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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 |
|---|---|
| N224 | Man finds treasure he refused as gift. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N225 | Man robbed and penniless entertained by wealthy widow and enriched. Boccaccio Decameron II No. 2 (Lee 25); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| N226 | Wrecked man saved on coffer of jewels; becomes rich. Boccaccio Decameron II No. 4 (Lee 30); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| N227 | Man who is impoverished is given high post by princess in disguise. Marries her. (Cf. N251.3.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N228 | Leopard tied in bag in water floats to shore and finds a mate. Grateful to trickster who has tied him up. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N231 | The fourteen lucky daughters. The husband leaves his wife, who has given birth to fourteen girls, thinking he is persecuted by bad luck because of failure to have a son. On the seashore, the girls find precious stones. The wife, now prosperous, finds her husband among beggars. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1668*. |
| N234 | Boast of poor boy made good by fate: he boasts to elder brothers he will build a palace on a certain spot; accidentally comes on treasure trove and makes good his boast. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N250 | Persistent bad luck. *Fb "ulykke" III 973a; Jewish: Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N250.1 | Bad luck follows man who shoots stork. *Fb "stork" III 592b. |
| N250.2 | Persecution by bad luck. Wishing to escape it, the luckless couple build themselves a new home. Scarcely do they establish themselves in the new home, when bad luck addresses them from the hearth: "I have already waited for you here three days." Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 735B*. |
| N250.3 | Persecution by a god so that will of deity can be followed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N250.4 | Bad luck banished and freed. The poor man in some way banishes his bad luck and becomes prosperous. Out of envy his rich brother sets it free; it then follows him. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 735A*; Russian: Andrejev No. 735 I*. |
| N251 | Person pursued by misfortune. (Placidas, Eustacius.) His goods are destroyed, his wife carried off by a ship captain and his children by animals. *Type 938; Herbert III 241; *Oesterley No. 110; *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XXVIII 154f.; Alphabet No. 311; *Hibbard 3ff.; Boccaccio Decameron II Nos. 6, 8 (Lee 34, 39); *Loomis White Magic 112; **Gerould PMLA XIX 335ff.; Dickson 100 n. 7.—Irish: *Cross; O'Suilleabhain 42, Beal XXI 315; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Jewish: *Neuman, bin Gorion Born Judas I 374; India: *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 113, 793; West Indies: Flowers 564. |
| N251.1 | Man captured by pirates is maimed, crippled, blinded. He is patient through it all. Finally he is elected ruler by his dead master's subjects. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N251.2 | Man who aspires to greater wealth loses all. When he is about to be rewarded by king the latter dies. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N251.3 | Man who loses fortune marries widow of his rich master. (Cf. N227.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N251.4 | Travelers pursued by misfortune. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N251.5 | Fortune of the lucky wife. A luckless man becomes successful in all his undertakings when he marries a lucky woman and lives by her luck. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 737B*. |
| N251.6 | The luckless son and his envious father. Seeing a luck-bringing animal at his son's house, the wizard father orders it to be destroyed, but the grandchildren eat of its meat and become fortunate. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 738*. |
| N251.7 | Misfortune pursues farmer. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| N252 | Messengers announce successive misfortunes. Spanish Exempla: Keller; Greek: Aeschylus Agamemnon line 860; Jewish: Neuman. Cf. story of Job. |
| N252.1 | Messengers announce successive misfortunes to warrior as he sets out for war. Tells of death of father, mother, brother, and sister, but he refuses to turn back. Finnish: Kalevala rune 36. |
| N253 | Safety in shadow of wall. After many misfortunes the man is apparently safe. The wall falls on him. *Type 947; *BP III 289f.; Bødker Exempler 277 No. 18; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| N255 | Escape from one misfortune into worse. |
| N255.1 | Stag escapes from hunters to be eaten by lion. Wienert FFC LVI *49, 55 (ET 86, 152), 116, 136 (ST 261, 417); Halm Aesop No. 129, 252. |
| N255.2 | Ass gets progressively worse masters. Finally the farmer beats him living and will not spare his hide when he is dead. Wienert FFC LVI 77 (ET 435), 109 (ST 214, 390); Halm Aesop No. 329. |
| N255.3 | Halcyon builds nest on sea-cliff to escape land hazards. Tempest blows nest away. Wienert FFC LVI *63 (ET 266), 140 (ST 4623; Halm Aesop No. 29. |
