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

• Earth Diver. From a raft in the primeval sea, the creator sends down animals to try to bring up earth. After a number of animals have failed, one (often the muskrat) succeeds. The earth is made from the bit brought up. A812
• Earth supported on vast number of birds' legs. A844.10
• Why an uneven number of ribs. A1312.2
• Number of nations of the world (70, 72, 140). A1601
• Number of animal's eyes. A2332.2
• Feet of dragon – number. B11.2.4.1
• Fish come in great numbers to the bank of a stream in order to hear Anthony of Padua preach. B251.2.7.1
• Man falls in hole with horse; buzzards gather; he lassoes a number of buzzards, ties them together, frightens them; all fly at once, carry him from hole. (Tall tale.) B547.2.1
• Tabu: diminishing number of sacred days. C58.1
• Tabu: intercourse with resuscitated wife for particular number of days. C117.1
• Magic numbers. (Cf. Z71.) D1273.1
• Three as magic number. D1273.1.1
• Four as magic number. D1273.1.2
• Five as magic number. D1273.1.2.1
• Seven as magic number. D1273.1.3
• Nine as magic number. D1273.1.3.1
• Ten as magic number. D1273.1.4
• Twelve as magic number. D1273.1.5
• Thirteen as magic number. D1273.1.6
• Magic numbers – miscellaneous. D1273.1.7
• 101 as magic number. D1273.1.7.1
• 9999 as magic number. D1273.1.7.2
• Number of screams from stone indicates number of kings to descend from man standing upon it. D1311.16.1
• Miraculous increasing of small quantity of victuals or drinks to feed a great number of people. D1652.1.0.1
• Limited number of wishes granted. D1761.0.2
• The unquiet grave. (Cf. D2151.1.2.3.) Dead unable to rest in peace. Aside from the references given in the numbers immediately following, see E200–E399 passim. E410
• Limited number of souls in world necessitates reincarnation. E603
• Definite number of reincarnations. E604
• Feet with unusual number of toes. F551.2
• Hands with unusual number of fingers. F552.1.1
• Extraordinary number of rooms. F781.2
• Beating the devil. One must give him an odd number of strokes. Devil asks for one stroke more. G303.16.19.19
• Chastity test: throwing certain number on dice. H413.5
• Test of resourcefulness: finding how many people are in dark closed room. Fills room with evil smell; men call each other by name and disclose number. H506.2
• Symbolic meaning of numbers, letters, etc. H602
• Symbolic meaning of numbers. H602.1
• Symbolic meaning of numbers one to seven (ten, twelve). E.g. One: sun; two: Moses' tablets; three: three Maries; etc. H602.1.1
• Riddles of numbers. H700
• Task: washing enormous number of clothes (and other articles) in short time. H1096
• Task: hauling enormous number of things from one farm to another in one day. H1109.2
• Task: collecting enormous amount of material (number of rare objects, etc.) H1149.4
• Those who furnish equal number of animals for plow share equally in crop (in spite of amount of work done by each). J1179.11
• In numbers there is strength. The children of the Genoese are strong because there is more help. J1279.4
• The fools in the city. Man ordered to number the fools in the city replies, "It is easier to number the wise men." J1443
• Eating cure becomes epidemic. A woman feigns periodic attacks of a sickness that can be cured only by eating a great number of delicacies. The husband feigns the same disease. J1511.3
• Armies like seeds and peppercorns. One king sends large sack of seed to the other to represent the number of his soldiers. The second replies with a small bag of peppercorns: "My army is small compared to yours but has all the power of the peppercorn compared to your lifeless seed." J1625
• Counting wrong by not counting oneself. Numskulls conclude that one of their number is drowned. J2031
• The interrupted calculation. While the merchant is making calculations, he asks the age of his youngest daughter, the elder daughter, and the mother, and always adds this to the number he has reached. J2035
• Illogical use of numbers. J2213
• The seventh cake satisfies. Fool regrets that he had not eaten number seven first since that was the one that brought satisfaction. J2213.3
• More than twenty commandments. Numskull asked the number of commandments replies that there are twenty. He explains to another that he knows there must be more than twenty because the minister would not accept his answer. J2213.5.1
