Deceptions

3,871 motifs · page 4 of 20

• Robbers frightened from goods by the dead. (Cf. K335.0.5.) K335.1.2
• Corpse thrown among robbers frightens them from treasure. K335.1.2.1
• Robbers frightened from goods by sham-dead man. K335.1.2.2
• Robbers frightened from goods by man's outcry. Trickster hits a slain ox and cries out, "Those others did it!" The thieves flee and leave their treasure. K335.1.3
• Animals climb on one another's backs and cry out; frighten robbers. K335.1.4
• Animals cry out; frighten robbers. K335.1.4.1
• Robber frightened from his goods by playing of bagpipe. K335.1.5
• Robbers frightened from goods by hidden man. K335.1.6
• Thieves steal chest containing hidden paramour. Are frightened away by his outcry. K335.1.6.1
• Robbers frightened from goods by Thumbling. They can hear him but cannot see him. K335.1.6.2
• The thief in the beehive. Other thieves come to steal the bees, take the heaviest hive to the forest and make a fire under it. They flee when they hear a man screaming in the beehive. K335.1.6.3
• Guardian beast overcome by hero's mirrors. K335.1.7
• Robbers frightened from goods by man in tar and feathers. K335.1.8
• Robbers coming to steal from stable frightened away by bear staying the night there with his keeper. K335.1.9
• Robbers frightened by pretended cannibalism. Tricksters threaten to cook a robber. All the robbers flee in terror, leaving them their booty. K335.1.10
• Sons of thief frightened by threatening to bring the three strongest men to punish them. K335.1.11
• Thieves frightened by ghosts who tie fruits to their hair, which they think are missiles thrown at them. K335.1.12
• House filled with smoke so that owner gives trickster lodging. K336
• Fire set to village so that robbers can steal goods. K336.1
• Trickster fills house with smoke so that partner cannot see to eat. K336.2
• Oversalting food of giant so that he must go outside for water. Meantime his goods are stolen. K337
• Thief sends owner for water in leaky basket. K337.1
• Thief ties owner's hair while he escapes with goods. K338
• Owner's interest distracted while goods are stolen. K341
• Trickster reports lost money; searchers leave him in possession of premises. Unable to find a place by the inn fire the trickster mentions that he has lost money on the road. One by one the guests slip out to search and leave him the fire. K341.1
• Thief shams death and steals. K341.2
• Animal feigns death repeatedly and then entices owner from goods. K341.2.1
• Thief shams sickness and steals. K341.2.2
• Man feigns sickness in order to go back to steal hidden gold. (Cf. K325.) K341.2.2.1
• Thief distracts attention by apparently hanging (stabbing) himself. K341.3
• Thief persuades owner of goods to dive for treasure. Meantime robs him. K341.4
• Owner persuaded to climb tree while goods are stolen. K341.4.1
• Owner of horse climbs tree after thief, who drops down and rides off on owner's horse. K341.4.1.1
• Owner enticed to chase game while goods are stolen. K341.5
• Theft of horses (cattle) by letting loose a rabbit so that drivers join in the chase. K341.5.1
• Partridge pretending to be wounded entices woman from food while jackal eats it. K341.5.2
• Shoes dropped to distract owner's attention. The thief drops two shoes in different places and steals a ram while the shepherd goes after the shoes. K341.6
• Animal's cry imitated to distract owner's attention from his goods. Meantime rascal steals an animal. K341.7
• Baby's cry imitated to distract owner's attention from his goods. K341.7.0.1
• Cattle let loose so as to distract owner's attention from his goods. K341.7.1
• Cat made to mew so as to distract owner's attention from his goods. K341.7.2
• Golden deer sent to entice girl's guardians away, so she can be abducted. K341.7.3
• Thief pretends to show how horse can be stolen; rides it off. K341.8
• Trickster pretends to ride home for tools to perform tricks. Rides away on horse. K341.8.1
• Thief pretends to horse dealer that he wishes to buy a horse. Dealer allows him to climb on horse to see how he rides; thief runs off with horse. K341.8.2
• Thief shows knife-maker use of purse-cutting knife: cuts his purse and robs him. K341.8.3
• King loses signet ring while endeavoring to learn from a thief the art of stealing. K341.8.4
• Thief tells his pursuer that the thief has gone to heaven by way of a tree. While the man lies on the ground and looks up, the thief steals his horse. K341.9
• Thief persuades owner to take his place so he can go and catch thief: really steals owner's horse. K341.9.1
• Trickster bribes guards to start a fight. While the master goes to investigate, the trickster enters his bed with his wife. K341.10
• Owner's attention distracted by man fishing in street. Meanwhile the man's confederates rob the dupe. K341.11
• Guard (owner) sent to see a cat which fishes for her master. Goods stolen in his absence. K341.11.1
• Trickster falsely announces marriage celebration and distracts owner's attention. K341.12
