50 motifs match “stretch”  ·  back to the chapters

• One mountain in love with another stretches leg out to meet her: origin of a mountain chain. A965.1
• Animal characteristics from squeezing or stretching ancient animal. (Cf. A2231.9). A2213
• Animals' size increased by stretching. (Cf. A2312.1, A2301.) A2213.3
• Animal characteristics changed by stretching. A2213.4
• Why tortoise's neck is outstretched toward the sky: is looking for his wife, the star. A2351.5
• Why cock crows on roof with neck stretched out. A2426.2.18.1
• Man magically stretches self to overcome cliff. D55.1.1
• Man magically stretches self to overcome opponent in battle. D55.1.1.1
• Man magically stretches self to sink tent pole. D55.1.1.2
• Things miraculously stretched or shortened if needed by a saint. D480.0.1
• Stretching objects. D482
• Transformation: stretching tree. A tree magically shoots upward. D482.1
• Stretching lily plant. Miraculously quick growing. D482.2
• Magic stretching lance (Cf. D1086). D482.3
• Transformation: stretching cliff. A cliff magically shoots up into the air. D482.4
• Stretching sepulchre. Magically becomes longer. D482.5
• Transformation: stretching fingers to make ladder. D485
• Magic forest seems to stretch farther as mortals travel within. (Cf. D941.) D1368.5
• Handkerchief whirled against advancing army stretches them lifeless. (Cf. D1069.1.) D1402.28
• Magic hair stretches after fugitive. (Cf. D991.) D1436
• Transportation by stretching and swaying tree. The tree stretches and bends over so as to land hero in a distant country. (Cf. D482.) D1520.1.1
• Image of Virgin saves painter. Stretches forth hand and keeps him from falling. D1639.2
• Saint protects followers against bullets by stretching sheet over their heads. D2163.9
• Tree stretches to sky. F54.1
• Mountain stretches to sky. F55.1
• Man stretches self till he reaches other world. F59.1
• One-eyed barber sees thread of silk stretching to sea. F642.6
• Rainbow stretches from monastery to heaven at saint's death. F960.2.2
• Witch stretches out her hand and brings water from ocean without getting out of her bed; is recognized. G259.5
• Devil writes down all idle words spoken in church. His parchment is not long enough and he has to stretch it. G303.24.1.6
• Troll stretches neck so long that fire comes from lips. G304.2.1.2
• Procrustes. Monster makes men fit his bed. Tall men sawed off, short men stretched. G313
• Pigeons cover the sun's rays with their outstretched wings and lengthen night to six months so that hero's task can be completed in one night. H982.1
• Wisdom from continual reminder of foolishness in the past. Unjust judge skinned and his skin stretched over a footstool kept in the presence of judges, so as to remind them to be just. J167
• Warming hands across the river. Numskull stretches out his hands toward the fire across the river. J1945
• Trying to stretch the beam. J1964.1
• Keeping the measure by stretching out the arms. Numskull goes to buy goods for his wife. J2036
• Boots made by two cobblers. Trickster sends one of each pair back to be stretched, leaves town with pair of boots made up of the remaining boots. K233.3
• Thieves stretch chain across road and evade pursuers. K413
• Watchman outwitted by having rope stretched across the road while fugitives escape. K623
• Abandonment on stretching tree. A man is induced to get into a tree which magically shoots upward. K1113
• Woman enticed to upper world on a stretching tree. K1339.2
• Hypocrite refuses gifts orally but stretches out his hands. K2057
• Man vulnerable only in armpits shot as he stretches his arms. N476.2
• Punishment: stretching tongue to enormous length. Q451.4.10
• Stretching tree refuge for fugitive. (Cf. D482.1.) R311.4
• Jealous father sends son to upper world on stretching tree. S11.2
• Dead holy man stretches hand from tomb to honor saint. V222.7
• Lies about stretching or shrinking. X1785
• Lie: the stretching and shrinking harness. Man driving team with wagon uphill in rain finds on arrival at the top of the hill that the tugs of rawhide or buckskin have stretched and that the loaded wagon is still at the bottom of the hill. He unhitches the horses and throws the harness across a stump. Sometime later, or the next morning, the sun comes out and shrinks the tugs, drawing the load to the top of the hill. X1785.1