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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 |
|---|---|
| J2424 | The sharpened leg. A trickster sees a man with a sharpened leg. He also receives the power of sharpening his leg without harm if he will use it but four times. He breaks the tabu and is left with his leg sticking in a tree. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 299 n. 95; S. A. Indian (Warrau, Carrib, Shipaya): Lowie BBAE CXLIII (3) 55. |
| J2425 | The bungling host. A trickster (animal) visits various animals who display their peculiar powers in obtaining food (often magic). He returns the invitation and tries to provide food in similar ways. He fails and usually has a narrow escape from death. (Cf. J2411.3.) N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 301 n. 103, Speck U Pa I 141 n. 2; Lepers Island: Dixon 128; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 27 n. 1; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 280 No. 97. |
| J2426 | Numskull wants to be shaved too. He sees another man being shaved and thinks that the man is having his ears cut off. He orders his wife to cut off his ears. Africa (Bushman): Bleek and Lloyd 205. |
| J2427 | Numskull praises his daughter as being pregnant. He tries in vain to sell his cow and succeeds only when he says that she is with calf. When suitors come wooing his daughter, he tries the same plan disastrously. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 223 No. 57. |
| J2428 | Numskull puts money into the exchange so as to participate in the business. He hears that great lords take a part in the business of the exchange where he sees great heaps of money. He throws down a penny and says, "You may like it or not, but I want money in the exchange, too." *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 566. |
| J2431 | A man undertakes to do his wife's work. All goes wrong. *Type 1408; *BP I 321; Bolte Frey 222 No. 20; Fb "øl" III 1175a; Nouvelles Récréations No. 45. |
| J2431.1 | Men exchange duties: each wants to get better of the other, but is cheated, finding the other's work more difficult. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2434 | Man saved from well by rope. Disastrous attempt to save him from tree in same way. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2442 | Protecting as the stork does. Man has had stork protect him from rain by covering him with his wing. Man tries to protect his wife from rain with his arm. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2450 | Literal fool. |
| J2460 | Literal obedience. Gaster Oldest Stories 167; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 282. |
| J2460.1 | Disastrous following of misunderstood instructions. (To burn land, then sow seed. Opposite done.) Chinese: Graham. |
| J2461 | What should I have done (said)? The mother teaches the boy (the man his wife) what he should say (do) in this or that circumstance. He uses the words in the most impossible cases and is always punished. *Type 1696; *BP I 315, III 145; *Taylor JAFL XLVI 78 No. 1696; **Haavio FFC LXXXVIII 94ff.; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 251f. No. 169; *Fb "tosse" III 831b; Lithuanian: Balys Index Nos. 1691*, 1691A*; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC No. 1363A; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 286; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; Indonesia: Coster-Wijsman 54ff. Nos. 79—82; Africa: Werner African 217f. |
| J2461.1 | Literal following of instructions about actions. |
| J2461.1.1 | Literal numskull drags jar (bacon) on string. He has sent a pig home alone. Told that he should have led it by a string. *Type 1696; Fb "potte" II 867a; *BP I 315; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 141 No. 1703, Espinosa III 147. |
| J2461.1.2 | Literal numskull is gay at a fire. He has wept at a wedding and been told to be gay. Clouston Noodles 130; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2461.1.2.1 | Literal numskull sings entertaining songs on approach of death. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2461.1.3 | Literal numskull throws water on roasting pig. Told that he should have thrown water in the fire when the house burnt. Clouston Noodles 130. |
| J2461.1.4 | Literal numskull cuts peas into four parts. Told that he should have cut up the pancakes which he has eaten whole. Wesselski Bebel I 128 No. 27. |
| J2461.1.4.1 | Literal fool is told to cook a few peas for five persons. Cooks five peas. Next time he is told to cook an abundance. Cooks half-bushel. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2461.1.4.2 | Literal fool puts three empty measures in pot. Told to put in three measures of rice to boil. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2461.1.5 | Literal fool strangles the hawk. On last trip he has lost the gloves and has been told that he should have put them in his bosom. He puts the hawk inside his shirt. *Type 1696; *BP I 315; *Wesselski Bebel I 128 No. 26; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 762. |
| J2461.1.6 | Literal fool carries the harrow in his hand. He has killed a sparrow by his stupidity and has been told that he should have carried it in his hand. *Type 1696; *BP I 315; *Wesselski Bebel I 128 No. 26. |
| J2461.1.7 | Numskull told to steal something heavy brings millstone. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2461.1.7.1 | Numskull as thief: tries to carry off grinding-stone when told by confederates to bring out heavy things. Told to bring shiny things; brings out looking glass. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2461.1.8 | Literal numskull destroys inherited property since his sister has instructions not to object to his actions. Africa (Hausa): Mischlich 164ff. No. 22 (=Frobenius Atlantis IX 277ff., 287ff., Nos. 74, 75). |
