being kissed by fairy. Is really a pig. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| 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. |
| J2347 | Occupational tricks on new employees. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J2348 | Dupe is persuaded that money will grow if he buries it. England: *Baughman. |
| J2349 | Nature of gullibility—miscellaneous. |
| J2349.1 | Dupe is made to believe horse will fly. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J2349.2 | Wife makes husband believe that her paramour is Death. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J2349.3 | Credulous king reads about ocean of milk and its properties. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2349.4 | The woman who asked for news from home. Gets many impossible answers, which she believes. E.g., "The cock has become sexton."—"Yes, that is why he sang so well in the morning." (First edition X941.) *Type 1931. |
| J2351 | Animal betrays himself to his enemies by talking. |
| J2351.1 | Fox holds conversation with his members, attracts attention, and is caught. He scolds in turn his feet, eyes, ears, and tail. In his excitement he sticks out his tail from his hiding place. *Type 154; **Krohn Mann und Fuchs 11; *BP I 518 n. 1; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 33 No. *135C. |
| J2351.2 | Hidden wolf gives himself away by talking. Cape Verde Islands: *Parsons MAFLS XV (I) *7, 13. |
| J2351.3 | Dupe loses booty through singing. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 59. |
| J2351.4 | Wolf (bear) boasts of having eaten horses. When the horse strikes sparks with his hoofs the lion is frightened and picks up the boastful wolf to show him the horse. He squeezes the wolf to death. Type 118; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 28. |
| J2352 | Talkative man betrays his companion. When his faults are pointed out he maintains that he is better than his companion, who is immediately investigated. |
| J2352.1 | His brother cannot pray either. One brother receives the sacrament; the other is refused it because he cannot pray. He replies that his brother cannot pray either and thus deprives him also of the sacrament. Wesselski Bebel II 107 No. 22. |
| J2353 | The wife multiplies the secret. To prove that a woman cannot keep a secret the man tells his wife that a crow has flown out of his belly (or that he has laid an egg). She tells her neighbor that two crows have flown. Soon he hears from his neighbors that there were fifty crows. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 395; Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 244 No. 542; Chauvin VIII 168, 197; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 68—69; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Jewish: Gaster Exempla 196 No. 56; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| 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. |
| J2355 | Numskull talks about his secret instructions and thus allows himself to be cheated. Told not to serve a man with a red beard or to keep sausage for the long winter, etc. *Type 1541; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 53 No. 400*B. |
| 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. |
| J2355.2 | Boy talks about his secret instructions and brings his father's theft to light. He is to avoid his companions lest they smell what he has been eating. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| 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. |
| J2357 | Tortoise speaks and loses his hold on the stick. He is being carried through the air by a bird. *Penzer V 55 n. 3; *Chauvin II 90 No. 31; B[ö]dker Exempler 285 No. 33; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| J2358 | Young heir too frank in celebrating his father's death. He says to the mourners, "When your fathers die, I too will come and lament their departure." They brand him as a fool. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 33. |
| J2362 | Talkative animals incense master. He gives them twice-threshed straw to eat as punishment. Type 206. |
| J2363 | Numskull amuses with his discursive nonsense. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2364 | Incognito mistress breaks off relations when she overhears the lover discussing the adventure. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2365 | Fool discloses woman's adultery; lover kills him. Irish myth: *Cross; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2366 | Warrior reveals camping place. Wishes his enemies to know that he is not afraid. Enemies go there before him. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J2367 | Fool points out hiding place to evil spirits. Banks Islands: Beckwith Myth 442. |
| J2370 | Inquisitive fool. |
| J2370.1 | Children ask parents too difficult questions. Get no answers. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2371 | Absurd scientific speculations. |
| J2371.1 | Scientific query: why does not the sea get larger when it rains in it and nothing flows out? Wesselski Arlotto I 213f. No. 54. |
| J2371.2 | Scientific query: why does the sea stink when it is full of salt? Wesselski Arlotto I 213f. No. 54. |
| J2371.3 | Scientific query: why don't rats stick their eyes out in the straw? Wesselski Arlotto I 213f. No. 54. |
| J2371.4 | Scientific query: why don't the poor, being in the majority, kill off the rich? Wesselski Arlotto I 213f. No. 54. |
| J2372 | The judge wants to know how the theft was committed. The witness tells. The judge: "You are wonderful; I have tried it thirty times and succeeded only once." Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 266 No. 248. |
| J2373 | The tailless and earless ass. Just lain down to sleep, a man is awakened by a neighbor announcing that his she-ass has borne a young one without ears or tail. The man lies awake all night wondering how the ass will keep the harness on. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 259 No. 207. |
| J2374 | How the first man killed himself. The second fool imitates the first who leaps from a palm tree by means of a looped rope. The first kills himself. The second wants to see just how it happened and kills himself too. Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 156 No. 2. |
