58 motifs match “finally”  ·  back to the chapters

• Creation of universe: genealogical type. A begets B, who begets C, etc. Finally the universe is brought forth in its present form. A645
• Sun-snarer: burnt mantle. A boy is angered because the sun burned his mantle. He makes a snare and catches the sun and delays him so that everything is burning up. A mouse finally gnaws the snare in two. A728.1
• Discontented pine-tree: cause of pine needles. Pine tree given silk leaves, glass leaves, etc. Always discontented. Finally has needles again. (Cf. A2767.1.) A2723.1
• Hero feeds own flesh to helpful animal. The hero is carried on the back of an eagle who demands food. The hero finally feeds parts of his own flesh. B322.1
• Transformation to cure inconstant husband. He falls in love with another woman: his wife changes him to negro. He then falls in love with negress: wife changes him to ass. He then falls in love with she-ass. Finally restored to his original form. D662
• Ghost killed and thus finally laid. E446
• Reincarnation: man-object-man. In most of the versions of E632 (Reincarnation as musical instrument) the hero (heroine) finally comes back to life in his usual form. E648
• Fairies take persons up in air in chariots for a fortnight or a month. The lost are finally found in fields bereft of sense and with one of the members missing. F329.3
• [First Edition: G303.3.3.5.1. A man rides horse which is the devil. As he rides, it becomes larger and larger and finally throws him over his head.] G303.3.3.5.1[1st ed.]
• Devil haunts a house. Finally is exorcised. G303.15.3
• Dying saint leaves wise message to followers. Message is cryptic, but is finally made clear. J154.1
• Fool is told to get a pottle of brains. He tries to buy them. He finally learns that advice was to marry a clever girl. J163.2.1
• Wisdom from books bought at great price. (Sibylline). Nine books first offered at certain price. Finally after this is refused and the owner throws six of them into the fire, the king pays the same price for three of them. Finds them filled with wisdom. J166.1
• Dividing the eggs: one man's hand in the pot at a time. Trickster alternates hands so fast that the other man never gets to put his hand in. He finally puts his foot in the pan. J1241.5
• Blessing not worth a penny. Beggar woman asks pope for shilling and, being refused, for a penny. Finally asks for his blessing, which he gives. Old woman: "If your blessing had been worth a penny, you wouldn't have given me that." J1261.4
• The one to blow the whistle. Many persons request a man on the way to market to buy them a whistle. Finally one hands him a coin with the request. "You are the one who shall blow the whistle." J1382.1
• When Caleb comes. Man attempts to stay in haunted house all night. One cat after another enters, says, "Everything will be all right when Caleb comes, won't it?" (or something similar). Man finally says, "When Caleb comes, tell him I was here and left." He leaves. J1495.2
• Fault-finding husband nonplussed. The wife has cooked so many dishes that when he complains, she can always supply another. Finally he says, "I had rather eat dung." She produces some. J1545.3
• God as surety; the abbot pays. A young man is ransomed by giving God as surety for the ransom money. He fails to return as agreed. The creditor sees a wealthy abbot, who says that he is a servant of God. He robs the abbot and when the young man finally appears he tells the latter than the debt is already paid by God's servant. J1559.2
• The guest who could not keep warm. He keeps calling for more bed clothes. The host finally piles a ladder, a trough, etc., on top of him until he calls for help. J1563.1
• Air-castles: pail of milk to be sold. Old woman thinks about the horse she is finally to get from the sale. In her imagination she spurs it and spills the milk. J2061.2.1
• Foolish bargain: horse for cow, cow for hog, etc. Finally nothing left. J2081.1
• To eat a hundred onions. Choice of eating 100 onions, receiving 100 blows, or paying 100 coins. Fool tries onions in vain, then the blows, and finally must give the coins. J2095
• Princess who is too choosy finally marries an idiot. J2183.5
• The servant to improve on the master's statements. The wooer makes boasts to the girl and the servant always doubles the master's boast. Finally the master says, "I have poor eyesight." – The servant, "You don't see at all." (Or the master coughs and apologizes; the servant says that he coughs all night.) J2464
• Telling their horses apart. One fool docks the tail of his horse; the horse of the second gets tail caught in gate, is docked too. One notches ear of his horse; the second horse notches its ear on the fence. Finally they measure heights of their horses. The black horse is two inches taller than the white. J2722
• The stolen cow successively pawned. In one night a thief pawns a cow four times, always stealing it immediately and finally delivering it back to its owner. K408
• The emperor's new clothes. An impostor feigns to make clothes for the emperor and says that they are visible only to those of legitimate birth. The emperor and courtiers are all afraid to admit that they cannot see the clothes. Finally a child seeing the naked emperor reveals the imposture. K445
