Folklore Database · Browse
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 |
|---|---|
| K557 | Death cheated by moving bed. The man who has chosen Death as his godfather has his bed turned around when he sees Death standing at the foot of his bed. He thus escapes death. *Type 332; *BP I 377ff.; Wesselski Märchen 214 No. 17; **Christiansen Danske Studier (1915) 72ff.; Icelandic: Sveinsson FFC LXXXIII No. 332; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K558 | Man allowed to pick out tree to be hanged on. Cannot find one. *Crane Vitry 161 No. 62; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 283; Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 25; U.S., England: Baughman; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 324 No. 161; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K558.1 | Escape by asking to die falling from a tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K558.2 | Man asks to be beheaded standing in tank of water. He ducks and executioners kill each other. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K561 | Escape by persuading captor to talk. |
| K561.0.1 | Attempted escape by persuading captor to talk fails. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K561.1 | Animal captor persuaded to talk and release victim from his mouth. Usually cock and fox, fox and wolf, or mouse and cat. *Type 6; *BP II 207; *Chauvin II 200 No. 39; *Fb "ræv" III 113b; **Dargan MPh IV 39; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 743; *Graf FFC XXXVIII 39f.; *F. N. Robinson Works of Chaucer 858 (Nun's Priest's tale). —Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 239*; Russian: Andrejev No. 241 I*; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "coq"; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; Africa (Hottentot): Bleek 23 No. 12; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 146 No. 27; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 326 No. 110; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 239f. No. 12. |
| K561.1.2 | Frog escapes after telling crow to sharpen his bill before eating him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K561.2 | Sheep persuade the wolf to sing. Dogs are summoned. *Type 122C; *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. IX 87; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K561.3 | Crocodile persuaded to open his mouth. When he does, he shuts his eyes automatically and monkey escapes. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 853. |
| K562 | Rat persuades cat to wash face before eating: escapes. *Type 122B; *Dh III 237f.; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K562.1 | Captive trickster persuades captor to pray before eating. Escapes. Africa (Nama): Bleek 23, No. 12, (Hottentot): Meinhof Lehrbücher d. Sem. f. orient. Spr. XXIII 165. |
| K562.2 | Hare persuades cat to perform two gallops before eating him: escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K563 | Escape because of plea that leaves means of egress open. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K563.1 | Jackal in tiger's house has permission to sit with tail hanging down between bamboo stems. Enlarges gap thus made and escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K563.2 | Tortoise persuades tiger captor to put him in pocket with hole, escapes. Africa (Cameroon): Meinhof 7. |
| K565 | Thumbling in animal's belly persuades latter to go to his father's house for plunder: rescued. *Type 700; *BP I 389. |
| K565.1 | Boy swallowed by fish that is thrown up on shore persuades tiger to cut it open with injunction not to look at him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K565.2 | Jackal entrapped in elephant's carcass tells passing God to show his magic power by making it rain. Elephant's hide swells; jackal escapes. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K566 | Ass begs wolf to pull thorn out of foot before eating him: kicks wolf in mouth. Wienert FFC LVI 52 (ET 115), 114 (ST 244); Halm Aesop No. 334; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 30, 31; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K567 | Escape by pretending to perform errand (do work) for captor. Africa (Thonga): Junod 212, (Kaffir): Theal 188, (Ekoi): Talbot 233; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Friends 60 No. 8, Nights 366 No. 65. |
| K567.1 | Prince to giant: "Don't eat me up, and I'll prepare you a good dinner." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K567.2 | Man persuades robbers to postpone killing him until he can show them his treasure. Leads them into marsh and escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K571 | Escape by pretending to dance so as to be untied. Africa (Kaffir): Theal 44; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 12 No. 3. |
| K571.1 | Hare promises to dance if doorway is left free: escapes. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 180*; Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K572 | Escape from captor by means of flattery. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K573 | Escape by asserting that captor will have ill luck after killing victim. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K573.1 | Escape by asking girl about to murder him if she will have to assume all the guilt. She reconsiders. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K575 | Escape by false prophecy: if corpses are buried in city, it will become a ruin: king releases condemned man. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K576 | To get out of thieves' clutch, man reports high prices in another town. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K579 | Escape by false plea—miscellaneous. |
