Chance and fate

1,013 motifs · page 4 of 6

• Treasure found in hollow of tree. N528
• Where treasure is found – miscellaneous. N529
• Lump of gold appears in Arabia at Christ's birth. N529.1
• Pearl found in fish. N529.2
• Discovery of treasure. N530
• Treasure discovered through dream. N531
• Dream of treasure on the bridge. A man dreams that if he goes to a distant city he will find treasure on a certain bridge. Finding no treasure, he tells his dream to a man who says that he too has dreamed of treasure at a certain place. He describes the place, which is the first man's home. When the latter returns home he finds the treasure. N531.1
• Dream brings treasure: trade vineyards with neighbor. A treasure is found in the new vineyard. N531.2
• Dream of treasure bought. Treasure has been seen by man's soul absent in sleep in form of a fly. The purchaser of the dream finds the treasure. N531.3
• Grateful king advises merchant in dream to take treasure from his grave mound. N531.4
• Man dreams of large jars full of wealth, which he can get if he will sacrifice his wife for the getting. N531.5
• Light indicates hidden treasure. (Cf. N511.1.4.) N532
• Half-moon close to the earth indicates hidden treasure. N532.1
• Treasure discovered by magic object. N533
• Treasure discovered by clairvoyant vase. (Cf. D1323.2.) N533.1
• Treasure found by clairvoyant mirror. (Cf. D1323.1.) N533.2
• Treasure discovered by hand of unborn child. N533.3
• Consecrated wine used to discover treasure. N533.4
• Men find mines of copper, silver, gold and iron where balls fall. N533.5
• Treasure discovered by accident. N534
• Stumble reveals depository of treasure. N534.1
• Gold hoard found by cow stepping into hole. N534.2
• Saint sticks crozier into sod and finds pound of gold. N534.3
• Information about treasure received from overheard conversation. N534.4
• Poor boy accidentally finds deserted city with treasure. N534.5
• Treasure found by man when he obeys call of nature. N534.6
• Man digging stones in the pavement finds a chest of treasure. N534.7
• Men digging hole to plant rose-tree find treasure. N534.7.1
• Jewel found accidentally on a bought donkey's neck. N534.8
• Treasure indicated by statue (stone) with inscription, "Dig here". N535
• Treasure indicated by stone cross on the ground. N535.1
• Treasure pointed out by angels. N536
• Speaking bird tells where treasure is buried. N537
• Treasure pointed out by supernatural creature (fairy, etc.). N538
• Treasure pointed out by soul which has left body for this purpose. N538.1
• Treasure from defeated giant. (Cf. F531.6.7, G610, D838.6.) N538.2
• Treasure reveals itself only at certain times. N541
• Treasure reveals itself only on Christmas at midnight (or Christmas Eve). N541.1
• Treasure reveals itself once a century. N541.2
• Treasure found on Hallowe'en. N541.3
• Treasure discovered at the Nativity of Christ. N541.4
• Special conditions for finding treasure. N542
• Treasure found if one goes with one-night old colt on to one-night old ice. N542.1
• Treasure to be found when three-legged cat shrieks over the burial place. N542.2
• Certain person to find treasure. N543
• Only particular persons see hidden treasure in its true form; others see it as coal, serpents, scorpions, etc. N543.0.1
• Treasure to be found by hand that hid it. N543.1
• Treasure to be found by man who plows with cock and harrows with hen. N543.2
• Treasure to be found by man who marries original owner's daughter. N543.3
• Man in despair digging own grave finds treasure. N545
• Man in despair preparing to hang himself finds treasure in the tree (beam). N545.1
• Man ready to kill self hears voice directing him to buried fortune. N545.2
• Understanding of animal languages leads to discovery of a treasure. N547
• Discovery of treasure – miscellaneous. N549
• Four pots of rupees magically appear on horns of buffaloes stuck in pond, and poor owner becomes rich. N549.1
• Unearthing hidden treasure. N550
• Continual failure to find or unearth hidden treasure. Texas: Dobie Coronado's Children passim. N550.1
• Who may unearth a treasure. N551
• Only weak-minded person may unearth a treasure. N551.1
• Treasure may be unearthed only by man who on the spot has sexual relations with a woman in the manner of dogs. N551.2
• Treasure opens itself. N552
• Treasure opens itself for destined hero. N552.1
• Tabus in effect while treasure is being unearthed. N553
• Tabu: incontinence while treasure is being raised. N553.1
• Unlucky encounter causes treasure-seekers to talk and thus lose treasure. N553.2
• Treasure finders must not take all of money. N553.3
• Tabu: looking around while raising treasure. N553.4
• Tabu: fear of threatening animals while treasure is being raised. N553.5
• Ceremonies and prayers used at unearthing of treasure. N554
• Sacrifices at unearthing of treasure. N554.1
• Time favorable for unearthing treasure. N555
• Between midnight and cockcrow best time for unearthing treasure. N555.1
• Treasure nearest to surface at full of moon. N555.2
• Treasure-finders always frightened away. N556
• Treasure disappears after being uncovered. N557
• Raised treasure turns into charcoal (shavings). If one takes it along it will turn back into gold. N558
