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Aarne–Thompson–Uther index

About this index and how to read it

The ATU index classifies international folktales by type. Each row gives the type number, its title and summary, followed by the references it inherits: Arne Thompson is the earlier Aarne–Thompson type number, and Thompson lists the motif references from Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature associated with that type.

Cross-references inside a summary open the relevant tale-type or motif record. Thompson motif references in the final column are linked directly to the corresponding entry in the Stith Thompson Motif Index when that reference exists in the database. Any column heading can be clicked to sort by it, and clicking again reverses the order. Following a type number opens that type on its own page.

890 tale types

Sorted by type number, ascending

Showing 101–150 of 890 · Page 3 of 18

ATU ▲ Title Summary Arne Thompson Thompson
182 The helpful animal and the snake The helpful animal sees a snake bite his master. He catches the crow, who is the snake's confederate, and forces the snake to revive his master by sucking out the poison.
200 The Dog's Certificate Through the cat's carelessness it is lost. Since then dogs and cats are enemies. 200, 200A, 200B, 200C* A2232.8., A2275.5.5., A2281.1., A2494.4.4.
201 The Lean Dog Prefers Liberty to Abundant Food and a Chain Sie hielt allein Prozession, als die Menschen dies versäumten (als über den Prozessionsweg Streit war). 201 L451.3.
204 Sheep, duck and cock in peril at sea The duck swims; the cock flies to the mast and crows that he sees the shore. 204 J1711.1.
206 Straw Threshed a second Time The animals eating at night say they have good food because the straw has not been well threshed. The master hears and threshes it a second time. They grow hungry. (Animals' voices imitated in telling story.) Cf. Types 106, 2075. 206 J2362.
207 Rebellion of the Work Animals Cock as leader punished. 207, 207A, 207B, 207C B271.3., J2413.1., K1633., NA
210 The Traveling Animals and the Wicked Man The animals and objects hide themselves in various parts of a house. They punish with their characteristic powers the owner of the house and finally kill him. Cf. Type 130. 210 K1161.
211 The hog who was so tired of his daily food Schwarzer Tod im "Stipelloch" gefangen (entkommt später) 211 J1612.
212 The Lying Goat A father sends his sons one after the other to pasture the goat. The goat always declares 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. Cf.… 212 K1151.
214 Ass Tries to caress his Master like a Dog He is driven off. 214, 214A, 214B J2133.1., J2413.1., J951.1.
217 The Cat and the Candle A man has a cat trained to hold up lighted candles on its head. The king has a mouse let loose. The cat drops the candle and chases the mouse. (Often used as a method of cheating in a game [N7].)
220 The Council of Birds The eagle as judge assigns each his place and work.
221 The Election of Bird-King Wren wins by cleverness. 221 B236.1.
222 The Willow-Wren and the Bear Birds win by cleverness. The fox's lifted tail is to be the signal. The gnats stick him under the tail. He drops it and the quadrupeds flee. Cf. Type 104. It often serves as introduction to Type 313. 222, 222A B261., B261.1.
223 The Bird and the Jackal
  • I. The jackal asks the bird to obtain food. The bird flies near men carrying baskets of food. They drop them to pursue bird and jackal eats food. See Type 1*.
  • II. The jackal asks the bird to make him laugh. The bird alights on the men's heads so that they strike one another. III. The jackal asks the bird to make him cry. The bird leads men or dogs to his hiding place. IV. The jackal asks the bird to save its life. The bird entices the jackal into power of the crocodile, then strikes crocodile so that jackal escapes.
    		•
    224 Wedding of the Turkey and the Peacock All birds are invited to the wedding except the eagle. This omission starts a great conflict.
    225 The Tortoise That Wanted to Fly Lets him fall to the earth 225, 225A J2357., K1041.
    226 The Goose Teaches the Fox to Swim Shakes him off in the water.
    227 The geese's eternal prayer The fox attacks a group of geese. They ask his if they can make one last prayer. The fox agrees. The geese make so much noise that the farmer hears them and saves them. 227 K551.1.
    228 The Titmouse Tries to be as Big as a Bear She ruffles up her feathers but does not succeed in fooling her young. But in her own form she flies into the bear's ear and kills him. 228 L315.1.
    229 The Hawk Frightened at the Snipe's Bill No examples in the Database yet