| N255.4 | Fugitive slave takes refuge in mill house, where he must work harder than ever. Wienert FFC LVI *83 (ET 499), 116 (ST 260); Halm Aesop No. 121. |
| N255.5 | Daw fleeing from captivity caught in trees by thread around foot. Starves. Wienert FFC LVI 63 (ET 265), 116 (ST 259); Halm Aesop No. 202. |
| N255.6 | Old man burns self with gunpowder, and then burns himself worse when he pours hot water over his body. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N256 | Unlucky classes. |
| N256.1 | Goldsmith unlucky. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N258 | Train of troubles from lost horseshoe nail. Master tries to go on in spite of the loss. *BP III 335ff. |
| N261 | Train of troubles from sparrow's vengeance. A man runs over the dog, friend of the sparrow. Through the sparrow's vengeance the man loses his horse, his property, and finally his life. *Type 248; *BP I 515; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 254 No. 34. |
| N261.1 | Train of troubles for seven brothers for having destroyed bird's nest. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N264 | Whether man begs all day or for an hour he gets only a small basket of grain. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N265 | Person brings bad luck to others. |
| N265.1 | Girl brings ill luck and death to everyone she comes in contact with. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N270 | Crime inevitably comes to light. Irish: Beal XXI 336, O'Suilleabhain 119; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N271 | Murder will out. Missouri French: Carrière; Spanish: Espinosa Jr Nos. 202—209; Jewish: *Neuman; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N271.1 | The sun brings all to light. The murderer repeats as he sees the rays of the sun, the last words of the dying man, thus betraying the crime. *Type 960; *BP II 531; *Hdwb. d. Märchens I 98b, *Zachariae Kleine Schriften 134; *Basset 1001 Contes II 381. |
| N271.1.1 | Moon brings murder to light. (Like N271.1.) BP II 532. |
| N271.2 | Murder revealed by unusual names of boys. The dying man leaves message to name his sons "O God" and "O king" (or the like). This arouses the king's curiosity and brings the murder to light. BP II 336, 535; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 116 No. 960. |
| N271.3 | The Cranes of Ibycus. Murdered man calls on cranes, the only witnesses of the murder, to avenge him. The cranes follow the murderer and point him out. *BP II 532; *Amalfi Zs. f. Vksk. VI 115ff.; *Zachariae ibid. IX 336; Scala Celi 100b No. 539; Hertz Abhandlungen 334; Köhler-Bolte II 563; Chauvin II 123, VII 146; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 27. — England: Baughman; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 209; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| N271.3.1 | Ravens pursue murderer who has killed two children. England: Baughman. |
| N271.4 | Murder discovered through knowledge of bird languages. Birds point out the murder. *Type 781. |
| N271.5 | Murderer through miracle suspected of theft; murder thus discovered. Type 761*. |
| N271.6 | Murder revealed by child. |
| N271.6.1 | Child's song reveals murder. Africa (Bantu): Torrend Specimens of Bantu Folk-lore from Northern Rhodesia (New York, 1921) 9ff. No. 1, 14ff. No. 2. |
| N271.7 | Murder discovered on digging foundations of house. House burns. Diggers discover body. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| N271.8 | Murderer traced through victim's ring. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N271.9 | Tree follows murderer. Scotland: Baughman. |
| N271.10 | Ship will sink if murderer is aboard. England: Baughman. |
| N271.11 | Murder will out: murderers quarrel under influence of drink and reveal crime. Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 1216. |
| N275 | Criminal confesses because he thinks himself accused. *BP II 534, 412; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N275.1 | Criminal confesses because of misunderstood animal cries. BP II 534, 412; Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 66. |
| N275.2 | Criminal confesses because of misunderstanding of a dialect. BP II 534, 412. |
| N275.3 | Detection by accidental remark. Wife misunderstands husband's remark and confesses. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 32. |
| N275.4 | Thief imagines that group of people in street are talking and laughing at him; he confesses. U.S.: Baughman. |
| N275.5 | Criminal in church mistakes words of service as accusation. (Cf. Type 1833.) |
| N275.5.1 | Sheep thief confesses when preacher says, "All we like sheep have gone astray." U.S.: Baughman. |
| N277 | Oxen bear dead usurer to gallows to be buried. They are allowed to go where they will. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 197. |
| N278 | Supernatural voice points out criminal. Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 352; *Wesselski Mönchslatein 182 No. 140. |
| N300 | Unlucky accidents. Norwegian: Solheim Register 21. |
| N310 | Accidental separations. Missouri French: Carrière. |
