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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 ▲ |
|---|---|
| K2323.3 | Old woman and tiger flee in terror from each other. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1317.2.1 | Old woman intercepts letter and takes girl's place in man's bed. Hdwb. d. Märchens I 326a n. 15. |
| K1911.1.5 | Old woman substituted for bride in bridegroom's bed. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K521.7 | One animal escapes by shamming as another (jackal as goat). India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2382 | One animal injures another by deception. B[ö]dker Exempler 281 No. 25; Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K641 | One animal saves another by frightening enemy away. Africa (Benga): Nassau 143 No. 16, (Ibo, Nigeria): Basden 279. |
| K649.1.1 | One animal swallows another to save him from pursuer. Africa (Cameroon): Lederbogen 18, (Bankon): Ittman 81ff. |
| K232.2 | One day and one night: object borrowed for a day and a night retained. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K2314.1 | One day and one night: object borrowed for a day and a night retained. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K2314 | One day and one night. Saint has tribute remitted for a day and a night, i.e. forever, because there is but one day and one night in time. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K2319.1 | One foot in Ireland, one in Scotland. Man carries sods of two countries with him that his whereabouts will be so defined. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K1517.1.1 | One lover disguised and carried out of house by other. The wife has the lover put on a robe and stand in the corner; she tells the husband that a tradesman has left the robe and will return for it. The other lover comes and she gives him the "robe". Africa (Vai): Ellis 229 No. 38. |
| K341.15 | One thief distracts attention of owner while other steals. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K307.2 | One thief entrusted with other thieves' money cheats them. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K307.1 | One thief hides in money bag; other carries it off. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K929.2 | One-eyed doe outwitted by approaching from her blind side. Accustomed to feed on a cliff with her sound eye next the land. Wienert FFC LVI 65 (ET 287), 140 (ST 463); Halm Aesop No. 126; Jacobs Aesop 216 No. 66. |
| K2273 | One-eyed villain. Hdwb. d. Märchens I 477a; BP I 83 (Grimm No. 11); India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1291 | Opposing witnesses's pockets filled with dung. Discredited. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1972 | Oracular images occupied by spirits or priests who give the answers. *Dickson 192ff. nn. 69—73, 83; *Boje XIX 101. |
| K231.6.1.1 | Order to put a small vessel of milk into huge container. Shrewd group each by himself pours water thinking this will not be detected if the others pour milk. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1951.5 | Ordinary man assumes high sounding name and challenges enemy chief to single combat. Latter is frightened into believing him to be of exceptional prowess and desists from attacking the city. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1681 | Originator of death first sufferer. After the culture hero has instituted death, his own child dies and he repents in vain. N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 285 n. 52, (California): Gayton and Newman 59, 64; Africa: Werner African 162. |
| K1760 | Other bluffs. |
| K440 | Other cheats. |
| K90 | Other contests won by deception. |
| K1580 | Other deceits connected with adultery. |
| K1890 | Other deceptions by disguise or illusion. |
| K1839 | Other deceptions by disguise. |
| K230 | Other deceptions in the payment of debt. |
| K2300 | Other deceptions. |
| K199 | Other deceptive bargains. |
| K250 | Other deceptive bargains. |
| K770 | Other deceptive captures. |
| K960 | Other fatal deceits. |
| K2090 | Other hypocritical acts. |
| K1889 | Other illusions. U.S.: Baughman. |
| K1980 | Other impostures. K2165. Sham blind man throws suspicion on real blind. |
| K959 | Other kinds of treacherous murder. |
| K1349 | Other means of entering into girl's (man's) room (bed). |
| K650 | Other means of escape. |
| K2112.5 | Other means of incriminating innocent woman. |
| K360 | Other means of theft. |
| K2249 | Other treacherous officers and tradesmen. |
| K2259 | Other treacherous servants and workmen. |
| K2299 | Other villains and traitors—miscellaneous. |
| K2290 | Other villains and traitors. |
| K219 | Other ways of cheating the devil of his promised soul. U.S., England, Wales: Baughman. |
| K139 | Other worthless animals sold. |
| K1022.5.1 | Otter persuaded to rob: beaten. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K814 | Overcurious dupe enters trickster's basket and is killed. Africa (Angola): Chatelain 197 No. 25. |
