Deceptions

3,871 motifs · page 6 of 20

• Woman serves beggar with coals instead of food. K492.1
• Dupe betrayed by asking him ambiguous questions. They are phrased in such a way that he understands them differently from the way they are intended. K493
• Wolf announces dawn prematurely to collect debt. The contract is to be fulfilled at daybreak. The wolf imitates the cock and crows, but is caught. K494
• Trickster shams sickness so that partner does all the work. K495
• Foxes persuade man to plant cooked plants. They eat them at night. K496
• Persons deceived into eating meat in Lent, the meat being disguised as butter. (Cf. K499.2.1, K499.2.2.) K498
• Additional cheats. K499
• Trickster sells mother's wine to merchant without asking her permission. Mother saves part of wine because purchaser is dilatory in removing casks. K499.1
• Object with a hollow as instrument of cheats. K499.2
• Saint who desires broth containing no butter receives broth into which butter has been poured surreptitiously through hollow mixing-stick. (Cf. K498.) K499.2.1
• Saint who desires pottage of nettles containing no milk receives pottage into which milk has been poured surreptitiously through pipe. The secret is revealed, and the saint blesses the cook's successors. K499.2.2
• Old man cheats crocodile by playing on its ignorance of agriculture. K499.3
• Trickster breaks cat of taste for milk by overheating its milk. K499.4
• Embarrassing gift. Trickster unwilling to pay for burial fee of aged cow, gives cow to unwitting Brahmin as gift. Cow dies soon and Brahmin must pay. K499.5
• God cheats birds by giving false description of tamarind fruit. K499.6
• Gullible king gives large sums to minister for construction of imaginary weapon and then more to have it destroyed. K499.7
• Trickster dupes rival by exchanging beds: receives his food. Overhears maiden tell rival she will bring food at night, waits until rival is asleep and carries him to another bed, takes his place, and is fed by maiden. K499.8
• Treacherous friend drinks out of other's flask to save the water in his own. K499.9
• Fox pretends to go to work, but goes out to sleep. K499.10
• Escape from death or danger by deception. K500
• Death order evaded. K510
• Uriah letter changed. Falsified order of execution. A messenger is sent with a letter ordering the recipient to kill the bearer. On the way the letter is changed so that the bearer is honored. K511
• Death evaded by persuading executioner that another victim was ordered. (E.g., boy has been ordered to kill hare. Hare persuades the boy that the father said, "Kill the rooster for the hare.") K511.1
• Ogam inscription on shield orders that bearer (who does not know meaning) shall be killed. Poet (who recognizes the meaning) reports to king that inscription means a request for honorable treatment. K511.2
• Compassionate executioner. A servant charged with killing the hero (heroine) arranges the escape of the latter. K512
• Compassionate executioners. Slaves charged with killing (drowning) the infant heroine are touched by her "laughing smile" and put her in a calfshed (hollow tree), where she is found by cowherds, who rear her. K512.0.1
• "Prince will soon want me back." Executioner persuaded to let hero go. K512.0.2
• Compassionate executioner: bloody coat. A servant charged with killing the hero smears the latter's coat with the blood of an animal as proof of the execution and lets the hero escape. K512.1
• Compassionate executioner: bloody knife (sword) from slain animal substitute. K512.1.1
• Compassionate executioner: substituted heart. A servant charged with killing the hero (heroine) substitutes an animal, whose heart he takes to his master as proof of the execution. K512.2
• Compassionate executioner: substituted brains (other animal for helpful animal). K512.2.0.1
• Eyes of animal substituted as proof for eyes of children. K512.2.0.2
• Eyes, ears, fingers of corpse substituted for those demanded of victim. K512.2.0.3
• Animal substituted for child served at meal. K512.2.1
• Compassionate executioner: substituted child. The servant charged with sending the hero to executioners sends his own child instead. K512.2.2
• Executioner makes substitution when victim escapes. K512.2.2.1
• Compassionate executioner: substituted puppet drowned. K512.2.3
