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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 |
|---|---|
| K1081.1.1 | "I don't believe you have a gold coin." Trickster handed money by each of four blind beggars, each thinking that member of group speaks. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1081.2 | Blind men duped into fighting: stolen meat. The trickster steals one piece of meat. The blind accuse each other and fight. Italian Novella: Rotunda; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 298 n. 89; Africa (Ibo, Nigeria): Thomas 82, 124. |
| K1081.3 | Blind men duped into fighting: strings leading to water removed. Fb "snor"; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 298 n. 89. |
| K1082 | Ogres (large animals, sharp-elbowed women) duped into fighting each other. Trickster strikes one so that he thinks the other has done it. *Type 1640; BP I 148ff.; Köhler-Bolte I 565; French Canadian: Barbeau JAFL XXIX 20; Greek: Fox 112 (Jason); India: Thompson-Balys; Korean: Zong in-Sob 175 No. 75; Indonesia: DeVries's list Nos. 42, 43, 44; Eskimo (Mackenzie area): Jenness 44; Koryak: Jochelson JE VI 37, 376; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 327 n. 181; Africa: Weeks Jungle 39ff. |
| K1082.0.1 | Enemies duped into fighting each other. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1082.1 | Missile thrown among enemies causes them to fight one another. DeVries Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsche Taal- en Letterkunde XLVII 73; Icelandic: Boberg; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 317 n. 1; Indonesia: De Vries's list No. 286. |
| K1082.2 | Object thrown into air causes enemies to fight over it. Norse: Hdwb. d. Märchens I 440a n. 287. |
| K1082.3 | Bird lighting on the heads of group of men causes them to kill one another with blows on the head. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1083 | Undesignated present starts quarrel for its possession. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1084 | Liar brings about fight between dupes. Irish myth: Cross; India: *Thompson-Balys; West Indies: Flowers 535. |
| K1084.1 | Trickster tells lies to fishes and causes them to fight. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 304 n. 109j. |
| K1084.1.1 | Jackal tells tales so as to get buffalo and tiger to kill each other; feeds on the meat. India: Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 823. |
| K1084.2 | Liar brings enmity between friends. Wesselski Märchen 195; Africa (Fang): Tessman 68ff. |
| K1084.3 | Trickster attempts to bring friends to fight. (Plans that one kill the other.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1084.4 | Calumniators try to bring friendly kings to fight, but fail at last. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1085 | Woman makes trouble between man and wife: the hair from his beard. She tells the wife to increase her husband's love by cutting a hair from his beard. Also tells the husband that his wife will try to cut his throat. He kills his wife. *Type 1353; *Wesselski Märchen 194; Chauvin II 158 No. 42, 195 No. 20; *Wesselski Mönchslatein 27 No. 22; *Prato Zs. f. Vksk. IX 189ff., 311ff.; Herbert III 399; Hilka Neue Beiträge zur Erzählungslit. d. Mittelalters 19 No. 17; Scala Celi 109b No. 610; Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 48; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1085.1 | Woman makes trouble between man and wife (to lick husband's body). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1085.2 | Woman makes trouble between man and wife: to keep certain rendezvous. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1086 | Woman induces men to fight over her and kill each other. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1087 | Falsified message brings about a war. Irish myth: Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 191; Icelandic: Herrmann Saxo II 361ff., Boberg. |
| K1087.0.1 | Men disrobe and report they have been attacked: bring about war. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1087.1 | Message falsified to bring about death of lovers. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1088 | Dissension aroused in army by casting suspicion on general. A general destroys everything except what belongs to the general of the enemy. Thus he brings about suspicion that the two leaders are in league. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 539. |
| K1092 | Brothers duped into killing each other by slander that one of them is father to the other's child. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1093 | Goddess arouses heroes' jealousy and eternal fighting. Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 123, Herrmann Saxo II 361ff., Boberg. |
| K1094 | Treacherous counselor persuades king's son to woo his father's young bride whom he is sent to get, and as he tells the king that he is her lover both are killed. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1094.1 | God persuades hero to substitute a false bride for his father; this results in a fight where the son kills the father. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1110 | Deceptions into self injury-miscellaneous. |
| K1111 | Dupe puts hand (paws) into cleft of tree (wedge, vise). *Type 38; *BP I 68, II 99 n. 1; Chauvin II 86 No. 20, III 77; Dh IV 231ff.; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) Nos. 18, 250; India: Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 64; New Britain: Dixon 195 n. 30; N. A. Indian (Tepoztlan): Boas JAFL XXV 247 No. 2; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 33 No. 7. |