| J2461.2 | Literal following of instructions about greetings. Numskull gives wrong greeting and is told how to give the correct one. When he tries it, however, the conditions are wrong. *Type 1696; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 251f. No. 169; Missouri French: Carrière; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2461.2.1 | Literal numskull kisses a pig. Told that he should have kissed the old woman. *Type 1696; *BP III 145. |
| J2461.2.2 | Fool learns to repeat commonplace expressions: by chance thus scares off wife's suitors. Chinese: Graham. |
| J2461.3 | Literal numskull laughs at his child's death. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2461.4 | Master tells servant (sarcastically) to take a year to do errand. Servant stays away a year and then returns to claim salary. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2461.5 | Numskull told not to forget to get the handsel (a little token extra in the bargain); brings it but leaves what he has been sent to buy. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2461.6 | Literal fool: fool told to follow his nose in a journey, runs head against tree, climbs it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2461.7 | To sell some cloth for four rupees. Fool refuses to take six rupees for it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2461.8 | Asking favor when master is in good humor. Fool waits till master is laughing at servant's stupidity. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2461.9 | Numskull told to attract girl's attention by throwing pebble at her flings large stone which breaks her head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2462 | Foolish bridegroom follows instructions literally. *Type 1685; *BP I 311; *Fb "brud" IV 64b; Gaster Oldest Stories 167; U.S.: Baughman; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| J2462.1 | The dog Parsley in the soup. The foolish bridegroom is told to put parsley in the soup. He throws in his dog, which is named Parsley. *Type 1685; *BP I 311; Köhler-Bolte I 65; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1006A; Russian: Andrejev No. *1012 II. |
| J2462.2 | Casting sheep's eyes at the bride. The foolish bridegroom is told to cast sheep's eyes at the bride. He buys some at the butcher shop and throws them at her. *Type 1685; *BP I 311; *Fb "øje" III 1166a; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 762; Spanish: Espinosa III 147. |
| J2462.3 | Foolish husband puts out wife's eyes at night because he heard that a beautiful wife is an enemy. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2463 | The foolish bride. |
| J2463.1 | Foolish bride gives away dowry. While her parents are away from home, a matchmaker and a suitor come to the foolish girl. By following her mother's advice literally, she gives away her dower to the tricksters. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1463. |
| J2463.2 | Marrying a stranger. The girl shortly to be married complains: "It was all very well for you, mother, to marry father, but I am to marry a complete stranger." Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1468; Russian: Andrejev No. *2078A; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2464 | The servant to improve on the master's statements. The wooer makes boasts to the girl and the servant always doubles the master's boast. Finally the master says, "I have poor eyesight." — The servant, "You don't see at all." (Or the master coughs and apologizes; the servant says that he coughs all night.) *Type 1688; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 221; Scala Celi 126b No. 688; Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. IX 88 No. 46; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 24. |
| J2465 | Disastrous following of instructions. |
| J2465.1 | Feeding the pigs wet meal. The wife throws the meal into the well and the pigs after it. Field Pent Cuckoo 16. |
| J2465.1.1 | Watering the cow (by pouring water on it). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2465.2 | Piling up the pottery. The woman breaks the pots into fragments and piles them up. Type 1371*. |
| J2465.3 | Feeding the child. Fool feeds it steaming food and kills it. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 212 No. 431. |
| J2465.3.1 | Shoving the child. Numskulls, told to shove the boy along if he is lazy about weeding, do so with their weeding-knives and kill him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2465.3.2 | Feeding mother. Fool stuffs and kills her. Espinosa: JAFL XXVII 119. |
| J2465.4 | Washing the child. Fool uses boiling water and kills it. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 212 No. 431. |
| J2465.4.1 | Heating water for woman to wash in. Boiling water poured over her. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2465.5 | Clearing out the room. Fool throws out all the furniture. *Type 1685; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2465.6 | Washing the room. Fool floods it. Norwegian: Christiansen Norske Eventyr 142. |
