Stith Thompson motif index · Motif

Thompson H506.3 — Test of resourcefulness: carrying wolf, goat, and cabbage across stream

H506.3
Thompson motif reference
H
Tests
1
Associated ATU tale types

Description

Motif

Test of resourcefulness: carrying wolf, goat, and cabbage across stream. Man is to set across a stream, in a boat that will hold himself and only one other object, a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage. He must do this so that the wolf doesn't eat the goat, nor the goat the cabbage. Two solutions: (1) (a) take goat over, (b) take wolf over and goat back, (c) take cabbage over, (d) take goat over; (2) (a) take goat over, (b) take cabbage over and goat back, (c) take wolf over, (d) take goat over. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XXXIII—XXXIV 38; Fb "ulv" III 970a, "kеl" II 354b.

Associated ATU tale types

Concordance

These links are derived from the Thompson motif references stored in the Folklore Database's ATU concordance.

ATUTitle
ATU 1579 Carrying Wolf, Goat, and Cabbage across Stream