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Motifs
- Boy overhears witches' conversation about magic objects, which he gets possession of. D838.9
- Trickster overhears man praying for death to take him; the trickster appears at man's house, usually in disguise, says he is God (or the devil). The man tells him to take his wife (or he runs away). (Compare C11 for a similar situation in which Death appears.) J217.0.1.1
- The flatterer's retort. Two men meet a homely girl. One of them: "Who wouldn't call that girl pretty?" The girl overhears and says, "No one would say it of you." The man: "Anyone might say it who would lie as I have lied about you." J1356
- The forehanded servant. A parson boasts that when he asks his maid if certain work is done she always answers that it has been done long ago. A guest wagers that she can be trapped if she is asked whether she has thrown the parson's suit of clothes into the tub of water. She overhears the wager and has the suit in the water before he asks the question. J1614
- Incognito mistress breaks off relations when she overhears the lover discussing the adventure. J2364
- Guessing name of devil's secret plant. The man's wife in tar and feathers overhears the devil tell the secret name of the crop he has discovered (tobacco). The devil says to the supposed animal, "Get out of my tobacco!" K216.2.1
- Sheep thief pretends to buy wethers from the ram, names the price himself. Owner overhears, takes the ram to the thief to collect. K439.5
- Priest induced to betray secrets of confessional: money then exacted from him for silence. The trickster confesses that he has had intimacies with the priest's maid and then overhears the priest scold the maid. K443.8
- Trickster dupes rival by exchanging beds: receives his food. Overhears maiden tell rival she will bring food at night, waits until rival is asleep and carries him to another bed, takes his place, and is fed by maiden. K499.8
- Tit for tat. Wolf tells sick lion that fox does not esteem him. Fox overhears it. Later fox tells lion that his only cure lies in his wrapping himself in the wolf's skin. Wolf is killed. K961.1.1
- Alleged idol promises teacher certain payment for his book when finished. Dupe overhears and pays him bargain price for what he is later to receive. K1971.13
- King overhears conversation of lamps. N454.2
- King overhears girl's boast as to what she should do as queen. Marries her. N455.4
- By hiding, stupid son overhears conversation and claims magic power for bamboo cup. N455.10
- Thief overhears and oversees quarrel of two jealous wives. Arraigned before judge, he asks any punishment be given him rather than that of having two wives. T251.1.6
- Man demonstrates his violence of temper. He overhears a man tell of his temper. In anger he enters and demands to know when he has ever lost his temper. W185.1