| K579.1 | Wife accused of plan to escape weeps and threatens suicide so as to allay suspicion and escape. Africa (Fjort): Dennett 51 No. 8. |
| K579.2 | Monkey in danger on bridge of crocodiles pretends that the king has ordered them counted. India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Anesaki 317, Ikeda; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 7, Dixon 190 n. 10. |
| K579.3 | Escape from robbers by pretending to be going the same way but separating at the first opportunity. Jewish: Neuman, Gaster Exempla 198 No. 66. |
| K579.3.1 | Escape from pursuers by pretending to be one of them. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K579.4 | Monkey saved from trap by feigning marriage. Chinese: Graham; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 6. |
| K579.5 | Respite while captor acts as umpire between captives. |
| K579.5.1 | Wolf acts as judge before eating the rams. They are to go to the end of the field and run to him. They run at him and kill him. *Wesselski Märchen 251 No. 58; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 30, 31. |
| K579.5.2 | Tiger to help foxes divide their young. Foxes escape into hole. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K579.6 | Murder feigned to effect escape. Knight is refused permission to leave city. He rushes to city gates and pretends that he has just killed a public enemy. Is aided in his escape. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K579.7 | A handy name. Thief is jailed for stealing a quarter of veal. Sends man named "Calf" to captor. "I took only one quarter of veal, but I am sending you a whole calf." Is set free. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K579.8 | A plea for a larger audience. Fox asks cock to come down from a tree and sing for him. Cock asks fox to awake his companion, a dog, first. Dog kills fox. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K580 | Captor persuaded into illusory punishment. |
| K581 | Animal "punished" by being placed in favorite environment. |
| K581.1 | Drowning punishment for turtle (eel, crab). By expressing horror of drowning, he induces his captor to throw him into the water —his home. *Type 1310; *Dh IV 43; Köhler-Bolte I 266; *Fb "еl" III 1190b; England: Baughman; Danish: Christensen DF XLVII 171; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: Dixon 195, 196 n. 32, *DeVries Volksverhalen II 360 No. 107; Philippine: Fansler MAFLS XII 443, (Tinguian): Cole 196, 197 n. 1; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 302 n. 108; Africa (Angola): Chatelain 153 No. 17, (Jaunde): Heepe 107; (Benga): Nassau 124 No. 12, (Ibo, Nigeria): Thomas 88, (Yoruba): Ellis 266 No. 3, (Zanzibar): Bateman 40 No. 2; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 58 No. 12, 115 No. 24, Friends 167 No. 23, cf. Harris Nights 61 No. 12; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 236 No. 5; West Indies: Flowers 516. |
| K581.2 | Briar-patch punishment for rabbit. By expressing horror of being thrown into the briar patch he induces his captor into doing so. He runs off. **Ruth I. Cline American Literature II 72ff.; **Espinosa JAFL XLIII 129 ff.; *Dh IV 26; Köhler-Bolte I 266; *Parsons Folklore XXX 227. Missouri French: Carrière, Louisiana Creole: Fortier MAFLS II 108; Indonesia: *DeVries Volksverhalen II 381f. No. 147 (duck); Oceanic: Meyer Mythen und Erzählungen der Küstbewohner der Gezellehalbinsel 49, 187, Fox and Drew JAI XLV 204; N. A. Indian: *Thompson CColl II 446, Speck UPa I 141 n. 8; Africa (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 395, (Zanzibar): Bateman 38 No. 2; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 16 No. 4; Barbadoes: Parsons JAFL XXXVIII 270; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 244; West Indies: Flowers 516. |
| K581.2.1 | Men double up hare's legs and throw him on the ground as punishment. He escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K581.3 | Burying the mole as punishment. *Fb "еl" III 1190b. |
| K581.4 | Bird punished by being thrown into air. England: Baughman; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 397. |
| K581.4.1 | Birds caught in net fly away with it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K581.5 | Burning the jackal. He expresses horror of that punishment. Sets fire to village from his burning tail. Why he has burnt tip on tail. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K581.6 | Thieving insect put in closely woven basket asks to be put in a loosely woven one so he cannot see. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K582 | Punishment which proves fatal to captor. |
| K582.1 | Turtle persuades an animal to swallow him: causes the animal's death and escapes. Africa (Hottentot): Bleek 29 No. 14, 30 No. 15. |
