Traits of character

369 motifs · page 1 of 2

• Favorable traits of character. W0
• Good inclinations enter body at puberty. W2
• Kindness. (Cf. Q40.) W10
• Saint never drives fly or gnat from his face. W10.1
• Saint gives calf to wolf. W10.2
• Generosity. W11
• Philanthropist will give his spurs if someone will drive his horse for him. He has given away his coat, etc. to beggars. One finally asks for his spurs. W11.1
• Munificent monarch. W11.2
• Emperor thinks day lost when he gives no gifts. W11.2.1
• King will not eat breakfast till gifts are given. W11.2.2
• Man divides money into three parts: (1) for the poor, (2) for pilgrims, (3) for himself and family. W11.3
• Man lets himself be sold as slave so as to practice generosity. W11.4
• Brahmin steals to feed guests (deities). W11.4.1
• Generosity toward enemy. W11.5
• Ruler pardons his enemies. W11.5.1
• Man pardons his assailants. They attack again and are killed. W11.5.1.1
• Ruler pardons emissary who has come to murder him. W11.5.2
• Wronged knight conquers enemy and then pardons him. W11.5.3
• Conqueror returns defeated man's wife and family to him. W11.5.4
• Conqueror spares city. W11.5.5
• Ruler reproaches son for bringing him the head of his fallen enemy. Latter given honorable burial. W11.5.6
• Man saved through intercession of enemy. W11.5.7
• Man pays fine for enemy who is falsely accused. W11.5.7.1
• Captor contributes to captive's ransom. W11.5.8
• Warrior gives steed to his enemy. W11.5.9
• Calumniated woman intercedes for accusers. (Cf. K2112.) W11.5.9.1
• Man's life spared through the intercession of the daughter he has wronged. He has ordered her killed. W11.5.9.2
• Champion grants requested boon of safe convoy to his enemies. W11.5.10
• Chieftain spares enemies whom he takes unawares (unarmed). W11.5.11
• Chieftain who takes king unawares, spares him on condition that chieftain be called "lover" by women of king's tribe. W11.5.11.1
• Hero in battle refuses to slay charioteers, women, or physicians. (Cf. C867.1.) W11.5.12
• Ruler generously settles quarrel between loser and finder of money. W11.6
• Nobleman's generosity enables impoverished lover to entertain his lady. W11.7
• Impoverished nobleman offers wife to ruler. Latter spares her honor and aids the couple. W11.7.1
• General sends for king so that the latter may get credit for victory. W11.8
• Prince donates all including a tooth. When he has nothing left he is asked for a gift. He allows man to extract a tooth from his mouth. (Father had offered reward to anyone persuading his son to have it extracted.) W11.9
• Ruler protects thief. Asks for the stolen plate and hides it so that it will not be found on the culprit. W11.10
• Ruler rewards man who would curb him. W11.11
• The generous correction. Ruler asks treasurer to give man 200 crowns. Treasurer makes error and puts down 300. Ruler raises sum to 400. "I can't allow your pen to be more liberal than I." W11.12
• King rewards knight with large sum of money. Chancellor: "If you saw such a sum it would seem large to you." King answers that it looks small and doubles it. W11.12.1
• Novel sign of death. It is the first time that what he has given away seems too much. W11.13
• Youngest brother shares wealth with older brothers who foolishly lost theirs. (Cf. L31.) W11.14
• Generous person refuses no man anything. (Cf. C871.) W11.15
• Generous king gives away his only eye. W11.16
• Hospitality as a virtue. (Cf. P320.) W12
• Man (king) prefers death to loss of reputation for hospitality. W12.1
• Man looks for strangers so as to bestow hospitality on them. W12.2
• Woman shelters son's murderer out of charity. W15
• Murderer goes to victim's son and asks to be killed. The son aids him to escape. W15.1
• Bishop exchanges places with prisoner so as to have him return to his mother. W16
• Envious man sets out to kill one who is noted for his generosity. He is won over by the generosity of his intended victim. W18
• Other favorable traits of character. W20
• Emperor friendly to everyone. Would act as he should like an emperor to act toward him if he were a common man. W21
• Man never listens to scandal. W23
• Man speaks no evil. W24
• Equanimity of the comedian. When he sees his house carried off by a flood, he fiddles the whole time. W25
• Equanimity of the enslaved unfortunate. Does not complain when beset by a series of misfortunes. (Cf. N251.1.) W25.1
• Minister always says, "It is for the best," when anything happens. W25.2
• Patience. W26
• Gratitude. W27
• Man weeps with gratitude to God because He did not make him hideous as toad. W27.1
• Self-sacrifice. W28
• Woman drinks poison that son may be king. W28.1
• Woman sacrifices life for son's honor. W28.2
• Man leaps from vessel into jaws of sea-beast so as to save remaining passengers. W28.3
• Saint threatens to take place of homicide in hell unless soul is released. W28.4
