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Motifs
- Cliff from lovers' leap. Lovers in despair throw themselves from a high place. This becomes a cliff. A968.2
- Magic stone makes demons despair. D1385.21
- Devil tries to move repentant sinner to despair. G303.9.4.9
- 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
- "If you wish to hang yourself, do so by the stone which I point out": counsel proved wise by experience. Father has left money which will fall out when the spendthrift son goes to hang himself in despair. "The Heir of Linne." J21.15
- Fool kills himself in despair because a sparrow has taken one grain from his field. J2518.1
- Fool kills himself in despair because an ox has been killed. J2518.2
- Insects worry large animal to despair or death. L315.6
- Curse by oneself. The person in despair curses himself to sink with palace into the earth. M411.0.1
- Man in despair digging own grave finds treasure. N545
- Man in despair preparing to hang himself finds treasure in the tree (beam). N545.1
- What is in the dish: "Poor Crab". A sham wise man named Crab is put to a test of his powers of divination. He is to tell what is in a covered dish (crabs). In despair he says, "Poor Crab!" and is given credit for knowing. N688
- Despairing lover at lady's tomb takes poison. She revives to learn of his fatal error and shares his fate. (Romeo and Juliet.) T37.1
- Three victims of love. Girl loves boy; boy loves singing girl; singing girl loves the girl. All die of despair. T92.2
- Goddess prevents suicide of man despairing of ability to make sacrifice. V10.1