| K1111.0.1 | Dupe wishing to learn to play fiddle has finger caught in cleft of tree. *Type 151, 1159; *BP I 68; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1147A*. |
| K1111.0.1.1 | Dupe wishing to learn to play flute puts tongue in split bamboo. Java: Dixon 188 n. 4. |
| K1111.1 | Ogre's (dwarf's) beard caught fast. *Types 1160, 426; BP III 259; Grimm No. 4 (type 326), 161 (type 426). |
| K1111.2 | Dupe caught in crack in ground. Dies. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1111.3 | Ogre helps tortoise who snaps jaws to and catches him. Africa (Fang): Tessman 16. |
| K1112 | Bending the tree. Hero bends tree over but when he catches breath the tree shoots him to the sky. *Type 1051; BP III 333. |
| K1112.1 | Tree becomes light (after all honey has been collected from nests), springs back and kills tribe's enemies. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1113 | Abandonment on stretching tree. A man is induced to get into a tree which magically shoots upward. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 332 n. 199, (California): Gayton and Newman 70, 78; Africa (Jaunde): Nekes 236, (Benga): Nassau 176 No. 23. |
| K1113.1 | Dupe persuaded to climb tall tree. Falls. American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 357 No. 63. |
| K1114 | Fox rings the bell. The bear eats a horse which has a bell tied around its neck. The fox rings the bell and gets blamed. Type 40*; Russian: Andrejev No. 40. |
| K1115 | The oath on the iron. The trickster takes an oath by touching iron (a trap). The dupe imitates but hits the iron so hard that he gets caught. *Type 44; *Köhler-Bolte I 408f. |
| K1115.1 | Animal gets bait from trap by luring another animal into it. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 35*; Prussian: Plenzat 6; Russian: Andrejev No. 30*; Africa (Hausa): Mischlich Lehrbuch der Hausa-Sprache (Berlin, 1911) 111f. No. 1. |
| K1116 | Dupe induced to sit on sharp stones (concealed as soft seat). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1117 | Ogre induced to sit on reversed harrow. Type 1059*. |
| K1121 | Wolf (lion) approaches too near to horse: kicked in face. *Type 47B; *BP III 77; *Baum MLN XXXVII 350ff.; Crane Vitry 147f. No. 33, 197 No. 152. |
| K1121.1 | Wolf (lion) as sham doctor looks at horse's foot: kicked in face. *Baum MLN XXXVII 350; Herbert III 13; *Crane Vitry 197 No. 152; Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. IX 87; *Wesselski Märchen 250 No. 58; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1121.2 | Sow kicks wolf into stream when he comes close to baptize her pigs. Thus she saves them from him. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K1125 | Dupe tries to dig up alleged treasure buried in ant hill: bitten by snake and killed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1132 | Peter receives the blows twice. Peter and Christ are sleeping in the same bed. The drunken host returns home and beats Peter, who thereupon changes places with Christ. The host then comes in to beat the other lodger and beats Peter again. *Type 791; *BP III 451 n. 1; *Fb "Sankt Peder" III 164a; Zs. f. Vksk. XXXVII 130; *Bolte Zs f. vgl. Littgsch. VII 454; Icelandic: Sveinsson FFC LXXXIII No. 791; Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 72; Africa: Frobenius Atlantis VII 60f. |
| K1141 | Dupe persuaded to throw away his knife. Later must go hungry because he has no knife to cut the meat. Africa (Benga): Nassau 86 No. 4, (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 381 No. 6, (Kaffir): Theal 106, (Thonga): Junod 220; West Indies: Flowers 535. |
| K1151 | The lying goat. A father sends his sons one after the other to pasture the goat. The goat always declares that he has had nothing to eat. The father angrily sends his sons from home and learns, when he himself tries to pasture the goat, that he has been deceived. *Type 212; *BP I 346. |
| K1155 | Casual words uttered by dupe used to cheat him of his property. A miser is persuaded by his servant to fast nine days. He calls out on the fifth day "the half" and on the ninth "the whole". She makes people believe that he is making his will and giving everything to her. It is so ordered. Danish: Kristensen Jyske Folkeminder VII No. 30. |
| K1161 | Animals hidden in various parts of a house attack owner with their characteristic powers and kill him when he enters. *Types 130, 210; **Aarne FFC XI; *BP I 75, 135; *Hoebel JAFL LIV 1ff.; Missouri French: Carrière; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda, Anesaki 331; Korean: Zong in-Sob 160 No. 70; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 99. |
| K1162 | Man persuaded to go to store with scythe. Is tied up as madman. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1165 | Secret learned by intoxicating dupe. Penzer V 1f. 3 n. 1; Siberian: Holmberg Siberian 363. |
| K1166 | Plot to induce king to commit a crime. His line thus will forfeit succession. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1171 | Dupe tricked in race into falling into a pit. *Type 30. |
| K1172 | Falling beam in cave kills travelers lured within. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 344. |
| K1175 | Minister dupes raja into entering body of dead parrot, then enters rajah's body. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1177 | Dupe deceived concerning the thunder; finally killed by it. The dupe has asked the trickster to tell him when it thunders. *Type 1148A; Estonian, Finnish, Swedish, Latvian, Lithuanian: *Balys Tautosakos Darbai VI 13—26. Cf. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 327 n. 179. |
| K1178 | Sheep makes fox believe that the hunter is a priest, the dog his servant, etc. Lithuanian: Balys Index 140*. |
