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Motifs
- Wraith investigates welfare of absent person. E723.4.6
- Whose duty to put out fire? Officers investigate; meanwhile fire burns town. J2183.6.1
- Talkative man betrays his companion. When his faults are pointed out he maintains that he is better than his companion, who is immediately investigated. J2352
- The stolen bedcover. A man hears a noise outside the house at night. He wraps a bed cover about him and goes to investigate. The robbers take the bed cover and flee. The wife asks what the debate was about. "About the bed cover. When they got it, the quarrel was over." J2672
- Trickster bribes guards to start a fight. While the master goes to investigate, the trickster enters his bed with his wife. K341.10
- Husband catches paramour in pitfall. The wife sends her maid to investigate. The maid falls in and finally the wife herself. The husband calls the neighborhood to see them. K1562
- The cadaver arm. Medical students (or student nurses or hospital employees) play trick on one of their number by suspending a cadaver arm or leg from the light cord in the person's room (sometimes the object is placed in the person's bed). Some circumstance keeps them from being on hand to observe the person's reaction; the next day they remember the joke and go to the victim's room to investigate. They have to break down the door. They find the victim sitting on the bed – her hair is snow white – and she is gnawing on the cadaver arm. N384.0.1.1
- The fat troll (wolf). A troll eats the watcher's five horses and finally the watcher himself. The master goes to investigate. The troll: "I ate the five horses, I ate the watcher, and I will eat you." Does so. Likewise the wife, servant, daughter, son, and dog. The cat scratches the troll open and rescues all. Z33.4
- Trial among the animals. Deer steps on kitten: cat investigates. Deer has been frightened by bird, this bird by another bird .... by crab's pointed claw, crab by mouse in his hole. Cat eats mouse. (Frog croaks because turtle carries his house on his head; turtle carries house because firefly is bringing fire; firefly brings fire because mosquito tries to bite him, etc.) Z49.6