| K2052.4.3 | Overlooking the insult. Man consoles daughter whose husband is dying by telling her he has picked another husband for her. She feels insulted. No sooner does her husband die than she asks her father for details. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K337 | Oversalting food of giant so that he must go outside for water. Meantime his goods are stolen. *Type 328; *Fb "salt" III 148b; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K2052.3 | Oversensitive bride pleads a headache (or other excuse). Groom retaliates with similar plea when she changes her mind. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K815.5 | Owl invites cricket to share his nectar. Kills him. Wienert FFC LVI 56 (ET 159), 118 (ST 280). |
| K2357.0.2 | Owner admitted into his own castle, captured in his absence, in guise of a monk. He has given news to conqueror of his purported death. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K465 | Owner bids on his own goods at auction. Rival buyer pays extravagant price. *Wesselski Hodscha Nasreddin II 204 No. 405; Chauvin VIII 107 No. 83. |
| K812.4 | Owner burns intruder in house. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K341.5 | Owner enticed to chase game while goods are stolen. Spanish: Espinosa Jr. No. 8; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K439.9 | Owner feigns madness and thus raises alarm: thieves captured. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K335.0.12 | Owner frightened away by thief disguised as devil. Pierre Faifeu No. 33. |
| K335.0.4 | Owner frightened away from goods by a bluff. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K335.0.5 | Owner frightened from goods by apparitions of the dead. (Cf. K335.1.2.) |
| K335.0.1 | Owner frightened from goods by report of approaching enemy. *Type 328; BP III 83f.; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K335.0.6 | Owner frightened from goods by trickster's ferocious animal. Pretended dog is really a lion. Africa (Ila, Rhodesia): Smith and Dale II 388 No. 14. |
| K335.0.13 | Owner frightened from goods by trickster's summons of wild buffalo herd. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K334 | Owner gives up goods through flattery. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K341.4.1.1 | Owner of horse climbs tree after thief, who drops down and rides off on owner's horse. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K344 | Owner persuaded that his goods are spoiled. (Cf. K355.) Bødker Exempler 292 No. 50; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Nights 123 No. 23. |
| K341.4.1 | Owner persuaded to climb tree while goods are stolen. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K432.2 | Owner pretends to help burglars to divide booty: handles weights so loudly that police are summoned. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K439.8 | Owner pretends to think thief is family god and binds him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K331.2 | Owner put to sleep and goods stolen. Magic or drugs. Dickson 63, 67 n. 13, 68 n. 15; Irish myth: Cross; Welsh: MacCulloch Celtic 107; Finnish: Kalevala rune 42; India: *Thompson-Balys; Tuamotu: Stimson MS (z-G. 3/1142). |
| K343.1 | Owner sent on errand and goods stolen. Louisiana Creole: Fortier MAFLS II 110; India: *Thompson-Balys; Africa (Fjort): Dennett 77 No. 17; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Friends 77 No. 1, Nights 241 No. 41; Jamaica: Beckwith MAFLS XVII 251 No. 29, 255 No. 36; Cape Verde Islands: Parsons MAFLS XV (1) 97; West Indies: Flowers 505. |
| K134.5 | Owner trades a blind horse. He gives a description that is literally correct. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K341.11 | Owner's attention distracted by man fishing in street. Meanwhile the man's confederates rob the dupe. *Type 1525C. |
| K341 | Owner's interest distracted while goods are stolen. Type 15*; Lithuanian: Balys Index Nos 1525J, 2425, 2436*; India: *Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda. |
| K335.0.2 | Owners frightened away from goods by report of deadly epidemic. Poor parson thus rids himself of unwelcome guests; they leave food they have brought. *Wesselski Arlotto II 217 No. 81. |
| K404.2 | Ox's tail in another's mouth. The thief kills one ox and puts the tail in another ox's mouth: the owner thinks one ox has eaten the other. Type 1004; *BP III 392 n. 2; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1525G*; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV No. 1525G*; Russian: Andrejev No. 1525G*. |
| K636.1 | Paddles broken in enemies' boat prevent pursuit. Eskimo (Greenland): Holm 35. |
| K2112.2.2 | Page is duped into hiding under woman's bed (behind curtain). Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1889.6 | Palace appears to be floating on water—actually glass. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2213.3.2.1 | Paramour demands that wife bring him her husband's head. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1517.9 | Paramour disguised as cloth merchant is surprised by the husband. He asks the woman to be paid for a pretended sale. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1517.7 | Paramour disguised as pregnant woman. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1517 | Paramour escapes by disguise. |