• Tailor throws piece of cloth out of the window. The stingy woman has the tailor come to her house to cut cloth. He throws a piece out of the window, "the devil's share". While the woman has gone after it he cuts off a piece for himself. K341.13
• Master thief pretends to throw needle and thread in anger at his son. But it contains stolen cloth. K341.13.1
• Thief steals belongings of his wife's paramour while the latter is calling on her. K341.14
• One thief distracts attention of owner while other steals. K341.15
• Thief steals pastries while confederate makes a purchase. K341.15.1
• Stone thrown to attract attention of shark guardians. Man then slips in cave and steals lobsters. K341.16
• Trickster entices children to dance and steals their food. K341.17
• Thieves ask nurse maid to dance while they steal prince. K341.17.1
• Helpful animal amuses princess with tricks and secures key to treasury. K341.18
• Trickster poses as entertainer: steals meat while host assembles friends. K341.19
• The story about theft. One thief steals, the other relates the situation, in the form of a tale, to the gentleman who is being robbed. K341.20
• The dance of the thief. While singing and dancing in the farmer's house, the thief gives hints to his friend in the loft, how to steal the bacon. K341.21
• The supposed magic spell. The thief orders the farmer to crawl into a tub and to sit there quietly and not look about, while he makes a magic spell (cure him of childlessness). Meanwhile, he steals all the farmer's property. K341.22
• Fire set in order to distract attention. K341.23
• Man stands on pillory to attract attention. Confederate picks pockets of men who come to jeer. K341.24
• Fox drops goldsmith's child to get him away from gold bench he is working on and thus steal gold. K341.25
• Partridge plays hide-and-seek with girls while fox eats the curds they are taking to market. K341.26
• Trickster starts argument and steals from arguers. K341.27
• Miser enticed from his money by report of "money tree". K341.28
• Man lures fox-husband of girl away by means of cock-decoy and runs away with the girl. K341.29
• Thief as umpire in contest. Three men are quarreling over the possession of a rescued girl. The umpire will give her to the one who soonest returns with the arrow he shoots. While they run, he takes the girl. K342
• Thief advises owner to go away; meantime steals the goods. K343
• Innkeeper deceived into going under the floor of the granary; meantime robbed. K343.0.1
• Owner sent on errand and goods stolen. K343.1
• Bread dropped in mud; messenger returns for more. A youth poses as a rich man's servant and gets a sack of bread from a baker. The baker boy is to go along and collect. The rascal drops two loaves in the mud and sends the boy back for fresh ones. Meantime he runs off with the rest of the bread. K343.1.1
• Theft by reporting relative's sickness. Woman falsely told that her father is wounded leaves her water pot with jackal. K343.1.2
• Thief advises that slaughtered meat be hung up over night. Meantime he steals it. K343.2
• The stingy parson and the slaughtered pig. The stingy parson does not want to give any one a part of his pig, which he has just slaughtered. The sexton advises him to hang the pig up in the garden over night so as to make everyone think that it has been stolen. The sexton steals it himself. K343.2.1
• Thief advises that new cloth be hung in the open overnight. Steals it while owner sleeps. K343.2.2
• Companion sent away so that rascal may steal common food supply. K343.3
• Monkeys lure tortoise into a tree and carry away his load of salt. K343.4
• Cheat induces dupe to go get food reported found and steals clothes as soon as they are left behind. K343.5
• Owner persuaded that his goods are spoiled. (Cf. K355.) K344
• Trickster gives a woman a knife to cut him a slice of white bread. He gets the whole loaf when he says that he has just cut a dog with the same knife. K344.1
• The polluted fish. Servant places his one fish with Brahmin's entire catch; receives all since Brahmin considers all polluted. K344.1.1
• The "spoiled" anchovies. Servant eats all of master's anchovies. When master asks for some, the servant brings in a covered dish, and tells him that the fish smell very bad. The master tells the servant to throw them away. K344.1.2
• Trickster cuts up partridges with his knife. He is given all of them when he tells his companions that he is an executioner. K344.1.3
• Trickster puts filth in food. May take it all. K344.1.4
• Spoiling the rice-field with dung. Dupe persuaded that the dung has spoiled the field. He gives the field to the trickster. K344.2
• Son-in-law steals father-in-law's pants by making latter believe he has dirtied them. K344.3
• Sympathetic helper robbed. K345
• Sympathetic helper sent for remedy and robbed. K345.1
