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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| H1051 | Task: coming neither on nor off the road. (Comes in the rut or the ditch at side of the road.) *Type 875; BP II 349ff.; De Vries FFC LXXIII 195f. |
| H1062 | Task: coming neither washed nor unwashed. (Comes partly washed.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 211. |
| H1061 | Task: coming neither with nor without a companion. (Comes with an animal.) Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; De Vries FFC LXXIII 212. |
| H1056 | Task: coming neither with nor without a present (game). (Lets bird fly as the reaches it toward king.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 205. |
| H1022 | Task: construction from impossible amount of material. |
| H1021 | Task: construction from impossible kind of material. |
| H1118.2 | Task: counting daily how many leaves fall off a tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1118 | Task: counting hairs in pig's back (feathers in bird). *Fb "tælle" III 922b. |
| H1118.3 | Task: counting palm trees within view of king's palace. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1118.1 | Task: counting the seeds in a package of mustard. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1144.2 | Task: counting the waves. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1103.3 | Task: covering mango tree grove with fruit in a single night. (Cf. H1023.17.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1197 | Task: crossing weed-filled stream. Hero spreads cloth on weeds and floats across. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.2.2 | Task: curing extraordinarily incurable ulcer. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1046.2 | Task: cutting and bringing leaves from thorn thicket without tearing them at all. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1115.3 | Task: cutting down a giant tree. Marquesas: Beckwith Myth 470. |
| H1115.1 | Task: cutting down huge tree which magically regrows. Type 577. |
| H1184 | Task: cutting down tree without scratching for stinging insects. (Scratches surreptitiously while gesticulating.) *Jamaica Beckwith MAFLS XVII 250f. No. 29. |
| H1116.1 | Task: cutting firewood from rocks with brass axe (rock struck to splinters by lightning used). Africa (Ganda): Baskerville 8ff. |
| H1149.3 | Task: defeating a certain old woman. (She is Old Age.) Hdwb. d. Märchens I 445b n. 432; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1199.8 | Task: defending oneself alone against fifteen ships, sixty men. (Cf. H915.1.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1562.12 | Task: destruction of iron castle. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| H1105 | Task: digging a pond quickly. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "étang"; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1143 | Task: dipping out the sea with a spoon: countertask: stop all the rivers. (Cf. H1113., H1142.3.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 251.—French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule (H1023.2.3.); Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| H1046.1 | Task: dipping water without wetting dipper. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.9.1 | Task: discovering ring-thief. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.5 | Task: disenchantment. (Cf. D700.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1097 | Task: draining sea-covered land in one night. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1149.7 | Task: drawing spear thrust through seven iron plates. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1046.3 | Task: drinking beer without touching pot. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1142 | Task: drinking enormous amount. *Type 513; Icelandic: Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1142.2.1 | Task: drinking the sea dry (illusion produced by magic thread which makes hero think he is drinking from spring). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1142.3 | Task: drinking the sea dry: countertask: stop all the rivers. (Cf. H951.) BP II 369. |
| H1142.2 | Task: drinking the sea dry. *Anderson FFC XLII 139, 356; BP II 369; *Chauvin VIII 62 No. 26; Norse: MacCulloch Eddic 93 (Thor); Gascon: Bladé I 8 No. 1. |
| H1142.1 | Task: drinking wine—cellar empty. *Type 571; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| H1097.1 | Task: drying up a lake in one night. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| H1166 | Task: duel. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1071 | Task: eat bread but bring it back whole. (Center of loaf eaten.) Köhler-Bolte I 437. |
| H1141 | Task: eating enormous amount. *Type 513; Missouri French: Carrière; India: Thompson-Balys; Africa: Werner African 153. |
| H1141.4 | Task: eating entire goat without leaving a scrap. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1141.1 | Task: eating mountain of bread. *Type 571; Fb "æde" III 1140a. |