• Electric shock scares away treasure diggers. N561
• Treasure removes itself from time to time. N562
• Treasure having removed itself eventually returns. N562.1
• Treasure seekers find hole from which treasure has recently been removed. (Often they have delayed searching for one reason or another, arrive too late.) N563
• Magic illusion prevents men from raising treasure. N564
• Guardian of treasure. N570
• Devil (demon) as guardian of treasure. N571
• Ogre's son guardian of treasure trove. N571.1
• Woman as guardian of treasure. N572
• "White woman" as guardian of treasure. N572.1
• Swan maidens as guardians of treasure. N572.2
• Girl with ghostly treasure in boat. N572.3
• Sleeping king in mountain as guardian of treasure. N573
• Dwarf as guardian of treasure. N574
• Griffin as guardian of treasure. (Cf. B42.) N575
• Ghosts prevent men from raising treasure. N576
• Voice of ghost scares away treasure seekers. N576.1
• Ghostly lights frighten treasure seekers. N576.2
• Ghost of treasure's human owner as guardian. N576.3
• Blind man carrying lame man as guardians of treasure. N577
• Treasure guarded by magic object. (Cf. D1560.) N581
• Treasure guarded by magic millstone. N581.1
• Serpent guards treasure. N582
• Angel as guardian of treasure. N583
• Treasure trove – miscellaneous motifs. N590
• Curse on treasure. Finder or owner to have bad luck. N591
• N591. Treasure from striking animal or person and disenchanting him. N591[b]
• Helper in hiding treasure killed in order that nobody may ever find it. N595
• Discovery of rich mine. N596
• Rich mine discovered through dream. (Cf. N531.) N596.1
• Rich mine discovered by accidental breaking off of rock. N596.2
• Discovery of underground oil pools. N597
• Pools of underground oil discovered through dreams. (Cf. N531.) N597.1
• Accidental discovery of crime. N610
• Criminal accidentally detected: "that is the first." N611
• Criminal accidentally detected: "that is the first" – sham wise man. The sham wise man employed to detect theft is feasted. As the servants enter with food he remarks to his wife, "That is the first" (course). (Or allowed to feast for three days remarks at end of first day "That is the first.") The servants, thinking they are detected, confess. N611.1
• Name of criminal accidentally spoken out (identical with ordinary word in speech). N611.1.1
• Criminal accidentally detected: "That is the first" – sleepy woman counting her yawns. Robber hearing her flees. (Cf. N612.) N611.2
• Numskull bridegroom unwittingly sings out phrases that thieves mistake to mean he has detected them. N611.3
• Thief hears owner of house singing "Bore and throw out the earth" and thinks himself detected. Offers owner money to purchase his silence. N611.4
• Numskull talks to himself and frightens robbers away. N612
• Man scolds his ass and frightens robber away. While the man is absent from his ass the robber steals the man's coat. The ass brays and the man scolds him. The robber thinking he is discovered flees and leaves the coat. N612.1
• Numskull bribed to keep silent in elephant sale when he manifests interest, though utterly ignorant. N613
• Cane as evidence of robbery. A man believing that he has killed a robber forgets his cane. Later finds it in robber's house. N614
• Murder revealed to thieves climbing into bank. N615
• Impostor accidentally gives king talking bed which reveals his identity. N617
• Officer comes accidentally to the same building where the fugitive sleeps. N618
• Accidental success in hunting or fishing. N620
• Lucky shot with arrow – foot and ear of deer. Deer is scratching ear. N621
• Arrow accidentally makes shot for which prize is given. N621.1
• Game killed by jumping on it from above. N622
• Tortoise jumps from tree and breaks rhinoceros's back. N622.1
• Lucky cast of spear (weapon). N623
• Lucky cast of spear – animal's mouth pinned shut. N623.1
• Lucky cast of ball: boy throws ball into mouth of hostile hound. Ball carries out entrails. N623.2
• Lucky cast of ball made of human brains – ball sticks in head of enemy. N623.3
• Lucky cast from sling slays hostile queen. N623.4
• Man falls into well and accidentally kills cobra: rewarded. N624
• Fish jumps into boat of disheartened fisherman. N625
• Ass falls into water and catches fish in his ear. N626
• Destructive elephant eats poison man has prepared for himself. Man rewarded. N627
• Accidental acquisition of treasure or money. N630
• The early pupil finds the gold. An innkeeper hears that education makes one rich and enters school. He is scolded for coming late. He comes very early and in twilight finds a purse of gold. N633
• The triple tax. A poet is given by the king the right to demand a coin of the first hunchback he meets, from the first man of a certain name, and from the first man of a certain city. He sees a hunchback and demands the coin. A quarrel arises in which it appears that the hunchback also has the required name and residence. With each revelation the poet demands a new coin. N635
• Accidental healing. N640
• Patient laughs so at foolish diagnosis of sham physician that his abscess breaks and he gets well. She has been told to examine the floor around the patient's bed for signs of what he has been eating. She finds the patient surrounded with pillows: he has eaten too many pillows. N641
