Deceptions

3,871 motifs · page 3 of 20

• King promises valuable dog to each of two powerful and mutually hostile tribes. At feast prepared by king the two tribes get into fight and king escapes. K234.1
• Creditor killed or driven away. K235
• Fox is promised chickens: is driven off by dogs. K235.1
• Husband promises a cow to tiger; wife frightens the tiger away. K235.1.1
• Thor is to give his hammer in return for Freyja as wife. He masks as a woman and kills the giant who is to receive the hammer. K235.2
• Man cheats devil of reward: to have man if he gets him at first grasp. Man holds cat which flies in devil's face. (Cf. K210.) K235.3
• Conquered warrior kills victor instead of paying. K235.4
• Literal payment of debt (not real). K236
• Fifty ships promised. Forty-nine are moulded out of earth. K236.1
• Drinking only after a bargain. A woman having thus sworn keeps buying and selling the same mule many times a day. K236.2
• Tribute paid in enchanted snow. After payment, snow takes proper form. K236.3
• Saint ransoms prince for much gold and silver. Later all the money vanishes. Saint replies that since the money had been created from nothing, it had simply to return to that state. K236.3.1
• Literal fulfillment of marriage contract. Man to be released when earth is placed at his head (buried). Dies in grave. K236.4
• Trickster disguises himself and escapes notice of creditors. K237
• Deceptive respite in payment obtained. K238
• Creditor to wait till debtor is shaved. The debtor refuses to finish shaving. K238.1
• Man who owes 1000 ducats has his creditor arrested for owing him ten. Thus he hopes to postpone payment of his own debt. K238.2
• Refusal to tell about the Rhine treasure, though condition demanded is fulfilled when the only one who knows where it is is killed. K239
• The castration bargain: wife sent. The trickster castrates the dupe and is to come the next day and be castrated himself. He sends his wife as substitute. K241
• Creditor falsely reported insane when he demands money. K242
• King promises beggars new clothes: burns their old and gets much gold and silver. Keeps it. K245
• Death feigned to avoid paying debts. K246
• Customer takes invitation to buy as invitation to receive the goods free. K247
• Payment evaded by setting countertasks. K248
• Deceptions in payment of debt – miscellaneous. K249
• Devil loses his grain and gets thistles. God grants the devil one grain crop, which he can create by calling its name. The devil is tricked into forgetting the name and calling "Thistles". Hence his crop is of thistles. K249.1
• 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." K249.2
• Pseudo-magic money-dropping ass beaten to death by buyer; cheat says: "Return my ass, I shall return your money." K249.3
• Payment in worthless goods which are alleged to be valuable goods transformed. K249.4
• Other deceptive bargains. K250
• Deceptive damage claims. K251
• The eaten grain and the cock as damages. A trickster has only a grain of corn; this is eaten by a cock, which he demands and receives as damages. Likewise when a hog eats the cock and the ox eats the hog. K251.1
• Trickster demands return of food guest has just eaten: gets damages. K251.2
• Damages claimed for loss of a charm. Princess lets trickster's fly (alleged to be a charm) escape. K251.3
• Damages for supposedly lost horse. Horse concealed by owner in loft of stable at inn. K251.4
• Damages for accidentally broken water pot: to pay for elephant. K251.5
• Payment to lame man who claims that man's father lamed him. K251.6
• Selling oneself and escaping. K252
• Deceptive sale of another as slave. K252.1
• Profitable league made with both parties to a quarrel. K253
• Goods misappropriated. K254
• Dog as wolf's shoemaker eats up the materials. Devours the cow, hog, etc. furnished him. K254.1
• Trickster eats sacrifice offerings. K254.2
• Exorbitant price demanded and received. K255
• Charging thirty cakes for cooking twenty-five. K255.1
• Crab demands seven patas as payment for four patas of paddy frog has borrowed. K255.2
• Crow demands young swan in payment for helping swan find feed for its young. K255.3