| J2465.7 | Oh bother! put it on my head! Numskulls asking old woman where to put grain obey and smother her. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2465.8 | Cutting at the plow. Literal fool told to cut at plow if it sticks on roots cuts at bullock's legs. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2465.9 | "Sew shirts for servants." Fool sews them to trees. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2465.10 | "Collect goats under tree." Fool piles up their carcasses. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2465.11 | Fool takes threat to child as an order. Cuts off child's ears. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2465.12 | Plowing above the tree. Told to plow above a certain tree (on the hillside), numskulls haul oxen and plow into tree and destroy them. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2465.13 | "Plowing out potatoes." Fool plows them out of ground. North Carolina: Brown Collection I 698. |
| J2466 | Literal following of the count. |
| J2466.1 | A pebble for each sin. A man cannot remember the number of his sins. The priest has him put a pebble in a sack for each of his sins. He comes to confession with three large sacks of pebbles. Type 1848*. |
| J2466.2 | The reckoning of the pot. A man counts the days of the fastmonth by throwing a pebble each day into a pot. His daughter throws a handful of pebbles in. Asked the day of the month, he says that it is the 125th. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 207 No. 9. |
| J2466.3 | The long day. If the clock is still striking it must be 50 o'clock. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 207 No. 9; Scotland, U.S.: Baughman. |
| J2469 | Instructions followed literally—miscellaneous. |
| J2469.1 | A lentil in the soup. You said you wished a lentil soup; so I put one in. If you had wished more lentils you should have said so. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 605. |
| J2469.2 | Taking the prescription. The fool eats the paper with the prescription on it. Clouston Noodles 119. |
| J2469.3 | Dividing all they have. So advised, they cut their beds, houses, etc. in two. (Cf. M241.) Penzer V 114 n. 1. |
| J2469.3.1 | Man gives up half property. Slave cut in two. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2469.4 | Boy asked to do something to cool women's ears breaks vessels they carry so milk in them can cool their ears off. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2469.5 | Literal fool—something you have never experienced. |
| J2469.5.1 | Literal fool feeds dogflesh to visitor to follow father's advice: "Feed him on food you have never eaten in your life." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2469.5.2 | Literal obedience: soldier breaks woman's oil pot in two with sword when she asks him to show her something she never has seen in life. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2470 | Metaphors literally interpreted. India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian (Wyandot): Barbeau GSCan XI 224 No. 68. |
| J2471 | "Taking a pattern (picture) of conduct" from other people. Fool steals a picture from the church. Wesselski Bebel I 128 No. 27. |
| J2472 | "Skinning farmers". A master tells his servant that he is going to skin some farmers (i.e., cheat them). When a farmer inquires for a tanner, the servant directs him to his master. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 720. |
| J2473 | Peasant opens his mouth. He tells his wife about the good things he gets to eat at the rich man's house. The wife says, "Open your mouth for me once so that I may get some too." The peasant gets up after the next large meal and opens his mouth to the astonishment of all present. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 519. |
| J2474 | The hunter's mass. A count instructs his chaplain to read a hunter's mass (i.e., a short one). The chaplain searches the prayerbook in vain for a hunter's mass. *Wesselski Bebel I 175 No. 19. |
| J2475 | "Greasing the judge's palms." The woman puts butter on his hands. *Crane Vitry 149 No. 38; *Herbert III 68; Hervieux IV 301 No. 93; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 124; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 22; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| J2476 | The literal host: bread and salt. Guest finds that his host spoke literally when he invited him to share his bread and salt. Later, when the host threatens an importunate beggar, the guest advises the beggar to flee since the host means what he says. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 240 No. 532. |
| J2477 | Christ has too many debts. St. Peter is to give Christ to a woman as husband. She hears people say, when they are asked for money, "When Christ pays me, I will pay you." The woman says that Christ has too many debts. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 657; Irish: Beal XXI 305. |
| J2478 | The numskull buys water at market. He looks at bread. The merchant: "It is as good as butter." He decides on butter. The merchant: "It is as sweet as oil." He decides on oil. The merchant: "It is as clear as water." He decides on water. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 241 No. 536. |
| J2481 | The horse that went like a ship. Men have been assured that a horse will "go like a ship". When they spur the horse, it will not move. A man takes a pole and hits the horse. It goes. "See, it goes like a ship. It is started by a pole, not by spurs." *Wesselski Arlotto I 188 No. 9. |
| J2482 | The fool is told that his son has given up the ghost. He wonders. He didn't know that the son had a ghost to give up. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 250 No. 166. |