| K1181 | Hot tin under the horse's tail. The smith promises to make the horse wild. The numskull on the horse's back. *Type 1142; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin I 224 No. 64. |
| K1182 | Rat leaves serpent behind, through spared to rescue him. The two are imprisoned together in a sevenfold cloth covering. The serpent refrains from eating the rat so that the latter can gnaw the cloth for them. The rat gnaws his own way out and leaves the serpent. Köhler-Bolte I 535. |
| K1183 | Tiger persuaded to cross river carrying vat rim-upwards. Trickster fills it with stones and tiger loses it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1200 | Deception into humiliating position. |
| K1210 | Humiliated or baffled lovers. Child II 480—93 No. 112; Braga Romanceiro geral Portuguez (Lisbon, 1906) I 230, 260, III 414f.; *Krappe Romania LX 80ff.; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1211 | Vergil in the basket. A lover who is to be pulled up to his mistress's window is left hanging in the basket in the public gaze. **Spargo Virgil the Necromancer 136ff., 368ff.; *Comparetti Vergil in the Middle Ages (tr. Benecke) 326ff.; *Lee Decameron 259f.; *Penzer I 42; Clouston Tales II 308; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1211.1 | Lover caught in roof. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1212 | Lover left standing in snow while his mistress is with another. He later tricks her into standing a whole day in July in a tower naked exposed to the sun and flies. Boccaccio Decameron VIII No. 7 (*Lee 258); Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1213 | Terrorizing the paramour (importunate lover). |
| K1213.1 | Woman dares husband to try his sword on pile of clothing which hides her paramour. Stops him just in time. Later the paramour entices her to come to him. Exposes her naked, except for face, to his friends. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1213.1.1 | Adulteress frightens paramour with cries of "Rape!" Then she removes her husband's suspicion by feigning a fit. Later the paramour tricks her to his room and shows her naked, except for face, to her husband. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1213.2 | Prostitute frightens lover with cries of "Thief!" Gets his money. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1214 | Hercules spins for his beloved. Is forced to dress as woman and discharge womanly duties including spinning. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1214.1 | Importunate lover induced to dress as woman and sift flour. Is shown to his wife. Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Heptameron No. 69; Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 17. |
| K1214.1.1 | Importunate lover is induced to undergo series of humiliations. (1) Disguise as bakery woman. (2) Disguise as priest. (3) Disguise as corpse. (4) Hiding in wine skin. Humiliated each time. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1215 | Aristotle and Phyllis: philosopher as riding horse for woman. The philosopher warns the king against uxoriousness. In revenge the queen beguiles the philosopher into letting her ride him on all-fours. The king comes and sees. *Type 1501; **Moth Aristoteles-sagnet; **Borgeld Aristoteles en Phyllis (Groningen, 1902); **Sarton Isis XIV (1930) 8ff.; *Basset 1001 Contes II 140; *G. Paris Romania XI 138; *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 203 No. 402; Bédier Fabliaux 204, 386, 448; *Herbert Catalogue III 87; Chavannes III 236; *RTP XV 110; von der Hagen I xxv, 17; Hertz Spielmannsbuch 57, 420; Campion MPh XIII 347; Speyer Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsche Taal- en Letterkunde XXVI 268; Scala Celi 86a No. 501. — Italian Novella: Rotunda; Indonesia: Voorhoeve 164 No. 170, Bezemer Javaansche en Maleische Fabelen en Legenden 170f. |
| K1216 | Hidden paramour taken to his own wife. He hides in a chest. The chest is taken by a creditor who unwittingly delivers it to the paramour's wife. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1217 | Tale of the basin. Lover caught on magic basin and left in embarrassing position. *BP II 40 n. 2; *Wesselski Märchen 216 No. 27; *Kittredge Witchcraft 201 nn. 102, 103; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 126—132; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1218 | Importunate lovers led astray. |
| K1218.1 | The entrapped suitors. (Lai l'épervier.) The chaste wife has them one at a time undress and hide. The husband and guests come and chase them off. *Type 1730; *Penzer I 33ff., 42ff., 160ff.; *Baumgarten Arch. f. rel. Wiss. XXXIV 275 n. 3; Bédier Fabliaux 454ff.; Chauvin VI 12 No. 185; *Wesselski Morlini 315 No. 73; *Cosquin études 457ff.; Clouston Tales II 289ff.; von der Hagen III *xxix. Icelandic: Boberg; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1730A*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1730 II*; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1218.1.1 | The entrapped suitors: the chaste wife tricks them into casks. The husband takes the casks to the marketplace where he opens them. Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1218.1.2 | The entrapped suitors: the chaste wife has them caught. Forces them to work for her. Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1218.1.3 | The entrapped suitor: tricked into room where he is left to himself. Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1218.1.3.1 | Importunate lover imprisoned and starved: later given choice of lady or food. Chooses food. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1218.1.3.2 | Lover hidden by wife in room made to fall into deep pit of treacle. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1218.1.4 | Importunate lover (priest) is forced to hide in chest. Husband takes the chest to the waiting congregation. Clever priest comes out enacting the resurrection of Lazarus. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1218.1.4.1 | Four importunate lovers are forced to hide in four-compartmented chest which is sold. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1218.1.5 | Importunate suitor enticed into sack and beaten by husband. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1218.1.6 | Priest caught in lasso by rival lover. Mistress tells knight of priest's demands. Knight has her give assignation, and arranges around her a string lasso which he pulls, and catches priest. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 76. |
