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Motifs — first 20 of 79
- Talking animal or object refuses to talk on demand. Discoverer is unable to prove his claims: is beaten. B210.2
- Death thought sleep. Resuscitated person thinks he has been sleeping. He exclaims, "How long I have been asleep!" E175
- Ghost claims a life every seven years by drowning person in river. E266.1.1
- Corpse exclaims over miracle. E545.10
- Fairy lured away from house by treasure which he claims. F381.5
- Water-spirit claims a life every seven years. F420.5.2.1.6
- Devil claims to be 7,777 years old. G303.4.8.3
- Girl married to a devil. Despairing of ever finding herself a husband, the old maid exclaims: "I would marry even the devil, were he to marry me." The devil takes her at her word. G303.12.5.1
- King defeated in repartee by boy, who thus wins girl. Boy: "Who would give a man a bath, feed him his rice, and then bring him the tamal-pan to chew?" King: "No one but a wife." Boy claims minister's daughter. H507.1.0.2
- Judge not that you be not judged: thus judge upbraided when he is later accused in court and claims mercy. J571.6
- Fox in swollen river claims to be swimming to distant town. J873
- Dog driven out of dining room claims to be drunk. Says that he has drunk so much that he does not know how he got out of the house. J874
- Warrior having lost a city claims that he did not wish to sell it for a higher price. J875
- Fox claims that certain statues are of his ancestors. Ape shows that he is a liar. J954.2
- Witness claims the borrowed coat: discredited. Trickster summoned to court on Jew's complaint refuses to go unless he has a new coat: Jew lends him his. In court the trickster says that the Jew is a liar: "He will even claim that I am wearing his coat." The Jew does so and no one believes him. J1151.2
- Witness claims not to have seen crime. J1158
- Their assistance not asked. Knight attacks enemy contrary to orders. Part of army helps him and is killed. He disclaims responsibility since he had not asked their aid. J1169.3
- A two-headed man is only one man. Two-headed man claims double inheritance. Hot water poured over one head. Other head cries out with pain. He is declared to be one man and to merit only one share. J1176.4
- Reductio ad absurdum: the decision about the colt. A man ties his mare to a second man's wagon. The mare bears a colt which the wagon-owner claims, saying that the wagon has borne a colt. Real owner of the colt shows the absurdity (1) by fishing in the street or (2) by telling that his wife is shooting fish in the garden. Neither of these things are so absurd as the decision. J1191.1
- One dueller fights with God's help; the other with his brother's. First claims that the odds are unfair; second agrees that he will fight without his brother if the first will fight without God. J1217.1