| K583 | Wolf punished by being married. After debate it is decided that marriage is the greatest punishment. Wesselski Bebel II 103 No. 15; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 35 No. 165*. |
| K583.1 | Thief begs for any punishment except the luxury of two wives. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K584 | Throwing the thief over the fence. Thief, surprised at theft says: "Do your worst, only don't throw me over the fence." When thrown over, he escapes. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1627A*. |
| K600 | Murderer or captor otherwise beguiled. |
| K601 | Escape by posing as member of murderer's family or tribe. India: *Thompson-Balys; Africa (Kaffir): Theal 130, (Basuto): Jacottet 2 No. 1, (Fjort): Dennett 106 No. 30. |
| K601.1 | Escape by posing as preceptor of tiger's deceased father. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K601.2 | "Don't eat your nephews." Giants thus dissuaded. Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 3/1323). |
| K602 | "Noman." Escape by assuming an equivocal name. (Sometimes "myself.") *Hackman Polyphemsage 179, 203, 219; *Fb "selv"; Clouston Noodles 194 n.; BP III 378; *Oertel Studien zur vgl. Literaturgeschichte VIII 117f.; *Toldo Zs. f. Vksk. XV 70.—Finnish-Swedish: Wessman 56 No. 480; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 262; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 36. |
| K602.1 | Fairy child injured by man who says that his name is "Self". Child tells mother, "Self did it." England, Scotland: *Baughman. |
| K602.2 | "Bee is eating the sweets." Man has eaten sweets and says his name is B. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K603 | Escape under ram's belly. By hiding under the belly of a ram the hero escapes under the legs of the blind ogre. *Type 1137; **Hackman Polyphemsage 160ff.; *BP III 375; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 163—7; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K604 | The three teachings of the bird (fox). In return for release from captivity the bird (fox) gives the man three teachings. These usually mock the man for his foolishness in releasing what he has. (See for these counsels: J21.12, J21.13, J21.14.) *Type 150; *BP III 230, IV 149 n. 2; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 380; *Wesselski Arlotto II 261 No. 1191; *Chauvin III 103, 110ff., IX 30; *Crane Vitry 144 No. 28; *Gaster Exempla 256 No. 390; *Basset 1001 Contes II 276f.; Jacobs Aesop 213 No. 58; Wienert FFC LVI 35; Halm Aesop No. 271; *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 95a; Alphabet No. 191; Oesterley No. 167.—Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas IV 29, 279; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 231. |
| K605 | Cannibal sent for water with vessel full of holes: victim escapes. Indonesia: Dixon 224, 225 n. 31, Beckwith Myth 194; Tahiti: Dixon 63, Beckwith Myth 197 n. 21, ch. 13 passim; Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 194. |
| K605.1 | Cannibal sent for water which magically recedes from him: victim escapes. New Zealand: Dixon 85, Beckwith Myth 196 n. 19. |
| K606 | Escape by singing song. Captive gradually moves away and at last escapes. Africa (Kaffir): Theal 109; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 137 n. 1. |
| K606.0.1 | Pursuer persuaded to sing while captive escapes. Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 126 No. 18. |
| K606.0.2 | Escape by teaching song to watchman. India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 277. |
| K606.0.3 | Trickster, pretending not to see attacking enemy, sings song of friendship. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K606.1 | Escape by playing music. Fb "spille" III 488a. |
| K606.1.1 | Escape by playing magic music. Captor is compelled to dance while victims escape. Africa (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 100 No. 18. |
| K606.1.2 | Escape by playing sleep-bringing music. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K606.1.2.1 | Escape by singing watchmen to sleep. Icelandic: Herrmann Saxo 92, 101, *Boberg. |
| K606.1.3 | Musician in hell playing for the devils, purposely breaks fiddle strings. Must return to earth to repair strings. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3276, Legends Nos. 467—471. |
| K606.1.4 | Witch put off guard by playing on jew's harp. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K606.2 | Escape by persuading captors to dance. Africa (Wachaga): Gutmann 36. |
| K607 | Enemy in ambush (or disguise) deceived into declaring himself. |
| K607.1 | The cave call. ("Hello, house!") An animal suspecting the presence of an enemy in his cave (house), calls and receives no answer. He then says, "Don't you know, O cave, that we have agreed that I must call you when I come from abroad and that you in turn must answer me?" The hiding animal answers and the other flees. **M. Bloomfield JAOS XXXVI 58; Louisiana Creole: Fortier MAFLS II 110; Mexican Spanish: Espinosa JAFL XXIV 419ff.; India: *Thompson-Balys, Panchatantra (tr. Ryder) III 15, 361; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 853; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 31; N. A. Indian (Oaxaca, Mexico): Boas JAFL XXV 208; Africa (Zanzibar): Bateman 41; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Friends 142 No. 19; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 247 No. 23; West Indies: Flowers 517. |