| K1218.1.7 | Importunate suitor has his head shaved and tarred and is put into a sack and returned to his men. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1218.1.8 | To get "nothing" and to show it. Wife pushes lecherous king first into glue and then in the closet with feathers. That is "nothing" — neither bird nor man. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1218.2 | Suitor locked in pigsty. Type 1730*; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 31f. |
| K1218.3 | Suitors one by one enticed into graveyard and left together. They later get revenge. Type 940; Sébillot RTP IX 344, Literature orale de la Haute-Bretagne 142. |
| K1218.4 | Suitors as corpse, angel, and devil. First induced to lie in coffin, second to sit up with the "corpse", and the third to carry a firebrand. "Corpse" thinks others are angel and devil. All come to blows. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 220; Boccaccio Decameron IX No. 1 (Lee 271); Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1218.4.1 | Three women humiliate importunate lover. First has him hide on thorns, second has him fall into a hole, third has him fall asleep in the street. In revenge he shows them naked, except for face, to his friends. (Cf. K1213.1.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1218.5 | Girl asks importunate lover for weapon to use against her father. Instead, she uses it to defend herself against the suitor. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1218.6 | Importunate lover beaten and sent on street bearing humiliating placard. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1218.7 | Importunate lover tied to tree. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1218.8 | Importunate lover beaten with canes filled with straw. He thinks he is severely wounded. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1218.9 | Obscene tricks are played on repugnant simpleton who wishes to marry. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1218.9.1 | Importunate lover is given a rendezvous. Obscene tricks played on him. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1218.10 | Wife takes lover beneath tree where she has told husband to hide. When he begins to kiss her, husband shouts "Keep a little for me." Lover, shamefaced, runs away. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1222 | Woman tricks importunate lover with the head of a pike. Thereafter he thinks the vagina is toothed. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K1223 | Mistress deceives lover with a substitute. Type 1441*; Toldo Zs. f. Vksk. XIV 47; Boccaccio Decameron VIII No. 4 (Lee 254); Icelandic: Boberg; Russian: Andrejev No. 1441*; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1223.1 | Bride escapes from foolish husband and leaves goat as substitute in bed. *Type 1685; *BP I 320. |
| K1223.2 | Mistress sends man's own wife as substitute without his knowledge. *Gaster Exempla 222 No. 173; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1223.2.1 | Chaste woman sends man's own wife as substitute (without his knowledge). Then the first woman's husband is substituted for the importunate lover, who has his own wife seduced. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1223.3 | Wife (mistress) substitutes for mistress (wife). The woman has been asked for a rendezvous. She tells the suitor's wife and they exchange places. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1223.4 | Chaste woman substitutes corpse for herself in the bed of an insistent suitor. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1223.5 | King's daughter deceives king by substituting her maid. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1225 | Lover given rump to kiss. Sometimes the trick is played by a rival lover. (Chaucer's Miller's Tale). *Type 1361; *F. N. Robinson Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer (Boston, 1933) 786b; *Bolte Frey 251 No. 89; *Barnouw "The Millers Tale van Chaucer" Handlingen van het 6. nederlandsche Philologencongres, 1910; *Thompson The Miller's Tale (Bryan and Dempster 106ff.); Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1227 | Lover put off by deceptive respite. |
| K1227.1 | Lover put off till girl bathes and dresses. She escapes. Jewish: bin Gorion Born Judas I 257. |
| K1227.2 | Suitors put off till web is woven. Unwoven each night. (Penelope.) *W. Crooke FL IX 97; Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus II 299 n. 2. |
| K1227.3 | Respite from wooer while he brings clothes all night. The girl wastes time trying them on. BP I 221; *Roberts 175; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 120 No. 31; Lithuanian: Balys Legends Nos. 345f., 363, 398. |
| K1227.3.1 | Girl refuses to dance with a devil until she is well dressed. The devil brings things till the cock crows. Another girl asks for all the things at once and must dance until she dies. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3251, Legends No. 353f., 356—362. |