• Patient laughs at monkey and cures himself. Monkey takes medicine and cuts capers as result. N641.1
• Frog removed from queen's nose by telling such interesting story that she gives quick breath and dislodges him. N641.2
• Insane man accidentally cured by blow on head. N642
• Blind and deaf cure each other by blow on head. N642.1
• Stinging of buttocks as cure for cough. Patient applies stinging medicine and makes himself sore. He represses his cough to keep from hurting his hindquarters and is finally cured. N643
• Cure by fall which causes bleeding. N644
• Lost memory recovered in battle. N645
• Man thinks to end life by drinking poisonous water, but it cures him. N646
• Thorn accidentally removed from cobra's throat by woman's finger. Grateful cobra. N647
• King accidentally cured by doctor's ruse and excuses pretended inability to cure him. N648
• Life saved by accident. N650
• Pet swan saves self by singing death song. Master about to mistake the swan in the dark for the goose that is to be slaughtered. N651
• Nut falls and wakes man about to be bitten by snake. N652
• Child falls from cliff; uninjured. N653
• Hero catches spear hurled at him and kills serpent with it. N654
• Waves break caul of abandoned child. He is rescued. N655
• Angry man strikes king just in time to save his life. N656
• Warriors discover in the last moment that it is their own chief they are about to murder by burning. N657
• Husband arrives home just in time to save wife and her father from being burned to death in their home. N658
• Life saved by accident – miscellaneous. N659
• Poisoned cakes intended for man by his wife eaten by thieves: booty left to man. N659.1
• Youth accidentally absent when entire family is wiped out. N659.2
• Accidental escapes. N660
• Sleeping king abducted by fairies wakes when his foot touches water. They free him. N661
• Storm blows down tree and frees marooned tortoise. N662
• Lucky accidents – miscellaneous. N680
• Lucky fool. N680.1
• Series of lucky successes. N680.2
• Husband (lover) arrives home just as wife (mistress) is to marry another. N681
• Return home to one's own funeral. N681.0.1
• Wife finds lost husband just as he is to marry another. N681.1
• Ruler makes ready to abandon barren wife and marry another. He remains with her when he learns that she is with child. N681.2
• Incest accidentally averted. N681.3
• Man about to consummate marriage with own mother; accidentally prevented. N681.3.1
• Man in love with his own sister accidentally learns her identity. N681.3.2
• Son returns on day his mother is to be married to another (though her husband still lives). N681.4
• Prophecy of future greatness fulfilled when hero returns home unknown. Parents serve him. N682
• Stranger accidentally chosen king. Picked up by sacred elephant. N683
• Naked soldier becomes general. Stripped for bathing he takes his place as guard when the king unexpectedly arrives. King invites him to come naked to the castle, where he is chosen as husband by a general's daughter. N684
• Fool passes as wise man by remaining silent. N685
• Hero's (heroine's) identity established as he (she) is on the point of being executed. N686
• Hero unwittingly helps fee's sons: rewarded. N687
• What is in the dish: "Poor Crab". A sham wise man named Crab is put to a test of his powers of divination. He is to tell what is in a covered dish (crabs). In despair he says, "Poor Crab!" and is given credit for knowing. N688
• Doctor know-all accidentally saves raja. Roof caves in after he has dragged raja out with the intention of killing him and putting an end to all of his questions. N688.1
• Objects accidentally picked up used to overawe ogress. N691
• Numskull's outcry overawes tiger who is carrying him on his back. Tiger thinks that words are the name of the "demon" riding him. N691.1
• Hero attempting to escape from tiger plays music and tiger follows. People marvel and give him money and he is rewarded with princess's hand. N691.1.1
• Stupid man grabs tiger in the dark, ties it up, and saddles it, believing it to be a horse. It happens to be the tiger for whose capture a reward has been offered. N691.1.2
• Person reported lost joins unwittingly in search for himself. N692
• Missing girl reveals identity and saves man condemned for kidnapping her. N692.1
• Man sent away from battlefield to deliver message the only survivor of battle. N693
• Apparently dead woman revives as she is being prepared for burial. Cf. Type 990. N694
• Apparently dead woman revives when dropped. Had swallowed a bone. Lover exhumes her. Stumbles as he carries her. She revives and later marries him. N694.1
• Passengers on a boat are terrorized by a cutthroat. He turns courteous and leaves them unharmed. N695
• Fugitive in tree urinates from fright: pursuers think it rain and leave. N696
• Man falls out of tree and frightens tiger away. N696.1
• Grinding stones carried by men seeking refuge in tree-top fall, killing their enemies below. N696.2
• Hawk carries off necklace from bathing queen and drops it by lucky girl, who gets reward. N698