| K607.2 | Crocodile masking as a log obeys suggestion that he move upstream. He thus betrays himself. Indonesia: *DeVries's list No. 29, *Dixon 190 n. 12. |
| K607.2.1 | Crocodile in ambush betrays self by talking. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K607.3 | Sham-dead man deceived into making gesture. Obeys suggestion as to how dead man should act and betrays himself. U.S.: Baughman; India: *Thompson-Balys; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 53 No. 11; West Indies: Flowers 517—9. |
| K607.3.1 | Sham-dead tiger betrayed by his live penis. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K607.3.2 | Sham-dead deceived into moving by absurd action. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K607.3.3 | Leopard concealed in bundle betrays self when threat is made to run spear through bundle. Africa (Cameroon): Lederbogen 65. |
| K608 | Escape by laughing and crying at same time. Captured bird cries in thinking of her little ones and laughs under pretext that the hunter is wasting his time instead of taking the treasure which she pretends is in her house. The hunter leaves her. *Chauvin II 172 No. 2, V 135 No. 64 n. 1. |
| K611 | Escape by putting captor off guard. |
| K611.1 | Escape by pretended lousing. Captive pretends to louse the captor but deceives him by cracking berries in the teeth (or the like). India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 326 n. 174; S. A. Indian (Yuracare): Alexander Lat. Am. 314, Métraux BBAE CXLIII (3) 502. |
| K611.2 | Escape by pretended cooking. Girl pretends to be cooking meal for animal husband: escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K611.2.1 | Escape from madman by sending him for cooking water. (Cf. K605.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K611.3 | Escape on ship on wheels after having deceived the captor into laying away sword and helm to receive pretended gift. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K611.4 | Man in devils' power makes them believe he will return and is permitted to leave. Deceives them. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3303, Legends Nos. 578ff. |
| K612 | Prisoner released on promise to wed guard (captor). Irish myth: Cross. |
| K613 | Prisoner released on promise of life-long allegiance. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K614 | Animal captor appeased by being fed captive's family. Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 9 No. 5, 35 No. 27. |
| K615 | Boy in hole escapes descending log by digging hole. Oceania: *Lessa (forthcoming study). |
| K619 | Murderer or captor beguiled—miscellaneous. |
| K619.1 | Cannibals advised to be absent while hero is being cooked; else he will not taste right. Hero escapes. Africa (Zulu): Callaway 6. |
| K619.1.1 | Cleanest girl to be eaten by ogress: clever girl shakes sesame into fire to simulate sound of burning lice. Chinese: Graham. |
| K619.2 | Pursuer persuaded to put oil on a tree when he wants to climb after fugitives. Korean: Zong in-Sob 9 No. 3. |
| K619.3 | Trickster persuades pursuers to play fatal deceptive game. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K620 | Escape by deceiving the guard. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K621 | Escape by blinding the guard. Pepper or tobacco thrown into his eyes. *Type 73; *Thompson CColl II 440f.; Dh IV 184; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 2, 124; Louisiana Creole: Fortier MAFLS II 115; Alu: Wheeler 42, 48; N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 95; Africa (Mpongwe): Nassau 45f. No. 6, (Wute): Sieber ZsES XII 174, (Cameroon): Meinhof 89; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 30 No. 7, 47 No. 10, Nights 95 No. 18, 280 No. 47, (Virginia): Parsons JAFL XXXV 262, (North Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXX 178, (South Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXXVIII 219; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 240 No. 13, 247 No. 23. |
| K621.1 | Red ants' nest broken and thrown down on ogre's head. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K621.2 | Escape from animals by blowing ashes into their faces. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K622 | Captive plays further and further from watchman and escapes. Africa (Kaffir): Theal 33, (Basuto): Jacottet 102 No. 15; West Indies: Flowers 519. |
| K622.1 | Escape by pretended debate as to which must be judged. Jackals thus induce leopard to permit them to enter their cave, while he waits in vain. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K622.2 | Escape from captor by throwing objects to great distance which captor tries to procure. India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Wute): Sieber ZsES XII 172. |
| K623 | Watchman outwitted by having rope stretched across the road while fugitives escape. Bolte Frey 251 No. 90. |
| K624 | Abductors tricked into running race while captive escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K625 | Escape by giving narcotic to guards. Boje 112ff.; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K625.1 | Escape of girl foiled by hero's refusal to take narcotic. Type 306; Africa (Ronga): Junod Les Chants et les Contes des Ba Ronga (Lausanne, 1897) 317ff. No. 30. |