• Camel has offered one pound of flesh to jackal for help. Camel's tongue demanded. K255.4
• Deceptive wages. K256
• Deceptive wages: as much rice as will go on a leaf. Lotus leaf used. K256.1
• Deceptive wages: two grains and land to plant them on. Grain multiplies and takes up all of dupe's land. K256.2
• Stolen property sold to its owner. K258
• Trickster steals farmer's cow and then sells her to the farmer. K258.1
• Merchant buys the same article several times from the same or different seller. K258.2
• The price of a lump of gold. A trickster asks a goldsmith what he would pay for a lump of gold of a certain size. Believing that the man has such a lump, the goldsmith pays him a large sum. K261
• The price of mink skins. Man asks peddler what he pays for mink skins. Peddler says he will pay ten dollars. The man tosses a skin into the cart, receives ten dollars. The next day the peddler protests that the man has sold him a cat skin. The man says that he had not said that the skin was a mink skin and that, anyway, the cat's name had been "Mink." K261.1
• The priest made sick of his bargain: three words at the grave. A poor man in return for a steer gets permission from the priest to speak three words at the burial of his enemy, the rich man. Priest: "From earth are you come." Man: "Now the steer is dead." Priest: "In earth shall you remain." Man: "Father, do you want the meat?" Priest: "I wish you were in hell!" etc. K262
• Devil is made sick of his bargain. Devil helps shepherd boy become a minister on condition that he mention Satan by name each time he enters pulpit. Boy consents but does so in such a way that devil begs to abolish the agreement. K262.1
• Agreement not to scratch. In talking the trickster makes gestures and scratches without detection. K263
• Deceptive wager. K264
• Deceptive wager: whose horse will jump highest. The trickster has his worthless horse jump out the window. The duke will not let his run the risk. K264.1
• Deceptive wager: cat to carry lantern into room. (Has been specially trained.) K264.2
• The fee used up before the main question is reached. A man with an unsolved question seeks the help of a wit. The latter refuses to answer unless paid. He takes small fees for each easy question leading up to the principal question. Before reaching that point the fee is exhausted, and the question remains unanswered. K265
• New bags for old! Recovery of the old bag (containing money or having magic power) which the stupid wife has given away. The husband exchanges a new bag for it. K266
• Counting out pay. Hole in the hat and hat over a pit. K275
• Dupe denied food until hands are clean. Grass burned around food makes continued washings unavailing. K278
• Trickster sells what is not his to sell. K282
• Man contracts for load of hay on the road (without making any payment), orders the seller to deliver it at a certain inn. He then goes to the inn, sells the hay to the innkeeper, and pockets the money. The owner of the hay delivers it at the inn, tries to collect at the inn; the trickster absconds. K282.1
• Trickster persuades girl to reveal hidden gold by promising to make it into ornaments. K283
• To keep first thing touched. Wealth (or woman) is on platform. First thing touched is ladder leading up. K285
• Reduced prices but false weights. K286
• Watered milk sold. K287
• Thefts and cheats – general. K300
• Stolen cows cause a war. K300.1
• Master thief. Man undertakes to steal various closely guarded things. Succeeds by cleverness. K301
• Youth learns robbery as a trade: boasts of it. K301.1
• Family of thieves. K301.2
• Female master thief. K302
• Courtesan runs away with men's goods. (Cf. K306.3.) K302.1
• Nations of thieves. K304
• Contest in stealing. K305
• Thieving contest: first steals eggs from under bird; second meantime steals first's breeches. K305.1
• Friends enter into stealing contest. Steal from each other. (Cf. K306.) K305.2
• Youths execute a series of clever thefts. K305.3
• Thieves steal from each other. (Cf. K305.2.) K306
• The stolen and restolen ham. Two thieves steal a ham from a former companion who has married, have it stolen back, and resteal it. (Cf. K341.7.1, K362.4.) K306.1