• Obedience. W31
• Bravery. W32
• King Richard leads host to victory by leaping his horse overboard. W32.1
• Heroism. W33
• Badly wounded warrior continues fighting. W33.1
• Warrior refuses to delay battle in return for promise of long, happy life. W33.2
• Loyalty. W34
• Man constrained to flee with leader's fiancée resists her blandishments. W34.1
• Loyal friends refuse to fight against disgraced comrade. (Cf. P310.) W34.2
• Cowardly to leave battle while lord is alive. W34.3
• Fakir rewarded by prince with a life of luxury in city chooses to return to his monkey friends in jungle. W34.4
• Justice. W35
• Man picked to judge bull-fight because he is "no fairer to his friend than to his foe." W35.1
• Upright judge refuses a bribe: he is responsible to a higher tribunal called Conscience. W35.2
• Conscientiousness. W37
• Man never breaks his word. W37.0.1
• Oil well digger runs out of money, leaves the country, forgetting to tell his driller. He returns fifty years later, finds the driller still drilling away. W37.1
• Man keeps promise to return to be eaten by tiger: let go without harm. W37.2
• Rabbi returns jewel found with bought ass. He had not paid for it. W37.3
• Peacefulness. W43
• Honor. W45
• Prostrate soldier asks his enemy to stab him in the chest instead of the back in order to save his honor. The captor frees him and the two become friends. W45.1
• Unfavorable traits of character. W100
• Unfavorable traits of character – personal. W110
• Laziness. W111
• Contest in laziness. Each cites instances of his laziness. W111.1
• Man lets legs burn in fire rather than move them. W111.1.1
• Man is burned to death because he is too lazy to put out spark. W111.1.1.1
• Lazy man's belongings burn. He is too lazy to stop rats from playing with lighted candle. W111.1.1.2
• Man too lazy to open eyes to see where fire is burning. W111.1.1.3
• Three lazy beggars burn alive rather than run away from burning castle. W111.1.1.4
• Mother calls to daughter to tell her that she (daughter) is standing on a live coal. The daughter asks which foot the coal is under. W111.1.1.5
• Man will not lift knife to cut rope about to hang him. W111.1.2
• Man will not move in bed when water drops in his eyes. W111.1.3
• Man so lazy that he will not wipe his running nose. This causes him to lose prospective bride. W111.1.4
• Man floating in river too lazy to drink. His voice is damaged. W111.1.5
• Man too lazy to pick up berries (dates). W111.1.6
• The lazy servant. W111.2
• Lazy servant gets others to perform his duties. W111.2.0.1
• Servant to call his master at daybreak: looks into dark closet to see if it is yet light. They sleep till noon. W111.2.1
• Servant to close door at night: leaves it open so that he will not have to open it next morning. W111.2.2
• "If it is day, give me food; if it is night, let me sleep." The master has told the servant to go to work. W111.2.3
• Boy to see whether it is raining: calls dog (cat) in and feels of his paws. W111.2.4
• Boy to see whether there is fire in the house: feels of cat to see if she is warm. W111.2.5
• The boy eats breakfast, dinner, and supper one immediately after the other; then lies down to sleep. W111.2.6
• Lazy boy always says that it is raining. The peasant and the boy sleep during the rain in the hay barn. When the peasant asks, the boy always says that it is still raining. W111.2.7
• Lazy boy says he cannot walk. W111.2.8
• Servant tells master to cover his face: no need to put out lamp. W111.2.9
• The lazy wife. W111.3
• Lazy wife in soiled dress thinks husband is bringing her a new dress from market. He is bringing a goose. W111.3.1
• Cat beaten for not working. Lazy wife must hold cat and is scratched. W111.3.2
• Lazy wife throws bread out of window instead of putting it back into oven. W111.3.3
• Why he beats her. Lazy wife beaten by husband maintains that she has done nothing. That is why he is beating her. W111.3.4
• Wife too lazy to spin. Supposed dead husband comes back to life and gives his wife a beating, because there was no shirt even in the event of death. W111.3.5
• "Who will not work, shall not eat." Idle daughter-in-law learns work. W111.3.6
• Lazy husband. W111.4
• Other lazy persons. W111.5
• Lazy mother given shoes of cotton; son knows that she will not wear them out. W111.5.1
• Lazy girl does not know where the spring is. W111.5.2
• Lazy man asked direction only points with his foot. W111.5.3
• Lazy dog wakes only for his meals. W111.5.4
• Man in mud too lazy to take hand extended to help him up. W111.5.5
• Lazy son-in-law: afraid of a dog. W111.5.6
• Ruler is too lazy to stop quarrels. They lead to his death. W111.5.7
• Man with stolen fig in his mouth submits to having cheek lanced rather than open his mouth. (Cf. J1842.2.) W111.5.8
• Man is so lazy that he starves rather than open his mouth for food to fall in when it falls from trees. W111.5.8.1
