60 motifs match “trying”  ·  back to the chapters

• Chipmunk's back scratched: hence his stripes. As he is trying to escape, bear catches him with his claws and marks him permanently. (Cf. A2413.2.) A2217.2
• Crocodile is punished for trying to attack man he is carrying: has only half tongue. A2239.7
• Tabu: trying to save provision for another day. C785
• Magic gate swallows axes trying to force it open. (Cf. D1146.) D1381.31
• Return from dead as punishment for trying to raise ghost. (Cf. E384ff., F491.7.) Ghost accuses man of stealing a trifle and thus has revenge. E235.3
• Ghost drives away his relatives who are trying to get estate from his wife. E236.6
• Trying to get a beam through a door crosswise in otherworld. F171.6.3
• Forest where unseen sword cuts off heads of those trying to escape. F812.5
• Gate swallows axes trying to force it open. F1009.2
• Devils have only one leg. They broke one leg when trying to run away from God's attack to protect himself from them. G303.4.5.1
• Devil in interior of earth. Banished there by God as punishment for trying to usurp God's rule of the world. G303.8.5
• Trying all night to catch an animal (really devil). G303.9.9.7
• Count only the waves before you. Fox sees man trying to count the waves. Advises him to count only those immediately before him and to pay no attention to those which have already passed. J311.1
• Miller, his son, and the ass: trying to please everyone. Miller blamed when he follows his son on foot; when he takes the son's place on the ass; when he takes the son behind him; and when he puts the son in front of him. J1041.2
• Futility of trying to teach the stupid. J1064
• Futility of trying to hide an obvious deed. J1082
• Three true faiths. Ruler trying to confiscate Jew's money asks him which is the true faith. "There are three, the one which the Lord knows is right and the two his children think are right." (Cf. H659.5.1, J462.3.1.) J1262.9
• Scolding priest says he is merely trying to get even for all the scolding he must undergo. J1269.4
• Removing chance for worry. A king noticing that a student has stolen a capon, asks, "Does not the Bible say that you should not worry about tomorrow?" "Exactly. I was trying to remove all chance of worry tomorrow." J1396
• Absurdity of trying to convert king to Hinduism – like making cow of donkey or black dog into white. J1536.2
• Drunkard cured of seeing double. When he claims to see two roast chickens, his wife takes the one chicken away and he falls into the fire trying to find the other. J1623
• Letting in the light. Backwoods preacher tells couple that they are living in darkness. The woman responds that she has been trying for years to get her husband to cut a window in the house. J1738.6
• Tiger mistaken for goat. Fool trying to steal goat in dark catches thieving tiger. J1758.1
• Trying to swim in the mist. Mistaken for sea. J1821.1
• Christ accused of trying to fool the people. Fool sees the image of Christ elevated on Ascension Day to the beams of the church. He accuses Christ of having fooled the people into believing that he has gone to heaven. J1823.1.1
• Numskull knocks the figure of Jesus from the ass. Sees the waving of palms on Palm Sunday and thinks the people are trying to knock the figure from the ass. J1823.1.4
• Preserving the cock's freedom. A boy recently home from school sees his mother trying to catch the cock. "Don't mother, don't break his freedom or we will suffer for it." J1892
• Trying to have cows make curds before being milked. J1905.5
• Trying to get fruit from fruitless tree. J1944
• Trying to catch light in a mouse-trap. J1961.1
• Trying to stretch the beam. J1964.1
• Wolf trying to catch tongue of camel puts head in camel's mouth: killed. J2131.5.5
• Fox trying to drown jug. Sticks his head into it and gets drowned himself. J2131.5.7
• Numskull as thief's assistant wakens owner. Pleads successfully that he was trying to awaken the household and prevent theft. J2136.5.4
• Jumping into the breeches. Trying to draw both legs on at once. J2161.1
• Having the head dressed before hanging. A man who has hurt his head in trying to hang himself has the head dressed by a doctor and then goes and hangs himself. J2174.3
• Numskull kills his children trying to cure their illness. J2175.6
• Fairies help forgotten child, but strangle child trying to imitate good luck. J2415.4
• Throwing contest: trickster shouts. He is trying to warn the people beyond the sea with his cry. The ogre is intimidated. (Cf. K12.1.) K18.1
• Blind thief trying to steal dates from withered tree killed by slipping of rope. K436
• Concealed confederate as unjust witness. A rascal who has hidden with a simple man a treasure found by them carries it away secretly, trying to have his associate condemned on the witness of a tree in which his father is concealed. K451.3
• Dupe's house set afire so that he is burned in trying to put out fire. K812.1
• Water-monster, trying to pull horse into water, is dragged to house where he begs for his life and is spared. K1022.2.1
• Respite from wooer while he brings clothes all night. The girl wastes time trying them on. K1227.3
• Paramour poses as unsuccessful suitor. When surprised with the wife he tells the husband that he has been trying to force the woman, with no success. The wife supports the statement. K1517.5
• Person trying to blow poison on another is himself poisoned. K1613.1
• Disguised trickster beaten by man he is trying to frighten. Disguise as ghost. K1682
• When wolf pretends to slander tiger fox agrees; later tells tiger he was trying to test wolf's malice. K2043
• Cat brings suspicion between eagle and sow. Eagle lives in the top of the branches, cat in the middle, and sow at bottom; all are happy. Cat tells eagle that sow is trying to root down the tree: eagle is frightened and dares not leave tree. Cat tells sow that eagle plans to carry off pigs: sow dares not leave. They starve and fall victims to the cat. K2131.1
• King breaks promise to care for man's family. Is caught trying to steal his money. M205.4
• Man accidentally killed by bear trying to chase away flies. N333.2
• Blind men accidentally hurt each other. (Trying to kill pig, or the like.) N388
• Man blinded trying to heal girl. Powders blow into his one good eye. N395
• Adventures from trying to strangle oneself in tree. N776.2
• Man vows to recover loose boat or go to hell trying. He goes to hell. Q221.4.2
• Punishment for trying to harm sacred animal. Glutton tries to kill a pig dedicated to St. Anthony. The pig turns upon him and tramples him severely. Q228
• Image bars way of nun trying to escape convent to join lover. V122
• Blind men trying to kill pigs with clubs strike one another. (Cf. K1081.) X125
• Tiny ambassador put on horse with long stirrups. Cannot say anything as he is too busy trying to keep his seat. X142.3
• Tigers stand on each other's heads trying to reach man in tree. His tears form a stream. X1133.5