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Motifs — first 20 of 28
- Man chosen as best gift by primeval women. In beginning only women on earth. Deity kills one by accident and promises anything as reparation. They choose man. A1276
- Why fish attack anything they find. A2524.4
- Mother-in-law tabu. Mother-in-law and son-in-law must not have anything to do with each other. C171
- Forbidden drinking horn. One may drink from anything else. C622
- Magic loin cloth can transform itself into anything. D697.1
- Ashes from burned snake-woman's body will turn anything into gold. D1469.10.1
- Giants like butter more than anything else. Get trough of butter in return for help. F531.5.13
- Devil likes negligence in men more than anything else. G303.25.3
- Princess will marry whoever will give her anything she wishes for a month. H313.1
- Task: washing large heavy quilt covered with ghi and oil without aid of soap or anything. H1023.6.1
- Test of curiosity: the paternoster. Plowman is promised a horse if he can say a paternoster without thinking of anything else. In the midst of the recitation, he asks if he will get the saddle and bridle too. He loses bargain. H1554.3
- "Don't do anything without investigation": counsel proved wise by experience. A purse full of money was found in dead man's pocket by gravedigger. J21.48
- Man tells servant that he may have anything he can take with his teeth (eat). Servant takes master's cape with his teeth. J1161.10
- Poet is importuned by admirers. Vaults away from them saying: "You may tell me anything you wish – in your own homes! J1224.1
- The prince's excuse. King to son who has been accused of rape: "I never did anything like that." Prince: "Your father was not king!" King: "Your son will never be one if you keep that up!" J1289.6
- Ancient and modern ancestors. To a prince who boasted that he was descended from the Trojans a doctor replies: "My people are of Nurenberg. Everyone knows who they are; but of the Trojans no one knows anything except that Aeneas was a traitor and Romulus a robber." J1357
- Robbers commiserated. A buffoon says to robbers in his house, "You can't find anything here in the dark, for I can find nothing in broad daylight." J1392.2
- Husband mistaken for lover in bed. Farmer has whiskers shaved off, hair cut short. He gets home late, slips into bed with his wife. She runs her hand over his face, says: "Young man, if you're goin' to do anything, you'd better be agittin' at it, 'cause Old Whiskers'll be here pretty soon." J1485.1
- Three reasons for refusing credit. A man asks for credit, although he has always paid cash before. He is refused on these grounds: either (1) he has never found anyone to trust him, (2) he has never bought anything, or (3) he is rich and does not need an extension of time. J1552.2
- Christ's image has broken his arm. A man refuses to have anything to do with the crucifix because once an image of Christ has fallen on him in church and broken his arm. Reminded that this image is not the same, he replies that it is the son of the other and is just as bad. J1823.1.2