• Thief sent into well by trickster. A weeping boy tells a passing thief that he has lost a silver cup in a well. The thief takes off his clothes and goes after the cup, intending to keep it. He finds nothing. When he comes up, his clothes have been stolen. K345.2
• Dupe left to care for child while his goods are stolen. K345.3
• Antelope sends leopard for fire, eats game while leopard is gone. K345.4
• Thief trusted to guard goods. K346
• Thief guards his pursuer's horse while the latter follows a false trail. Steals the horse. K346.1
• King persuaded to change clothes with thief disguised as old woman. Thief rides king's horse away. K346.1.1
• Herdsman slaughters animals entrusted to him. K346.2
• Woman persuaded to go after her forgotten comb. Goods stolen by guard. K346.3
• Thief trusted to guard shawls during prayers. Steals them. K346.4
• Cloak as surety that owner will return. Thief runs away with it. K346.5
• Thief takes mistress's ornaments across river on pretense of keeping them safe, and then deserts her. K346.6
• Cozening. Trickster's claim of relationship causes owner to relax vigilance. Goods stolen. K347
• Prostitute claims to be intended victim's daughter. Robs him. K347.1
• Trickster causes owner and another to fight over goods. Meantime he steals it. K348
• Trickster permitted to try on clothes. Goes away with them. K351
• Trickster persuades tailor to leave his goods. Makes him believe he will get order to clothe fifty poor. Trickster makes away with goods. (Or tries on boots and makes away with them.) K351.1
• Thief borrows cloak so to carry food. Disappears with it. K351.2
• Trickster permitted to try on ornaments. Goes off with them. K351.3
• Theft by posing as doctor. Trickster advises wife to slaughter pig and have the trickster eat it all. K352
• Theft by posing as magician. Trickster claims to be working magic spell over food and eats it. K353
• Trickster asks hospitality: expels owner and appropriates house. K354
• Crow asks hospitality of sparrow and gradually takes possession of nest and kills young. (Often told of camel and tent.) K354.1
• Trickster pollutes house so that he is left in possession. He is in upper room and throws filth on those below (Cf. K344.) K355
• Trickster pretends to have spit in wine accidentally. Is allowed to drink it. K355.1
• Tricksters feign death of their father. Collect rent and flee. K356
• Pickpockets strike man on leg so that he takes his hand off his purse. K357
• Signal for theft given in foreign language. K358
• Means of hoodwinking guardian or owner – miscellaneous. K359
• Theft by means of magic invisibility. K359.1
• Thief beguiles guardian of goods by assuming equivocal name. K359.2
• Thief of sweetmeats says his name is Fly. Child shouts to father, "Fly is eating," etc. "Never mind the fly, guard against the cow." K359.2.1
• Trickster dupes woman into putting him into basket. He thus learns where food is kept. K359.3
• Crow makes friends with pigeon so as to be able to steal food in household to which he belongs. K359.4
• Objects stolen by means of magic impersonation. K359.5
• Other means of theft. K360
• Theft by disobeying orders: misappropriation. K361
• Jackal ordered to take meat to lion's family takes it to his own. K361.1
• Man calling self "her husband" abducts child. K361.1.1
• Tricksters eat up food given them for bear. Escape. K361.2
• Man eats up food given him by tiger as bait for deer. K361.3
• Monk entrusted with care of getting husband for girl, takes dowry himself. K361.4
• Uncle entrusted with niece's patrimony slanders her so marriage will be broken off and he will not have to part with her money. K361.5
• Covetous husband desiring wife's jewels tells her he has vowed to offer them to deity. K361.6
• Theft by presenting false order to guardian. K362
• Unique weapon got by misrepresenting to guardian use to which it is to be put. K362.0.1
• 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
• Ring to put on corpse's finger. A thief holds a corpse up to a lord's window. The lord shoots the corpse and leaves to bury it. The thief goes to the lady and gets a sheet to bury the corpse in and a ring to put on his finger. K362.2
• The cup to be repaired. A thief poses as a messenger from a husband to his wife asking that a certain silver cup be sent for repairs. K362.3
• Stealing the platter for the intended gift. Thief asks for silver platter saying that it is needed for an intended gift of confections. Servant carrying platter is told to wait until it is filled. Thief disappears with it. K362.3.1
• Theft by posing as master of the house and learning where goods are hidden. Wife deceived in the dark. K362.4
• Hare in lion's skin gets meat from lioness. K362.5
• Fox drinks the milk of a tiger's mate by giving her a misleading message. K362.5.1
• Deposit money secured by false order to banker's wife. When banker refuses to redeliver deposit the owner presents false tokens to wife. K362.6
• Theft by forgery: signature forged to obtain money. K362.7
• Clerk mistranslates order given by master to maid, so that pie goes to clerks. K362.8