| N311 | Separation of persons caused by looking for water. *M. Bloomfield in Penzer VII xxiv ff.; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N312 | Separation of twins through being carried off by beast. Dickson 107. |
| N313 | Child follows bird and loses its mother. Tobler Epiphanie der Seele 71. |
| N314 | Persons fall asleep on rock, which magically shoots upward. N. A. Indian (California): Gayton and Newman 76. |
| N315 | Separation by being on different banks of stream. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N316 | Separation in jungle (forest). India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N317 | Separation of family by shipwreck. India: Thompson-Balys; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N318 | Accidental separation of lovers. |
| N318.1 | Man, thinking it an enemy, flees as sweetheart comes after him in pursuit. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N318.2 | Princess accidentally elopes with wrong man. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N320 | Person unwittingly killed. |
| N320.1 | Man unwittingly causes death of daughter. English romance: Malory III 15. |
| N321 | Son returning home after long absence unwittingly killed by parents. (Cf. N338.3.) Type 939*; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 939*; Livonian: Loorits FFC LXVI No. 9391. |
| N322 | Eavesdropping person unwittingly killed. Icelandic: *Boberg. Cf. death of Polonius in Shakespeare's "Hamlet". |
| N322.1 | Eavesdropping man in disguise as devil killed unwittingly by daughter's lover. Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 305 No. 4. |
| N322.2 | Eavesdropping wife hidden in bushes killed unwittingly by husband. Greek: Fox 72 (Prokris). |
| N323 | Parricide prophecy unwittingly fulfilled. *Type 931; *Krappe Balor 13 n. 45; Greek: *Grote I 206; India: Thompson-Balys. See all references to M343 (Parricide prophecy). |
| N324 | Man unwittingly kills prince. Exiled. *Boje 120f. |
| N324.1 | Transformed prince unwittingly killed. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N325 | Unwitting murder because of insane illusion. |
| N325.1 | Man kills son thinking that he is cutting a branch. Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 329 n. 1. |
| N325.2 | Women, driven mad, devour their infants' flesh. Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 331 n. 4. |
| N325.3 | Mother kills son thinking him a wild beast. Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 331 n. 3. |
| N330 | Accidental killing or death. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N331 | Things accidentally fall and kill person. |
| N331.1 | Dagger in wall above bed falls and kills girl. Has been placed there by her lover. Indonesia: De Vries's list No. 219. |
| N331.1.1 | Knife accidentally strikes girl's throat and kills her. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N331.1.2 | Prince's arrow accidentally grazes breast of merchant's wife. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N331.1.3 | Bride lets dagger fall and kill husband. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N331.2 | Bread accidentally dropped from tree on bear's nose kills bear. Type 2006*. |
| N331.2.1 | Man hidden in tree so frightened of lioness he drops his sword and kills her. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N332 | Accidental poisoning. |
| N332.1 | Man accidentally fed bread which his father has poisoned. The wicked man puts poison in the bread he gives a beggar. The beggar gives his loaf to the son. Type 837; *De Vries Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsche Taal- en Letterkunde XLVII 63ff.; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N332.1.1 | Poisoned bath prepared for another accidentally used by hero. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N332.2 | Horse accidentally poisoned instead of master. An attempt is made to give the hero a poisoned cup. He is on horseback and spurs his horse away to avoid the cup. The poison is spilled and enters the horse's ear and kills him. *Type 851; *BP I 189; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 131. |
| N332.2.1 | Elephant on rampage accidentally poisoned instead of man. Man claims having killed elephant. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N332.3 | Serpent carried by bird lets poison drop into milk and poisons drinkers. *Chauvin VIII 60 No. 25; *Krappe Balor 184 n. 12; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Jewish: Neuman, bin Gorion Born Judas III 96; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N332.3.1 | Head of killed snake bites and kills king. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N332.3.2 | Snake in jug bites would-be thief. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N332.4 | Boy accidentally drinks "poison" intended for his stepbrother. Doctor had substituted sleeping potion for the requested poison. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| N332.4.1 | Youth accidentally takes the poison he intended for his father. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N332.5 | Woman unwittingly poisons her son. Mistakes poison for medicine. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N332.6 | Man eats food which is mysteriously poisoned. S. A. Indian (Chiriguano): Métraux RMLP XXXIII 177; Jewish: *Neuman; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 511. |
