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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 Thompson references, ascending

Showing 601–650 of 890 · Page 13 of 18

ATU Title Summary Arne Thompson Thompson ▲
1406 The merry wives wager . . . No examples in the Database yet , 1406 J2013.2., J2301., J2311.0.1., J2312., J2314., J2315., J2316., J2317., J2324., K1545.
1288 'These are not my feet' A stranger helps them with a switch. [J2021]. 1288 J2021.
1287 Numskull unable to count their own number No examples in the Database yet 1287 J2031., J2031.1.
1430 Air Castles They make great plans for success but disagree over the conclusion. They quarrel over details and lose everything. Cf. Type 1681*. , 1430, 1430A J2060., J2060.1., J2061., J2061.1., J2061.1.2., J2061.2.
1327 Emptying the Meal Sack To convince arguers of the emptiness of their quarrel he empties sack of meal (pot of oil). [J2062.1]. 1327 J2062.1.
1450 Clever Elsie The girl is to get beer from the cellar. Falls into a study as to what her first child's name shall be. Likewise the girl's father and mother. The suitor departs. [J2063]. Cf. Types 1384, 1387, 1430A. 1450 J2063.
1415 Trading Away One's Fortune Foolish bargains. He trades his horse for a cow, the cow for a hog, the latter for a goose, until finally he has nothing left [J2081.1]. Wins the wager when his wife does not get angry [N11]. 1415 J2081.1.
1385 A Woman Loses Her Husband's Money The wife sells cows. Gets one of them back as pledge for the unpaid purchase price [J2086]. Cf. Types 1382, 1384. 1385, 1385* J2086., na
1214 The Persuavive Auctioner The auctioneer praises the man's worthless cow so much in his speech that the man takes her back himself [J2087]. 1214 J2087.
150 The Bird's Three Precepts A man releases a fox (bird) if the latter will give him three counsels: "When you have a fox, don't let him loose." , 150 J21.12., J21.13., J21.14., K604.
112 Town Mouse and Country Mouse Country mouse visits town mouse. Former prefers poverty with safety. 112 J211.2.
1294 Getting the Calf's Head out of the Pot A calf gets its head caught in the pot. A fool cuts off the calf's head and then breaks the pot to get it out. [J2113]. 1294 J2113.
1270 The Drying of the Candle The candle is laid in the stove to dry; melts [J2122]. 1270 J2122.
1245 Sunlight carried in a bag into the windowless house When this plan does not succeed they gradually pull down the house in order to get light. 1245 J2123.
1157 The gun as tobacco pipe The trickster gives the ogre the gun to smoke [K1057]. Cf. Type 1228. , 1157 J2131.4.1., K1057.
68 The Jackal Trapped in the Animal Hide
  • I. Entering the Elephant. (a) An elephant lets his friend the jackal enter his body to drink water. The jackal eats the internal organs and the elephant dies. The jackal is trapped in the carcass. (b) A jackal eats its way into a carcass which it finds and is trapped inside when the skin dries.
  • II. Jackal and the God. (a) A god passes and the jackal challenges him to a rain-making contest. The god sends rain, the carcass swells, and the jackal escapes. (b) The jackal pretends to be a god and frightens people into bringing sacrifice and pouring water over the carcass.
    		•  , 68, 68*, 68A J2131.5.7., J655.2., K1022.1.1., K565.2.
    214 Ass Tries to caress his Master like a Dog He is driven off. 214, 214A, 214B J2133.1., J2413.1., J951.1.
    1240 Man sitting on branch of tree cuts it off Een poep wil een klokketouw stelen. Hij klimt erin en snijdt het boven zijn hoofd af [cf. J2133.4]. 1240 J2133.4.
    1250 Bringing Water from the Well A log is laid across the top of the well. One man holds to the log with his hands, the next climbs down and holds to his feet, and so on; the uppermost man becomes tired and lets go to spit on his hands. [J2133.5]. Cf. Type 121. 1250, 1250A J2133.5., J2133.6.1.
    121 Wolves Climb on Top of One Another to Tree Wolves climb on top of one another to tree. The hog (or man) in the tree. The lowest wolf runs away and all fall. Cf. Type 1250. 121 J2133.6.
    1692 The Stupid Thief Cf. Type 177. A fool accompanies a group of thieves, who send him into the house while they wait outside. I. Following Directions Literally. (a) Told to bring out something »heavy» (i.e., valuable), he brings out a heavy mortar, or the like… , 1692 J2136., J2136.5.5., J2136.5.6., J2136.5.7., J2461.1.7., J2461.1.7.1.
    938 Placidas He is converted by a vision. All his goods are destroyed, his wife seized by a ship captain, his young sons carried off by a lion and a bear [N251]. He finally recovers them all [N121]. , 938 J214., N251.
    1286 Jumping into the Breeches The woman tries to pull on her husband's breeches for him on both legs at once. 1286 J2161.1.
    1201 The plowing Four men carry the horse in order not to tramp up the field [J2163]. 1201 J2163.
    1276 Rowing without going forward One woman rows in one direction, another in the opposite; or rowing in a boat which is tied up. [J2164.1, J2l64.2]. , 1276 J2164.1., J2164.2.
    1263 The Porridge Eaten in Different Rooms The porridge in one, the milk in another [J2167]. 1263 J2167.