• The hood for the robe. Thief steals lawyer's scarlet robe. Later he returns and tells lawyer's wife that her husband had sent him for the hood for the robe. He obtains the hood and escapes. K362.9
• Give him what he wants. (Cf. K437.5, K1354.1.) Thief sent to man's house for water, demands money. Man's wife refuses and thief shouts to the husband who replies, "Give him what he wants." K362.10
• Hero reports to king that his ancestors (in heaven) want him rewarded with gold. K362.11
• Partner misappropriates common goods. K364
• Theft by confederate. K365
• Confederate allows self to be sold as slave. K365.1
• The thieving guests. Rent a room at an inn and empty the mattresses of feathers, take fire wood, etc. Throw goods out of the window where confederate picks it up. K365.2
• Theft by wife's paramour. Wife tells him secret of buried money. K365.3
• Theft by trickster's trained animal. K366
• Thief feeds stolen money in flour to animal, then asks for ass. K366.0.1
• Thieving cow. K366.1
• Cow makes a hundred-fold return. The trickster has a cow that leads the parson's cows to him. He thus tests the parson's text, "He who gives in God's name shall have it back a hundred-fold." K366.1.1
• Cow enticed away by calf. Brothers are given the choice of a cow or a calf. One chooses the cow and thinks that he has the best of the bargain. The cow longs for the calf and returns to it. K366.1.2
• Self-returning cow. A cow allows itself to be sold; then returns to its master. K366.1.3
• Animal shams death and is sold. Returns to master. K366.1.3.1
• Cows turned into rice field. Later made to disgorge rice. K366.1.4
• Thieving bird. K366.2
• Thieving ant. K366.3
• Thieving dog. K366.4
• Speaking goat swallows gold coins in temple and voids for master. K366.5
• Thieving turtle. K366.6
• Thieving butterflies. K366.7
• Thieving octopus. K366.8
• Trickster hides in food and eats it. K371
• Trickster throws fish off the wagon. The fox plays dead; a man throws him on the wagon of fish. The fox throws the fish off and carries them away. K371.1
• 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. K372
• Trickster eats food left by tiger (his trapping partner) at snare. Tiger accused of the theft. K372.1
• "Owner has refused to accept it." A rascal steals a priest's watch. He tells the priest that he has stolen a watch and offers it to him as a payment for a past favor. The priest refuses to accept stolen goods. Commands the thief to return the watch to the owner. "But the owner has refused to accept it." "Then you may keep it." K373
• [First Edition (Additions and Corrections): K374. Grave robbing to secure obols in mouth of death.] K374[1st ed.]
• Trickster pretends to teach dance: flees with valuables. (Cf. K571.) K374
• Thieves steal chickens and have mock funeral to cover theft. K375
• The thieving kiss. Trickster kisses pile of money, taking some in his mouth with every kiss. K378
• Fire stolen by swallowing it and then escaping. K382
• Host robs guest. K385
• Thief escapes detection. K400
• Blame for theft fastened on dupe. K401
• Thief accuses his companion of having stolen the gold they have both stolen. K401.0.1
• Dupe's food eaten and then blame fastened on him. Trickster eats the common food supply and then by smearing the mouth of the sleeping dupe with the food escapes the blame. K401.1
• Trail of stolen goods made to lead to dupe. The crane in revenge for the loss of her young ones strews pieces of fish from the dwelling of the mongoose to that of the snake. The mongoose follows the trail and kills the snake. K401.1.1
• Stolen goods taken to dupe's house so that he is accused. K401.2
• Crow causes serpent to try to swallow a stolen collar and thus be accused of the theft. K401.2.1
• Necklace dropped by crow into snake's hole leads men to kill snake which had eaten the crow's fledglings. K401.2.2
• Surreptitious transfer of stolen object to innocent person's possession brings condemnation. K401.2.3
• Stolen goods left in suitor's room. Impoverished lover falsely accused so as to be rid of him. K401.3
• Thief makes believe that he has been robbed of money entrusted to him. K401.4
• Thief successfully accuses owner of having stolen property he covets. K401.5
• The lamb without a heart. Accused of eating the lamb's heart, the thief maintains that it had no heart. K402
• The goose without a leg. Accused of eating the goose's leg, the thief maintains that it had no leg, and cleverly enforces his point by showing geese standing on one leg. (Usually the master confounds the rascal by frightening the geese so that they use both legs) K402.1
• The bird without a tail. Thief maintains that the bird had no tail. K402.2
• The ass without a heart. The ass as toll-gatherer is killed by the lion for asking for toll. The fox eats the ass's heart. When the lion asks for it, the fox replies that the ass could have had no heart since he was such a fool as to ask the lion for toll. K402.3