240 motifs match “answer” — showing the first 100; narrow the words for the rest  ·  back to the chapters

• Origin of stones: punishment for discourtesy. Jesus asks a man what he is sowing. He answers, "Stones." Jesus turns the crop to stones. This is how stones originate. A973
• Origin of death: disrespectful answer to God. A1335.6.1
• Animal characteristics: punishment for discourteous answer to God (saint). (Cf. A2411.2.6.) A2231.1
• Discourteous answer: why cow (horse) is always eating. When God (Peter) wants to use the cow (horse) the excuse is made that she (he) is eating. Curse: "May you always be eating!" (Cf. A2472.1, A2478.) A2231.1.1
• Discourteous answer: flounder's crooked mouth. When God asks him where he is going, instead of answering he turns to go toward God. His mouth becomes crooked. (Cf. A2341.1.) A2231.1.2
• Discourteous answer: why crab has eyes behind. (Cf. A2332.4.1.) A2231.1.3
• Discourteous answer: tortoise's shell. Zeus celebrates a wedding and invites the animals. Tortoise is late. Why? "I like my house." "May you bear your house always." (Cf. A2312.1.) A2231.1.4
• Fly punished for failing to answer question: is speechless, buzzes and associates with foul things. (Cf. A2426.3.3, A2433.5.2.) A2239.2
• Plant punished for ungracious answer to holy person. A2721.3
• Person frightened by animals successively replying to his remarks. Example: Man riding horse and followed by dog tells horse to jump over a hole. Horse says, "I will not." Man turns to dog and says, "Isn't that strange – a horse talking!" The dog says, "Yes, isn't it." Often the man runs, meeting other animals which answer him, until he falls exhausted. B210.1
• Fish trained to answer person's call. B771.4
• Tabu: uncivil answer to holy (or supernatural) being. C94.1
• All questions to be answered, "I don't know". A youth is so advised by his horse. C495.1
• All questions to be answered "Thanks". Youth is so advised by old woman helper. C495.3
• Compulsion to answer cry. Hero is magically compelled to do so. C681
• Tabu: to rest sitting or lying until answer to certain question is learned. C735.2.9
• Tabu: answering call when asleep. C811.3
• Mirror answers questions. (Cf. D1163, D1323.1.) D1311.2
• Moon (stars) answers questions. D1311.6.1
• Magic cloud answers questions. (Cf. D901.) D1311.6.2
• Sun answers questions. (Cf. D1291.1.) D1311.6.3
• Coconut shell answers questions. Sinks for yes, floats for no. (Cf. D985.1.) D1311.9
• Blinded trickster directed by trees. He asks them their names and by their answers he can tell where he is. (Cf. D950.) D1313.4
• Waves answer roar of magic shield. (Cf. D1101.1, D1610.24.) D1549.10
• Magic object answers for fugitive. Left behind to impersonate fugitive and delay pursuit. D1611
• Magic rosebush answers for fugitives. (Cf. D965.3.) D1611.1
• Magic hair answers for fugitive. (Cf. D991.) D1611.2
• Magic cow-dung answers for fugitive. (Cf. D1026.2.) D1611.3
• Magic beans answer for fugitive. (Cf. D983.1.) D1611.4
• Magic clothes answer for fugitive. (Cf. D1050.) D1611.7
• Magic cakes answer for fugitive. (Cf. D1031.2.) D1611.8
• Magic household articles answer for fugitive. (Cf. D1170.) D1611.9
• Magic awl answers for fugitive. (Cf. D1187.) D1611.10
• Magic doll answers for fugitive. (Cf. D1268.) D1611.11
• Magic stick of wood answers for fugitive. (Cf. D1254.) D1611.12
• Magic log answers for fugitive. (Cf. D956.) D1611.12.1
• Magic louse answers for fugitive. D1611.13
• Magic apple answers for fugitives. (Cf. D981.1.) D1611.14
• Magic echo answers for fugitive. D1611.15
• Magic writings on stone cause corpse to answer for absent man. (Cf. D1266.1.) D1611.16
• Magic bone answers for fugitive. (Cf. D1007.) D1611.17
• Magic buckle answers for fugitive. (Cf. D1070.) D1611.18
• Imprisoned cleric comes to answer saint's prayers in ritual. D2074.2.5.1
• Provisions provided in answer to prayer. D2105.1
• Wall of snow around hut in answer to prayer. (Cf. D1766.1.) D2143.6.2
• Dead lover sets tasks. If girl does not perform them (or answer his questions) he will carry her off. E212
• Voice of son answers his mother from the grave only when called by his pet name. E324.1
• Forgetting Charon's fee. Philosopher forgets to put coin in mouth before death (Charon's fee). Charon: "Don't you know the custom?" Answer: "Yes, but I couldn't put off dying for a quarter!" E489.3
• Dead must be answered in whispers. E545.23
• Ghost writes on wall the answers to problems of person in trouble. E557.1
• Spirits answer war cry. F418.1
• Cobold avenges uncivil answer (or treatment). F481.1
• Farmer is so bothered by brownie that he decides he must move to get rid of the annoyance. He piles all furniture on wagon and starts for new home, meets acquaintance who remarks: "I see you're flitting." Brownie sticks his head out of the churn on top of the load, answers: "Yes, we're flitting." Farmer goes back to former home. F482.3.1.1
