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

• Three-bodied goddess. Hekate has three bodies standing back to back and looking in three directions. A123.1.1
• St. Peter as ruler for the air and rain. Often misunderstands the orders of God. A287.2
• Goddess standing on her head supports earth. A842.1
• Creator makes man out of butter first; it would not stand up and melted. A1226.1
• Sun, moon, and stars bring forth first parents. Sun and moon beget son; morning and evening star beget daughter; these, the first parents, are at first without understanding, but it is awakened later by demigods. A1271.1
• Origin of hair around mouth and eyes. Original dispute between Hair and Stomach. Stomach compelled to stay on inside of man. Hair stands on guard at mouth and eyes to see that Stomach does not escape. A1315.4
• Confusion of tongues partly due to lack of understanding of difference between the word for "stick" and the word for "stone." A1333.1
• Origin of physical defects. Wicked people entering heaven on rope fall to earth and are injured. St. Peter misunderstands what God says and lets them fall. A1338
• Why the guinea fowl has red feet. Cheated and could not stand the ordeal of hot oil poured on his feet. A2375.2.10
• Monster three-legged ass. Stands in the ocean. Has three feet, six eyes, nine mouths, two ears, one horn, a white body. Two eyes are in eye position, two on top of his head, two on his hump. He renders powerless by the sharpness of his eyes. He has three mouths in his head, three in his hump, and three in the inner parts of his flanks. Each mouth is the size of a cottage. (Cf. B13, B15.1, B15.2, B15.4.) B15.7.2
• Cobra writes letters on prince's tongue: "Having heard all kinds of creatures talk, you will understand them." B165.1.3
• Animal understands human speech. B212
• All kinds of animals understand the language of heaven. B212.0.1
• Fox understands human speech. B212.1
• Knowledge of animal languages. Person understands them. B216
• Stone deity (image of) confers upon man powers of understanding animal language. B217.7
• The courtship of the stork and the crane. Go a-courting one another across the marshes but never come to an understanding, as each time either one or the other changes his mind. (Cf. T91.) B282.23
• Helpful animal killed through misunderstanding. B331
• Faithful falcon killed through misunderstanding. Tries to warn the king against drinking water poisoned by snake. B331.1
• Faithful horse killed through misunderstanding. Tries to warn king against drinking water poisoned by snake. B331.1.1
• Snake stands up, whistles. B765.15
• Patient fed salt: animal comes out for water. The patient is fed salt or heavily salted food and allowed no water for several days. He then stands with mouth open before a supply of fresh water, often a running brook. The thirsty animal emerges to get fresh water. B784.2.1
• Magic helmet taken directly from bystander. D838.8
• Charm chanted standing on one foot with one eye shut, etc. D1273.0.4
• Number of screams from stone indicates number of kings to descend from man standing upon it. D1311.16.1
• Magic object enables one to withstand inquisitorial torture. D1394.2
• Magic staff thrown causes wild animals to stand still. (Cf. D1254.) D1442.4
• Magic umbrella makes sun stand still. (Cf. D1194.) D1546.1.3
• Reading from a book makes fallen tree stand up. D1571.3
• Magic sight by standing on certain stone. D1821.5
• Magic sight by standing alone for three days. D1821.10
• St. Cecilia withstands three blows of beheading sword and lives three days after. D1840.1.3
• Horse enchanted so that he stands still. (Cf. D1654.12.) D2072.0.2.1
• Druid causes sun to stand still for two days. (Cf. D1719.1.1.) D2146.1.1.1
• Supernatural person (adulterer) causes sun to stand still for nine months. (Cf. T481.) D2146.1.1.2
• River with flow magically divided. (Part stands still, rest flows.) D2151.2.1.1
• Ghost of drowned man leaves puddle of salt water where he stands. E544.1.3
• Life token: hero's horse stands in stable in blood up to his knees. E761.1.9
• Person to live as long as church stands. E765.3.1
• Standing stone surrounded by withe as challenge at entrance of otherworld. (Cf. F149.1.) F150.3.2
• People in otherworld stand on their heads and pound yams with their heads. F167.4.1
• Fairies made visible by standing on another's foot. F235.5.1
• Spirit made visible by standing on another's foot. F412.2
• Water-spirits leave trace of water when standing or walking. F420.1.7.3
• Man with legs so long he can steady boat as he stands in ocean. F517.0.2.1
• Giant stands astride river. F531.3.5.3
• Pygmy stands on man's hand. F535.2.6
• Man can walk (stand) on weapon edge (point) without injury. F679.3
• Man can stand on barrel rolling down hill. F679.4
• Man can stand all day on one foot. F682
• Marvelous withstander of cold. F685
• Castle stands on a pillar (pillars). F771.2.5
• Castle shall stand when everything else has departed (Gimle and Brimir). F771.10
• Extraordinary standard. F899.1
• Princess stands in middle of dried-up tank so serpent will release the water, which he had swallowed up completely. F914.1
• In dead of night waters of stream cease flowing and stand perfectly still. F932.6.3
• Witch power acquired by standing on manure pile, swinging red lantern, looking over shoulder. G224.6
• Witch stands person on her head. G269.26
• The devil advises a suspicious husband. The Ring of Hans Garvel. Appears in a dream and hands the husband a ring. "When you wear this ring you will be sure of your wife." He awakens to understand the obscene implication. G303.9.7.3
• Devils do not know or understand thoughts of men. G303.13.1
• Devil stands in church door and writes down names of his own people on a sheepskin. G303.24.1.4
• Water stands still before prince. H71.10.2
• Stone of truth. When one stands on it he must utter truth. H251.2