| H1151.19 | Task: eating only what is stolen without sinning. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1141.3 | Task: eating room-full of salt. (Trickster eats only a pinch. "He who has eaten with a friend as much salt as I have eaten and does not recognize the friendship will not do so though he eat ten rooms full of salt.") *Bolte Reise der Söhne Giaffers 207. |
| H1035 | Task: eating the moon. Gascon: Bladé I 8 No. 1. |
| H1141.2 | Task: eating three hundred fat oxen. Fb "æde" III 1140a. |
| H1093 | Task: embroidering blanket in one day. (Help from animals.) (Cf. B571.) N. A. Indian (Crow): Lowie PaAM XXV 121, Simms FM II 309, (Blackfoot): Wissler and Duvall PaAM II 130ff. |
| H1102.2 | Task: emptying in one day a barn filled with manure. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| H1143.1 | Task: emptying the lake with a pail in one day. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| H1199.4 | Task: engraving shield with unique pattern. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1104.4 | Task: erecting marriage hall in one night. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1109.4 | Task: exterminating mice infesting city in three days. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1022.5 | Task: feeding army from one measure of meal. Köhler-Bolte I 566. |
| H1155.3 | Task: feeding dangerous man-eating sow. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1123 | Task: feeding ravenous beast to satiation. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "bête". |
| H1095 | Task: felling a forest in one night. (Cf. H1115.) *Type 313; Fb "skov" III 300a; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: Boberg (H322.5); Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "forêt"; Italian: Basile Pentamerone II No. 7. |
| H1023.20 | Task: fetching water from the well in a bucket without the use of rope to draw it with. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1023.2.4 | Task: filling a bottomless water tube. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1045 | Task: filling a sack full of lies (truths). *Type 570; *BP III 273; *Fb "sandhed", "pose"; Russian: Andrejev No. 1630*. |
| H1073 | Task: filling glasses with water that has neither fallen from heaven nor sprung from the earth. (Uses horse's sweat.) Dh I 329. |
| H1129.4 | Task: filling pot with dew. Africa (Ganda): Baskerville 8ff. |
| H1023.2.5 | Task: filling pots having subterranean outlets. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1129.1 | Task: filling the yard with manure. Type 1183**. |
| H1129.2 | Task: filling twelve bed-ticks with feathers. Done by helpful birds. German: Grimm No. 186; Italian: Basile Pentamerone V No. 4. |
| H1023.8 | Task: fixing the two pieces of a broken sword together. Irish myth: *Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 202. |
| H1196 | Task: freeing king from clutches of magic doll. Will marry rescuer if a girl. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| H1074 | Task: furnish beef which is neither male nor female. Countertask: send for it when it is neither night nor day. American Negro (Georgia): Harris Friends 118 No. 15. |
| H1023.21 | Task: gathering a necklace of rubies from the sea. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1124 | Task: gathering all stones from brook or field. Type 1172. |
| H1129.7 | Task: gathering bed-tick full of harp strings. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1129.9 | Task: gathering crow's house full of wren's eggs. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1129.5.1 | Task: gathering firewood; bundle continually swept away from swimming man. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1129.10 | Task: gathering fist-full of fleas. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1129.8 | Task: gathering vessel full of nail-scrapings. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1136.2 | Task: gathering wind in fists. Jewish: Neuman. |
| H1038 | Task: getting fruit from top of tall tree without cutting tree. (Cuts roots of tree.) Africa (Mpongwe): Nassau 32 No. 4. |
| H1132.3.1 | Task: getting ring from python's hole (help from python goddess). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1072 | Task: give sheep good care but do not let it fatten. (Sheep fed but kept near wolf where it is afraid and does not fatten.) *Chauvin VIII 181 No. 213; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.11 | Task: going to bed with Odin, the underworld's king. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1045.1 | Task: going to get nothing and bringing it back. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1155.1.1 | Task: grooming unruly mare. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1049.2 | Task: growing oil seed on stony ground. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.17.1 | Task: guarding palace at night that no one can enter or leave. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.17.2 | Task: guarding six sisters-in-law so that they do not joke or talk to anyone. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.17 | Task: guarding. |