| J2483 | The house without food or drink. A fool and his son meet women mourning a dead man. "He goes to the place where there is darkness and nothing to eat or drink." The son: "They must be coming to our house." *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 262 No. 229; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2484 | Father tells son that he has been scratched by "hairy rascals" (monkeys). Son attacks hairy ascetics. Penzer V 140. |
| J2485 | What is behind you. Woman tells husband she has cooked what is behind him. He sees the door there and tries to cook it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2488 | Numskull wants to see an abstract quality. |
| J2488.1 | Numskull dragon wants to see courage. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2488.2 | Sultan tries to prove to Adversity he cannot be seized at specified time and hides in a sewer. He thus experiences adversity in his very effort to avoid it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2489 | Metaphors literally interpreted—miscellaneous. |
| J2489.1 | Fool interprets metaphors (or slang expressions) about drink. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J2489.2 | "Keep locks of everyone in your hand" (keep control of them). Fool interprets literally. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2489.3 | "Bite the ear" (speak secretly). Fool interprets literally. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2489.4 | "Cutting the paper of the accounts" (falsifying accounts). Fool cuts up account books. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2489.5 | "Quieting the patient." Fool does so by killing. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2489.6 | Giving half of savings away: "Whoever gives charity gets double in return." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2489.7 | "Have a black look" (i.e., frown). Fool blackens face with charcoal. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2489.8 | "Cover with straw." Fool covers his mistress with straw and suffocates her. Should have thatched roof. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2489.9 | "Stick fast to everything you undertake." Foolish son seizes an ass by tail and gets kicked. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2489.10 | Payment with "something or other." Offered money, fools insist on "something or other." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2489.11 | "Don't allow paint to wear off my daughter's feet." Bridegroom carries her upside down across river and drowns her. (Cf. J2412.6.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2489.12 | Making money. "Rupees make more rupees." Stupid peasant sticks his sole rupee in hole and loses it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2489.13 | "Never show your head again." Jester soon appears with large pot over head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2490 | Literal fool—miscellaneous. |
| J2491 | Clothing the servant. The master is to clothe the servant (at his expense). The servant insists that his master shall put on his clothes for him. Type 1569**. |
| J2492 | Putting fear into him. A plaintiff insists that the judge shall put some fear into the defendant debtor. The judge puts his fingers over the eyes of the defendant and cries, "Boo! Now give him his money." *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 266 No. 246. |
| J2493 | Names of dogs literally interpreted. The names are "The Shepherd" and "Get the stick". When the man calls his dogs to dinner, the thief thinks that he is telling the shepherd to get a stick. Type 1530*; Russia: Andrejev No. 1530*. |
| J2494 | Getting a box on the ears. The man, advised to cure his wife with a box on the ears, goes to the pharmacy and gets one. He cures his wife. *Type 1372; Fb "ørefigen" III 1182; *Jacobs list s.v. "Box on ears"; Christensen DF XLVII 208 No. 62. |
| J2495 | Religious words or exercises interpreted with absurd literalness. West Indies: Flowers 491; Irish: Beal XXI 333, O'Suilleabhain 105. |
| J2495.1 | Praying to the nearer virgin. One man prays to the Virgin of Aix-la-Chapelle. The other: "That place is too far away; she can't be here in time to help." He prays to the Virgin of a nearer town. *Wesselski Bebel I 188 No. 47. |
| J2495.2 | Debtors do not forgive. "The Lord's Prayer has little power. I forgive my debtors but my debtors do not forgive me." *Wesselski Bebel I 140 No. 50. |
| J2495.3 | Did not want to be Christ. An actor representing Christ in a Passion Play is beaten by Jews. He throws the cross down: "The devil may be God; I won't." *Wesselski Bebel II 109 No. 34. |
| J2495.4 | Peasants want a living God. An artist, ordered to make a crucifix, asks peasants if they want a living God. They say yes. "If we don't like him we can kill him ourselves." *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 409. |
| J2495.5 | Numskulls believing that God has reposed on a leaf want to cross river on one. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2496 | "I don't know" thought to be a person's name. A man in a country that cannot speak his language hears "I don't know" so frequently that he thinks it must be the name of the owner of all the places he inquires about. *Type 700*; Africa (Gold Coast): Barker an Sinclair 95 No. 18. |
| J2496.1 | Boy who worked for "nothing at all" goes to town and demands "nothing at all." (Cf. J2489.10.) Penzer V 97. |
| J2496.2 | Misunderstandings because of lack of knowledge of a different language than one's own. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *2420; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2497 | "Honey is sweet." A wayward son, asked by his mother to give her a sweet word, thus answers. *Köhler-Bolte I 3. |
