41 motifs match “succeed”  ·  back to the chapters

• Sun swallowed and spit out. In theft of sun, the raven (or devil) thus succeeds. A721.2
• 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
• Devil as Earth Diver. Satan dives for earth at instance of God. Succeeds only third time (by use of right formula). He hides the earth under his tongue. It swells, and he must be rescued by God. A812.1
• Fettered monster's escape at end of world. Giant, or monster, is fettered in depths of the earth. His movement causes earthquakes. When he succeeds in freeing himself from the fetters and escapes, the world will end. A1070
• Devil's unsuccessful attempt to vivify his creations as God has done. Succeeds only in making animal. A1217
• Hare and man contest in watching for leaf to fall off tree. First one to succeed may eat other. Hare loses. A2256.1
• Forgotten fiancée. Young husband visiting his home breaks tabu and forgets his wife. Later she succeeds in reawakening his memory. (For details of the ways in which the memory is lost and regained see D2004 and D2006. D2003
• Rescue tokens. Proof that hero has succeeded in rescue. (Cf. H105, H105.1, H105.2.) H83
• Youngest brother alone succeeds on quest. H1242
• Unpromising hero succeeds in quest. H1242.1
• Test of sex of man masking as girl: jumping over pit (only man succeeds). H1578.1.4.2
• Old woman prays for safety of cruel tyrant for fear a worse one will succeed him. J215.2.1
• Flea and fever exchange night-lodgings. Flea had attacked abbess and been chased all night; fever, a washerwoman who nearly froze it to death by going to the river and washing clothes. They exchange and succeed. J612.1
• Fight of lions and bulls. Lion succeeds only when bulls separate. J1022
• Clever wife advises husband how to succeed on adventures. J1112.3
• Unjust oath countered by another. A woman entrusts three coins to a headsman. He denies her claim which she fails to substantiate in ordeal. She now claims more and happens to succeed with ordeal. J1521.4
• Kissing the mother first. Oracle that the first of three sons to kiss his mother will be king. One of them kisses the earth, mother of all. He succeeds. J1652
• Sunlight carried into windowless house in baskets. When this plan does not succeed, they gradually pull down the house to get light. J2123
• Three reasons for not giving alms. (1) Student has only one eye: Aristotle says to beware of those whom nature has marked. (2) Student comes from Bremen: no one of consequence comes from there. (3) His name is Nicholas: no one with that name can succeed. J2225
• The judge wants to know how the theft was committed. The witness tells. The judge: "You are wonderful; I have tried it thirty times and succeeded only once." J2372
• Numskull praises his daughter as being pregnant. He tries in vain to sell his cow and succeeds only when he says that she is with calf. When suitors come wooing his daughter, he tries the same plan disastrously. J2427
• The dog refuses to help the wolf. A farmer plans to kill a faithful old dog. The wolf makes a plan to save the dog. The latter is to rescue the farmer's child from the wolf. The plan succeeds and the dog is rewarded. The wolf in return wants to steal the farmer's sheep. The dog refuses his assistance. K231.1.3
• Master thief. Man undertakes to steal various closely guarded things. Succeeds by cleverness. K301
• The taming of the wild prince. Lost in the woods the little prince grows up among wild animals; lets no one come near him. Only a servant girl succeeds in taming him. K1399.1
• Exile returns and succeeds. L111.1
• Unpromising fourth son succeeds. L111.10
• Tardy bird alone succeeds at bird convocation. L147.1
• Daughter succeeds on quest where son fails. L152
• Priest who gives mild penances succeeds where others fail. L361
• Prophecy: king will be succeeded by the son whom he shall see next. Sends for elder son, who delays and is preceded by younger son. Elder son is slain next day; younger son becomes king. M314.2
• Prophecy: younger son will succeed to throne. M314.3
• Fated hero. Only certain hero will succeed in exploit. M361
• Prophecy: saint will succeed in conversion. M364.3
• Son succeeds father as king. P17.0.2
• Natural son succeeds to the throne. P17.9
• King to be succeeded by whoever can carry his dead body a certain distance. P17.12
• Choice of weapons alternates each succeeding day. P557.4.3
• Two blind men succeed in fooling each other about their blindness. U172
• Man unable to persuade wife to confess misdeed to priest succeeds when he makes her drunk. (Cf. J1141.) U181
• The hare's last will. Surrounded by hunters and hounds, the hare considers to whom each of his members will be allotted. Succeeds in escaping. U242.1
• Search for confessor. Great sinner sent from one confessor to another. All say that his sins are too great for forgiveness. Finally he succeeds. V29.1