| K1517.11 | Paramour escapes by pretending to be returning borrowed basket. Heptameron No. 29. |
| K1517.6 | Paramour escapes disguised as monk. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1517.4.1 | Paramour falls in cesspool. Husband thinks he is a demon. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 72; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1586 | Paramour feigns loss of genitals in order to obtain the husband's confidence. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 13; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1521.5 | Paramour hidden behind a screen. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1521.4 | Paramour hidden in the bed. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1521.3 | Paramour hidden under the wash. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1517.3 | Paramour in vat: disguise as vat-buyer. Husband thinks he is testing the vat. Boccaccio Decameron VII No. 2 (Lee 186); Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1517.10 | Paramour leaving love-tryst is met by husband. Pretends he had come to see him on business. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1521.2.1 | Paramour placed in chest and covered with clothing. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1517.2 | Paramour poses as doctor. Boccaccio Decameron VII No. 3 (Lee 189); Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1517.8 | Paramour poses as robber. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1517.5 | Paramour poses as unsuccessful suitor. When surprised with the wife he tells the husband that he has been trying to force the woman, with no success. The wife supports the statement. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1521.7 | Paramour rolled into a carpet. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1592 | Paramour sends prostitutes in disguise to take mistress to "convent". Husband is deceived by the ruse. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1521 | Paramour successfully hidden from husband. *Type 1364; *Wesselski Märchen 187 No. 2; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1521.2 | Paramour successfully hidden in chest. Italian Novella: *Rotunda; Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1521.1 | Paramour successfully hidden in chimney (fireplace). Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1514.14 | Paramour unties mare. Husband chases mare while the wife entertains the paramour. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K675.1 | Paramour unwittingly drinks sleeping potion. Is thought dead and placed in a chest. Chest is stolen. When he escapes he is accused of being a robber. He is saved by his mistress's maid who explains all, transferring the role played by her mistress to herself. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1921 | Parents exchange children. |
| K1961.1.2.1 | Parody sermon. *BP III 116; Fb "messe" II 582a; Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XIX 182; Boccaccio Decameron VI No. 10 (Lee 179); *Wesselski Arlotto I 174ff. No. 3; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 1835*; Prussian: Plenzat 77; Italian Novella: Rotunda; West Indies: Flowers 549. |
| K137.2 | Parrot knowing only two words sold as speaking foreign language. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1371.1.1 | Parson deceived into marrying his intended bride to her real lover. The parson thinks it is a mock-wedding, but it turns out to be real. Danish: Grundtvig MS No. 162 in Dansk Folkemindesamling. |
| K2335 | Parson is tricked into giving up his room. Is told there is a snake in it. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K364 | Partner misappropriates common goods. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges; Africa (Luba): DeClerq Zs. f. Kolonialsprachen IV 221; Philippine (Tinguian) Cole 195. |
| K1635 | Partnership of Honesty and Fraud: Fraud loses. Fraud has cheated his partner, Honesty. They hire a housekeeper. Fraud is to have use of her right side, Honesty of her left. The left side is of little use. Fraud falls in love with her and pays Honesty double all his losses to relinquish his rights. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 99 No. 837, Keller. |
| K341.26 | Partridge plays hide-and-seek with girls while fox eats the curds they are taking to market. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K341.5.2 | Partridge pretending to be wounded entices woman from food while jackal eats it. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1955.1.2 | Patients frightened from hospital by harsh treatment. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K248 | Payment evaded by setting countertasks. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K249.4 | Payment in worthless goods which are alleged to be valuable goods transformed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K231.4 | Payment of money to the devil impossible, since debtor learns that the devil is dead. Type 822*; Russian: Andrejev No. 822*. |
