56 motifs match “formula”  ·  back to the chapters

• Creator uses particular formula (letters) to create universe. A611.0.1
• Devil as Earth Diver. Satan dives for earth at instance of God. Succeeds only third time (by use of right formula). He hides the earth under his tongue. It swells, and he must be rescued by God. A812.1
• Petrification by magic written formula. D573.2
• Disenchantment by repeating magic formula. D789.6
• Magic charm (formula) used injudiciously brings death to owner's wife, children, himself. D806.2
• Magic object recovered through recitation of magic formula. D886
• Magic formula (charm). D1273
• Magic formula renders invisible. (Cf. D1273.) D1361.26
• Escape from prison by use of charm (formula). (Cf. D1273.) D1395.6
• Serpent charmed into helplessness by magic formula. (Cf. D1273.) D1410.5
• Magic formula causes persons to stick together. (Cf. D1273.) D1413.0.1.1
• Magic formula causes sea to open up. (Cf. D1273.) D1551.9
• Mountain opens to magic formula (Open Sesame). (Cf. D1273.) D1552.2
• Magic formula causes silver to hide itself in mountain. (Cf. D1273.) D1555.3
• Magic formula causes tree to open. (Cf. D1273.) D1556.1
• Golem. Automatic statue animated by insertion of written magic formula into an opening. D1635
• Magic results of reversing a spell. Formula said backward will sometimes undo the work performed by the formula. (Cf. D1273.) D1783.1
• Invisibility by reciting formula backwards. D1985.2
• Forgetting by stumbling. A name or formula is magically forgotten when one stumbles (or jumps). D2004.5
• Power of wild hunt evaded by formula. (Cf. D1273.) E501.17.4.2
• Formulas for fairies' travel through air. F282.2
• Pseudo-magic formula for making gold sold to king. Gold required for its manufacture carried off by manufacturer. K111.4
• Formula-tale (Ehod) saves girl from devil. Unsuccessful imitation. (Cf. Z20.) K555.2.1
• Formulas for selling one's soul to devil. M211.5
• Secret formula for opening treasure mountain overheard from robbers (Open Sesame). N455.3
• Formula for girl fleeing: behind me night, etc. "Behind me night and before me day that no one shall see where I go." R255
• Marriage formula: "You are mine and I am yours". T135.1
• Formulas. Z0
• Beginning formulas. Z10.1
• End formulas. Z10.2
• Transition formulas. Z10.3
• The goat who would not leave the hazel bush. Final formula: The devil goes to strangle the Jew, the Jew to kill the ox, the ox to drink the water, the water to quench the fire, the fire to burn the stone, the stone to blunt the axe, the axe to cut the rope, the rope to tie the hunter, the hunter to shoot the goat – the goat leaves the hazel bush, the wee goat leaves the hazel bush. Z39.1.1
• The hen lays an egg, the mouse breaks it. Sorrowing over this mishap, all show extraordinary behavior; the master puts an end to it. Final formula: hen strips off feathers, rubbish heap catches fire, oak falls to ground, hare drowns self, magpie twists leg, ox breaks horns, river flows blood, maid breaks pails, housewife scatters dough. Master locks up wife and maid, goes to seek people more foolish. Z39.5
• The old woman and her pig. Her pig will not jump over the stile so that she can go home. She appeals in vain for help until the cow gives her milk. The final formula is: cow give milk for cat; cat kill rat; rat gnaw rope; rope hang butcher; butcher kill ox; ox drink water; water quench fire; fire burn stick; stick beat dog; dog bite pig; pig jump over stile. (Various introductions.) Z41
• Bird's pea gets stuck in socket of mill-handle. She goes to carpenter, king, queen, who refuse to help. She asks snake to bite queen, stick to beat snake, fire to burn stick, etc. Final formula: cat eats mouse, mouse cuts plant creeper, creeper snares elephant, elephant drinks up sea, sea quenches fire, fire burns stick, stick beats snake, snake bites queen, queen speaks to king, king chides carpenter, carpenter cuts mill handle, and pea is extracted. Questions in rhyme. Z41.6
