27 motifs match “magpie”  ·  back to the chapters

• Creation of magpie. A1922
• Magpie tells man he is to die next day: no tongue and long tail. God pulls out his tongue and makes his tail long for doing this forbidden thing. (Cf. A2344.2.6, A2378.3.1.) A2236.4
• Dove and magpie exchange eggs – dove's seven for magpie's two: why dove has two eggs. (Cf. A2486.3.) A2247.4
• Origin of magpie's feathers. Exchanges with dove. (Cf. A2247.) A2313.2
• Why magpie is bald. A2317.6
• Why magpie has no tongue. (Cf. A2236.4.) A2344.2.6
• Why magpie has long neck. A2351.4.2
• How magpie got long tail. (Cf. A2236.4.) A2378.3.1
• Why magpie's tail is like a chisel. A2378.7.2
• Magpie is a hybrid of dove and raven; was not baptized by water of the flood in Noah's time. (Cf. A2291.) A2382.1
• Color of magpie. A2411.2.1.10
• Why magpie is cursed. (Cf. A2231.) A2542.1
• Magpie refuses to get into ark, sits around outside, jabbering over drowned world, is unlucky. (Cf. A2232.4.) A2542.1.1
• Wise magpie. B122.0.1
• Magpie as prophetic bird. B143.0.2
• Wedding of magpie with another bird. B282.14
• Helpful magpie. B451.6
• Magpie as suitor. B623.3
• Transformation: man to magpie. D151.9
• Soul in form of magpie. E732.4
• Magpie tells a man that his wife has eaten an eel, which she said was eaten by the otter. The woman plucks his feathers out. When the magpie sees a bald man, she says, "You too must have tattled about the eel." J551.5
• Why the sow was muddy. A magpie is punished by his master, who throws him into a mud puddle. The magpie sees a muddy sow. He says, "You also must have had a quarrel with your master." J2211.2
• Magpie leads other magpies into his master's net. Promises them that the master will teach them to speak. K2032
• Man slits tongue of magpie so that it can learn to speak. His fingernails grow out like bird's claws as punishment. Q285.1.1.1
• 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
• Toad asks magpie in tree to throw down a chestnut. Magpie refuses, saying it might break its beak. Toad promises, if that happens, to get a horsehair to tie it up again. Magpie throws chestnut and breaks beak. Toad asks ass for hair, but ass first demands grass; mower demands sheep; shepherd, pup; mother dog, bread; baker, stumps. Toad cuts the stumps and gets the hair. Z43.1
• The climax of horrors. The magpie is dead? – Overate on horseflesh. – Horses dead? – Overworked at fire. – House burned down? – etc. Z46