| K249.2 | Payment of the egg-white. A man dreams of an egg hanging under his bed. An interpreter demands half of what he finds as his fee for interpreting the dream. The man finds that the egg is a silver cup filled with gold crowns. He gives the interpreter part of the cup but none of the gold. The interpreter says, "He gave me some of the egg-white but none of the yolk." *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 616. |
| K220 | Payment precluded by terms of the bargain. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K221 | Payment to be made at harvest of first crop. The man plants acorns. *Type 1185; cf. 1184; Danish: Kristensen Danske Sagn III (1895) 382; German: Schambach und Müller Niedersächsische Sagen und Märchen No. 170. |
| K222 | Payment to be made when last leaf falls. The last leaf never falls from the oak tree. *Type 1184; *BP III 14, 200; Dh I 179; *Krappe Balor 154ff.; *Fb "djævel" I 189a, "løv" II 518; Estonian: Aarne FFC XXV 152 No. 79. |
| K251.6 | Payment to lame man who claims that man's father lamed him. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K191 | Peace between sheep and wolves. As hostages the dogs are handed over to the wolves; the young wolves to the sheep. The wolves then attack and kill the sheep. Ward II 320; *Herbert III 168f. No. 22; *Crane Vitry 152 No. 45; Wienert FFC LVI *50 (ET 96), 97 (ST 108); Halm Aesop No. 268; *Krappe Bulletin Hispanique XXXIX 47. |
| K916.1 | Peacock helper dances before enemy army of hero; flame of fire from her tail burns them all to ashes. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1591.1 | Peacock left as spy on adulterous wife. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1071 | Peas strewn on stairs so that person will slip. BP II 57 n. 2; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1961.1.1 | Peasant as priest preaches on the troubles of laymen. *Type 1825AB; *BP II 413. |
| K2315 | Peasant betrays fox by pointing. The peasant has hidden the fox in a basket and promised not to tell. When the hunters come, he says, "The fox just went over the hill," but points to the basket. **Krohn Mann und Fuchs 61ff.; Wienert FFC LVI 68 (ET 324), 102 (ST 150); Halm Aesop No. 35; *Köhler-Bolte I l; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 35 No. *161, Espinosa Jr. No. 24. |
| K2090.1 | Peasant has kind words for daws, but drives them from his seeds. Wienert FFC LVI 68 (ET 323), 102 (ST 151); Halm Aesop No. 99. |
| K218.6 | Penance of priest saves him from devil. The priest, who sold his soul to the devil, orders his servant to cut him (alive) up into pieces, to crucify him on a tree (and the like), thus saves his soul from the devils. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 3267, Legends Nos. 405—409. |
| K1911.5 | Penniless bride pretends to wealth. Spanish: Espinosa II Nos. 120f.; Italian Novella: *Rotunda; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1917 | Penniless bridegroom pretends to wealth. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1917.3 | Penniless wooer: helpful animal reports master wealthy and thus wins girl for him. *Type 545B; BP I 325, III 487; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1917.2 | Penniless wooer: money in hand. An uncle gives the boy a coin and food to hold while he woos for him. He tells the girl's father that the boy has a piece of money in hand and plenty to eat. Wins the girl. *BP II 203. |
| K1917.1 | Penniless wooer: patch of land. After marriage he takes the bride to look at his land. He puts on soiled clothes. She looks at the land; he points to the patch on his clothes. "That patch is mine." *BP II 203. |
| K1917.4 | Penniless wooer. "House of my father with one hundred fifty lights and goat pen." When the servant in bed so remarks the master marries his daughter to him. Arrived at the hut, he explains that the lights are the stars whose beams enter through the cracks in the roof. One goat is tied to the tree. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 104 No. 859*. |
| K1955.2.1 | Pepper as universal remedy of sham doctor: accidentally works. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1014 | Pepper given as ointment for burns. (Cf. K1045.) Japanese: Ikeda; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Friends 69ff. No. 9. |
| K1014.2 | Pepper rubbed on injured skin. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1014.1 | Pepper up noses as remedy. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2378.1 | Person allowed to win first game so that he will play for higher stakes. Irish myth: *Cross. |
| K432 | Person being robbed deceives robbers and calls help. (Cf. K551.5.) India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K924 | Person cuts drawbridge partly through. Giant falls into moat. (Cf. K14, K1431, K1961.1.3.) England: *Baughman. |