• Gram (parched grain) sticks in post; parrot goes to raja, etc., for help. Final formula: at last creeper took pity on birds, and elephant feared creeper, and ocean feared elephant, and fire feared ocean, and stick feared fire, and snake feared stick, and carpenter feared snake; and carpenter split post which gave up the grain to the birds, who went away. Z41.6.1
• The wormwood does not want to rock the sparrow. Final formula: the worms begin to gnaw the rods, the rods to beat the oxen, the oxen to drink the water, the water to quench the fire, the fire to burn the hunters, the hunters to shoot the wolves, the wolves to kill the goats, the goats to gnaw the wormwood, the wormwood to rock me – it rocked and rocked me to sleep. Z41.7
• Pulling the needle out of the seamstress's hand. Final formula: That was just what the cat was waiting for – it sprang to devour the mouse, the mouse to tear the spider's web, the spider to entangle the dog, the dog to eat the goat, the goat to gnaw the rushes, the rushes to grow in the stream, the stream to quench the fire, the fire to burn the stone, the stone to beat the axe, the axe soon pulled out the needle that was stuck in the seamstress's hand. Z41.8
• The lazy servant and the grain. "Lentils, lentils, get into my sack!" Final formula: the hungry hawk attacks the hens, the hens the worms, the worms the stick, the stick the ox, the ox runs to the water, the water attacks the fire, the fire the hunters, the hunters the wolf, the wolf the goat, the goat the willow, the willow the cat, the cat the mice, the mice the lentils, the lentils go whoosh whoosh into the sack. Z41.9
• The cock's whiskers. A mouse throws a nut down and hits the cock on the head. He also steals the cock's whiskers. The cock goes to get an old woman to cure him. The final formula is: Fountain give up water for forest, forest give up wood for baker, baker give up bread for dog, dog give up hairs to cure the cock. (Variant: mouse loses tail.) Z43
• Nut hits cock in head: he thinks world is coming to an end. He sends the hen to tell the duck, the duck to tell the goose, etc. Final formula: – Fox, who told you? – Hare. – Hare, who told you? – Goose. – etc. For sequel see Type 20C. Sometimes the animals have queer names (cf. Z53). Z43.3
• The house that Jack built. Final formula: This is the farmer that sowed the corn that fed the cock that crowed in the morn, that waked the priest all shaven and shorn, that married the man all tattered and torn, that kissed the maiden all forlorn, that milked the cow with a crumpled horn, that tossed the dog, that worried the cat, that caught the rat, that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built. Z44
• The house the old man was to build. The woman for whom he is to build the house has some beans for him. The goat eats these up. Cumulative search. Final formula: Smith give me my iron, iron which belongs to the man, man who ate up my fish, fish which belongs to the sea .... sea – shirt – washerwoman – soap – woman – wood – press – grease – herder – cheese – frame – fig – tree – horn – goat – beans. Z44.1
• Series of trick exchanges: razor – pot – bride – drum by tricky fox. Fox sings formula of exchanges. Z47.1
• Fat mouse cannot get into hole. "Carpenter, please pare off a little flesh from my ribs." Refused. Final formula: the scythe cuts the creeper loose. Z49.2.1
• Biting a grain in half. Final formula: Forester attacks bear, the bear the wolf, the wolf the dog, the dog the cat, the cat the mouse, the mouse the grain – the grain is bitten in two. Z49.8
• Pulling up the turnip. Final formula: The mouse holds onto the cat, the cat holds onto Mary, Mary holds onto Annie, Annie holds onto grandmother, grandmother holds onto grandfather, grandfather holds onto the turnip – they all pull and pull it out. Z49.9
• Formulas signifying fruitlessness, e.g. like putting a withe about sand, like mocking a beggar. Z63
• Color formulas. Z65
• Formula: three days and three nights. Z71.1.1
• Formula: north, south, east, west. (The cardinal directions.) Z71.2.1
• Formulas based on the year. Z72
• Formula: as many children as holes in a sieve. Z75
• Miscellaneous formulas. Z90
• Formula for other world: "Where no man goes and no crow flies." Z91
• Formulas of distance. Z92