74 motifs match “overhear”  ·  back to the chapters

• Bee as God's spy. God, the creator, sends a bee to overhear the devil's secrets. A33.3.1
• Remedy learned from overhearing animal meeting. The hero learns how to cure his own blindness and the sickness of the king (princess). B513
• Tabu: uttering secret overheard. C420.3
• Boy overhears witches' conversation about magic objects, which he gets possession of. D838.9
• Magic power from overheard talk of spirits. D1739.1
• Ogre's secret overheard. G661
• Ogre's secret overheard from tree. G661.1
• Ogre's secret overheard by masking as bird. G661.2
• Recognition by overheard conversation (usually with animals or objects). Person not daring to reveal self directly thus attracts attention and recognition. H13
• Recognition by overheard conversation with animal. H13.1
• Recognition by overheard conversation with horse. H13.1.1
• Recognition by overheard conversation with dog. H13.1.2
• Recognition by overheard conversation with cow. H13.1.3
• Recognition by overheard conversation with objects. H13.2
• Recognition by overheard conversation with bridge. Bridge which will trip up bridal party if king is not marrying an equal. Disguised princess praises bridge for its recognition of her equality with the king. H13.2.1
• Recognition by overheard conversation with stone. H13.2.2
• Recognition by overheard conversation with plant. H13.2.3
• Recognition by overheard conversation with churchdoor. H13.2.4
• Recognition by overheard conversation with cups (or other utensils). H13.2.5
• Recognition by overheard conversation with flax. By comparing her fate with that of the flax the heroine is able to reveal herself. H13.2.6
• Recognition by overheard conversation with stove. H13.2.7
• Recognition from overheard conversation of two sons. H13.3
• Recognition from overheard conversation with flower-woman. H13.4
• Tasks performed by means of secrets overheard from tree. H963
• Trickster overhears man praying for death to take him; the trickster appears at man's house, usually in disguise, says he is God (or the devil). The man tells him to take his wife (or he runs away). (Compare C11 for a similar situation in which Death appears.) J217.0.1.1
• Foolishness of noise-making when enemies overhear. J581
• Priest preaches about bishop's amour. Bishop has fined priest for incontinence. Priest hides and witnesses amorous intrigue between bishop and abbess, hearing bishop refer to the abbess's charms in biblical similes. Priest incorporates overheard references in his introduction to the Mass and is asked for an explanation. Bishop returns his fine. J1211.1.1
• The flatterer's retort. Two men meet a homely girl. One of them: "Who wouldn't call that girl pretty?" The girl overhears and says, "No one would say it of you." The man: "Anyone might say it who would lie as I have lied about you." J1356
• Thieves deceived by prearranged conversation which they overhear. (Cf. K420.) J1517
• Overheard conversation: "Mustard has advanced in price." Thieves steal mustard and leave all else. J1517.1
• Overheard conversation: "Money hidden in wall (field)." Thieves take box filled with stone (or dig up field). J1517.2
• Overheard conversation: "My money is hanging in the tree." Thieves stung by hornets. J1517.3
• The forehanded servant. A parson boasts that when he asks his maid if certain work is done she always answers that it has been done long ago. A guest wagers that she can be trapped if she is asked whether she has thrown the parson's suit of clothes into the tub of water. She overhears the wager and has the suit in the water before he asks the question. J1614
• Incognito mistress breaks off relations when she overhears the lover discussing the adventure. J2364
• Guessing name of devil's secret plant. The man's wife in tar and feathers overhears the devil tell the secret name of the crop he has discovered (tobacco). The devil says to the supposed animal, "Get out of my tobacco!" K216.2.1
• Blind beggar overheard telling that his money is kept in a stick. Thief exchanges sticks. K333.4
• Sheep thief pretends to buy wethers from the ram, names the price himself. Owner overhears, takes the ram to the thief to collect. K439.5
• Priest induced to betray secrets of confessional: money then exacted from him for silence. The trickster confesses that he has had intimacies with the priest's maid and then overhears the priest scold the maid. K443.8
• Trickster dupes rival by exchanging beds: receives his food. Overhears maiden tell rival she will bring food at night, waits until rival is asleep and carries him to another bed, takes his place, and is fed by maiden. K499.8
• Tit for tat. Wolf tells sick lion that fox does not esteem him. Fox overhears it. Later fox tells lion that his only cure lies in his wrapping himself in the wolf's skin. Wolf is killed. K961.1.1
• Sham wise man pretends knowledge from dream: really overheard conversation. K1956.7
• Alleged idol promises teacher certain payment for his book when finished. Dupe overhears and pays him bargain price for what he is later to receive. K1971.13
• Tiger lets man go on condition he does not tell what he has overheard. M295.1
• Snake turns to gold in answer to dream. Woman tells dream of pot of gold. Robbers overhear but finding only snake in pot turn it loose on woman's bed. It turns to gold. N182
• False accusation overheard causes hasty killing. N342.4
• Secrets overheard. N450
• Secrets overheard from animal (demon) conversation. N451
• Secrets of animals (demons) accidentally overheard from tree (bridge) hiding place. N451.1
• Secret remedy overheard in conversation of animals (witches). N452
• Remedy for lack of water in certain place overheard in conversation of animals (demons). N452.1
• Reason for withering of tree overheard in conversation of animals (demons). N452.1.1
• Conversation of objects overheard. N454
• Speaking bed-legs overheard. N454.1
• King overhears conversation of lamps. N454.2
• Overheard (human) conversation. N455
• Overheard boast about hidden money brings about robbery. N455.1
• Robbers' plans overheard: owner warned. N455.2
• Robbers' secret overheard and later used in court against them. N455.2.1
• Secret formula for opening treasure mountain overheard from robbers (Open Sesame). N455.3
• King overhears girl's boast as to what she should do as queen. Marries her. N455.4
• Husband learns of wife's fidelity through conversation overheard. N455.6
• Location of sought object learned from overheard conversation. N455.9
• By hiding, stupid son overhears conversation and claims magic power for bamboo cup. N455.10
• Servant overhearing conversation realizes the misery of his employment. N455.11
• Foolish attempt of second man to overhear secrets (from animals, demons etc.). He is punished. N471
• Secret name overheard by eavesdropper. N475
• Secret age overheard by eavesdropper. Man masking as cuckoo in tree causes the surprised ogre to disclose secret. N475.1
• Secret reason why hero does not want to eat the food of the foreign king overheard by eavesdropper. N475.2
• Secret unique means of killing ogre overheard from children. N476.3
• Information about treasure received from overheard conversation. N534.4
• Overheard wish is realized. N699.6
• Thief overhears and oversees quarrel of two jealous wives. Arraigned before judge, he asks any punishment be given him rather than that of having two wives. T251.1.6
• The curious wife: wait and see. A man and his wife overhear thieves planning to rob the house, put the man out of the way, and have their will of the wife. The man wants to raise an alarm. She says, "Wait and see." T258.1
• Man demonstrates his violence of temper. He overhears a man tell of his temper. In anger he enters and demands to know when he has ever lost his temper. W185.1