| K625.2 | Escape by making the watchmen drunk. Irish myth: Cross (K649.1); U.S.: Baughman; Icelandic: *Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K626 | Escape by bribing the guard. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K626.1 | Escape by throwing money (treasure) so that guards fight over it. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K629 | Escape by deceiving the guard—miscellaneous. |
| K629.1 | Escape by pretended bathing of guard. Boiling water used. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K629.1.1 | Man and woman escape by sending the she-bear to bring the woman's "forgotten" comb. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K629.2 | Guardian enticed away. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K629.2.1 | Tiger enticed away to gather berries: victims escape. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K629.2.2 | Tiger enticed away by slain pig. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K630 | Escape by disarming (making pursuit difficult). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K631 | Captor induced to disarm himself. |
| K631.1 | Captive dodges when captor tries to cut off his hand; the hatchet sticks in a log and the captor is disarmed. *BP III 454; Wesselski Märchen 222 No. 36; Scala Celi No. 537. |
| K631.2 | Disarming by a shooting test. The captor is thus induced to fire all his shots. Type 1528*; BP III 455; U.S., Scotland: Baughman. |
| K631.3 | Person holds hat just outside shelter; enemies shoot at it, either giving away their position or putting themselves at a disadvantage in having to reload. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K632 | Mice gnaw enemies' bow strings and prevent pursuit. *Fb "bue" IV 76b; Jewish: *Neuman; N. A. Indian (Hupa): Goddard U Cal I 154ff. |
| K632.1 | Army of mice save kingdom from enemy invading force by gnawing their provisions, ammunition, etc., to shreds. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K633 | Captor's powder is removed, ashes substituted: gun does not discharge. U.S.: Baughman. |
| K634 | Escape by arranging captor's clothes so as to delay him. |
| K634.1 | Escape by throwing captor's clothes on the fire. Type 67*. |
| K634.2 | Master thief persuades captors to dive into water: steals their clothes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K635 | Sleeping enemies' hair tied to an object prevents pursuit. Japanese: Ikeda; N. A. Indian (Hupa): Goddard U Cal I 154ff. |
| K635.1 | Hair of sleeping maiden tied to tree so that she is not able to rise. Tonga: Gifford 50. |
| K636 | Holes bored in enemies' boats prevent pursuit. *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 552a n. 285; Herrmann Saxo 125; Kersbergen Literaire Motieven in de Njala (Rotterdam, 1927) 83; Panzer Hilde-Gudrun; Icelandic: *Boberg; Indonesia: Van Baarde Bijdragen voor Taal-, Landen Volkenkunde van Ned.-Indie VII (2) 464; N. A. Indian: Krickeberg Indianermärchen aus Nord-Amerika (Jena, 1924) 209, (Hupa): Goddard U Cal I 154ff., (Montagnais): Speck JAFL XXXVIII 7. |
| K636.1 | Paddles broken in enemies' boat prevent pursuit. Eskimo (Greenland): Holm 35. |
| K637 | Cutting thongs of sleds prevents pursuit. Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 131, 448, 469, (Central Eskimo): Boas RBAE VI 634, (Smith Sound): Kroeber JAFL XII 167. |
| K638 | Captive tied to captor escapes by tying end of rope to a post. Korean: Zong in-Sob 173 No. 74. |
| K640 | Escape by help of confederate. |
| K641 | One animal saves another by frightening enemy away. Africa (Benga): Nassau 143 No. 16, (Ibo, Nigeria): Basden 279. |
| K642 | Free animal saves its captured friend. |
| K642.1 | Crow and rat release deer from snare. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K643 | Confederate sings and delays pursuers so that fugitive escapes. Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 160 No. 23. |
| K644 | Monkey attracts attention of mowers until young birds can fly away from the harvest field. Japanese: Ikeda; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 82. |
| K645 | Monkey saves condemned birds through feigned dream. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 81. |
| K646 | Fugitive's confederate misdirects pursuer. Scottish: Campbell-McKay No. 15; Korean: Zong in-Sob 22, 212; N. A. Indian (Klikitat): Jacobs U Wash II 31. |
| K647 | Confederate cuts rope almost in two so that prisoner breaks it and flees. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K648 | Bird's call attracts attention of pursuer so that trickster escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K649 | Escape by help of confederate—miscellaneous. |
| K649.1 | Confederate hides fugitive. |
| K649.1.1 | One animal swallows another to save him from pursuer. Africa (Cameroon): Lederbogen 18, (Bankon): Ittman 81ff. |
| K649.1.2 | Tiger-mother hides concealed guests in jar. S. A. Indian (Chiriguano): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 162, (Yuracare): ibid. 144. |
| K649.1.3 | Confederate sits on hero and saves him. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 231. |
| K649.2 | Rescuer disguised as officer gains custody of prisoner. Pierre Faifeu No. 19. |
| K649.3 | Boys scolded in order to conceal their identity. Icelandic: Hrуlfs saga Kraka 10 ch. 3, Boberg. |