| K1227.4 | Girl asks undesired lover to take off his boots. She pulls off one partway and escapes. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 24; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1227.4.1 | Girl tells physician-seducer she cannot meet his wishes until after he bathes. Prepares the bath herself and pours acid into it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1227.5 | Woman leaves importunate lover waiting in her room. Feigns illness and then escapes. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1227.5.1 | Girl puts off consummation of marriage to undesirable suitor by saying her "stomach is sick". India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1227.6 | Girl asks undesired lover to follow her but not to step on her shadow. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1227.7 | Girl says she has made vow not to marry until pilgrimage is made. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 26. |
| K1227.8 | Girl as umpire in suitor test (shooting arrows) escapes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1227.9 | Importunate lover kept overlong at supper: must leave. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1227.10 | Escape from undesired lover by alleging menstrual period. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1227.10.1 | Abducted princess tells her abductor to wait for her menstrual period of 12 years to terminate. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1228 | Woman humiliates would-be lover. Knowing that he has deceived another by paying her with gilded coin she answers: "You will have to pay in better coin than is your wont!" Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1231 | Chaste woman refers lover to her husband for permission. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 749; Heptameron No. 27; Irish myth: Cross; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1231.1 | Chaste woman refers lover to his wife. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1232 | Lover deceived by false suicide agreement. The woman persuades her lover to jump from a cliff; she will follow. She does not jump. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 596. |
| K1232.1 | Lover's anger softened by sham suicide attempt. Is later scorned. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1233 | Lover humiliated by his impotence. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 28; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1235 | King tricked into sleeping with hag. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1236 | Disguise as man to escape importunate lover. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1237 | Girl plays at dice with her suitors: locks them up when they are defeated. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1240 | Deception into humiliating position—miscellaneous. |
| K1241 | Trickster rides dupe horseback. Usually by feigning sickness he induces the dupe to carry him and then boasts that the dupe always acts as his horse. *Types 4, 72; *BP II 117; Krohn Bär (Wolf) und Fuchs (JSFO VI) 59ff.; *Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 66; Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa: Frobenius Atlantis IX 115, (Nigeria): Tramearne 322, (Yoruba): Ellis 265, (Angola): Chatelain 203 No. 28; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 24 No. 6, Jones Negro Tales from the Georgia Coast Nos 7, 13, (Virginia): Bacon and Parsons JAFL XXXV 265 266, Speers JAFL XXV 285f., (North Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXX 173, (South Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXXIV 5, MAFLS XVI 54, (Louisiana): Johnston JAFL IX 195; American Negro and American Indian: *Thompson CColl II 440, 447; Jamaica: *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 235; West Indies: Van Cappelle Mythen en Sagen van West-Indie Nos. 12, 16. |
| K1241.1 | Trickster rides dupe a-courting. Feigns sickness and persuades dupe to carry him. Thus wins the girl. Type 72; Africa (Nupe): Frobenius Atlantis IX 115 No. 3, (Yoruba): Frobenius ibid. X 280ff. No. 40, (Nyanja): Possett Fables of the Veld (London, 1929) 111ff., (Mbundu): Chatelain MAFLS I 203 No. 28, (Xosa): Waters Cameos from the Kraal (Lovedale, n. d.) 24f. |
| K1243 | Priest trapped in window and humiliated. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K1251 | Holding up the rock. Trickster makes dupe believe that he is holding up a great rock and induces him to hold it for a while. (Sometimes steals the dupe's goods.) *Type 1530; *Parsons JAFL XXX 237, XXXI 227 n. 2, MAFLS XV (1) 59; N. A. Indian (Mexico): Boas JAFL XXV 206, 237; Africa (Kaffir): Theal 113, 189, (Hottentot, South of Zambezi): Theal 91, (Basuto): Jacottet 44 n. 1; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 314 No. 54. |
| K1251.1 | Holding up the roof. Fox pretends to be holding up the roof; hence cannot help the bear, who must do the threshing alone. *Type 9A; Dh IV 249ff.; Krohn Bär (Wolf) und Fuchs (JSFO VI) 97ff.; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K1251.1.1 | Fox pretends to be guarding the sky and watching the earth. Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K1252 | Holding down the hat. Dupe persuaded to guard hat supposed to cover something valuable. It covers a pile of dung. (Dupe's goods are sometimes stolen.) *Type 1528; *Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 54; Java: Dixon 186 n. 2; N. A. Indian: *Thompson CColl II 420, 426. Cf. Indonesia: DeVries Volksverhalen II 396 No. 185B. |
