Stith Thompson motif index · Motif

Thompson Q3.1 — Woodsman and the gold axe

Q3.1
Thompson motif reference
Q
Rewards and Punishments
1
Associated ATU tale types
Full Thompson index Search metadata for this motif Browse Q · Rewards and Punishments ATU concordance (1)

Description

Motif

Woodsman and the gold axe. A woodsman lets his axe fall into the water. Hermes comes to his rescue. Takes out a gold axe but the woodsman says that it is not his. The same with a silver axe. Finally he is given his own axe and rewarded for his modest choice. His companion tries this plan and loses his axe. Wienert FFC LVI 79* (ET 449), 139 (ST 444); Halm Aesop No. 308; Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 729*; Chinese: Eberhard FFC CXX 34 No. 20; Japanese: Ikeda.

Associated ATU tale types

Concordance

These links are derived from the Thompson motif references stored in the Folklore Database's ATU concordance.

ATUTitle
ATU 729 The Axe Falls into the Stream
Previous motif
← Q3 — Moderate request rewarded; immoderate punished




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