• Highjacking. Thief robbed of his booty. K306.2
• Man is robbed of gold chain while with prostitute. He swallows her string of pearls in revenge. (Cf. K302.1.) K306.3
• Blind man steals from neighbor who in turn steals from him. K306.4
• Thieves betray each other. K307
• One thief hides in money bag; other carries it off. K307.1
• One thief entrusted with other thieves' money cheats them. K307.2
• Youngest brother surpasses elder as thief. K308
• Means of entering house or treasury. K310
• Thief in disguise. K311
• Thief dressed half white, half black. His father's corpse is guarded by twenty knights in black and twenty in white. By disguising he steals back the corpse. K311.0.1
• Thief disguised as corpse. In the shroud of the supposed dead man is hidden another robber. K311.1
• Sham dead man brought in sack by confederate. Is killed by his intended victim. K311.1.1
• Thief disguised as angel. K311.2
• Thief disguises voice and is allowed access to goods (children). K311.3
• Thief becomes monk in order to rob monastery. K311.4
• Thief disguised as yogi. K311.4.1
• Thief disguised as demon. K311.5
• Thief takes form of animal. K311.6
• Robber disguised as bear is killed. K311.6.1
• Man allows himself to be carried off by monkeys, who mistake him for cow: steals their magic cups. K311.6.2
• Thief disguised as parrot. K311.6.3
• Magician transforms self into crocodile to steal. K311.6.4
• Thief disguised as pig. K311.6.5
• Thieves disguised as interior decorators. Steal hangings in palace. K311.7
• Theft by disguise as son of owner. K311.8
• Thief disguised as owner's wife. K311.8.1
• Thief in disguise as long lost son-in-law. K311.8.2
• Thief pretends to be girl's bridegroom and calls for her. K311.8.3
• Thief in clothes of owner. K311.8.4
• Theft by disguise as owner's grandmother. K311.8.5
• Thieves disguised as fine gentlemen steal provost's purse. Are admitted to court without question. K311.9
• Theft by disguising as palace official. K311.10
• Thieves disguised as musicians. K311.11
• Thief disguised as menial. K311.12
• Thief disguised as owner's cook. K311.12.1
• Theft by disguise as woman servant. K311.12.2
• Theft by disguise as barber. K311.13
• Theft by disguise as merchant (or peddler). K311.14
• Thief in disguise as god. K311.15
• Thief disguised as girl. K311.16
• Thief disguised as old woman. K311.16.1
• Thief in the clothes of robbed bride kills bridegroom. K311.16.2
• Thief disguised as beggar. K311.17
• Thieves hidden in oil casks. In one cask is oil; in the others the robbers are hidden. The girl kills them. K312
• Thief hidden in cage that is carried into house. K312.1
• Entry by master thief into closely guarded city in wood-gatherer's basket. K312.2
• Trickster feigns being pursued by drunken husband to obtain entrance. K314
• Thief enters treasury through secret passage. K315
• Underground passage gives entrance to closed chamber. K315.0.1
• Thief enters treasury through passage made by him as architect of the building. K315.1
• Thief bores hole in house wall, then introduces blackened pot as a feeler. K315.2
• Thieves enter palace through hole in wall and abduct new bride. K315.3
• Theft through chimney. K316
• Theft from giant by fishing through chimney. K316.1
• Thief copies key by making wax impression. K317
• Thief enters by burning off locks. K317.1
• Entrance into wine cellar by removing lock during absence of mother. K317.2
• Watchdog enticed away. Trickster brings rabbit under his coat. When the king's watchdog gives chase the trickster enters and robs. K318
• Thief learns location of dupe's food supply by strewing ashes. Fills the dupe's bag with ashes and cuts a hole in the bag. K321
• Girl made to carry shell from which ashes fall: she is thus followed. K321.1
• Theft of gold hoard by spying on secret hiding place. K322
• Thief pretends to return grass that has stuck to his clothes to ground where it belongs. K323
• Theft by use of coat of invisibility. (Cf. D1361.12.) K324
• Thief feigns illness to be taken in victim's house. (Cf. K341.2.2.1.) Ransacks it while "recovering." K325
• Means of hoodwinking the guardian or owner. K330
• Man gulled into giving up his clothes. K330.1