| J2375 | Curiosity satisfied: riding the ox's horns. As his ox, who has enormous horns, is asleep, the fool gets on the horns. The ox wakes and throws him off. When he comes to his senses, the fool says, "I had a hard time, but my curiosity is satisfied." Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 231 No. 82; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2376 | Testing the evidence by experiment: biting the ear off. The accused pleads that the plaintiff bit his own ear off. The judge takes time for consideration, tries to bite his own ear, but falls down and breaks his head. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 230 No. 76; *Clouston Noodles 86; U.S.: Baughman. |
| J2377 | The philosophical watchman. A master sets his servant to keep watch over his horse at night. He soon asks the servant if he is asleep. "No, I was thinking of who created so many stars in the sky." The second time the servant answers, "No, I was thinking of who dug the sea. Where did he put the soil?" The third time: "I was wondering who would carry the saddle now that the horse is stolen." *Zachariae Zs. f. Vksk. XXX-XXXII 51; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 23. |
| J2378 | What will the robber do? A man curious as to what a robber is going to do waits to intervene and goes back to sleep. Chauvin II 82 No. 4; B[ö]dker Exempler 273 No. 4; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2381 | Question: did the man ever have a head? A man's head is snatched off by accident and his companions do not see what has happened. Debate: did he ever have a head? *Type 1225; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 192 No. 374; *Bolte Frey 220 No. 12; Christensen DF XLVII 192—93 No. 19; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2382 | How did the cow get on the pole? A fool hides his purse on a pole on a cliff. A rascal substitutes cow-dung for the money. The fool is interested only in how the cow could have reached the purse. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 236 No. 110; Köhler-Bolte I 497; Rumanian: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII 69 No. 8. |
| J2383 | Pity for the poor Jews. On Good Friday an old woman who has heard the Passion Story exclaims, "How hard it was for the Jews who had to watch all night with Christ!" Wesselski Bebel I 228 No. 138. |
| J2387 | How blind men get about. Fool experiments with shut eyes and gets lost. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2391 | Experiment in gravity. Which has greatest attraction to earth, cup or contents? Father shows great attraction of fool's back and a stick. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2400 | Foolish imitation. |
| J2401 | Fatal imitation. (Cf. J2411.1, J2411.2, J2413.4.2, J2422.) *Types 1060-1114 passim; Irish myth: Cross; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 120 No. 1075; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 353 n. 271b. |
| J2410 | Types of foolish imitation. |
| J2411 | Foolish imitation of miracle (magic). |
| J2411.1 | Imitation of magic rejuvenation unsuccessful. (Cf. J2401.) *Types 531, 753; Lithuanian: Balys Legends Nos. 633f.; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos 168—171; Missouri French: Carrière; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 121 n. 4; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2411.1.1 | Foolish imitation of sham death and return (= resuscitation). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2411.1.2 | Unsuccessful imitation of a god: lions fall out of the furnace instead of men covered with gold and silver. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2411.2 | Imitation of miraculous horse-shoeing unsuccessful. Christ takes off a horse's foot to shoe it and then successfully replaces it. (Cf. J2401.) Type 753; Dh II 168ff.; Lowes Romanic Review V 368ff.; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2411.3 | Unsuccessful imitation of magic production of food. (Cf. J2425.) Type 552B; Christiansen Norske Eventyr 80; West Indies: Flowers 489. |
| J2411.4 | Imitation of magician unsuccessful. Person does self injury. Irish myth: Cross. |
| J2411.5 | Alleged return from land of dead with bags of gold persuades dupe to try to imitate. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2411.6 | Imitation of jumping into fire without injury: dupe burned up. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2411.6.1 | Sister of goddess tries to imitate her feat of being cooked without harm and dies in the attempt. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 96. |
| J2411.7 | Imitation of magic production of garden and lake unsuccessful. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| J2411.8 | Unsuccessful imitation of magic sewing. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| J2411.9 | Obedient woman's pestle remains magically suspended in air. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2412 | Foolish imitation of healing. |
| J2412.1 | Hot onion to the eye. A friend has cured his foot with this remedy. Herbert III 63; Hervieux IV 278 No. 34; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 36; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J2412.2 | Pulling out the eye so that the pain will cease. He has had a tooth pulled and the pain ceased. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 244 No. 136. |
| J2412.3 | Imitation of the prescription. A peasant envying a doctor's fee for giving him a plaster and predicting a son, poses as a doctor. He predicts a son for a eunuch and gives a plaster for heart disease. Chauvin II 196 No. 23. |
| J2412.4 | Imitation of diagnosis by observation: ass's flesh. A doctor tells his patient that he has eaten too much chicken, and this the patient confesses. The doctor's son wants to know how the diagnosis was made. The doctor says that as he rode up he observed chicken feathers and made his conclusions. The son imitates. He sees an ass's saddle. Diagnosis: you have eaten too much ass's flesh. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 250 No. 167; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 792; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2412.4.1 | Imitation of diagnosis by observation: stick under table. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2412.5 | Healing with the cherry tree. A man whose wife refuses to talk remembers that a priest drank black cherry juice whenever he lost his voice. He cannot get the cordial but concluding that a limb of the cherry tree will have the same effect beats his wife with is. She is cured. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 715. |