• Wise man answers all questions. F645.1
• Death from chagrin. Man cannot answer question. F1041.1.3.10
• Girl married to devil escapes with answers to his riddles. G303.12.5.5
• Student is helped by devil when he can answer three questions in rhyme. (Cf. H543.) G303.22.3
• Recognition by answer to conundrum (known only to two persons). H19.2
• Peasant boy masking as prince betrays self by his answers. H38.2.2
• Silent princess gives right answer when talking monkey is given wrong one by suitor-prince. H343.2
• Wise man answers questions of many with single speech. H501.2
• Test of cleverness: uttering three wise words. Youths called on to do so display by their answers extraordinary powers of deduction. H505
• Literary contest won by deception: he who will be first silenced is the loser. When the false teacher answers in nonsense syllables, the true scholar is speechless and so loses contest. H507.6
• Test: finding answer to certain question. H508
• Bride offered to man who can find answer to question. H508.2
• Test: guessing nature of devil's horse. Answer: he-goat. H523.1
• Test: guessing nature of devil's cloth. Answer: goat-skin. H523.2
• Test: guessing nature of devil's gold cup. Answer: cup of pitch. H523.3
• Test: guessing nature of devil's roast meat. Answer: dead dog. H523.4
• Test: guessing nature of devil's spoon. Answer: whale rib. H523.5
• Test: guessing nature of devil's wine glass. Answer: horse's hoof. H523.6
• Test: guessing nature of devil's plate. Answer: stone. H523.7
• Test: guessing nature of devil's purse. Answer: whip. H523.8
• "What am I thinking?" "That I am the priest." So answers youth masking as priest. H524.1
• Escape from devil by answering his riddles. H543
• Devil held off from person by answering his riddles. St. Andrew the Bishop, and the Devil. The Devil, in form of beautiful maiden visits a holy bishop. St. Andrew appears as a pilgrim, answers the questions through which the devil seeks to keep him at a distance and discomfits the devil. (Cf. B302.22.3.) H543.1
• Answers found in other world to riddles propounded on way. H544
• Man wins wife by instructing her how to answer her mother's riddles. H551.1
• Conflict between peasant and nobleman decided so that each must answer riddles: peasant's daughter solves them. H561.1.1
• King and abbot. King propounds three riddles to abbot to answer on pain of death. Herdsman disguises as abbot and answers questions. H561.2
• Solomon and Marcolf. Witty questions and answers between youth and servant. H561.3
• King and clever youth. King asks questions; youth returns riddling answers. H561.4
• King and peasant vie in riddling questions and answers. H561.6
• King and peasant: the plucked fowl. The king gives riddling questions to a peasant, who always interprets them right. The king says that he will send the peasant a fowl which he shall pluck. The king gives the same questions to his courtiers, who cannot interpret them. They pay the peasant good money for the answers. Peasant tells king that he has plucked the fowl. H561.6.1
• Counterquestions. Riddles answered by a question that reduces the riddle to an absurdity. H571
• Answer to riddle found by trickery. H573
• Accidental discovery of answer to riddle. H575
• Riddling answers betray theft or adultery H582
• Riddling answer betrays theft. H582.1
• Riddling answers betray adultery. H582.2
• Woman's question to her husband disguised as woman, how many men she had in one night. This is properly understood as, how many helpers he had, and answered by lifting ten fingers. H582.3
• Clever youth (maiden) answers king's inquiry in riddles. (Cf. H561.4.) H583
• Other riddling answers. H584
• Suitors receive enigmatic answers. Girls answer in single words, which, when arranged in certain order, show that they accept. H593
• Enigmatic counsels of older brother. Gray younger brother asks well-preserved older brother for the secret of his good health. Answer: A measured mouth, a close purse, and a knot on the trouser's fly. H596.1.1
• Skillful companions create woman: to whom does she belong? Woodcarver carves a doll, tailor clothes her, gardener gives her speech (or the like). (Answer sometimes given: her father, her mother, or her husband). H621
• Riddle: four hang, four walk, two show the road, one wags behind. (Cow's teats, feet, eyes, tail.) (Other answers: cat, dog, horse, hog, etc.) H743
• Riddle: what did Christ do in his 30th year? Answer: entered into his thirty-first. (Cf. H865.) H826
• Three stupid things for men to do (various answers). H871.1
• Riddles with "none" as answer. H881