| K649.4 | Son mentioned as daughter in order to save him from enemy's pursuit. Icelandic: Ans saga Bogsv. 359, Boberg. |
| K649.5 | Boys warned by dogs' names to escape. Icelandic: Hrуlfs saga Kraka 4—8, Boberg. |
| K649.6 | Sons warned by talk to oaks to hide. Icelandic: FSS 13, Boberg. |
| K649.7 | Confederate in disguise helps man escape. |
| K649.7.1 | Confederate in disguise as beggar helps to escape. Icelandic: FSS 21—24, 27—32, Boberg. |
| K649.7.2 | Helper dressed in bear's skin helps to escape. Krappe Scandinavian Studies XVIII (1945) 275—283; Icelandic: Þiðriks saga I 261-72 (cf. 339—40), Asbjørnsen og Moe No. 58 (type 590), Boberg. |
| K649.7.3 | Confederate in disguise as "troll" frightens king's men, while his daughter helps prisoner to escape. (Cf. F455.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K649.8 | Confederate saves fugitive by shammed pursuit. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K649.9 | Confederate causes confusion so that prisoner can escape. Icelandic: Bуsa saga 47—48, Boberg. |
| K649.10 | Prisoner escapes by means of wolf which he lures near by smearing honey on the feet. Icelandic: Völsunga saga ch. 5, *Boberg. |
| K649.11 | Escape by cutting fetters on stones, etc. Icelandic: Lagerholm 38, *Boberg. |
| K649.12 | Confederate persuades captor to throw away disguised trickster. West Indies: Flowers 520—2. |
| K650 | Other means of escape. |
| K651 | Wolf descends into well in one bucket and rescues fox in the other. *Type 32; BP IV 320; Chauvin III 78 No. 57; Fb "ræv" III 113b; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 43; English: Wells 184 (The Fox and the Wolf); Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 75 No. 16, (Pennsylvania): Parsons JAFL XXX 214, (South Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXXIV 16, Stewart JAFL XXXII 394. |
| K652 | Fox climbs from pit on wolf's back. *Type 31; Wienert FFC LVI 52 (ET 119), 97 (ST 117); Halm Aesop No. 45; Jacobs Aesop 220 No. 82; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia, Indo-China: *Dixon 189 n. 9, cf. DeVries's list No. 4. |
| K655 | Prisoner kills his watchers who enter to torture him. Escapes. *Boje 95. |
| K656 | Captors lured into drowning selves. U.S.: Baughman. |
| K657 | Exaggerated tales about escapes. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K661 | Escape from suspicion of crime. |
| K661.1 | Fool's brothers substitute a goat for the body of the man he has killed: thus save him. *Type 1600; *Chauvin VI 126 No. 280; Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 183 No. 347; India: *Thompson-Balys; cf. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 308, Coster-Wijsman 53 No. 78. |
| K661.2 | Statue mourned and buried in order to account for murdered person. *Chauvin VI 15 No. 188. |
| K661.3 | Insect in nose of murdered person simulates snoring and allays suspicion. Africa (Larusa): Fokken ZsKS VII 82ff. No. 1, (Masai): Hollis The Masai (Oxford, 1905) 212ff. |
| K661.4 | Waxen statue left instead of abducted queen. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K671 | Captive throws his hat to lions who fight over it while he escapes. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 56 No. 408A*. |
| K672 | Captive throws his shoe at serpent who chokes while he escapes. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 56 No. 408A*. |
| K675 | Sleeping potion given to man who is to pass the night with a girl. (Sometimes magic pillow or magic sleeping card.) *Schoepperle I 257 n. 1; *Wesselski Märchen 254 No. 61; Child I 393, III 506b, IV 459b; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 54 No. 400B*; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Missouri French: Carrière; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K675.1 | Paramour unwittingly drinks sleeping potion. Is thought dead and placed in a chest. Chest is stolen. When he escapes he is accused of being a robber. He is saved by his mistress's maid who explains all, transferring the role played by her mistress to herself. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K676 | Trickster persuades pursuers to ride in his basket. Leaves basket on limb of tree and escapes. Tonga: Gifford 45, 198. |
| K677 | Hero tests the rope on which he is to be pulled to upper world. By placing stones on the rope he discovers his companions' treacherous plan to cut the rope. *Type 301; Köhler-Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. VI 165 (Gonzenbach No. 64). |
| K677.1 | Hero hides in treasure box and thus circumvents plot to leave him below when companions pull up box. Chinese: Graham. |
| K678 | Cutting rope to kill ogre who is climbing the rope to reach his victim. Indonesia: Dixon 227; Marquesas: Handy 41; Africa (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 97ff. No. 18. |
| K683 | Small animal in mouth of larger causes captor to spit him out. (Defecates.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K685 | Escape by catching hold of limbs of tree while passing under it. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K686 | Escape by announcing great catastrophe (end of world or the like). India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K687 | Birds escape death by flying away with net. India: Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1065. |