| J2498 | Repeating the ceremony. Fool told to repeat part of the ceremony at baptism persists absurdly in repeating every remark. Field Pent Cuckoo 8; England: Baughman; West Indies: Flowers 491. |
| J2498.1 | The imitative choir. Minister tells congregation that he has forgotten his spectacles, that he cannot line out the hymn as he customarily did. The choir sings his words. He tries to explain, apologizes. The choir repeats the apology in song. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J2498.2 | Priest's words repeated. Man sent to priest for religious service to repeat priest's words. Keeps repeating "Who are you?" "Where do you come from?" India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2499 | Literal fool—additional motifs. |
| J2499.1 | "Till the front sweats." A mother orders her daughter to knead the dough until the front of the oven (stirn) sweats. She does so till her forehead (stirn) sweats. Type 1445*. |
| J2499.2 | Not naked but with a hood on. She confesses that she has had relations with the priest. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 294. |
| J2499.3 | Fool admits crime but pleads mistakes in the details of the accusation. Penzer V 117f. |
| J2499.4 | Brings back all stolen cattle possible. Simple monk eats all he can of abbey's stolen cattle so as to bring them back home. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 61; Alphabet No. 718; Mensa Philosophica No. 187. |
| J2499.5 | "God is everywhere." Fool therefore trusts that he is in angry elephant. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2499.6 | Conventional greeting phrase taken literally: "Come and share it." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2499.7 | Three stupid sons sent out into the world to learn trades: hunter kills his father; musician plays and dances at his father's death, etc. Chinese: Graham. |
| J2511 | The silence wager. A man and his wife make a wager as to who shall speak first (close the door). The man (woman) becomes jealous and scolds; loses the wager. *Type 1351; Child No. 275; **Brown Amer. Journ. of Philol. XLIII 289; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 263; Clouston Tales II 15; *Basset 1001 Contes II 401; Chauvin VIII 132 No. 124; Clouston Noodles 108, 184; Fb "tie" III 792a; Christensen DF L 79; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2511.1 | Wager as to who shall rise (speak) first in morning (last up to get reward). They are carried to funeral pyre before they will give in. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2511.1.1 | Husband to spite wife plays dead. When she tells neighbors that they may come and take dead man's property he gets up. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2511.1.2 | Silence wager: man and wife taken for dead. Stand up when king offers reward for information about their death. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2511.2 | Numskulls make silence wager. Arrested as thieves. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2512 | The fool and the visitor's large nose. The fool asks where he got the large nose. Is removed from the room. He comes back to mend matters. He says, "What a small nose you have!" He is again taken from the room. The third time: "What difference does it make whether you have a nose or not?" *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 41. Cf. Type 2014. |
| J2513 | Plenty of holy water. A fool hearing of the effectiveness of holy water for the forgiveness of sins pours the whole supply over himself. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 714. |
| J2514 | Sickle bought at great cost given back. In a land where the sickle is not known the new sickle cuts off the head of a man and is thereupon given back to the original owner. *Type 1202; *BP II 72 n. 1. |
| J2516 | Directions followed literally to the sorrow of the giver. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2516.0.1 | Literal misconstruction of order. Hero gets revenge. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2516.1 | Think thrice before you speak. The youth obeys literally the precept even when he sees the master's coat on fire. *Type 1562; Chauvin VIII 170 No. 187; cf. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 387. |
| J2516.2 | "Pick up everything!" The youth so instructed picks up too much. The master then tells him to pick things up only when the master gives the signal. The master falls into a hole and cannot give the signal. *BP III 151; Christensen DF XLVII 226 No. 92; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| J2516.2.1 | "Pick up everything!" Fool loads his master with horse dung. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2516.3 | "Do nothing but attend to the horse." The youth obeys the command to such extent that he almost lets his master drown. *Wesselski Morlini 317 No. 74. |
| J2516.3.1 | Wife follows written instructions. She is to follow instructions which the husband has written down on a card. He falls into a brook and is about to drown. She goes home to see what his instructions on this point are. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 139; Christensen DF XLVII 226 No. 92. |
| J2516.3.2 | The polite rescuers. Pupils are taught to clap their hands and say "God bless you" when one sneezes. As they are rescuing a drowning man by a rope he sneezes. They all clap their hands and he falls back into the water. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 227 No. 477. |