• The eye-juggler. A trickster sees a man throwing his eyes into the air and replacing them. He also receives this power but he must not use the power beyond a specified number of times. When he does so, he loses his eyes. He usually gets animal eyes as substitutes. J2423
• A pebble for each sin. A man cannot remember the number of his sins. The priest has him put a pebble in a sack for each of his sins. He comes to confession with three large sacks of pebbles. J2466.1
• Deceptive bargain: the ogre and the copper coins. Every time the copper coin is paid out, the ogre must make a new one. The man buys an extensive property and pays with a large number of copper coins. He threatens to buy another and the ogre goes back on his contract. K183
• Warriors whitewash weapons thus disguising identity of one of their number who bears white-handled battle-axe. K1839.6
• Rats cause cats to be killed. The rats unite and all go to houses together, increasing or decreasing their ravages with the increase or decrease in the number of cats. Thus the cats are suspected of the damage and are killed. K2172
• God punishes David for his pride in the number of his subjects. An angel is sent to kill his people. Desists only when David repents. L415
• Prophecy: sinners going to heaven are to be numbered by hairs in saint's chasuble. M364.3.1
• Prophecy: great numbers (three) to be saved through virtue of saint. M364.3.2
• Curse on village: descendants never to exceed certain number. (Cf. M475.) M461.1
• Thirteen as unlucky number. N135.1
• The cadaver arm. Medical students (or student nurses or hospital employees) play trick on one of their number by suspending a cadaver arm or leg from the light cord in the person's room (sometimes the object is placed in the person's bed). Some circumstance keeps them from being on hand to observe the person's reaction; the next day they remember the joke and go to the victim's room to investigate. They have to break down the door. They find the victim sitting on the bed – her hair is snow white – and she is gnawing on the cadaver arm. N384.0.1.1
• Limited number of wives for polygamous king. P18.2
• Lex talionis. One life for one life. Equal number must be given up by each feuding side. (Cf. P535.) P522.1
• Battle-cairn. Losses reckoned by number of stones remaining in pile after each survivor has removed one. P554
• Punishment: reduced number of children. Q553.3.7
• Certain number of souls released from hell every Saturday through virtue of saint. Q560.2.2
• Extraordinary number of children in family. T586.2
• Extraordinary number of animals at birth. T586.4
• Children named by numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.). T596.2
• Would not lie for a trifle. Liar tells of shooting large number of animals with one shot (an odd number, usually 99). When asked why he did not make it a round number (or an even hundred), he replies indignantly that he would not lie for one pigeon (rabbit). X906
• Lie: large number of fishermen in one spot. X1151
• Lie: large number of snakes. X1321.2
• Lies about numbers. X1710
• Chains based on numbers. Z21
• Ehod mi yodea (One; who knows?); Le dodici parole della verità, Las doce palabras retorneadas. The numbers from one to twelve are brought into relation with various objects, often of religious significance. Z22
• Formulistic numbers. Z71
• Odd numbers – formulistic. Z71.0.1
• Formulistic numbers: a number plus one (101, 1001, etc.). Z71.0.2
• Formulistic number: three. Z71.1
• Formulistic numbers: threefold (e.g. three times thirty). Z71.1.0.2
• Formulistic number: four. Z71.2
• Formulistic number: fourfold (e.g. 400, 4000). Z71.2.0.1
• Formulistic number: five. Z71.3
• Formulistic numbers: fivefold (e.g. 50, 500). Z71.3.0.1
• Formulistic number: six. Z71.4
• Formulistic number: sixfold. Z71.4.0.1
• Formulistic number: seven. Z71.5
• Formulistic numbers: sevenfold (e.g. 49, 70, 70,000, 7,777). (Cf. Z71.15.) Z71.5.0.1
• Seven as a number in religious and social records. Z71.5.6
• Formulistic number: nine (99, 900, 999, 99,999, etc.). Z71.6
• Formulistic number: eleven. Z71.7
• Formulistic number: twelve. Z71.8
• Formulistic number: "twice twelve years". Z71.8.3
• Formulistic number: twelve plus thirteen. Z71.8.4
• Formulistic number: twelve score. Z71.8.5
• Formulistic number: twenty-four. Z71.8.6
• Formulistic number: thirty-six. Z71.8.7
• Formulistic number: thirteen. Z71.9
• Formulistic number: sixteen. Z71.10