• Suitor test: standing naked in river through a winter night. H328.4
• Princess to be married to man who withstands twelve years' fight. H328.6
• Man leaving home warns wife not to wash face in puddle in dunghill. She does. He cannot understand why; she cannot explain. H473.4
• Understanding poem as test. H509.4.3
• Enigmatic statement betrays incest. (Cf. T411.) Woman, recognizing cleric as her son by her father (Fiachna), gives him a drink of milk and says, "I give drink to my brother; he is Fiachna's son, he is Fiachna's grandson; his mother is Fiachna's daughter." The son's reply shows that he understands the situation. H582.2.1
• How far from earth to heaven? One step, for they say, He stands with one foot in the grave and one in heaven. H682.1.9
• Task assigned from misunderstanding. H946
• Task assigned from misunderstanding: search for prince named Sabr ("wait"). H946.1
• Task: standing neither inside nor outside of gate. (Forefeet of horse inside, hind feet outside.) H1052
• Task: standing between summer and winter. (Stands between wagon and sleigh.) H1058
• Test of valor: rousing servant's anger. Nobleman, when examining servants for hire, bids each stand before him and comb his long beard. Occasionally he snaps at them as if to bite them. Those who dodge he lets go; those who offer fight he employs. H1561.4
• Strength contest: contestants stand with back to rock on opposite side, an iron ring around neck of each connected by chain. They tug until ring severs neck of one. H1562.7
• "Do not stand and watch two people fighting": counsel proved wise by experience. Man does so and is called by both parties to depose in favor of both or he will be beheaded. J21.51
• Understanding of universality of death from watching animals prey on one another. J52.1
• Ducklings take to water from instinct. Bridegroom thus brought to understand bride's expertness in lovemaking. J64
• Men shamed for their cowardice by woman standing naked before them. (Usually connected with Jus Primae Noctis [T161]). J87
• Peasant leaves honey tree standing. Sparrows and crickets ask peasant to leave tree standing. He refuses, but when he finds honey in the tree he consents. J241.2
• Pine and thornbush dispute as to their usefulness. Beauty of form does not give worth; pine grows slowly but it will withstand storms. J242.2
• Fire burns man who doesn't understand it. Useful when one knows how to use it. J834
• Woman in finery in church thinks people are standing up to see her when they rise at gospel reading. J953.8
• Wife dismisses maid who is husband's mistress and tells him she has fled. Husband understands and reforms. J1112.2
• Silence points to guilt. Important man quarrels with commoner. Asks bystanders: "Who is right?" Silence. Newcomer states that the important man is wrong. "Had he been right the others would have said so." J1141.8
• Trespasser's defense: standing on his own land. Man has earth from his own land in his shoes. J1161.3
• Monk's cordon cannot stand the strain. Franciscan claims that his cordon will save him from Hell. Benedictine answers that he once had a dream in which he saw St. Francis throw his cordon to save members of his order in Purgatory and so many clung to it that it snapped. (Cf. Q291.1.) J1261.8
• Priest who never reads mass. Peasants complain of his ignorance. He says that they stand so close to him that he is afraid they might memorize and then pay no attention to his reading of it. J1263.1.3
• Rich man shakes ducats into pope's lap. Pope says, "Who could withstand such an armored army?" and decides for the rich man. J1263.2.2
• Praying before the King of Kings. Man while praying refuses to salute superior. While standing before the King of Kings he could not show respect to inferiors. J1269.7
• The lion and the statue. A man points out the statue to show the supremacy of man. The lion: "If it had been a lion sculptor, the lion would have been standing over the man." J1454
• The man in place of a watch-dog. The master orders his serf to watch the manor at night in place of the dog. When the thieves come, the serf barks: "Dress, dress .... They take, take .... They lead, lead .... " The master does not understand the barking and pays no heed to it – is robbed of his property. J1511.12
• The old man nods "Yes". A monk at an old man's deathbed asks if he hasn't promised this and that to the church. The old man from weakness rather than understanding nods "Yes". The son standing by asks, "Shall I throw this fellow down stairs?" The old man nods "Yes". J1521.2
• A box connection. Man refused hospitality tells rich man he is a relative. Asked for the "connection," he tells him there is a box connection. Rich man not understanding, man explains his cart is made of box wood and is tied to a rich man's box tree. Rich man, ashamed, entertains him with all due respect. J1561.6
• Poet uses words which student cannot understand and so confounds him. (Cf. J1803.) J1684
• Why the pigs shriek. The sheep does not understand why the pig being carried to slaughter shrieks. J1733
• Standing up for the friendless. Preacher in backwoods asks congregation members who are friends of Jesus to rise. No one rises. "What, are there no friends of Jesus in this house?" A cowboy rises to his feet: "Stranger, I don't know who this man Jesus is. I never heard of him before, but I'll stand up for any man who hasn't got any more friends than he has." J1738.5
• Countryman misunderstands comforts of city. Thinks latrine is kitchen, refuses to take a walk because he fears high houses will fall upon him, etc. J1742.5
• "I don't understand." Foreigner asks who owns property, clothing, servants; whose wife an attractive woman is; whose funeral is in progress? Answer to each question is "I don't understand," which foreigner takes to be a person's name. (Cf. J1152, J1741, X111.7.) J1802.1
• Other misunderstandings of words. J1805