| H1023.1.1 | Task: hatching boiled eggs; countertask: sowing cooked seeds and harvesting the crop. (Cf. H951, H952.) *Types 821B, 875; *De Vries FFC LXXIII 242; *BP II 368 n. 1. |
| H1023.1 | Task: hatching boiled eggs. *Type 875; BP II 349ff.; *De Vries FFC LXXIII 241. |
| H1023.1.2 | Task: hatching eggs immediately; countertask: sowing seeds and bringing in crop next morning. (Cf. H951, H952.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 242; Köhler-Bolte I 459. |
| H1109.2 | Task: hauling enormous number of things from one farm to another in one day. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| H1195 | Task: having a shirt made by a woman free from trouble and worry. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H1199.2 | Task: healing sick person. Types 551, 610—12; Africa (Tanga): Nassau JAFL XXVIII 30ff. No. 5. |
| H1112 | Task: herding rabbits. *Type 570; BP III 267ff. (incident C); *Fb "hare". |
| H335.3.5 | Task: hero's servant must kill giant pig. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1104.1.1 | Task: in one day feathering a barn, each feather from different bird. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| H1156 | Task: incurring anger of ferocious animal. |
| H1149.10 | Task: jumping across river in one bound. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.10 | Task: jumping over fire. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1112.1 | Task: keeping four dogs in herd. *Fb "hund" I 678a. |
| H1128 | Task: keeping up a certain work all night. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "ouvrage". |
| H1162 | Task: killing certain man. (Cf. H335.3, H335.5, H335.6.) Icelandic: Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1161.5 | Task: killing devastating lion. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1161.6 | Task: killing devastating tiger. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1109.3 | Task: killing enough birds in one day to cover the mountain, each bird to be of a different species. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| H1161 | Task: killing ferocious beast. Irish: MacCulloch Celtic 126, *Cross; English: Wells 115 (Sir Eglamour of Artois); Icelandic: *Boberg; Finnish: Kalevala rune 14; Missouri French: Carrière; Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 184 n. 2, 187 n. 3, 191 n. 3, 197 n. 3, 199 n. 2, 200 n. 1, 210 n. 1 (Hercules), II 59 n. 1 (Cychreus); Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 3 No. 1. |
| H1161.2.2 | Task: killing fierce bull. (Cf. H1151.7.) India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1161.4 | Task: killing golden pig. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1161.1 | Task: killing murderous bird. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1161.2.1 | Task: killing ox. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1199.18 | Task: knocking off single fruit from king's tree. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1182 | Task: letting king hear something that neither he nor his subjects have ever heard. (Reads a letter from a foreign king demanding a loan.) Chauvin VI 39 No. 207. |
| H1151.18 | Task: liberating wife's sister, elephant's captive, who lives in a box in his ear. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1149.2 | Task: lifting a certain cat. (Is serpent that embraces the earth.) Icelandic: Boberg (Thor and the Midgard serpent). |
| H1149.9 | Task: lifting mountain. Countertask: placing it on my shoulders. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1067 | Task: light fire but do not light it. *Köhler in Gonzenbach II 215. |
| H1154.3.5 | Task: loading ferocious camels. Africa (Kordofan): Frobenius Atlantis IV 101ff. No. 11. |
| H1173 | Task: luring Thor into the power of giants. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1024.1.1 | Task: making a bull bear a calf. De Vries FFC LXXIII 43ff., 265. |
| H1024.1.1.1 | Task: making a bull bear a calf. Reductio ad absurdum: have a man prepare for childbirth. (Cf. H952.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 265; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1023.4.1 | Task: making a dog's tail straight. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1021.4 | Task: making a knot of spilled brandy. *Type 1173. |
| H1021.11 | Task: making a peacock of silk. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1021.2 | Task: making a rope of chaff. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "corde"; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| H1021.1.1 | Task: making a rope of sand; countertask: first showing the pattern. (Cf. H951.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 154. |
| H1021.1 | Task: making a rope of sand. *Type 1174; *De Vries FFC LXXIII 154, 155 n. 1; BP III 16; *Fb "reb" III 25b; Hdwb. d. Märchens I 431b n. 45; Chauvin VI 40 No. 207 n. 2.—Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1022.6.1 | Task: making ale derived from a single grain of corn. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1021.5 | Task: making an invisible knot with an egg. Finnish: Kalevala rune 8. |