• Goods stolen while owner sleeps. K331
• Sleeping with open eyes. The man claims to sleep thus and beguiles the ogre into sleeping, so as to rob him. K331.1
• Owner put to sleep and goods stolen. Magic or drugs. K331.2
• Master thief puts watchers to sleep and cuts off their hair. (Cf. K301.) K331.2.1
• Theft after putting owner to sleep by lousing her. K331.2.1.1
• Master thief puts guards to sleep and steals meat. K331.2.1.2
• Guards fatigued by trickster so that they sleep while goods are stolen. K331.2.2
• Worthless object (animal) substituted for valuable while owner sleeps. K331.3
• Mouse's tail in mouth of sleeping owner causes him to cough up magic object. K331.4
• Trickster steals magic doll while owner is asleep. K331.5
• The foolishly concealed money: A man hangs a bag of money in the top of a high tree. Servant sleeping with him steals it. K331.6
• Thief lies down in the space between the king's and the queen's bed and steals jewelry from both. K331.7
• Theft by making owner drunk. K332
• Theft by giving narcotic to guardian of goods. K332.1
• Theft from blind person. K333
• Blind Dupe. A blind man's arrow is aimed for him by his mother (or wife) who deceives him into thinking that he has missed his aim. She eats the slain game herself. K333.1
• Theft from three old women who have but a single eye among them. The hero seizes their eye. K333.2
• Buzzard steals coyote's eyes, while he is throwing them up in the air. K333.3
• Blind beggar overheard telling that his money is kept in a stick. Thief exchanges sticks. K333.4
• Theft by blinding with pepper. K333.5
• Owner gives up goods through flattery. K334
• The raven with cheese in his mouth. The fox flatters him into singing, so that he drops the cheese. K334.1
• Goat induces the camel to talk and meanwhile eats all the food. K334.2
• Thief frightens owner from goods. K335
• Owner frightened from goods by report of approaching enemy. K335.0.1
• Owners frightened away from goods by report of deadly epidemic. Poor parson thus rids himself of unwelcome guests; they leave food they have brought. K335.0.2
• Thieves steal pig and make it impersonate person with plague. Owner and family flee. K335.0.2.1
• Trickster quarrels with owner of goods, feigns death, and frightens owner away. K335.0.3
• Owner frightened away from goods by a bluff. K335.0.4
• Dupe, made to believe that trickster becomes a wolf when he yawns three times, flees and leaves his clothes behind him. K335.0.4.1
• Porcupine, made to believe that rabbit's ears are horns, flees and leaves food behind. K335.0.4.2
• Owner frightened from goods by apparitions of the dead. (Cf. K335.1.2.) K335.0.5
• Thief places candles on crabs (bugs). When they are turned loose in the churchyard the parson and the sexton think that they are the souls of the dead. Meanwhile the thief steals from them. K335.0.5.1
• Thief frightens priest as the latter crosses cemetery. Meanwhile a confederate steals his chickens. K335.0.5.2
• Owner frightened from goods by trickster's ferocious animal. Pretended dog is really a lion. K335.0.6
• Thief frightens away guards of his father's corpse by impersonating demons. K335.0.7
• Town crier is frightened by the voice of a cleric robbing a grave. K335.0.8
• Delivery boy is frightened into giving up his chickens. Trickster upturns his eyelids and puts on boar's tusks. K335.0.9
• Trickster lights torches and bluffs old woman into giving him money. Torches alleged to belong to man coming to collect damages from her. K335.0.10
• Servants frightened by ferocious actions of robbers; give up masters' food. K335.0.11
• Owner frightened away by thief disguised as devil. K335.0.12
• Owner frightened from goods by trickster's summons of wild buffalo herd. K335.0.13
• Robbers frightened from goods. Trickster steals the goods. K335.1
• Frightened robber leaves his coat behind. K335.1.0.1
• Object falls on robbers from tree. They flee and leave money. K335.1.1
• Door falls on robbers from tree. They flee and leave money. K335.1.1.1
• Cow-hide falls on robbers from tree. They flee and leave money. K335.1.1.2
• Person falls from tree on robbers. They flee and leave money. K335.1.1.3