• Capture by tarbaby. An image covered with tar (or other adhesive substance) captures the intruder who addresses it and finally strikes it so that he sticks to it. K741
• Dupe deceived concerning the thunder; finally killed by it. The dupe has asked the trickster to tell him when it thunders. K1177
• Seducer successfully disguised as washerwoman for fifteen years. Finally exposed. K1321.1.2
• Husband catches paramour in pitfall. The wife sends her maid to investigate. The maid falls in and finally the wife herself. The husband calls the neighborhood to see them. K1562
• Lover delays the gift of the goose hoping to obtain greater favors. Finally has to flee. K1581.7.1
• The three hunchback brothers drowned. A drunken man is employed, by the woman who has accidently slain three hunchback brothers, to throw one into the river. He does so. Then she puts another out and finally the third. The man thinks they keep coming to life. Finally he sees the woman's hunchback husband and drowns him. K2322
• Sentence applied to king's own son. Those caught in adultery are to have eyes put out. When king's son is found guilty he insists on the punishment. He finally compromises by having one of his own and one of his son's eyes put out. M13
• Man captured by pirates is maimed, crippled, blinded. He is patient through it all. Finally he is elected ruler by his dead master's subjects. N251.1
• Ass gets progressively worse masters. Finally the farmer beats him living and will not spare his hide when he is dead. N255.2
• Train of troubles from sparrow's vengeance. A man runs over the dog, friend of the sparrow. Through the sparrow's vengeance the man loses his horse, his property, and finally his life. N261
• [First Edition: N276. Thief finally discovered when he pawns stolen goods.] N276[1st ed.]
• 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
• Woodsman and the gold axe. A woodsman lets his axe fall into the water. Hermes comes to his rescue. Takes out a gold axe but the woodsman says that it is not his. The same with a silver axe. Finally he is given his own axe and rewarded for his modest choice. His companion tries this plan and loses his axe. Q3.1
• Boy reaches into bird's nest for pigeon's eggs. A stone in the nest holds his hand for three days and nights. He is finally released by prayers. Q285.1.2.1
• Priest's concubine is unable to rise from stone. She is finally freed by prayers and repentance. (Cf. Q243.1.) Q551.2.7
• Unknown knight. (Three days' tournament.) For three days in succession an unknown knight in different armor wins a tournament and escapes without recognition. Finally identified by tokens. R222
• Fox finally converses with lion whom he had feared at first. U131.1
• Search for confessor. Great sinner sent from one confessor to another. All say that his sins are too great for forgiveness. Finally he succeeds. V29.1
• The clever brothers work, the foolish brother only prays; finally he acquires all the property. V52.12
• 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
• The deaf man and the proud nobleman. A nobleman amuses himself at the expense of the deaf man. Finally Nobleman: I wish you a thousand gallows and ropes around your neck. – Peasant: My lord, I wish you twice as many. X111.6
• Man escapes from bear by running for a long time, from summer to winter. Bear chases man in July; he finally crosses a river on the ice. The bear falls in or stops following (in December). X1133.2
• Fly forgets her name; asks woodcutter, axe, tree, etc., in vain. Finally foal in mare's belly says her name is "fly". Z25
• The fleeing pancake. A woman makes a pancake, which flees. Various animals try in vain to stop it. Finally the fox eats it up. Z33.1
• The fat cat. While the mistress is away, the cat eats the porridge, the bowl, and the ladle. When the mistress returns she says, "How fat you are!" The cat: "I ate the porridge, the bowl, and the ladle, and I will eat you." The cat meets other animals and eats them after the same conversation. Finally eats too many. Z33.2
• The fat troll (wolf). A troll eats the watcher's five horses and finally the watcher himself. The master goes to investigate. The troll: "I ate the five horses, I ate the watcher, and I will eat you." Does so. Likewise the wife, servant, daughter, son, and dog. The cat scratches the troll open and rescues all. Z33.4
• The singing wolf. By his singing the wolf compels the old man to surrender his cattle, his children and grandchildren, and finally his wife. The old woman goes in the wolf's service. She returns home bringing butter, etc. Z33.4.2
• The goat who would not go home. One animal after another tries in vain to persuade the goat to go home. Finally a wolf (bee) bites him and drives him home. Z39.1
• Abraham learns to worship God. At nightfall Abraham worships a star, then the moon, then the sun, and finally gives up idolatry. Z42.2
• Wall in construction collapses. Finally the king finds out that the sea is guilty. (The chain: mason – cement mixer – beautifully singing woman – pearl necklace – jeweller – diver – sea.) Z49.11.1