| H1068 | Task: making bed but do not make it. *Köhler in Gonzenbach II 215. |
| H1022.7 | Task: making boat from splinters of a spindle and shuttle. Finnish: Kalevala rune 8. |
| H1022.5.1 | Task: making broth for army. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1103.1.1 | Task: making garden in three days. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1103.1 | Task: making garden quickly in unplanted forest. Kabyle: Frobenius Atlantis II 32 No. 4; Africa (Benga): Nassau 215 No. 33. |
| H1194.2 | Task: making jackal laugh (weep). India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1147 | Task: making ladder which whole army cannot set up. De Vries FFC LXXIII 323, 331. |
| H1022.6 | Task: making many kinds of food from one small bird. Fansler MAFLS XII 62. |
| H1022.2 | Task: making many shirts (clothing an army) from one hank of flax (wool). Köhler-Bolte I 459, 566; *Hdwb. d. Märchens II 151a nn. 503—521. |
| H1194 | Task: making person laugh. Irish myth: Cross; Icelandic: Boberg; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1186 | Task: making pigs dance. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "cochons". Cf. Type 850. |
| H1022.3 | Task: making sails for ship from one bundle of linen; countertask: making spindle and loom from one stick of wood. (Cf. H951.) Köhler-Bolte I 459. |
| H1022.4.3 | Task: making shawl-cloth one hundred cubits in length out of one cocoon of silk. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1021.3 | Task: making ship of stone. De Vries FFC LXXIII 150ff.; Indonesia: De Vries's list No. 235. |
| H1022.4.1 | Task: making shirt derived from a single flax-seed. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1022.4 | Task: making shirt from piece of linen three inches square. Oesterley Gesta Romanorum No. 64; Herbert Catalogue III 206. |
| H1023.16 | Task: making sun and moon shine in the north. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1023.3.2 | Task: making withered flowers green. Jewish: Moreno Esdras. |
| H1154.3.3.1 | Task: measuring (killing) wild boar. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1145.2 | Task: measuring a gust of wind. Jewish: Moreno Esdras (H1023.18). |
| H1144 | Task: measuring ocean. *Hdwb. d. Märchens s.v. "Meer austrinken, ausmessen". |
| H1023.9.1 | Task: mending a broken jug; countertask: turning it wrong side out as one does a shoe. (Cf. H951.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 249. |
| H1023.9 | Task: mending a broken jug. De Vries FFC LXXIII 249; Jewish: Neuman. |
| H1024.1 | Task: milking a bull. De Vries FFC LXXIII 43ff.; Fansler MAFLS XII 63; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1155.2 | Task: milking unruly cow. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1161.3.1 | Task: mouse to fight single-handed with king's state elephant and destroy it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1026.1 | Task: naming those things which have not yet happened. Jewish: Moreno Esdras (H1011). |
| H1025 | Task: obtaining fat (bacon) from swine that never was farrowed. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1154.11 | Task: obtaining marrow of wild pig, lard of wild boar, water bird (coot?). Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1174.2 | Task: overcoming dragon. Icelandic: Þiðriks saga I 175ff. |
| H1161.3 | Task: overcoming elephant. Icelandic: *Boberg; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1162.1 | Task: overcoming robbers. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1161.2 | Task: overcoming savage buffalo. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1112.2 | Task: pasturing a cow which continues to run all day. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.12.2 | Task: pasturing witch's cattle (really her daughters). Grateful animals give help (cf. B571.) Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 557*. |
| H1108 | Task: paving great road in short time. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1121 | Task: picking all nuts from tall tree. (Performed by grateful squirrel.) Indonesia: *Dixon 217 n. 22. |
| H1198 | Task: picking ruby out of a tray filled with identical rubies. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1024.2 | Task: placing frogs in a tree. *BP III 16. |
| H1103.2.2 | Task: planting and growing crop overnight. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.1 | Task: planting beautiful garden. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1103.2 | Task: plowing enormous amount of land in one day. Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 72, 73; Italian: Basile Pentamerone II No. 7; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1188 | Task: plowing field of vipers. (Puts on iron boots.) Finnish: Kalevala rune 19. |