| J2516.3.3 | Command to use only one phrase. King let drown in bath. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2516.3.4 | "Only light the fire." Fool allows the house to burn down. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2516.3.5 | To tell nothing else than "very good news." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2516.4 | "Do not leave my side." The youth obeys the command to such an absurd extent that he is a nuisance to his master. *Wesselski Morlini 317 No. 74. |
| J2516.5 | "Hang out lanterns." Officer calls to householders to hang out lanterns. One hangs out lantern but does not light it. The next night the officer calls to them to hang out lanterns and candles. He hangs out a lantern with a candle in it but unlighted. The next night the officer calls out to hang out lanterns and candlelight. England: Baughman. |
| J2516.6 | "Let no one in." When lizard comes in fool burns house down to drive it out. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2516.7 | Remove turban as last duty. Sleepy servant removes master's turban while still in council meeting. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2516.8 | To draw out fence stakes and throw them down. Boy throws them into river. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2516.9 | "Foresee the possible event." Asked to call a doctor when his master falls ill, fool also calls the undertaker. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2517 | Couldn't wait to dress. The overzealous visitor rides naked to see his friends. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 233 No. 93. |
| J2518 | Absurd extreme of discouragement. |
| J2518.1 | Fool kills himself in despair because a sparrow has taken one grain from his field. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| J2518.2 | Fool kills himself in despair because an ox has been killed. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| J2521 | Extreme prudery. |
| J2521.1 | The man is accused of maintaining a brothel. He has a bull for breeding purposes. *Wesselski Bebel I 141 No. 53. |
| J2521.2 | Rebuke for going with a naked head in public. The woman rebuked has lost her hair in sickness. Forthwith she covers up her head with her dress and exposes her body. Bolte Frey 245 No. 79; England: Baughman; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J2521.3 | Girl marries man so she will not be ashamed undressed in his presence. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2522 | Breaking the glassware to prevent others from doing so. A king thus removes temptation from his subjects. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 622. |
| J2523 | The obedient husband: the leave of absence. His wife says, "You may go away for a little while." He stays away for days and then sends a messenger to his wife asking if he has been away long enough. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 232 No. 84; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2523.1 | Obedient husband hangs his wife. Wife had wished only to test her husband's love for her. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *1378. |
| J2523.2 | Obedient husband walks slowly. Arrives home after dawn when wife's lover has gone. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2524 | Fool liking salt decides to eat nothing else. Penzer V 71f. |
| J2525 | Fool will not drink from a river because he cannot drink it all. Penzer V 88; Christensen DF XLVII 211 No. 67. |
| J2526 | Equal share in the bed. Wishing to prove their equality twelve fools sleep on the ground and put their feet on the one bed provided for the chief. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2527 | Thief out of habit robs from his own purse. Nouvelles Récréations No. 46. |
| J2528 | Letter believed against clear evidence. Fool believes letter apparently reporting his uncle's death, though he has just seen uncle. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2532 | Bureaucrats debate as to who shall put out palace fire: meantime palace burns. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2541 | "Don't eat too greedily." Fool starves himself at table. Later hunts food in house and gets into trouble. India: *Thompson-Balys. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1691*, 1691A*; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC No. 1363A*; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 286. Cf. the same story with risque ending: U.S. (Ozarks): Randolph Who Blowed Up the Church House (New York, 1952) 16, 185. J2550—J2599. |
| J2561 | Fool thanks God that he was not sitting on the ass when it was stolen. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 230 No. 495. |
| J2562 | Thankful that the recipe is left. A hawk steals the fool's meat. He is grateful that the recipe remains. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 231 No. 498. |
| J2563 | "Thank God they weren't peaches!" A man plans to take peaches as a present to the king. He is persuaded rather to take figs. They are green and the king has them thrown in his face. He is thankful that they weren't peaches. *Type 1689; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 227 No. 71; *Clouston Tales II 407ff.; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| J2564 | "Thank God that camels have no wings." They might fly about and kill people. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 205 No. 2. |
| J2565 | Fool thankful that God has built a palace without columns. Else the stones might fall down and kill us. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 270 No. 272. |
