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Motifs — first 20 of 21
- Moon made from shining fragments. A cap is opened and shining things fall out. Children pick them up and put them into a box. At the end of the month the box is full. The full moon shines when all the fragments are gathered together. A742
- Men originally blind: eyes opened by accident. A1316.3.3
- Compulsion: taking back talisman which opened treasure mountain. Hero takes treasure and forgets the talisman. C652
- Troubles escape when forbidden casket is opened. See references to C321 (Tabu: looking into box). C915.1
- Animals escape when forbidden baskets opened. Origin of animals. C915.2
- Animals escape when forbidden calabash is opened. C915.2.1
- Box can be opened only by right person. (Cf. D1170.) D1651.12
- Door stuck by witchcraft so that it cannot be opened. (Cf. D1146.) D1654.15
- Locks opened by magic. D2088
- All locks opened on the night of Christ's Nativity. (Cf. D1557.1.) D2088.0.1
- Slamming door on exit from mountain otherworld. It (almost) injures the hero because he has failed to bring back the talisman which opened the mountain. F91.1
- Giant lies underground with trees growing all over his body. When his mouth is opened man falls into it and is swallowed. F531.2.6
- Palace gate so big it can only be opened by twelve buffaloes. F776.1.1
- Paunch opened and fat taken out to cure stomach. F959.4
- King: What is your father doing? Youth: Makes an evil greater. (Closes up a path; this causes another to be opened.) H583.2.1
- Bees caught in sack which is opened at home. J2131.2.1
- The stag with iron shoes. Hunters shoot a stag and hide it. Another who sees puts a dead ass in the bag instead. When the bag is opened, one cries, "Oh Jesus, we have shot a stag with iron shoes!" J2335
- Alleged healing letter (charm) sold: to aid in childbirth. Actually works. When opened it contains nonsense. K115.1.1
- Thief cannot remember whom he delivered the goods to. Though he has eaten the food trusted to him, he claims to have delivered it, but cannot remember the person who opened the door. K419.1
- Bottle wherein jinn is imprisoned inadvertently opened and jinn escapes to kill his captor. N339.17
Tale types