| H1103.2.1 | Task: preparing and sowing impossible amount of land overnight. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1122 | Task: preparing large quantity of grain. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "grain"; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. Nos. 71—74; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| H1185 | Task: preparing the food "Oh my". (Needle put in food which causes eater to say "Oh my!") De Vries FFC LXXIII 250. |
| H1024.6 | Task: procuring bird out of season. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1023.3.1.1 | Task: procuring cuckoo to sing in winter. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1154.7.3 | Task: procuring four full-grown peacocks to sit one on each of four golden pinnacles of palace room. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1154.3.7.1 | Task: procuring four full-grown tigers to guard four gates of king's palace. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.16 | Task: producing seven pairs of chopsticks in seven plates. (A lacquered plate and pair of chopsticks—seven coats of lacquer.) Chinese: Graham. |
| H1023.5 | Task: pumping out a leaky ship. Type 1179; BP III 16. |
| H1023.11 | Task: putting a large squash whole into a narrow-necked jar. Filipino: Fansler MAFLS XII 62f. |
| H1023.18 | Task: putting peaches back on tree. Chinese: Graham. |
| H1181 | Task: raising a buried treasure. *Type 613; Christiansen FFC XXIV 92ff. |
| H1042 | Task: recalling a dream someone else has had. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1132.1.6 | Task: recovering cooking-spit from sea. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1132.1.7 | Task: recovering crown from sea. German: Grimm No. 107. |
| H1132.1.5 | Task: recovering lost fish-hook. Done by Sea-king. Japanese: Anesaki 266, Ikeda. |
| H1132.1.2 | Task: recovering lost key from sea. *Type 554; BP I 134ff., II 19ff.; Fb "guldnøgle" I 514; Irish: O'Suilleabhain 25, 35, Beal XXI 307, 312; Missouri French: Carrière; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| H1132.1 | Task: recovering lost object from sea. Irish: Beal XXI 308, 316, O'Suilleabhain 26. |
| H1132 | Task: recovering lost objects. |
| H1132.1.1 | Task: recovering lost ring from sea. *Types 513, 554; *Saintyves Essais 381; BP I 134ff., II 19ff.; *Fb "guldring"; Irish myth: *Cross; Greek: Fox 101 (Theseus); Japanese: Ikeda; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 280 No. 91. |
| H1182.1 | Task: recovering money owed by a foreign king. *Cosquin Contes indiens 474ff. |
| H1132.3 | Task: recovering object from python's hole. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1132.2 | Task: recovering object in large fire. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1132.1.4 | Task: recovering pen from sea. *Type 531; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| H1132.1.3 | Task: recovering strap from sea. Type 434*; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| H1101 | Task: removing mountain (mound) in one night. *Type 313; Breton: Sébillot Incidents "butte"; Missouri French: Carrière. |
| H1154.7.1 | Task: retrieving king's falcon. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| H1199.9 | Task: ridding city of thieves. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1155.5 | Task: riding buffaloes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1115.2 | Task: sawing iron tree in two. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.15 | Task: securing dishes which have been locked up in vault. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| H1114.1 | Task: securing three eggs from top of glass tower. French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule. |
| H1152.1 | Task: selling a sheep (goat) and bringing it back along with the money. (Shears and sells wool; brings animal back.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 43ff., 157; Irish: Cross, Baughman. |
| H1152 | Task: selling an animal and keeping him. |
| H1153 | Task: selling three old women. (Devil finds that no one wants them.) *Type 1170; BP III 16. |
| H1049.3 | Task: setting back sun. (Cf. D2146.1.1.) Samoa: Beckwith Myth 439. |
| H1156.1 | Task: setting fire to brush wood near abode of sacred cobra. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1103 | Task: setting out vineyard in one night. *Type 313. |
| H1021.9.1 | Task: sewing a shirt from flower petals. German: Grimm No. 49. |
| H1021.9 | Task: sewing a shirt of stone. Fb "sten" III 554a. |
| H1023.7.1 | Task: sewing together a broken egg. German: Grimm No. 129. |
| H1023.7 | Task: sewing together a broken mill-stone. De Vries FFC LXXIII 152; Jewish: *Neuman. |
| H1023.7.2 | Task: sewing together a broken ship. German: Grimm No. 129. |
| H1106 | Task: shearing flock of sheep in one day. N. A. Indian (Zuсi): Boas JAFL XXXV 77 No. 4. |
| H1199.12.1 | Task: shepherd in God's service tending sheep and following where they go. On the way, he sees many wonderful things. (Cf. F171.0.1.) Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 806*. |