| K700 | Capture by deception. |
| K710 | Victim enticed into voluntary captivity or helplessness. |
| K711 | Deception into entering bag. Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 163—167; India: *Thompson-Balys; West Indies: Flowers 522. |
| K711.0.1 | Birds enticed into bag. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 296 n. 82a. |
| K711.1 | Deception into magic bag which closes on prisoner. Irish myth: Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 94. |
| K711.2 | Leopard persuaded to enter bag in order to see trickster perform marvel. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K711.2.1 | Miser induced to thrust his head into bag; noose pulled by thief afterwards. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K711.3 | Ogre frightened into rolling self in mat: burned. Africa (Nubian): Rochemonteix Quelques Contes Nubiens (Cairo, 1888) 55ff. No. 5, (Swahili): Steere 13ff. |
| K711.4 | Witch tells boy to pass down some of fruit from tree, catches hold of him and puts him in her sack when he bends down. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K713 | Deception into allowing oneself to be fettered. |
| K713.1 | Deception into allowing oneself to be tied. Irish myth: Cross; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 163—67; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 20; West Indies: Flowers 522f. |
| K713.1.1 | Animal allows himself to be tied so as to avoid being carried off by storm. Africa (Wute): Sieber ZsES XII 215; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Friends 12ff. No. 2, Harris Nights 325ff. No. 56; West Indies: Flowers 523f.; Cape Verde Islands: *Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 324 n. 2; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 233 No. 1. |
| K713.1.2 | Animal allows himself to be tied to another for safety. Carried to his death. (Cf. J2132.6.) *BP III 75 n. 2; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 28; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 87. |
| K713.1.3 | Animal persuaded to be tied by promise of food. India: Thompson-Balys; Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 32 No. 4, (Kaffir): Kidd 242 No. 9, (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 397 No. 18, (Jaunde): Nekes 201. |
| K713.1.4 | Animal persuaded to be tied through curiosity to learn secret names. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K713.1.5 | Ogre allows self to be tied so as to learn magic. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K713.1.6 | Animal allows self to be tied so as to learn music. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K713.1.7 | Faithless wife ties sleeping husband's hair to bed, allowing lover to kill him. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K713.1.8 | Women bind warrior's hair to wall of hostel while he sleeps. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K713.2 | Deception into putting on a collar. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 11. |
| K713.3 | Hare persuades wolf and fox to put their heads in loops on rope and thus strangles them to death. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K714 | Deception into entering box (or prison). |
| K714.1 | Victim tricked into prison and kept there. *Wesselski Arlotto I 209 No. 50; Irish myth: Cross; Africa (Thonga): Junod 216. |
| K714.1.1 | Trickster persuades policeman to take his place in the stocks. Then tricks policeman's wife into giving him jewels. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K714.2 | Victim tricked into entering box. M. Bloomfield in Penzer VII xvii; Missouri French: Carrière; India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 294, Dixon 197; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 62 No. 13, (Virginia): Bacon and Parsons JAFL XXXV 267, (North Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXX 175, Brown Collection I 704. |
| K714.2.1 | Victim tricked into jumping in a box by making him think he is going to heaven. (Cf. K842.) Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K714.2.2 | Tiger enticed into coffin. Chinese: Graham. |
| K714.3 | Dupe tricked into entering hollow tree. India: Thompson-Balys; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 74 No. 14; West Indies: Flowers 524. |
| K714.4 | Victim tricked into entering basket. Chinese: Graham. |
| K714.5 | Woman persuaded to hide head in jug: she is caught. Chinese: Graham. |
| K714.6 | Animal lured into lion's den. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K714.7 | Victim lured into following deer sent by demon to cave. Dies of suffocation. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K714.8 | Fish enticed into trap (promised new skins). Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 3/1951). |
| K714.9 | Deceived lion stuck in cave entrance; becomes food for hare. Africa (Wachaga): Gutmann 190. |
| K714.9.1 | Fox deceives lion into entering pit. Jewish: Neuman. |