| K1252.1 | Dupe persuaded to fight with alleged gold-dropping bear: trickster meantime steals his clothes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1253 | The general hatches out an egg. The page induces the general to take his place in sitting on the eggs. Then he calls the king to look. Type 1677*. |
| K1262 | Person hypnotized into believing himself transformed. *BP III 203 n. 1. |
| K1265 | Man falsely reported insane. No one will believe him. *Wesselski Arlotto II 225 No. 92, Morlini 275; Alphabet No. 770; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. Cf. Malvolio in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night". |
| K1268 | Man carried and dropped in mid-stream. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 582; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 340 n. 227. |
| K1271 | Amorous intrigue observed and exposed. Irish myth: *Cross; West Indies: Flowers 536. |
| K1271.1 | Threat to tell of amorous intrigue used as blackmail. |
| K1271.1.1 | The bag of lies: threat to tell of queen's adultery. The boy, who is to tell the bag of lies, is stopped and his wishes granted. *Type 570; *BP III 273; Icelandic: Sveinsson FFC LXXXIII No. 570; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2904*; Russian: cf. Andrejev No. 1630*; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 5—8. |
| K1271.1.2 | Princess made to speak desired words when hero threatens to report (falsely) her amorous conduct. *Type 852; *BP II 506; Icelandic: Sveinsson FFC LXXXIII No. 852. |
| K1271.1.3 | Educated chickens tell of woman's adultery. A trickster undertakes to teach a woman's chickens to talk. When he reports that they are saying that she has slept with the priest, she pays him off. *Type 1750; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 843; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1676*. |
| K1271.1.4 | Man hidden in roof sees girl and lover and falls: they flee and leave him in possession. *Types 1360, 1776; Wesselski Morlini 303 No. 54; Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 890; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1271.1.4.1 | Man having seen woman and lover from roof threatens to tell about it; is paid to stop. *Type 1360B; Lappish: Qvigstad Lappiske Eventyr III No. 84. |
| K1271.1.4.2 | Man hidden in roof (or elsewhere) sees girl and lover: blows horn. They flee and leave him in possession. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1271.1.4.3 | Observer of intrigue insists on sharing in it (or enjoys the girl after putting the man to flight). Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 46; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1271.2 | Lovers observed in intrigue make absurd excuses. (Afraid of ghosts, have chill, etc.) Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1271.3 | Amorous intrigue exposed and faithless husband humiliated. Heptameron No. 38. |
| K1271.3.1 | Wife surprises husband in adultery and shames him into giving her all she desires. Heptameron No. 59. |
| K1271.4 | Adulteress tells lover "I can see the whole world." Hidden shepherd asks "Can you see my lost calves (ass)?" Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2905*; Italian Novella: Rotunda (K1532.3); Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 12; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1271.5 | The Lord above will provide. A youth and maid come under tree. "Who shall provide for our child?" "He above (God) will take care of it." The man in the tree: "I will do nothing of the kind!" Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2912*; Rumanian: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII No. 1654*. |
| K1272 | Man abed with his wife is frightened away by an intruder who steals his clothes. *Type 1360A. |
| K1273 | Abbess puts priest's trousers on her head. Suddenly called up while abed with the priest, she thinks to put on her coif. Discomfited by nuns whom she has denounced for incontinence. Boccaccio Decameron IX No. 2 (Lee 274); Mensa Philosophica No. 200; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1274 | Discovery of abbot's (abbess's) incontinence brings permission to monks (nuns) to do likewise. Boccaccio Decameron I No. 4 (Lee 14); Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1275 | Girl who cannot keep silent thereby provokes her rival to admit unchastity. *Type 886; *von der Hagen II v, vi, 3, 19 Nos. 21, 22; *Bolte Montanus's Wegkürzer 558 No. 1; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1275.1 | Girl refusing her lover final kiss provokes rival to admit selling kisses. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 8; Italian: Basile Pentamerone V 4. |
| K1281 | Woman draws a pelt to her instead of her husband. A woman asks of her husband a hair which will magically draw him to her. He gives her a hair from a pelt. *Wesselski Märchen 196; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 150. |
| K1281.1 | Priest draws a sow to him instead of a woman. He asks for a pubic hair which will draw the woman to him. Sow's bristles substituted. Sow rushes to church. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1285 | Rascals pull off judge's breeches and leave him exposed. Boccaccio Decameron VIII No. 5; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1286 | Mock initiation for dupe. Boccaccio Decameron VIII No. 9. |
| K1288 | King induced to kiss horse's rump: trickster then threatens to tell. *Type 570; *BP III 267ff.; Fb "røv" III 130a, "kysse" II 350; Russian: Andrejev No. 1630*; Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 1—8, Espinosa Jr. No. 130. |