| N332.7 | Hidden fruit accidentally poisoned by snake. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N333 | Aiming at fly has fatal results. |
| N333.1 | Person killed by hitting fly on his face. Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; Indonesia: De Vries's list No. 285. Cf. Type 1586. |
| N333.1.1 | To give child a slap to stop its crying, numskull kills it. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N333.2 | Man accidentally killed by bear trying to chase away flies. *Chauvin II 118 Nos. 99, 100; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N334 | Accidental fatal ending of game or joke. |
| N334.1 | Children play hog-killing: one killed. *Type 2401; *BP I 202; Wesselski Archiv Orientální II 431; England, U.S.: Baughman. |
| N334.2 | Hanging in game or jest accidentally proves fatal. Wesselski Theorie 18; Fb "hænge" I 731b; Danish: Christensen DF XLVII 200 No. 36; Icelandic: Boberg; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3309, Legends Nos. 605 609; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 122 Nos. 40, 41. |
| N334.3 | Practical joker asks doctor to castrate him. Doctor insists on the operation. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| N335 | Unexpected death at hands of an animal. |
| N335.1 | Bird hunter killed by adder just as he is shooting bird. Wienert FFC LVI 65 (ET 295), 207 (ST 197); Halm Aesop No. 171; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N335.2 | Blood bath causes woman to be carried off by bird. A pregnant woman demands a bath of blood: husband substitutes a bath of red dye. A Garuda bird attracted by the dye carries her off. Penzer I 97; Dunlop-Liebrecht 135. |
| N335.2.1 | Sick queen lying under red satin carried off by bird who thinks it is red meat. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N335.3 | Death by rebounding bow. Ants gnaw a bowstring, so that the bow rebounds and cuts off head of man who is leaning on it. *Bloomfield in Penzer VII xx ff. |
| N335.4 | Accidental death from flying splinter of bone. Bone being gnawed by animal lets splinter fly and kills young animals. Africa (Larusa): Fokken "Erzählungen und Märchen der Larusa" ZsKS VII 82ff. No. 1, (Wachaga): Gutmann 87ff. No. 44, (Masai): Fuchs Sagen, Mythen und Sitten der Masai (Jena, 1910) 50ff., (Uganda): Rowling The Tales of Sir Apolo: Uganda Folklore and Proverbs (London, n.d.) 47ff., (Congo): Stanley My Dark Companions and their Strange Stories (New York, 1906) 161ff., Casati Ten Years in Equatoria and the Return with Emin Pasha (New York, 1891) II 45f. |
| N335.5 | Hound strikes unique vulnerable spot. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N335.6 | Series of accidental animal killings. |
| N335.6.1 | Attacking animal is killed by another in ambush. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N335.7 | Tortoise lands on elephant's back so that elephant's back is broken. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N336 | Accidental death through dream. Man dodging blow in dream hits his head against wall and kills himself. Alphabet No. 285. |
| N337 | Accidental death through misdirected weapon. Irish myth: *Cross; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus II 63 n. 2; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 715; Africa (Fang): Tessman 135, (Congo): Grenfell 820. |
| N337.1 | Blind poet unintentionally kills friend. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N337.2 | Hero, while measuring wild boar, accidentally wounded mortally by bristle. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N337.3 | Axe thrown at one animal misses but kills another. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N338 | Death as result of mistaken identity: wrong person killed. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N338.1 | Saint changes places with charioteer; latter is killed. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N338.2 | Fool (person) disguised as (supposed) king killed. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N338.3 | Son killed because mistaken for someone else. (Cf. N321.) Icelandic: Boberg; Italian Novella: Rotunda (N366); Greek: Grote I 242; Jewish: Neuman; Philippine (Tinguian): Cole 98. |
| N338.3.1 | Father orders unrecognized son thrown into sea. Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 480. |
| N339 | Accidental death—miscellaneous. |
| N339.1 | Man falls into jar of honey and is drowned. Chases a mouse. Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 310 n. 2. |
| N339.2 | Flies caught in honey. Death from greed. Wienert FFC LVI 61 (ET 242), 146 (ST 512); Halm Aesop No. 293. |
| N339.3 | Foxes crowd into house and are suffocated. Eskimo (Koryak): *Jochelson JE VI 363. |