| K715 | Deception into allowing oneself to be hanged. ("Show me how!") Executioner must show the hero how to use the gallows. The hero hangs the executioner. M. Bloomfield in Penzer VII xiii; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K717 | Deception into bottle (vessel). Insects (or a spirit) having escaped from a bottle are told that they cannot return. They accept the challenge and go back into the bottle. *Type 331; *BP II 414ff. (spirit); Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; Africa (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 29 No. 1 (bees). |
| K721 | Cock persuaded to crow with closed eyes. Seized. *Type 61; *Graf FFC XXXVIII 26ff.; BP II 207; Wienert FFC LVI 52 (ET 122), 98 (ST 124); **Dargan MPh IV 39; *Chaucer's Nun's Priest's Tale; Spanish: Espinosa III 225, 258; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K721.1 | Dupe persuaded to close eyes and open mouth; then hot stones are thrown down throat. India: *Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 70. |
| K722 | Giant tricked into becoming mouse. Cat eats him up. *Types 545AB; BP I 325ff., III 487; Missouri French: Carrière, India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K722.1 | Dragon enticed into pot while in its child-form, boiled, so it can see "courage". India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K724 | Dupe induced to waste his bullets, then seized. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1525M*; Flemish: Meyer FFC XXXVII No. 1528*. |
| K725 | Dupe lured away from protection of friends: captured. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K726 | Dupe persuaded to ride on trickster's back: captured. (Cf. J651.1.) Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 852. |
| K728 | Foxes crawl into whale's house and are killed. Koryak: Jochelson JE VI 319; Eskimo (West Hudson Bay): Boas BAM XV 216; N. A. Indian: Boas RBAE XXXI 324. |
| K730 | Victim trapped. India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 47. |
| K730.1 | Animal trapped through curiosity as to what the trap is. Wienert FFC LVI 47 (ET 59), 66 (ET 307), 90 (ST 23), 94 (ST 73), 97 (*ST 111, 114); Halm Aesop Nos. 44, 340. |
| K730.1.1 | Claim that a trap is a prayer house. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 19; Africa (Jaunde): Heepe 249. |
| K730.2 | Frog causes deer to dance into snare. Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 122. |
| K730.3 | Leopard traps lion by having two doors to cave, one large, one small. Lion enters large entrance and leopard leaves by small and attacks back of lion. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K730.4 | Tortoise leads elephant down wrong trail into trap. Africa (Bankon): Ittman 85. |
| K730.5 | Birds led into trap by promise of a feast. Africa (Cameroon): Lederbogen 74. |
| K731 | Wildboar captured in church. *Type 1640; BP I 148ff. |
| K732 | Intruder captured in chimney. Burned. *Type 124; *BP I 40; U.S. (Maine and New Hampshire): Ford JAFL XV 63; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 11; Japanese: Ikeda; N. A. Indian (Flathead): McDermott JAFL XIV 250; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 38 No. 8, (South Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXXIV 17, (Virginia): Parsons JAFL XXXV 267. |
| K735 | Capture in pitfall. (Cf. B361.) *Type 160; Chauvin II 106 No. 71; England: Baughman; Icelandic: *Boberg; India: *Thompson-Balys; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 3/1323, 1/89); Mono-Alu: Wheeler Nos. 2, 6, 18, 48ff.; Africa (Benga): Nassau 86, 191 Nos. 4, 25, (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 386 No. 11, (Fang): Trilles 267. |
| K735.1 | Mats over holes as pitfall. India: *Thompson-Balys; Melanesia, Indonesia: Dixon 69 nn. 44, 45, DeVries's Volksverhalen II 385 No. 158; New Zealand: Dixon 61; Africa (Fjort): Dennett 53 No. 8, (Angola): Chatelain 91 No. 5; West Indies: Flowers 524. |
| K735.2 | Capture in trap seat. India: Thompson-Balys; N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 80. |
| K735.3 | Knight captured in pitfall while his horse escapes. Icelandic: Boberg. |
If you wish to get access to data for projects and research, then please contact us, we do our best to help
How to cite: Fielder-White, Jonathan (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com
0009-0006-1672-4451
Please cite the relevant sources, catalogues, and classification systems, including the Folklore Database, Berezkin-Duvakin Catalogue, ATU, Thompson, alongside the page accessed and the last time accessed. Please respect copyright and licenses.
Editorial annotations and database enhancements © Jonathan Fielder-White licensed under CC BY 4.0. Berezkin-Duvakin derived narrative and metadata licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Full rights information can be found here.
All rights are reserved in the database structure, selection, arrangement, metadata, classifications, software, interface design, and original editorial content.
Important: The Folklore Database expressly reserves all rights in relation to text and data mining, automated extraction, scraping, machine learning, dataset creation, and the training, development, validation, or improvement of artificial intelligence technologies or systems. No part of this website or database may be scraped, copied, reproduced, harvested, downloaded in bulk, or otherwise used for AI training or commercial data extraction without prior written permission.
Designed and Developed by Jonathan Fielder-White.
© 2024–2026 Crecganford / Jonathan Fielder-White. All rights reserved.