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Motifs — first 20 of 38
- Marplot at creation. An evil opponent attempts to undo or mar the work of the creator. A60
- Satan attempts to create another world. A63.8
- Origin of death from bad creator's unsuccessful imitation. The bad creator attempts in vain to endow his creations with life like the good creator. Fails and thus introduces death. A1335.2
- Vain attempts to circumvent theft of fire. A1415.4
- Raven attempts to imitate dove: punished with awkward gait. A2232.10
- Man attempts to kill faithful serpent at wife's instigation. Loses everything. B335.1
- The Vanishing Hitchhiker. Ghost of young woman asks for ride in automobile, disappears from closed car without the driver's knowledge, after giving him address to which she wishes to be taken. Driver asks person at address about the rider, finds she has been dead for some time. (Often driver finds that ghost has made similar attempts to return, usually on anniversary of death in automobile accident. Often ghost leaves some item such as a scarf or a traveling bag in car.) E332.3.3.1
- Strong man evades death. Vain attempts to kill him. F615
- Girl attempts to eat parents but they escape. G71.1
- Farmer has devil aid in reaping contest, loses his shadow when devil attempts to take hindmost. (Cf. K42.) G303.19.2
- False dragon-head proof. Impostor cuts off dragon heads (after tongues have been removed) and attempts to use them as proof of slaying the dragon. H105.1.1
- Tests of power to survive. Vain attempts to kill hero. H1510
- Druid attempts to shake king's faith by magic manifestation. H1573.1.3
- The liar. A man attempts to lie out of having called another a liar: "You lie if you say that I said you lied." The other: "It's a good thing for you that you didn't call me a liar." (Cf. J817.) J1456
- When Caleb comes. Man attempts to stay in haunted house all night. One cat after another enters, says, "Everything will be all right when Caleb comes, won't it?" (or something similar). Man finally says, "When Caleb comes, tell him I was here and left." He leaves. J1495.2
- Do not start here. Man asks directions to a certain place. Native attempts to give directions, then in disgust says, "If I wanted to go to –, I wouldn't start from here." J1648
- Ogre sees beautiful woman reflected in water. Attempts to drink the lake dry. (Cf. J1791.3.1.) J1791.6.2
- Coyote attempts to fly from a treetop: falls. J2133.3.1
- King attempts to visit the spirit world underground and dies in a tunnel. J2137.7
- Attempts to make canoe of sand. (Cf. H1021.3.) J2171.1.3.1