| N339.4 | Groom killed by lightning on wedding night. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N339.5 | Uxorious king is burned to death while taking an alcohol bath. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N339.6 | Man forgets to wear magic gown and is killed. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N339.7 | Army drowned by unnoticed incoming tide. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N339.8 | Accidental death from fall on own weapon (shield). Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N339.8.1 | Accidental death of father from fall into the fire when taking down weapons for his son. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N339.9 | Girl abducted by fairy left on shore, where she is accidentally drowned. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N339.10 | Youth gazing at own image reflected in water falls and drowns. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N339.11 | Girl lets down her sari for hero to climb up by but, when he is halfway up, sari breaks and he is killed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N339.12 | Prefect, cursed by bishop, dies of fish-bone stuck in his throat. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N339.13 | Accidental death by striking head against lintel of door. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N339.14 | Wife throwing husband's corpse into river (according to custom) is caught by corpse's arm and drowned. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N339.15 | Thief crushed to death by fallen fragments of wall he has bored. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N339.16 | King mortally wounded on killed enemy's tooth. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N339.17 | Bottle wherein jinn is imprisoned inadvertently opened and jinn escapes to kill his captor. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N340 | Hasty killing or condemnation (mistake). |
| N340.1 | Suicide in remorse over hasty condemnation. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N340.2 | King hastily has 7,000 people put to death for stoning his judges to death. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| N340.3 | Woman wrongly condemned for drunkenness when seen to take one drink. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| N341 | Misunderstood message causes messenger to be killed (accused). BP II 366. |
| N342 | Hasty condemnation of man who accidentally becomes suspected of crime. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N342.1 | Faithful servant guarding master's wife from danger falsely condemned for betraying his master. *Type 516; *BP I 42ff.; *Rösch FFC LXXVII 129; Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 9; India: *Thompson-Balys; Korean: Zong in-Sob 155ff. No. 68. |
| N342.1.1 | Faithful son guarding his father from monster falsely accused by stepmother. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N342.2 | Stumbling over bloody corpse brings accusation of murder. Man gets blood on himself. *Chauvin V 136 No. 64. |
| N342.3 | Jealous and overhasty man kills his rescuing twin brother. *Type 303; Italian: Basile Pentamerone I No. 7; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N342.4 | False accusation overheard causes hasty killing. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N342.5 | Angry brother kills husband, thinking latter had killed wife (sister) and baby. Heptameron No. 23. |
| N342.6 | Woman mistakenly accused of cannibalism. She is seen biting off finger of corpse to get its ring. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N343 | Lover kills self believing his mistress dead. She has been frightened away by a lion. (Pyramus and Thisbe.) Köhler-Bolte I 4; Irish myth: *Cross; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Greek: Fox 201, **G. Hart Ursprung und Verbreitung der Pyramus und Thisbe-Sage (1889); *C. de Boer Pyramus et Thisbe (Amsterdam, 1911). |
| N343.1 | Mistress kills self, believing her lover dead. Irish myth: *Cross; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N343.2.1 | Wife dies, believing husband dead. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N343.3 | Woman feigns death to meet exiled lover. It leads to his death. Lover hears of her supposed death, returns and submits to execution. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N343.4 | Lover commits suicide on finding beloved dead. Heptameron No. 70. |
| N344 | Father kills self believing that son is dead. The son forgets to spread white sails, the prearranged signal of his safety. (Told also of lovers.) *Schoepperle II 437f.; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus II 137 n. 4. |
| N344.1 | Wrong sign put out leads to boys' leaving home. They are to be informed by a sign if a sister is born. *Type 451; BP I 70ff.; Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 8. |