    1333 The Shepherd who Cried "Wolf!" too often When the wolf really comes no one believes him [J2172.1]. 1333 J2172.1.
    1202 The Grain Harvesting The grain is shot down with guns. When the unknown sickle is bought and tried, one man is cut with it. As punishment it is drowned. Cf. Type 1650. 1202 J2196.
    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.
    1334 The Local Moon A numskull greets the old moon as if it were new. »I haven't seen it before, for I have just come to the city.» (Each town thought to have a different moon.) [J2271.1]. 1334 J2271.1.
    1313 The Man who Thought Himself Dead Has the corpse eat bread. (Usually has eaten from a pot of preserves said to be poisoned.) , 1313, 1313A J2311.1., J2311.1.4., J2311.2., J2311.4.
    1620 The conversation of the one-eyed man and the hunchback An impostor pretends to make clothes for the king and says that they are visible only to those of legitimate birth. The king and courtiers are all afraid to admit that they cannot see the clothes. Finally a child seeing the naked king reveals the… , 1620 J2312., K445.
    1417 The Cutt-off Nose (Hair) Lai of the Tresses. A woman leaves her husband's bed and has another woman take her place. The husband addresses her, gets no answer, and cuts off her nose (hair). In the morning the wife still has her nose (hair). The husband is made to believe that… , 1417 J2315.2., K1512.
    1405 The Lazy Spinner The woman hidden in the bushes calls out to her husband, who is cutting wood: »Whoever cuts wood for a spinning wheel will die; whoever uses the wheel will be destroyed.» The man becomes worried and no longer keeps her at the reel [K1971.4.1]. When… , 1405 J2325., K1971.4.1.
    1540 The student from Paradise (Paris) The woman sends money or clothes to paradise for her deceased husband. The horse is stolen. I. Goods Sent to Paradise. A student tells a woman that he comes from Paris. She understands him to say paradise and gives him money and goods to take to her… , 1540 J2326., K341.9.1.
    1326 Moving the church The stolen coat. To see whether the church is moving someone lays down his coat in front of it. It is stolen. They think the church has passed over it. [J2328]. 1326 J2328.
    1296 Fool's Errand People sent to get imaginary things. (Left-handed monkey wrench and the like.) [J2346]. 1296 J2346.
    154 The Jackal and the Farmer The fox helps the man; his reward. He converses with his members. 154 J2351.1.
    225 The Tortoise That Wanted to Fly Lets him fall to the earth 225, 225A J2357., K1041.
    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.
    1225 The man without a head in the bear's den A man's head is snatched off by accident and his companions do not see what has happened. Debate: did he ever have a head? [J2381]. J2381.
    1542 The clever boy Peik with his fooling-sticks. I. Deceptions as a Trade. Brother and sister live together but are poor and Peik goes out to make a living by fooling people [K301]. See Type 1525A. II. Animal Bargains. (a) He gets the king's horse by borrowing it to… , 1542**, 1542A J2401., K112.1., K113., K1321.1., K1363., K341.8.1., K842., L161.
    1689 Thank God They Weren't Peaches The man plans to take peaches as a present to the king. He is persuaded rather to take figs. They are green and the king has them thrown in his face. He is thankful that they weren't peaches. [J2563]. 1689, 1689A J2415.1., J2563.
    1693 The Literal Fool - the Burning of Lanka Pots broken; fire set. A fool (or trickster) follows instructions literally and disastrously. He is taken before a judge or rajah, but is freed. (a) An oil seller tells a fool (or a trickster), who has spilled a little oil, that spilt oil brings good… 1693 J2450.
    1541 For the long winter The numskull has been told to keep the sausage »for the long winter». When the trickster hears this, he claims to be Long Winter and receives the sausage. [K362.1, cf. also J2355, K1821.1]. , 1541 J2460.1., K362.1.
    1696 What Should I Have Said? The mother teaches the boy (the man his wife) what he should say (do) in this or that circumstance. He uses the words in the most impossible cases and is always punished. [J2461]. Cf. Types 1681A, 1681B. , 1696 J2461., J2461.2.
    1685 The Foolish Bridegroom Dog »Parsley» in the soup [J2462.1]. Clearing out the room (throws out the stove) [J2465.5]. To »throw good eyes» at the bride (throws ox-eyes and sheep-eyes on the plate) [J2462.2]. Cf. Type 1006. She flees. The he-goat in the bride's place in… , 1685 J2462.1., J2462.2., J2465.5.
    1700 "I don't Know." The man thinks that »I don't know» is a person's name [J2496]. 1700 J2496.
    1699 Misunderstanding Because of Ignorance of a Foreign Language New recruits learn answers to questions in foreign language. Order changed in asking brings confusion. [J1741.3.1]. , 1699 J2496.2., X111.7.
    1321 Fools frightened Cf. Type 1677. 1321, 1321C J2600., J2614.1.

    Showing 601–650 of 890 · Page 13 of 18





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