• Compassionate executioner: substituted head (made of clay) as proof of execution. K512.2.3.1
• Compassionate executioner: mutilation substituted for death. K512.2.4
• Boy's sixth toe cut off by compassionate executioner as proof he had been killed. K512.2.4.1
• Compassionate executioner: feigns to torture victim. K512.3
• Compassionate executioner: sleeping potion supplied instead of poison. K512.4
• Bribed executioner releases culprit. K513
• Disguise as girl to avoid execution. K514
• Girl substituted for boy to avoid slaughter by father. K514.1
• Escape by hiding. K515
• Children hidden to avoid their execution (death). K515.1
• Girl escapes by hiding in huge harp. K515.2
• Sleeping persons covered with oxhide and so saved. K515.3
• Escape by hiding in kettle. K515.4
• Escape by hiding in rice-bin. K515.5
• Escape by hiding in the earth. K515.6
• Death escaped through disguise, shamming, or substitution. K520
• Escape by disguise. K521
• Escape by dressing in animal (bird, human) skin. K521.1
• Man sewed in animal's hide carried off by birds. K521.1.1
• Escape by dressing in bear's skin. K521.1.2
• Escape in monkey-skin. K521.1.3
• Escape by putting on old woman's skin. K521.1.4
• Change of bodily appearance so as to escape. K521.2
• Disguise by shaving off beard so as to escape. K521.2.1
• Disguise by mutilation so as to escape. Ears cut off, eyes put out, etc. K521.2.2
• Disguise as king with mask in order to hide from enemy who has ruined warrior's face and torn his beard off. K521.2.3
• Disguise as farmer so as to escape. K521.2.4
• Disguise as carpenter so as to escape. K521.2.5
• Disguise by painting (covering with soot, etc.) so as to escape. K521.3
• Covering self with clay so as to escape. K521.3.1
• Clothes changed so as to escape. K521.4
• Disguise in clothes of other sex so as to escape. K521.4.1
• Girl escapes in male disguise. K521.4.1.1
• Man in danger of life dressed by hostess as woman and set to baking. K521.4.1.2
• Man in danger of life dressed by hostess as woman and set to grinding corn. K521.4.1.3
• Man in danger of life takes his wife's place in the bed with her night-cap on. K521.4.1.4
• Disguise as musician in order to escape. K521.4.2
• Musician in danger puts on his musician's attire as if about to play; escapes. K521.4.2.1
• Escape in humble disguise. (Cap o' Rushes.) K521.4.3
• Escape by disguising as a washerman. K521.4.3.1
• Disguise as waiter in inn to escape. K521.4.4
• Adulteress escapes prison disguised as an old woman. K521.4.5
• Escape by making sheaths of bark for fingers: hero leaves without awakening nymph wives who make him sleep with fingers in mouth. K521.4.6
• Escape in huge pumpkin shell. (Attempted.) K521.5
• Abbot escapes from his paramour's husband in disguise of priest. K521.6
• One animal escapes by shamming as another (jackal as goat). K521.7
• Goat escapes from jackal by being covered with flowers. K521.8
• Women escape from enemy's camp disguised as ascetics. K521.9
• Hare escapes lion by being bundled in brushwood. K521.10
• Hare and bride travel in pot to escape tiger, answer "Ruined pot" when challenged. K521.11
• Escape by shamming death. K522
• Death feigned to escape unwelcome marriage. (Cf. K523.0.1.) K522.0.1
• Escape by shamming death: blood and brains. The trickster covers himself with paint (or the like) so that he will be thought to have bled to death (or with milk so that it will be thought that his brains have been knocked out). K522.1
• Woman covers fleeing man with placenta of goat and with blood to convince pursuers she has just given birth and thus prevents their capturing him. K522.1.1
• Ogre carries sham-dead man. "He smells already." K522.2
• Death feigned to escape from husband's death plot. K522.3
• Captive parrots in net play dead and are thrown out: escape. K522.4
• Trout pretends to be dead. Fisherman ignores him. K522.4.1
• Escape by shammed burial. K522.5
• Escape by shammed drowning; wrecked boat or coffin lands. K522.6
• Sham murder: trickster attacked by angry mother causes her to spear ox guts and believe she has murdered him. K522.7
• Escape by shammed hanging. K522.8
• Escape by shamming illness. K523
• Illness (madness, dumbness, etc.) feigned to escape unwelcome marriage. (Cf. K522.0.1, K523.1.) K523.0.1
• Illness feigned to escape rendezvous with undesired mistress. K523.0.1.1