| N344.2 | Father causes death of innocent son, believing him guilty of adultery with father's wife. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N345 | The falcon of Sir Federigo. An impoverished suitor has only a falcon to catch birds with. His lady's sick son wants the falcon and she goes to ask for it. The suitor serves dinner for her—his falcon. When she makes her request it is too late. *Bédier Fabliaux 153f.; Boccaccio Decameron V No. 9 (*Lee 170); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| N346 | Pigeon hastily kills his mate for stealing wheat. It has merely dried out and no longer fills the nest. When the dampness later swells the wheat, he sees his mistake and kills himself in remorse. Chauvin II 104 No. 66; Bødker Exempler 302 No. 69; Spanish Exempla: Keller; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N347 | Innocent man accidentally suspected of crime. (Cf. N342.2.) India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N347.1 | Clerk who enters tavern arrested with others for murder. Scala Celi 59a No. 326; Chauvin IX 19; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N347.2 | Saint who entered house of ill fame to reform inmates accused of going with evil intent. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| N347.3 | Boy is hanged for cattle theft; the strayed cattle are discovered later. U.S.: Baughman. |
| N347.4 | Man having purchased stolen ornament unwittingly presents it to owner as gift; is thrown into jail as thief. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N347.5 | Poor man presented rich robe by emperor is locked up as a thief. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N347.6 | Man falsely accused commits suicide. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N347.7 | Greedy disciple decides to remain in city despite learned teacher's warning and is condemned to take the place of a thief. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N348 | Jealous husband kills innocent wife. Suspicions aroused when villain leaves his handkerchief in her room. (Othello.) Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N349 | Hasty killing or condemnation—miscellaneous. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N349.1 | Warriors erroneously slay allies in night battle. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| N349.2 | Father kills his son in battle rage. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N349.3 | King, seeing eldest son leaving room, decides that he is a rakshasa. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N350 | Accidental loss of property. |
| N351 | Money (treasure) unwittingly given away. Unlucky man given a loaf which is filled with gold exchanges it for another loaf. *Type 841; *Pauli (ed. Bolte) Nos. 326, 327; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 185; Italian Novella: Rotunda; Icelandic: Boberg; India: *Thompson-Balys; Chinese: Graham; Japanese: Ikeda; N. A. Indian (Pochulata): Boas JAFL XXV 223. |
| N351.1 | Boy's servant takes pearl to his wife instead of to merchant; she throws it away. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N351.2 | Beggar accidentally overlooks money put into his way. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N352 | Bird carries off ring which lover has taken from sleeping mistress's finger. He searches for the ring and becomes separated from her. *Penzer IV 192 n. 1; *von der Hagen I cxxxiii; *Köhler-Bolte II 351; Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N352.1 | Bird carries off jeweled veil with which girl had covered sleeping lover's face. Lover pursues bird and becomes separated from the girl. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N352.2 | Jewel (garment) carried off by bird from bather. Clothes have been left on bank of stream. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N352.3 | Serpent steals jewels: person falsely accused of theft. (Cf. N347.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N360 | Man unwittingly commits crime. U.S.: Baughman. |
| N361 | Sacred animal unwittingly killed. |
| N361.1 | Brahmin unwittingly kills calf. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N362 | King (prince) unwittingly killed. Africa (Fulah): Frobenius Atlantis VI 182ff. No. 4. |
| N365 | Incest unwittingly committed. |
| N365.1 | Boy unwittingly commits incest with his mother. See all references to M344. Heptameron No. 30; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 117 No. 983; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Minehassa (Celebes): Dixon 158. |
| N365.1.1 | Man unwittingly falls in love with his own mother. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N365.2 | Unwitting father-daughter incest. Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Greek: Fox 198 (Myrrha); Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 13/116). |
| N365.2.1 | Father unwittingly falls in love with daughter. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N365.3 | Unwitting brother-sister incest. Irish myth: *Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 201; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (T-G. 3/59); Hawaii: Beckwith Myth 516. |
| N365.3.1 | Brother and sister unwittingly in love with each other. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N365.3.2 | Boy says, "Whoever eats this mushroom is my wife." His own sister eats it and he runs away. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N365.4 | Man unwittingly lies with mother-in-law. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N367 | Daughter unwittingly turns her own parents out of doors. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| N380 | Other unlucky accidents. |