• Learning a trade in bed. Working independently, the lazy fellow spoils the materials received – starts making something big, which at the end turns to nothing. For example, begins with forging a plough: this becomes an axe, the axe a knife, and knife a needle, the needle – nothing. (Cf. J2080.) W111.5.9
• Lazy man asks if wood is split before he accepts it as a gift. W111.5.10
• Lazy man is being taken to poorhouse or out of town or to cemetery to be buried alive. The group take pity on him, offer him various articles to help him get started again. One offers a bushel of corn. The lazy one rises up from the bottom of the wagon or coffin where he has been lying: "Is the corn shelled?" W111.5.10.1
• Lazy man misses seeing the sheriff's funeral; he is facing the wrong way as the procession passes. W111.5.11
• Man digs three potatoes in one day: one dug, one being dug, one about to be dug. W111.5.12
• Man weeds garden from cushioned rocking chair, using fire tongs to reach weeds. W111.5.13
• Slovenliness. (Cf. Q322.) W115
• The slovenly fiancée. W115.1
• Woman becomes clean only after three washings and the use of three pounds of soap. W115.2
• Rancher is not recognized by his wife and family after he has cleaned up in town at hotel. W115.3
• Vanity. W116
• Old woman reaches town before vain fop who stops to adjust clothes. W116.1
• Expenditure of money for vanity. W116.2
• Plain people made rulers have vain display. W116.3
• Peacock admires self in mirror. W116.4
• Wasp seeking fame stings courtiers: killed. W116.5
• Wealthy man pretends enjoyment of good music. Told when to applaud. W116.6
• Use of strange language to show one's high education. W116.7
• Jackal forces all animals who come to drink to praise him like a king. W116.8
• Boastfulness. W117
• Neglected wife given trifle boasts of it. W117.1
• Cowardice. W121
• Hunter wants to be shown lion tracks, not lion himself. W121.1
• Coward boasts when there is no danger. (Cf. J974, J978.) W121.2
• Ass insults dying lion. W121.2.1
• Fox insults caged lion. W121.2.2
• Crow sits on sheep's back; afraid to sit on dog's. W121.2.3
• Dogs tear up lion skin: fear living lion. W121.2.4
• Coward gloats over robber slain by another person. W121.2.5
• Monkey safe in tree insults gorilla as "broken face". W121.2.6
• Cowardly soldier turns back when he hears raven's croak. W121.3
• Queen mother shames cowardly son and companions. "In truth, gentlemen, you do well in weeping; for since you didn't fight like men to defend your land, it is suitable that now you weep like women on leaving it." W121.4
• Cowardly spider rushes at fly but hides when wasp appears. W121.5
• Coward gives his purse to thief with lame excuse. W121.6
• Cowardly bridegroom flees elephant and loses bride. W121.7
• Illness from fear. W121.8
• Swooning from cowardice. W121.8.1
• Indecision. (Cf. J1040.) W123
• The man who only tasted wine. Will not drink but gets drunk nevertheless by frequent tasting. W123.1
• Gluttony. W125
• Greedy animal eats poisoned fruit in spite of warning. W125.1
• Gluttonous wife eats all the meal while cooking it. W125.2
• New son-in-law given choice of meals eats all. W125.3
• Pupil eats cakes given as alms for his master. W125.4
• Husband eats wife's share of food as well as his own. W125.5
• [First Edition: W125.1. "I commend my family to your care", says the glutton as he begins eating a dish he has been warned will kill him.] W125.1[1st ed.]
• Disobedience. W126
• Monk obedient only as long as work is agreeable. Always says that unpleasant work is beneath his dignity. W126.1
• Petulance. W127
• Dissatisfaction. W128
• Hog tired of his daily food. Goes to the judge and gets better food assigned to him, but the fox cheats him out of it. W128.1
• Dissatisfied fox. In kingdom of lions laments that he always gets the worst bits of food. W128.2
• Dissatisfied rivers complain against sea. Say that it makes their water unusable. W128.3
• Peacock dissatisfied with his voice. W128.4
• Monk dissatisfied with things as he has them is admonished to take what he receives from God. W128.5
• Sparrow dissatisfied with pond water wants to go to sea. W128.6
• Profligacy. W131
• Profligate wastes entire fortune before beginning his own adventures. W131.1
• Inconsistency. W133
• Prince penalizes cursing, although he himself curses. W133.1
• Woman admires marvelous shot of hero which kills deer, but angers him when she begs mercy for the deer. W133.2
• False modesty. W136
• Look! look! she cries from the barrel. A nobleman has arranged for a peasant girl to become his mistress. When he comes to take her away he cannot find her. Disappointed, he is about to depart when the girl, who has hidden in a barrel, calls out "Look!" She really wants to be found. W136.1
• Curiosity. W137
• Talkativeness. W141
• Unfavorable traits of character – social. W150
• Greed. W151
• Cauldron of greed. W151.0.1