| J2566 | One fewer to pay for. A man carries blind men over a stream at a certain price per head. One falls down and drowns. He comforts the others that there is one fewer to pay for. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 207 No. 14. |
| J2568 | "Thank God it's over!" Man who has been promised a beating lives in constant dread. Is eventually beaten. He thanks God. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2569 | "Thank Fortune I'm out of business." Philosopher loses all his wealth at sea. Thanks Fortune for taking him out of business. Can now devote his life to philosophy. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2571 | "Thank Fortune it wasn't a melon." Man contends that melons should not grow on slender vines but on tall trees. He is hit on the nose by a falling nut. Is thankful it wasn't a melon. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2572 | Heart may not be able to stand winning mistress. Man told it is well he did not obtain girl he loved because his heart might not have been able to stand it. Heptameron No. 58. |
| J2600 | Cowardly fool. *BP II 555. |
| J2611 | Person frightened into falling down a cliff. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 303 n. 109f.; West Indies: Flowers 492. |
| J2612 | The attack on the hare (crayfish). Seven men make strenuous plans for the attack on the fierce animal. One screams with fright and the animal runs away. (Cf. J1736.1.) *BP II 556, III 286; Christensen DF XLVII 220 No. 82; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 307 No. 34. |
| J2613 | Surrender to the rake. Fool steps on a rake and falls down crying, "I surrender!" *BP II 555. |
| J2614 | Fools frightened by stirring of an animal. Christensen DF XLVII 175, 197 No. 24. |
| J2614.1 | Fools are frightened at the humming of bees. Think it is a drum. *BP II 555; Christensen DF XLVII 194ff. No. 20. |
| J2614.2 | Fools frightened at the flight of a quail. When they hear "whirr!" the army flees. Africa (Thonga): Junod 247. |
| J2614.3 | Lions flee because of the crowing of white cock, elephants because of swine's grunting. Icelandic: FSS 69—71, Boberg. |
| J2615 | Fright at the creaking of a wheelbarrow. Type 1321**. |
| J2615.1 | Fright at noise of mill. North Carolina: Brown Collection I 697; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2616 | The hawk frightened at the snipe's bill. The snipe: "It is a bill, but it is good for nothing (weak)." The hawk is no longer afraid. Type 229*; Russian: Andrejev No. 229. |
| J2617 | Afraid of his knees. A man awakes with his knees in the air. He thinks the knees are a lion and splits them with his axe. Africa (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 407 No. 5. |
| J2618 | The sleeper answers for the dead man. A man falls asleep by a gallows. A company of wags come and invite the dead man on the gallows to accompany them. The sleeper awakes with a start and says, "I'll come at once." The wags flee in terror. *Wesselski Bebel II 119 No. 59; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2621 | The dead girl frightens father and lover. The girl dies. The lover, thinking that she is asleep, talks to her. When he hears the father speak of her as dead he is frightened that he has talked to the dead. The father hears the lover talk and thinks that it is the girl's spirit. Both flee. Africa (Vai): Ellis 204 No. 21. |
| J2622 | Fool frightened by stirring of the wind. Falls on a knife and kills himself. Africa (Ibo, Nigeria): Basden 277. |
| J2623 | Tailor puts on thimble as protection from slug. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 142 No. 1710. |
| J2624 | Fright at animals' eyes in the dark. Africa (Angola): Chatelain 209 No. 21. |
| J2625 | Coward is frightened when clothing catches on thistle. (Cf. N384.2.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2626 | Coward boasts of what he would have done after danger is over. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2626.1 | Cornered paramour threatens the husband. Admits guilt. Husband: "Had you denied it I would have killed you!" Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| J2627 | Frightened by fireworks. Christensen DF XLVII No. 30. |
| J2631 | Boastful coward frightened when he sees strong adversaries. Hides in trousers of plowman who fights the men. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. *650B; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV No. 650B; Finnish: Aarne FFC V, XXXIII No. 650B; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 261f. No. 129. |
| J2632 | Fools try to frighten one another, but get scared themselves and both flee. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3444; Legends Nos. 867, 869f. |
| J2633 | Tiger frightened of leak in house. Chinese: Graham. |
| J2634 | Fearing the earthquake. Fool worries lest earthquake make him fall against an open knife. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2650 | Bungling fool. Type 1690*; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2661 | Bungling fool has succession of accidents. Irish myth: Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| J2661.1 | The fool accidentally kills his child and loses the body. Indonesia: DeVries's list no. 266. |
| J2661.2 | The fool seeks a midwife. Accidentally strikes the dog dead, drowns the midwife, and kills the child. *Type 1680. |
| J2661.3 | One woman to catch squirrel; the other to get the cooking pot. One falls from the tree and kills herself; the other breaks the pot. *Type 1227. |
| J2661.4 | The boy's disasters. Foolishly kills his horse and throws his axe into the lake to kill a duck. Undresses to recover axe. Clothes stolen. Goes into barrel of tar to hide. In tar and feathers. *Type 1681. |