| N381 | Drop of honey causes chain of accidents. Hunter drops honey in a grocery; weasel eats honey; cat chases weasel; dog chases cat; grocer kills dog: all the cause of a bloody feud between villages. *Taylor JAFL XLVI 87 No. 2036; BP II 104 n. 2; *Wesselski Hessische Blätter f. Vksk XXXII 21; Chauvin VIII 41 No. 9; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| N381.1 | Ant pinching frog causes chain of accidents. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| N382 | Fugitive slave takes wrong road and is caught. Wienert FFC LVI 85 (ET 518), 116 (ST 264). |
| N383 | Man falls dead from sudden realization. |
| N383.1 | Man falls dead when he realizes that he has been riding over frozen sea. *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XVIII 91. |
| N383.2 | Man falls dead when he realizes that he has eaten bread from flour used for abscess plaster. Chauvin VIII 38 No. 6; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| N383.3 | Mother dies of fright when she learns that she was about to commit incest with her son. He has disguised himself to test her chastity. *Krappe Balor 181ff.; Alphabet No. 710 (Secundus). |
| N384 | Death from fright. (Cf. N383.3.) Italian Novella: Rotunda; Eskimo (Greenland): Rink 228, 439, 452, Rasmussen I 148, II 334, III 61, 97, Holm 26. |
| N384.0.1 | Madness from fright. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| N384.0.1.1 | The cadaver arm. Medical students (or student nurses or hospital employees) play trick on one of their number by suspending a cadaver arm or leg from the light cord in the person's room (sometimes the object is placed in the person's bed). Some circumstance keeps them from being on hand to observe the person's reaction; the next day they remember the joke and go to the victim's room to investigate. They have to break down the door. They find the victim sitting on the bed—her hair is snow white—and she is gnawing on the cadaver arm. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| N384.1 | Mouse frightens man to death. Type 167*. |
| N384.2 | Death in the graveyard; person's clothing is caught; the person thinks something awful is holding him; he dies of fright. Ireland, England, U.S.: Baughman. |
| N384.3 | Wicked stepmother falls into the fire because of fright. (Cf. M431.6.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N384.4 | Fraternity initiate dies of fright. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| N384.5 | Queen dies from fright because of evil prophecy. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| N384.6 | Sham magician causes simpleton's death. Is frightened to death by the impersonation of demons. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N384.7 | Sham execution proves fatal. Jester condemned to die on block. Pail of water used instead of axe. He dies. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| N384.8 | Priest frightens boy by tying girl's corpse to bell-rope. In revenge the boy puts the body in the priest's bed. Priest flees. Dies from injuries. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N384.9 | Lover frightens mistress as a joke. She dies from the shock. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N384.10 | Man playing ghost killed. Meaning to frighten son, father plays devil or a ghost. Son kills him. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3443, Legends Nos. 861ff. |
| N384.11 | Joker playing dead killed. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3443A, Legends Nos. 864f. |
| N384.12 | Woman playing dead to spy on husband killed. Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 866. |
| N384.13 | Brothers fall dead at sight of long lost brother whom they sold into captivity. (Cf. N733.) Jewish: *Neuman. |
| N385 | Unintentional injuries bring unfortunate consequences. (Sometimes the injuries are mere breeches of tabu.) *Penzer II 147, VII 92 n. 1. |
| N385.1 | Person has successive misfortunes while making plans because he forgets to say, "If God wills." (Cf. G224.1, J1217.1.) Irish myth: *Cross; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 848*. |
| N386 | Lover's wound breaks while he is in bed with mistress. He bleeds to death (or is discovered because of the blood). Schoepperle I 222; von der Hagen I cxxvii; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N386.1 | Lover's spur catches in sheet when he tries to escape. Uncovers mistress. Heptameron No. 62. |
| N386.2 | Man pinned in bed by weapon caught in quilt. Irish myth: Cross. |
| N387 | Feud starts over trifle. |
| N387.1 | Quarrel over dog starts the Guelph-Ghibelline feud. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| N388 | Blind men accidentally hurt each other. (Trying to kill pig, or the like.) Herbert III 71. |
| N391 | Lover who is detained away beyond stipulated time returns to find fiancée married. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| N391.0.1 | Hospitality enforced on hero keeps him overlong from home; meantime wife abducted. Chinese: Graham. |
| N391.1 | Mistress expecting lover accidentally exchanges places with her maidservant. Italian Novella: Rotunda (also K1856). |
| N392 | Robber attempting to steal cow at night seizes thieving tiger. Great fight in stable. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
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