| H1199.3 | Task: shouting from forbidden place. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1033 | Task: showing picture of a voice. Jewish: Moreno Esdras (H1013). |
| H962.1 | Task: sitting on eggs without breaking them; hero perceives trick. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1023.10.1 | Task: skinning a stone; countertask: first let the stone bleed. De Vries FFC LXXIII 145ff. |
| H1023.10 | Task: skinning a stone. De Vries FFC LXXIII 145 ff. |
| H1162.2 | Task: slaying king's son so that father will not die. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1091 | Task: sorting a large amount of grain (beads, beans, peas) in one night. *Types 313, 554; *BP II 28, 517; *Köhler-Bolte I 397; *Fb "fugl", "gryn"; Swiss: Jegerlehner Oberwallis 322 No. 87; Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "pois"; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 68 No. 513; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: Dixon 226; Chinese: Graham; N. A. Indian (Thompson River): Teit JE VIII 392 No. 100. |
| H1091.2 | Task: sorting grains; performed by helpful birds. *Fb "fugl"; Missouri French: Carrière; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| H1091.1 | Task: sorting grains: performed by helpful ants. Clouston Tales I 238f.; Köhler-Bolte I 397; French Canadian: Sister Marie Ursule; Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 130; Italian: Basile Pentamerone V No. 4; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: Dixon 217; Japanese: Ikeda; Korean: Zong in-Sob 17. |
| H1024.5 | Task: sowing dragon's teeth. Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 109 n. 4. |
| H1023.17 | Task: sowing rye and bringing crop next morning. (Cf. H1023.1.2.) Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| H1092.0.1 | Task: spinning and weaving large amount by specified time. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1021.8 | Task: spinning gold. Type 500; BP I 490ff., *495 n. 1. |
| H1092 | Task: spinning impossible amount in one night. (Cf. H1022.2.) *Types 500, 501, 708; BP I 109ff., 490ff.; *Fb "spinde" III 492a; Hoffmann-Krayer Zs. f. Vksk. XXV 120 nn. 7, 8; Köhler-Bolte ibid. VI 71; Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 4; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| H1024.8 | Task: spinning wool still on goat's back. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| H1023.14 | Task: splitting a hair with a blunt knife. Finnish: Kalevala rune 8; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1199.13 | Task: squaring the lumber on a stone without blunting the axe. Woman is purposely sent to distract him. Lithuanian: Balys Legends No. 491f. |
| H1095.2 | Task: stacking wood from felled forest in one day. German: Grimm No. 113, 193. |
| H1058 | Task: standing between summer and winter. (Stands between wagon and sleigh.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 213. |
| H1052 | Task: standing neither inside nor outside of gate. (Forefeet of horse inside, hind feet outside.) De Vries FFC LXXIII 198; BP II 362. |
| H1151.1.1 | Task: stealing a golden lotus. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1151.23 | Task: stealing beautiful clothing of a witch. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1151.5 | Task: stealing belt from queen. Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 203 n. 1 (Hercules). |
| H1151.8 | Task: stealing cattle which are guarded by a marvelous dog. Greek: Frazer Apollodorus I 87 n. 3 (Melampus). |
| H1151.12 | Task: stealing eggs from under bird. Type 653; India: *Thompson-Balys; Africa: Weeks Jungle 43, (Madagascar): Renel II 118f. No. 91. |
| H1151.6 | Task: stealing elephant's tail (tusks). Africa (Gold Coast): Barker and Sinclair 123 No. 22, (Ekoi): Talbot 208. |
| H1151.6.1 | Task: stealing enormous diamond from elephant's forehead. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1151.13 | Task: stealing from a king. Irish myth: Cross. |
| H1151.5.1 | Task: stealing girdle of goddess. Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 13/243). |
| H1151.15 | Task: stealing goddess Freya's necklace. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| H1151.7.1 | Task: stealing gold-filled horn of wild three-horned ox. (Cf. H933.2.) Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| H1151.1 | Task: stealing golden apples. *Fb "guldæble" I 516, "æble" III 1135b; Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: MacCulloch Eddic 179, *Boberg Greek: Fox 87, Frazer Apollodorus I 220 n. 1. |
| H1151.2.1 | Task: stealing horse when owner has been forewarned. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1151.13.3 | Task: stealing horses (and chariot) from a king. (Cf. H1151.2.) Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1151.13.4 | Task: stealing hound from a king. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| H1151.2.2 | Task: stealing king's horse as he rides on it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| H1151.22 | Task: stealing laborer's pajamas. India: Thompson-Balys. |
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