• Illness feigned to escape unwelcome meeting. K523.0.2
• Escape by shamming madness. (Cf. K523.0.1.) K523.1
• Escape by shamming leprosy. K523.2
• Escape by use of substituted object. The object is attacked rather than the intended victim. K525
• Substituted object left in bed while intended victim escapes. K525.1
• Woman puts figures of paramour and herself in bed. Husband attacks them. Woman uses it as a lesson to "reform" husband. K525.1.1
• Bride substitutes wooden picture while she herself escapes sleeping groom. K525.1.2
• In order to save child from death, maid substitutes block dressed to resemble it. Enemy strikes block. K525.1.3
• Man steps aside so that only his shadow is caught. K525.2
• Object substituted for murdered person so as to allay suspicion. K525.3
• Animal jumps out of skin so that only skin is caught. K525.4
• Man leaves mantle so that only mantle is hit. K525.5
• Escape, leaving dog as substitute. K525.6
• Dog buried instead of foster son, who is falsely reported killed so that he can safely be taken away. K525.6.1
• Girl escapes from ogress by substituting pig. K525.7
• Destructive magic object tried out on something inanimate. K525.8
• Destructive magic belt tried on tree. Destroys tree. K525.8.1
• Cock's blood given spirits instead of human blood. K525.9
• Escape by leaving behind false images made of spittle. K525.10
• Captor's bag filled with animals or objects while captives escape. K526
• Escape by substituting another person in place of the intended victim. K527
• Poisoned food (drink) fed to animal instead of to intended victim. Animal perishes. K527.1
• Escape by substituting brother for intended victim, namely self. K527.2
• Exchange of clothes between master and his servant. K527.3
• Two rival parties of fifteen each on ship. When food is exhausted, it is agreed that half the company be thrown overboard, "every ninth man as they stood to be selected." Clever sister of leader of one party arranges men so that enemies are chosen and so drowned. K527.4
• Man calls animal by his son's name so he can sacrifice it instead of his son. K527.5
• Substitute in ordeal. An ordeal (usually dangerous) is escaped by deceptively providing a substitute. K528
• Substitute smoker. The hero is compelled to smoke a fatal pipe, but the helpful insect which he carries on his head smokes the pipe for him. K528.1
• Escape by substituting self for another condemned to die. Holy man substitutes self for deacon held by heathen. K528.2
• Two wicked men put to a fiery test ask for a third (pious) man to be tested together with them. K528.3
• Escape from battle by magic invisibility. K531
• Escape under mantle of invisibility. K532
• Escape in mist of invisibility. K532.1
• Thief makes magic storm in order to escape. K532.2
• Escape by successive disguises. K533
• Fugitive disguises successively in different forms and deceives pursuer into self-injury. K533.1
• Escape by reversing shoes (boat). K534
• Escape by reversing horse's (ox's) shoes. K534.1
• Escape by reversing snowshoes. K534.2
• Hero walks backward to leave misleading trail. K534.3
• Escape by rowing boat stern foremost. K534.4
• Captors deceived into believing captive is planning to stay with them: vigilance relaxed. Captured general orders heavy boxes taken into the temple. These are thought to be gold and it is concluded that he will not try to leave. He escapes. K536
• Girl escapes by making man captor think preparation is being made for wedding. K536.1
• Princess cuts hair to escape captor who holds her hair in hand while sleeping with her. K538
• Escape by overawing captor. K540
• Escape by reporting oneself invulnerable and overawing captor. K541
• Escape by falsely reporting one's ability to escape. "I should be caught if there were not an escape at the back." When the captors run to the rear, the captive escapes. K542
• Biting the foot. Fox to bear, who is biting his foot: "You are biting the tree root." Bear lets loose. K543
• Fox to crocodile who has caught him by the tongue: "Those are the dirty clothes I've been washing!" She lets go. K543.1
• Escape by alleged possession of external soul. Monkey caught for his heart (as remedy) makes his captor believe that he has left his heart at home. K544