| K335.1.1.3 | Person falls from tree on robbers. They flee and leave money. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1613.2.1 | Person gives his wife a poisoned drink; she pours the two drinks together. They both die. England: Baughman. |
| K631.3 | Person holds hat just outside shelter; enemies shoot at it, either giving away their position or putting themselves at a disadvantage in having to reload. U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K1262 | Person hypnotized into believing himself transformed. *BP III 203 n. 1. |
| K1945.1 | Person pretends sickness can be cured only with death (humiliation) of another. |
| K1612.1 | Person sends wrong man to sleep with king's daughter. In revenge villain orders whoever first enters temple to be killed. Villain accidentally enters and is slain. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1853.2 | Person substitutes for human sacrifice. |
| K988 | Person thrown out of magic airship and killed. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K134.7 | Person trades a dead horse. England, U.S.: *Baughman. |
| K1613.1 | Person trying to blow poison on another is himself poisoned. Chauvin II 87 No. 22; Zs. d. dt. Morgenl. Ges. XLII 115ff.; B[ö]dker Exempler 280 No. 23; Spanish Exempla: Keller; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K2116.3 | Person wounds self and accuses another of attempting murder. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K498 | Persons deceived into eating meat in Lent, the meat being disguised as butter. (Cf. K499.2.1, K499.2.2.) Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1080 | Persons duped into injuring each other. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K2368.1.1 | Persons run wagon back and forth over a corduroy bridge to simulate sound of artillery. U.S.: Baughman. |
| 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. |
| K1883.1 | Phantom army attacked. Irish: Plummer clxix, MacCulloch Celtic 155 (Cuchulainn), *Cross. |
| K1516.1.1 | Physician treating man's eye covers his one good eye. Entertains his patient's mistress. Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles No. 87; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K357 | Pickpockets strike man on leg so that he takes his hand off his purse. Nouvelles Récréations No. 79. |
| K41.2 | Pig and dog as plowmen. Pig plows while dog sleeps. Then dog runs back and forth in furrow to claim victory. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1815.1.1 | Pious pilgrim dies unknown in his father's house. (Miraculous manifestations.) BP III 461 (Grimm No. 204). |
| K735.4.1 | Pit placed under a bed. Alu: Wheeler No. 2; Telei: ibid. No. 18. |
| K1601.1 | Pitfall arranged but victim escapes it. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K372 | Playing godfather. By pretending that he has been invited to be godfather, the trickster makes an opportunity to steal the provisions stored by him and the dupe for the winter. When he returns on successive occasions he reports the name of the child as "Just Begun," "Half Done," etc. *Type 15; BP I 9; Dh IV 241; *Krohn Bar (Wolf) und Fuchs (JSFO VI) 74ff.; *Fb "ræv" III 113b, "bjørn" IV 43b; *Beckwith MAFLS XVII 238.—Lappish: Qvigstad Lappiske Eventyr III No. 3; French: Sébillot France III 63f.; Missouri French: Carrière; Louisiana Creole: Fortier MAFLS II 19; New Mexican Spanish: Rael Hispania XX 231—4; Japanese: Ikeda; N. A. Indian: Thompson CColl II 437; Africa: Frobenius Atlantis III 13, (Fjort): Dennett 90 No. 23; American Negro (Georgia): Harris Remus 80 No. 17, Jones Negro Myths from the Georgia Coast (Cambridge, Mass., 1888) No. 24, (Virginia): Parsons JAFL XXXV 253—55, (North Carolina): Parsons JAFL XXX 192f., (South Carolina): Parsons MAFLS XVI 7—12, JAFL XXXII 394, XXXIV 3; Bahama: Parsons MAFLS XIII 1; Bermuda: Parsons JAFL XXXVIII 240. |
| K1166 | Plot to induce king to commit a crime. His line thus will forfeit succession. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K41.1 | Plowing contest won by deception: hare exchanged for horse. God and the devil contest in plowing. The devil plows with a horse, God with a hare. While the devil is asleep, God takes the devil's horse and plows the field. When he wakes, the devil thinks the hare has plowed so much and gladly trades his horse for the hare. Dh I 192f. |
| K41 | Plowing contest. |
| K1411 | Plowing the field: horse and harness destroyed. The youth is told to come home from plowing when the dog does. He beats the dog so that it runs home; then he destroys the horse and harness and goes home. *Types 650, 1003; BP II 285ff.; Spanish: Espinosa III Nos. 163—7; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K527.1 | Poisoned food (drink) fed to animal instead of to intended victim. Animal perishes. *Boje 72ff.; India: *Thompson-Balys; Easter Island: Métraux Ethnology 365; Africa (Nyang): Ittman 58. |
| K2369.12 | Poisoned food sent to enemy camp. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1613 | Poisoner poisoned with his own poison. |