| K1291 | Opposing witnesses's pockets filled with dung. Discredited. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1292 | Hostile brother-in-law made king's inferior by being tricked to hold his sword, while the king arranges his breeches belt. (Old custom). Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1300 | Seduction. |
| K1301 | Mortal woman seduced by a god. (Cf. K1315.1.) See references to D658.2. Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 62, 80, *Cross; India: Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 165f.; Africa (Fang): Einstein 94, Trilles 137. |
| K1302 | Woman won and lost by a ruse. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1310 | Seduction by disguise or substitution. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1311 | Seduction by masking as woman's husband. *Penzer II 45 n. 4, III 126f.; Boccaccio Decameron III No. 6 (Lee 79); Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 30; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: Neuman, bin Gorion Born Judas I 364; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: Coster-Wijsman 33 No. 11; N. A. Indian (Klikitat): Jacobs U Wash II 31. |
| K1311.0.1 | Seduction by masking as woman's husband: "Why—you have just left!" After the seduction the husband comes and the wife shows surprise. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1311.0.2 | Trickster kills husband and puts on his skin so as to seduce wife. S. A. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 151. |
| K1311.1 | Husband's twin brother mistaken by woman for her husband. *Type 303; *BP I 528ff.; Icelandic: Boberg; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I Nos. 7, 9, Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1314 | Seduction by wearing coat of invisibility. (Cf. D1361.12.) Chinese: Graham. |
| K1315 | Seduction by impostor. |
| K1315.1 | Seduction by posing as a god. (Cf. K1301.) Jones PMLA XXIII 577; Penzer I 145; Icelandic: Boberg; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: Neuman, bin Gorion Born Judas I 365; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1315.1.1 | Seduction by posing as Angel Gabriel. Boccaccio Decameron IV No. 2 (Lee 123); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1315.1.2 | Seduction on promise that issue will be the fifth Evangelist. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1315.1.2.1 | Seduction on feigned orders from angel to engender a pope. Girl born. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 14; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1315.2 | Seduction by posing as doctor. Icelandic: Herrmann Saxo II 239, Boberg; Italian Novella: Rotunda; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 305 n. 109r. |
| K1315.2.1 | Girl persuaded to sit on certain plant: seduced. Man as sham doctor tells her how to heal her burnt groins. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 305 n. 109q. |
| K1315.2.2 | Seduction by sham process of retrieving lost gem. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 3; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1315.2.3 | Seduction by sham process of repairing vagina. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 3. |
| K1315.2.4 | Seduction by pretending to give childless man's wife medicine. When husband comes at cockcrow as he was told, trickster says he came too late and they must do it again. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1315.3 | Seduction by posing as magician. (Sham incantation, etc.) Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1315.3.1 | Seduction by feigning enchantment. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1315.3.2 | Seduction attempted on promise of magic transformation: woman to mare. Finishing the tail. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1315.4 | Seduction by posing as a relative. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1315.5 | Seduction by posing as nobleman. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1315.5.1 | Prostitute poses as noble woman. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1315.6 | Seduction by posing as holy man (churchman). Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2906*. |
| K1315.6.1 | Tricksters persuade women that they must share their marital intimacies with them. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1315.6.2 | Seduction attempted on threat of performing miracle. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1315.6.3 | Girl disguised as friar gets into priest's bed. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1315.6.4 | Seduction by posing as saint. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1315.7 | Seduction by posing as teacher or instructor. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1315.7.1 | Seduction by pretending to instruct (or to need instruction) in marital duties. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1315.7.2 | Seduction under pretence of teaching a game. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1315.8 | Seduction upon false promise of marriage. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1315.9 | Seduction by offering protection against non-existing danger. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1315.10 | Seduction by posing as beggar. Herrmann Saxo II 578. |
| K1315.11 | Seduction by posing as leper. Icelandic: Sturlaugs saga St. 641-45 ch. 25, Boberg. |
| K1315.12 | Seduction by posing as merchant. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1315.13 | Seduction by masking as soldier. Herrmann Saxo II 239. |