| J2412.6 | Sick woman hung in well to cool off: drowned. Fool has cooled objects thus. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2412.7 | Foolish physician cauterizes "sick" cartwheel to stop it from creaking; burns it up instead. 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. |
| J2413 | Foolish imitation by an animal. Tries to go beyond his powers. |
| J2413.1 | Ass tries to caress his master like the dog. He is driven off. *Crane Vitry 139 No. 15; Oesterley Gesta Romanorum No. 79; Jacobs Aesop 202 No. 10; Wienert FFC LVI 46 (ET 45), *90 (ST 19); Halm Aesop No. 331; Spanish Exempla: Keller; West Indies: Flowers 489f. |
| J2413.1.1 | Ass imitating dog brays so as to wake master when thieves are robbing him. Beaten for his pains. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2413.2 | Ass tries to jump on the roof like the ape. Wienert FFC LVI 46 (ET 44), *90 (ST 18); Halm Aesop No. 338. |
| J2413.3 | Daw tries to carry off lamb like eagle. Is caught in the lamb's fleece. Wienert FFC LVI 66 (ET 297), 93 (ST 65); Halm Aesop No. 8. |
| J2413.4 | Animal dupe cuts off limb. Thinks he is imitating another animal. |
| J2413.4.1 | Fowl makes another animal believe that he has had his leg cut off. Says that he has received large pay. He has his leg hidden under his wing. The elephant (hippopotamus) cuts his off and bleeds to death. (Cf. J2401.) Africa (Fang): Nassau 235 No. 4, (Congo): Weeks 205. |
| J2413.4.2 | Fowl makes another animal believe that he has had his neck cut off. He has his neck hidden under his wing. The hare cuts his off and dies. (Cf. J2401.) Africa (Thonga): Junod 216; American Negro: Parsons JAFL XXX 190, 226, MAFLS XVI 34, Work JAFL XXXII 401. |
| J2413.4.3 | Monkey cuts his throat, thinking that he is imitating the cobbler. Nouvelles Récréations No. 19. |
| J2413.5 | The dog imitates a wolf. Wants to kill a horse. He asks the cat: "Is my back bristled, etc." The horse kills him with a kick. (Cf. K1121.) Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *106; Russian: Andrejev No. *119. |
| J2413.6 | Monkey sneezes in king's presence like rabbit. Killed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2413.7 | Crane tries to catch fish like hawk. Is mired at water's edge. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2413.8 | Jackal tries to roar like lion at elephant. Is killed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2413.9 | Raven tries to imitate dove's step but breaks his bones. Jewish: Neuman. |
| 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. |
| J2415.1 | The two presents to the king: the beet and the horse. A farmer takes an extraordinary beet as present to the king and receives a large reward. His companion is eager for a reward and leads a handsome steed to the palace. The king rewards him with the beet. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 798; BP III 188ff., *191; *Gaster Exempla 190 No. 25; Köhler-Bolte I 136; England: Baughman; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys; West Indies: Flowers 490. |
| J2415.1.1 | The gift of the donkey. Ruler rewards the gift of a clever donkey. Greedy nobleman seeking a like reward sends ruler two donkeys in rich trappings. Ruler advises the donor that he is sorry that his gift will deprive him of worthy companionship. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2415.1.2 | The two presents to the king: two poems. A famous poet presented to the king some poems and was richly rewarded. Another poet likewise gave the king some poetry. The king gave him the first poet's verses. Spanish: Childers. |
| J2415.2 | Picking the louse and the flea. One man rewarded with forty crowns for picking louse from king's robe. Imitator given forty lashes for picking flea. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 799. |
| J2415.3 | Crab tries to imitate bird who lays egg in pot of boiling water. Falls in instead of being rewarded. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2415.4 | Fairies help forgotten child, but strangle child trying to imitate good luck. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3691. |
| J2415.5 | Ascetic imitates Brahmin's practices. Brahmin goes to heaven, ascetic to hell. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2415.6 | Pig sees goat return decked with ornaments and plenty of food; goes out and imitates trick played by goat but is beaten instead. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2415.7 | A snake for the real daughter. Stepdaughter, married to a snake, appears decorated with jewels. Stepmother desires a snake be procured for her daughter. She is swallowed instead. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2416 | Poor man foolishly imitates rich. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2432*; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2417 | Foolish imitation of leader. Christensen DF XLVII 189 No. 14, 194 no. 19. |
| J2417.1 | Company to sing like leader. When his foot is caught in a wheel, they keep repeating his call for help as a song. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1694*; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 285 No. 64, FFC CXXVIII 244f. No. 148. |
| J2417.2 | To imitate the leader. He slips and all fall to floor. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2420 | Foolish imitation—miscellaneous. |
| J2421 | The fool spits in the hot porridge. He has seen the smith spit on the hot iron. Type 1262*. |
| J2422 | The scythe cuts one man's head off. All have theirs cut off. *Type 1203. |
| J2423 | The eye-juggler. A trickster sees a man throwing his eyes into the air and replacing them. He also receives this power but he must not use the power beyond a specified number of times. When he does so, he loses his eyes. He usually gets animal eyes as substitutes. N. A. Indian: *Thompson-Tales 299 n. 92. |
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