| K1613.3 | Poisoner's own son takes the beverage intended for step-brother. Spanish: Childers; Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1952.1.1 | Poor boy said by helpful animal to be dispossessed prince (wealthy man) who has lost clothes while swimming (in shipwreck). Type 545; *BP III 487f.; India: Thompson-Balys; East Africa: Rochemonteix Quelques Contes Nubiens (Cairo, 1888) 55ff. No. 5, (Swahili): Steere 13ff. |
| K1952.1 | Poor boy said by helpful cat to be dispossessed prince. This is believed. *Types 545AB; BP I 325ff., III 487; Italian: Basile Pentamerone II No. 4; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1825.1.2 | Poor girl masks as doctor and is made court physician. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 68 No. 515*. |
| K890.1 | Poor man deceives rich man, plays tricks on him, causes his death. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K1816.2 | Pope disguised as caulker. Breton: Sébillot Incidents s.v. "calfat". |
| K546 | Pope escapes captivity and death by dressing in full regalia and overawing captor. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K335.0.4.2 | Porcupine, made to believe that rabbit's ears are horns, flees and leaves food behind. Africa (Nuba): McDiarmid Sudan Notes and Records X 229f. |
| K959.6 | Post-hole murder: people invite boy to enter post-hole and then try to crush him with log. Oceania: *Lessa MS. |
| K2369.4 | Postponing of payment asked in order to get time to gather reinforcements. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K143.1 | Pot of cow dung covered with cheese sold as cheese. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K2111 | Potiphar's wife. A woman makes vain overtures to a man and then accuses him of attempting to force her. *Reinhard PMLA XXXVIII 456 n. 102; **Bloomfield Trans. Am. Philos. Assoc. LIV 141; *Penzer II 120, IV 104, 107, V 176; *Dickson 178 n. 44; Boje 76; *Faverty Harvard Studies and Notes in Phil and Lit. XIII 81ff.; Heptameron No. 70; Saintyves Saints Successeurs 213ff. — Irish myth: *Cross; Icelandic: *Boberg; Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 68, 128 Nos. 515*, 1516*, Espinosa III No. 146, Keller; Italian: Basile Pentamerone IV No. 6, *Rotunda; Greek: *Frazer Apollodorus I 151 n. 2, II 63 n. 4, 74 n. 2, 106 n. 3, Fox 104; Jewish: *Neuman; Persian: Carnoy 336; India: Cowell J[a]taka I 265, IV 117, *Thompson-Balys; Buddhist myth: Malalasekera II 264, 529; Chinese: Werner 192; Chinese-Persian: *Coyajee JPASB XXIV 191; N. A. Indian: *Thompson Tales 326 n. 178. |
| K1772 | Pretended anger. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K975.1 | Pretended exchange of confidences as to the one thing that can kill. India: Thompson-Balys; Japanese: Ikeda; N. A. Indian: *Thompson PMLA XXXVII 133. |
| K929.4 | Pretended flight draws victims. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K811.5 | Pretended friend puts food on far side of hidden ditch, victim falls in and is killed. Africa (Fang): Tessman 42. |
| K2054 | Pretended honesty to mulct victim. Trickster claims to have found a bag of gold. Confederate claims and receives it upon correct identification. Spectator is thus deceived into trusting the trickster with a large sum of money. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K2058 | Pretended piety. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K1676 | Pretended sick man aroused by beating. |
| K2050 | Pretended virtue. K1912. The false virgin. |
| K1961.2 | Pretender as pope. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| K443.8 | Priest induced to betray secrets of confessional: money then exacted from him for silence. The trickster confesses that he has had intimacies with the priest's maid and then overhears the priest scold the maid. *Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 650; Irish: Beal XXI 334. |
| K1243 | Priest trapped in window and humiliated. Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges. |
| K476.4.1 | Priests substitute gilded images of calves for those of solid gold. Jewish: *Neuman. |
| K1814.1 | Prince disguised as merchant seduces a queen. (Cf. K1349.3.1.) Italian Novella: Rotunda; India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1812.3 | Prince disguises as another prince to woo princess. Italian Novella: Rotunda; Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K1911.1.9 | Prince substitutes peasant girl for the king's daughter he has got for his father but with whom he himself has fallen in love. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K567.1 | Prince to giant: "Don't eat me up, and I'll prepare you a good dinner." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K538 | Princess cuts hair to escape captor who holds her hair in hand while sleeping with her. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 871*; Russian: Andrejev No. 871*. |
| K2113 | Princess disguised as man is accused of illicit relations with queen. Spanish: Boggs FFC XC 57 No. 425. |