• Escape by falsely reporting approach of rescuers. K545
• Pope escapes captivity and death by dressing in full regalia and overawing captor. K546
• Escape by frightening would-be captors. (Cf. K1710.) K547
• "Get into my belly." The wee cock, lost in the woods, orders the fox, the bear, and the wolf to get into his belly. Overawed, the beasts make their apologies promising never to annoy him again. The bear even carries the cock home. (Cf. K1715.7.) K547.1
• Man takes off wig, takes out false teeth, takes off wooden leg, overawes Indians. K547.2
• Man hides in hollow log, fires rifle while Indians are sitting on the log, scares them away. K547.3
• Jackal escapes by telling farmer he is jackal king and will call upon his subjects. K547.4
• Ferocious animal (ogre) misunderstands victim's remark: flees in fright. K547.5
• Ogre frightened away by beating tom-tom. K547.6
• Goat trembles so hard from fear of tiger that shaking of his beard frightens tiger away. K547.7
• Shepherd threatened by tiger says he will report matter to ass: tiger flees. K547.8
• Threatening tiger challenged to strength contest. Beguiled into holding wood for plow and is injured. K547.9
• Queen hiding king disguised as child tells ogress she has borne child with moustache: ogress frightened. K547.10
• Hero threatens tiger with plowshare and leads him into village. Frightens villagers. K547.11
• Escape by frightening tiger into thinking goat in cave is the ghost of his father. K547.12
• Witch frightened by seeing victim cleave boulder with one blow of sword. K547.13
• Trickster claims to be holding up sky. Leopard, afraid to let sky fall, leaves him. K547.14
• Escape by making attacker believe there are many defenders. (Cf. K2368.) K548
• Woman alone in house rolls cheeses down the stairs after calling names of men in the house. Attackers think the men of the house are rushing down the stairs. K548.1
• Man convinces robbers that house is fully occupied by beating drums all over the house; they flee. K548.2
• Sham calling to helpers frightens robbers away. K548.3
• Escape by false plea. A captive makes a request or proposes an action that permits him eventually to escape. K550
• Escape by equivocal oath. (Cf. K475.) K550.1
• Respite from death granted until particular act is performed. K551
• Respite from death granted until prayer is finished. It lasts till rescue comes. K551.1
• Respite from death granted until confession is made. K551.1.1
• Respite from death until mass is said. K551.1.2
• Respite from death until prisoner has finished drinking his glass. It is left half finished. K551.2
• Iguana persuades jackal to let him go so he can finish his drink. K551.2.1
• Respite from death until victim has blown on a horn (three times). Rescuers come. K551.3
• Respite from death while one plays the fiddle. Rescue arrives. K551.3.1
• Respite from death while captive plays music (whistles). Rescue arrives. K551.3.2
• Respite from death while one sings song. K551.3.2.1
• Three cries allowed maiden about to be murdered. Rescue arrives. K551.3.3
• Wild boar given permission to squeal before wolf eats him. Rescue arrives. K551.3.4
• Respite from death while one plays the bagpipe. Rescued. K551.3.5
• Respite from death while victim dances. K551.3.6
• Girl to dance for robbers asks to bring her party (strong men in disguise) who overcome robbers. K551.3.6.1
• Mare is allowed to dance before being killed; it dashes off to jungle with persecuted boy hidden in belly. K551.3.6.2
• Men ordered to dance before being killed. Dance figure arranged so as to defeat captors. K551.3.6.3
• Titmouse receives permission to sit on branch and sing before being sacrificed. K551.3.7
• Respite from death until toilet is made permits escape. K551.4
• Respite from death until clothes are changed. K551.4.1
• Devil must wait for man to tie his stocking before the man comes into his possession. It remains untied. K551.4.2
• Making modesty pay. Robber insists on disrobing woman before throwing her from precipice. She pleads to have him turn his face while she disrobes. She pushes him off. (Cf. K1645.) K551.4.3
• Respite from death until hero bathes and drinks. K551.4.4
• Escape by pretending to go to river and wash clothes. K551.4.5
• Respite from death until mouth is washed; crow slain with arrow as he goes to wash mouth. K551.4.6