44 motifs match “whether”  ·  back to the chapters

• World catastrophe. The world is destroyed. The incidents are usually the same whether a final destruction is thought of or a destruction which may be overcome by a renewal of the earth. A1000
• Vulture sent out as scout to see whether earth has cooled from world-fire. (Cf. A1021.2.) A1039.1
• Squirrel's call: asks whether viper (who ate up his children) is his friend. A2426.1.2.1
• Power of seeing whether the dead go to heaven or hell is gained from serpent. B161.4
• Swan Maiden. A swan transforms herself at will into a maiden. She resumes her swan form by putting on her swan coat. (It is difficult to tell in most Swan Maiden tales whether the primary form is swan or maiden: the incident may belong at D161.) D361.1
• Magic water. (Note: here are included all references to magic water, whether as a remedy or as another type of magic agent). D1242.1
• Magic power to see whether girl is virgin. D1825.4.2
• Ghosts haunt house. (It is sometimes hard to tell whether haunters are supposed to be ghosts or familiar spirits of some kind.) E281
• Revenant with hat of birch. Note: in the motifs immediately following, it is frequently impossible to tell whether the spectral ghost (E421) or the living corpse (E422) is thought of. E422.4.1
• Dwarfs referred to as "gray", not specifying whether as to dress or hair. (Cf. F236.1.4, F420.1.6.6.2.) F451.2.7.3
• Physician, by examining wound can tell whether it was inflicted by a man or a woman and describe him or her in detail. F956.4
• Ordeal by crocodiles (snakes). Judgment depends on whether person is devoured or rejected by crocodiles. H224
• Test of death: to see whether person is dead or feigning. H248
• Guessing: whether more of a certain stone is above or below ground. A test set by heathen king for a saint. H527
• Quest to the other world to learn whether father is in heaven or hell. H1252.1.2
• "When a man attacks you, kill him whether he be king or prince": counsel proved wise by experience. J21.52.6
• Doctor loses a horse for the sake of the truth. Overlord asks two doctors whether he is entitled to all the possessions of his retainers. One doctor unrighteously answers yes and receives a horse. The other who tells the truth receives nothing. J551.3
• Confession of debt secured by having defendant dispute as to whether cat was present when debt was made. J1141.1.11
• Servants would not have left the coats. Merchants complain to nobleman that his servants have robbed them of money. Nobleman asks whether merchants had on those good coats when the robbery took place. When told yes, he said that the robbers were not his servants, for they would never have left good coats. J1179.5
• "Better a live confessor than a dead martyr." So answers a preacher when asked whether he preferred to stay at home and confess his flock or go to war against the infidels. J1261.9
• Eunuch visits augurer to see whether he is to be a father. "When I look at the livers, you are to be a father. When I look at you, I see that you are not even a man." J1271
• Tide inquires whether moon is up. Minnow seeing absurdity of question (since tide could not be up without the moon) tells the tide to wait till he gets a drink and he will tell. J1292
• To return the eye to the one-eyed man. "Let me have your other so that I can see whether the one I bring you matches." J1512.2
• The penny baked in the wafer. A peasant always puts a bad penny into the offering. The priest has a penny baked in a wafer and gives it to the peasant at communion. The peasant, unable to swallow it, thinks that he is possessed of the devil. The priest asks whether he has ever done wrong with a penny, secures confession and a pledge of reform. J1582.1
• 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
• Living crucifix chosen. Peasants take their old crucifix to an artist for a new one. The artist asks them whether they want a living or dead crucifix. Argument: living God takes less for upkeep and he can be killed later. J1738.2
• Not of legitimate birth. A cleric is asked whether he is of legitimate birth ("de legitimo thoro"). "No, I am not from that place; I am from Schmich." J1803.1
• Man takes mirror to bed to see whether he sleeps with his mouth open. J1936.1
• Thief debates whether to take one thing or another. Caught. J2136.5.1.1
• The moving church tower. To see whether the church is moving someone lays down his coat in front of it. It is stolen. They think that the church has passed over it. J2328
• The fool and the visitor's large nose. The fool asks where he got the large nose. Is removed from the room. He comes back to mend matters. He says, "What a small nose you have!" He is again taken from the room. The third time: "What difference does it make whether you have a nose or not?" J2512
• The fool testifies: "I had been drinking and was lying on the bench asleep. I saw him hit him over the head with an axe but don't know whether he hit him or not." J2667
• A fox or a hare? A servant is sent by his master to find a girl for him. If he returns with one he is to say, "I have a fox"; if without, "I have a hare." When he returns he has forgotten the agreement. "I don't know whether it is a fox or a hare, but the girl is down stairs. J2671.1
• Devil is to get soul of man whether he is buried "inside or outside of church, above or below ground." The man has himself buried in the wall of the church, partly in and partly out of the ground. (Cf. H1052.) K219.4
• Prosperity forever or for a day? King asks prince whether he has secret of prosperity forever or a day. Prince says "forever" and is captured. Later his wife, asked same question, says "for a day" and is honored. L291
• Wager to win or lose according to whether jackal howls or ass brays before game is finished. N92
• Luck determined by whether a crooked-necked demigod is looking at one. N125.2
• Whether man begs all day or for an hour he gets only a small basket of grain. N264
• Party of horsemen detained by bad weather vow to reach town whether God will or no. The earth swallows them up. (Cf. Q552.2.3.) Q221.4.3
• Incognito son tempts mother to see whether all women are wicked. T412.2
• Sign hung out informing brothers whether mother has borne boy or girl. T595
• Religious exercises weighed in balance. A son doubts whether the words spoken by the priests to whom his father has willed a sum of money is worth so much. The words are put on paper and are found to outweigh the money. V4.1
• Boy to see whether it is raining: calls dog (cat) in and feels of his paws. W111.2.4
• Boy to see whether there is fire in the house: feels of cat to see if she is warm. W111.2.5