| K443.12 | Princess has brought ill luck to bridegroom. When palace and retainers disappear after wedding and only humble hut remains, clever fox tells king his daughter's feet have brought ill luck to the groom, his master. King gives half his kingdom in compensation. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K788.1 | Princess lured into the forest by harp-playing boy or thief. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| 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. |
| K1372.1 | Princess tricked into engaging herself to suitor rejected by her father. Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K649.10 | Prisoner escapes by means of wolf which he lures near by smearing honey on the feet. Icelandic: Völsunga saga ch. 5, *Boberg. |
| K655 | Prisoner kills his watchers who enter to torture him. Escapes. *Boje 95. |
| K613 | Prisoner released on promise of life-long allegiance. Irish myth: Cross. |
| K612 | Prisoner released on promise to wed guard (captor). Irish myth: Cross. |
| K253 | Profitable league made with both parties to a quarrel. Africa (Fang): Nassau 242 No. 9. |
| K1361.2 | Progressive purchase of favors: the anatomical progression. Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2916*; Cheremis: Sebeok-Nyerges; Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K2115.3 | Prophecy of ogre-child so that pregnant woman will be killed. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K347.1 | Prostitute claims to be intended victim's daughter. Robs him. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1213.2 | Prostitute frightens lover with cries of "Thief!" Gets his money. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K1581.11 | Prostitute paid with counterfeit money. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1315.5.1 | Prostitute poses as noble woman. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K119.2 | Pseudo-magic acorns: to protect holder's pigs. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K135 | Pseudo-magic animals sold. Köhler-Bolte I 324; India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K115.1.3 | Pseudo-magic charm (letter): to ward off plague. Obscene contents. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K135.1 | Pseudo-magic dog (goat) sold. |
| K112 | Pseudo-magic food-producing object sold. |
| K111.4 | Pseudo-magic formula for making gold sold to king. Gold required for its manufacture carried off by manufacturer. Spanish Exempla: Keller. |
| K115 | Pseudo-magic healing objects sold. |
| K115.1.4 | Pseudo-magic letter (charm): to aid in engendering offspring. Obscene contents. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K115.1.2 | Pseudo-magic letter is found to contain insulting remarks. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K249.3 | Pseudo-magic money-dropping ass beaten to death by buyer; cheat says: "Return my ass, I shall return your money." India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K114 | Pseudo-magic oracular object sold. *Type 1535; *BP II 18; *Fb "Spеmand". |
| K115.3 | Pseudo-magic potion: to induce pregnancy. Found to contain snake's eggs. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K113 | Pseudo-magic resuscitating object sold. Dupe kills his wife (mother) and is unable to resuscitate her. *Type 1535, 1539; BP II 10; India: *Thompson-Balys; Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 275. |
| K111 | Pseudo-magic treasure-producing objects sold. India: Thompson-Balys; Korean: Zong in-Sob 178f. |
| K111.3 | Pseudo-magic wealth-providing bag sold. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K582 | Punishment which proves fatal to captor. |
| K619.2 | Pursuer persuaded to put oil on a tree when he wants to climb after fugitives. Korean: Zong in-Sob 9 No. 3. |
| K606.0.1 | Pursuer persuaded to sing while captive escapes. Africa (Basuto): Jacottet 126 No. 18. |
| K845 | Pursuer persuaded to take fugitive's place in supposed swing. Hanged. (Cf. K852.) Indonesia: DeVries's list No. 71, Voorhoeve 79. |
| K144.1 | Pus from sore sold as ghee. India: Thompson-Balys. |
| K1363.1.1 | Putting the Devil in hand. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1363.1 | Putting the Devil in Hell. Obscene trick used to seduce woman. Italian Novella: *Rotunda. |
| K414 | Quartered thief's body sewed together to escape detection. Type 676; *BP III 143; Africa (Ekoi): Talbot 389. |
| K1921.3 | Queen changes her own ugly twins for slave's pretty son. Later recognizes the better character of the twins, and changes back again. Icelandic: *Boberg. |
| K2213.14 | Queen deceives her husband as revenge for his killing of her lover and brother (Helgi.) Icelandic: Boberg. |
| K1817.4.1.1.1 | Queen disguised as peddler sells children poisoned cheese. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K1817.4.1.1 | Queen disguised as peddler. India: *Thompson-Balys. |
| K2116.1.2 | Queen falsely accused of having poisoned husband. Ignorant doctors cannot diagnose king's illness. Queen burned at stake. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
| K1812.8.1 | Queen flees husband's persecution disguised as knight. Italian Novella: Rotunda. |
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