| J2662 | Sent back for the rest of the money. A fool finds a treasure and takes some of it to a judge so as to purchase influence. The judge sends him back for the rest. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 831. |
| J2665 | The awkward servant. |
| J2665.1 | The cup with two and three handles. When the servant girl presents the cup to the emperor she holds the handle herself. When there are two handles she holds one in each hand, and when there are three she holds the third one toward her. Type 1327*. |
| J2665.2 | Servant injures master while shampooing him. Gives him a slap and breaks his skin. Penzer V 113. |
| J2666 | The bungling speaker. |
| J2666.1 | "I am as good as you are." One woman says to another, "You are an adulteress and a thief, and I know that I am just as good as you are." *Wesselski Bebel I 136 No. 38. |
| J2667 | The fool testifies: "I had been drinking and was lying on the bench asleep. I saw him hit him over the head with an axe but don't know whether he hit him or not." *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 816. |
| J2668 | The fool betrays his brothers. They escape but he is captured and stupidly betrays their hiding places. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 432. |
| J2671 | The forgetful fool. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2671.1 | A fox or a hare? A servant is sent by his master to find a girl for him. If he returns with one he is to say, "I have a fox"; if without, "I have a hare." When he returns he has forgotten the agreement. "I don't know whether it is a fox or a hare, but the girl is down stairs. *Wesselski Bebel I 195 No. 69. |
| J2671.2 | Fool keeps repeating his instructions so as to remember them. (He usually forgets them.) *Clouston Noodles 133. |
| J2671.2.1 | Fool's talking to himself thought to be inappropriate greetings. He keeps repeating a word to remember it but changes it so that it seems to refer unfavorably to people whom he meets. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2671.3 | Bungling fool forgets what elephant is called. Says it is an "earth egg" (confused with name for potatoes). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2671.4 | Foolish messenger muddles message. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| J2672 | The stolen bedcover. A man hears a noise outside the house at night. He wraps a bed cover about him and goes to investigate. The robbers take the bed cover and flee. The wife asks what the debate was about. "About the bed cover. When they got it, the quarrel was over." Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 230 No. 77. |
| J2675 | Bungling rescuer caught by crab. He tries to rescue woman caught by crab. Is caught himself and found in embarrassing position. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 178 No. 313; Indonesia: Coster-Wijsman 43 No. 44. |
| J2685 | Buyer draws picture of grindstone on his order list. The grocer sends him a cheese. The buyer has forgotten to draw the hole. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J2700 | The easy problem made hard. |
| J2711 | How the tower was built. Fool gives three explanations: (1) It was formerly a deep well; dug up and set out; (2) it was built by a very tall man; (3) it was built flat on the ground and then set up. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 243 No. 27. |
| J2712 | "What do I hold in my hand?" (Ring). "In its first state it was in the mountains; it is round and flat." Fool: "A millstone." Chauvin VIII 170 No. 188. |
| J2712.1 | Guess what I have in my hand and I will give it to you to make egg-cake with. What does it look like? What outside and yellow inside. It is a hollowed turnip filled with carrots. Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 209 No. 15. |
| J2712.2 | Guess how many eggs I have and you shall get all seven. Christensen DF XLVII 214 No. 73. |
| J2713 | The father of Noah's sons. The fool seeks advice as to how to answer this question: Who is the father of Stoffer's three sons? Stoffer, of course. Then who was the father of Noah's three sons? Stoffer. Danish: MS (SK 41 in Dansk Folkemindesamling). |
| J2716 | How to find if it is raining. (Cf. W111.2.4.) |
| J2716.1 | Men must go to look in the pool to see if rain is falling. England: Baughman. |
| J2716.2 | Man put out tubs to see if rain is still falling. England: Baughman. |
| J2721 | Why he couldn't see. One fool to another: "What would happen if you cut off your nose?" "I couldn't smell." "What would happen if you cut off your ears?" "I couldn't see." "Why couldn't you see?" "My hat would fall down over my eyes." U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J2722 | Telling their horses apart. One fool docks the tail of his horse; the horse of the second gets tail caught in gate, is docked too. One notches ear of his horse; the second horse notches its ear on the fence. Finally they measure heights of their horses. The black horse is two inches taller than the white. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| J2751 | Trickster's greed while hunting causes him to be deserted. Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 237 No. 7. |
| K0 | Contest won by deception—general. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1 | Contest won by magic. India: Thompson-Balys; S. A. Indian (Chincha, Peru): Alexander Lat. Am. 231. |
| K1.1 | Magic animal wins contest for man. |
| K1.1.1 | Magic bullock wins fight for master. India: Thompson-Balys. H1588. Contest of dogs. |
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