| K1315.14 | Seduction: weaver posing as king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1317 | Lover's place in bed usurped by another. *Child I 137-41; Nouvelles Récréations No. 54; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1317.1 | Serving-man in his master's place. Chauvin II 92 No. 38; Bødker Exempler 289 No. 41; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1317.1.1 | Master in serving-man's place in woman's bed. (Cf. K1569.7.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1317.2 | Leper intercepts letter and takes paramour's place with princess. Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 237 No. 79. |
| K1317.2.1 | Old woman intercepts letter and takes girl's place in man's bed. Hdwb. d. Märchens I 326a n. 15. |
| K1317.2.2 | Letter delivered to wrong man. He substitutes for the lover. Heptameron No. 35; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1317.3 | Vengeful paramours send syphilitic man to substitute in woman's bed. *Schwartz Zs. f. Vksk. XXVI 136. |
| K1317.4 | Man caught running by guards has to tell his destination. One of the guards substitutes for him with his sweetheart. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1317.5 | Woman substitutes for her daughter in the dark. Heptameron No. 30; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1317.6 | Use of drugs to usurp lover's place. |
| K1317.6.1 | Woman drugs sister and substitutes for her with lover. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1317.7 | Woman mistakes passer-by for lover. Substitution in the dark. Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1317.8 | Moorish (black) girl substituted for mistress (in the dark). Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1317.9 | Man intercepts love letter and takes lover's place in elopement. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1317.10 | Devil comes to rendezvous instead of woman's lover. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1318 | Trickster shifts married couples in bed. Old man married to young woman and young man married to old woman. The shift is satisfactory to the young couple. *BP III 394 (3); Anderson FFC XLII 364; Köhler-Bolte II 305ff. |
| K1321 | Seduction by man disguising as woman. Nouvelles de Sens No. 8; Irish myth: *Cross; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1321.1 | Man disguised as woman admitted to women's quarters: seduction. *Types 516, 1542; Rösch FFC LXXVII 109; *Fischer-Bolte 215; *Krappe Balor 12 n. 42; Penzer I 47n., 48n.; Herrmann Saxo II 239, 493, 641; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus II 73 n. 2 (Achilles); India: *Thompson-Balys, Ruben FFC CXXXIII 41. |
| K1321.1.1 | Man disguised as pregnant woman admitted to girl's bed. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1321.1.2 | Seducer successfully disguised as washerwoman for fifteen years. Finally exposed. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 45; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1321.1.3 | Man wishes to learn and gains entrance to learned girl's presence in woman's disguise. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1321.2 | Man disguised as woman abducts princess. *Type 516; *BP I 46; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1321.3 | Man disguised as woman courted (married) by another man. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 104 No. 857; India: *Thompson-Balys; Eskimo (West Hudson Bay): Boas BAM XV 248; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 304 n. 109n. |
| K1321.3.1 | Man disguised as woman beguiles hostile chief. Infatuates him and then kills him in drunken sleep. *Wesselski Archiv Orientální II 430; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 88; India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Anesaki 303f. |
| K1321.4 | Men disguised as women enter convent and seduce impious nuns. (Cf. K1323.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1322 | Girl masked as man wins princess's love. Type 514; BP II 87, III 84; Spanish: Espinosa III No. 155; Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 6; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1322.1 | The lovely ascetic (girl in man's clothes) wins love of a rich woman. *Loomis White Magic 111. |
| K1323 | Man disguised as gardener enters convent and seduces nuns. (Cf. K1321.4.) Boccaccio Decameron III No. 1 (Lee 59); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1323.1 | Messenger from lover to girl-captive in harem poses as a singer who amuses the harem ladies in their apartments. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1325 | Seduction by feigned death. The girl comes to the man's wake or funeral. Child I 242—253, 506f., II 502a, III 503a, IV 453, V 212, 299a. |
| K1352 | Death feigned to woo maiden. She shows remorse when she hears of his death. |
| K1325.0.1 | Hero feigns death and is copulated with by divine maidens. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1325.1 | Seduction by feigned sleep. The guest in the conjugal bed feigns sleep as he effects seduction. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1326 | Seduction by feigned illness. S. A. Indian (Toba): Métraux MAFLS XL 147; West Indies: Flowers 536f. |
| K1326.1 | Seduction by asking for sham cure for sham illness. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 95; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1327 | Seduction by feigned stupidity. Cautious farmer seeks laborer who knows nothing about sex. Trickster makes silly explanation of copulation of animals. When admitted into service, seduces both farmer's wife and daughter. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2907*; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV No. 1544*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1544A*. |
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