    230 The Rearing of the Large-headed and Large-eyed Bird When the one rearing the owl learns its great age he kills it.
    231 The Heron (Crane) Transports the Fish A heron (crane) tells the fish in a lake that is drying up that it will transport them one by one to another lake, but eats them instead. A crab sees through the deception, seizes the heron by the throat and kills it. 231  J657.3.
    232 The Heathcock and the Birds of Passage The former prefers to remain at home amid hardships than to go to foreign lands. 232D* J101.
    234 The Nightingale and the Blindworm No examples in the Database yet 234, 234A* , A2241.5.
    235 The Jay Borrows the Cuckoo's Skin No examples in the Database yet 235 A2241.
    236 Imitating bird sounds, The dove keeps saying >>I know>> and persists in building her small nest. (Imitation of bird's sounds.) Cf. Type 2075. 236, 236* A1952., A2271.1.
    237 The Parrot That Talked Too Much A magpie is punished by his master, who throws him into a mud puddle. The magpie sees a muddy sow. He says, "You also must have had a quarrel with your master." 237 J2211.2.
    238 The Keen Sight of the Dove and the Keen Hearing of the Frog They boast to each other.
    239 The Crow Helps the Deer Escape from the Snare The deer aids the jackal, but when the deer is caught in a snare the jackal refuses to help him. On the advice of the crow the deer feigns death. When the hunter releases him, he bounds away.
    241 The Officious Bird and the Monkey A bird, sitting in its nest during a cold rain, asks shivering monkey why it doesn't build a house since it has hands like a man. The enraged monkey destroys the bird's nest.
    242 The Frog Enticed out of his Hole Crow (or other bird) swears not to eat him. Breaks his oath. 242 K815.
    243 The Parrot Pretends to be God Cf. Types 1380, 1422. I. The Tell-tale Parrot. (a) A parrot decides a lawsuit against a woman,or (b) reports a woman's infidelity to her husband. (c) The woman orders the…
    244 Peacock Plumes No examples in the Database yet 244, 244A*, 244C* , J267.1., J951.2.
    245 Tame Bird and Wild Bird The tame bird advises the wild bird to look about him. The wild bird is shot. Cf. Type 112.
    246 The Hunter Bends the Bow One bird escapes; other remains and is shot. (Told also of fish.)
    247 Every Mother Thinks Her Child Is the Most Beautiful The snipe asks the sportsman to spare its small ones, easily recognized as being the prettiest in the forest. To be on the safe side the man shoots only the ugliest he can find. They are the young snipes. (Often told of the ape.) 247 T681.
    248 The Dog and the Sparrow A man runs over the dog, friend of the sparrow. The sparrow takes vengeance. The man loses his horse, his property, and finally his life. 248 N261.
    250 Swimming Match of the Fish The perch hangs on to the tail of the salmon and wins. Cf. Types 221, 275. 250A A2231.1.2.
    252 The Pike and the Snake Race to Land The winner is to remain on land.
    253 The Fish in the Net The little fish slip through the meshes; the big ones are caught. 253 L331.
    275 The Race of the Fox and the Crayfish The latter hangs on to the fox's tail and wins. Cf. Types 250, 1074. (The Keen Sight of the Dove and the Keen Hearing of the Frog. See Type 238.) 275, 275A, 275A* K11., K11.1., K11.3.
    278 Rat and Frog Tie Paws Together A rat and a frog get their paws entangled and get c arried off by a falcon. 278, 278A*, Frog J652.1., J681.1., J752.1.
    280 The Ant Carries a Load as Large as Himself The contest of the raven (or other bird) with the ant. 280, 280A A2251.1., J711.1.
    283 Spider Invites Fly to Rest on her Curtain Eats her. 283 K815.2.
    285 The child and the snake The snake drinks from the child's milk-bottle. 285, 285B*, 285D, 285E B391.1., B784.2.1.1., J15., J552.3.
    289 Bat, Diver, and Thornbush Shipwrecked Bat brought money, bush put on clothes, and diver brought leather. All shipwrecked. Diver is looking for his leather. Bush looks for his clothes and holds fast to all passers-by. Bat is abroad only at night to escape creditors. (Cf. A2471.4,… 289 A2275.5.3.
    291 Deceptive Tug-of-war Small animal challenges two large animals to a tug-of-war. Arranges it so that they unwittingly pull against each other (or one end of rope is tied to a tree). 291 K22.
    292 Ass Tries to Get a Cricket's Voice Asks cricket what they eat to get such a voice. They answer, >>dew.>> He tries it and starves. 292 J512.8.
    293 Debate of the Belly and the Members Debate as to their usefulness. All are mutually useful. 293 J461.1.

    Showing 101–150 of 890 · Page 3 of 18





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