“promised”

Motifs — first 20 of 74

Daughter promised to animal suitor. B620.1
Magic flight with the help of a he-goat. Speaking he-goat saves the girl promised to the devil. D674
Disenchantment promised if girl may marry transformed man. D791.2.2.1
Dead rich man returns to rebuke his children who have kept the money he promised to the church. E415.2
Youth promised to ogre visits ogre's home. G461
Substitution of low-caste boy for promised child detected when he prefers long road to short one through jungle (swimming instead of ferry, etc.) H38.2.5
Youth asks for branch of tree; promised root. (Branch = youngest daughter; root = eldest.) H611
Which was the most generous – husband, robber, or lover? Woman has promised her lover to go to him on her wedding night. Husband lets her go. On way she meets robbers and tells her story. Robbers take her to her lover. She tells what has happened. Lover returns her immediately to her husband. H1552.1
Test of curiosity: the clock. A man is promised a beautiful clock if he can mind his own business for a whole year. He does. The giver tells him he is the second man who almost made sure of getting the clock. The man asks how the other missed getting it; he loses the clock himself. H1554.2
Test of curiosity: the paternoster. Plowman is promised a horse if he can say a paternoster without thinking of anything else. In the midst of the recitation, he asks if he will get the saddle and bridle too. He loses bargain. H1554.3
Test of gratitude: magician makes pupil believe himself superior. Though he has promised magician great rewards he forgets his promise. Wealth removed. H1565.1
The old man nods "Yes". A monk at an old man's deathbed asks if he hasn't promised this and that to the church. The old man from weakness rather than understanding nods "Yes". The son standing by asks, "Shall I throw this fellow down stairs?" The old man nods "Yes". J1521.2
That which was promised him. A tenant promises his daughter to his master against her will. The master sends for "that which was promised him." The daughter sends the horse, and it is taken into the master's chamber. J1615
"Thank God it's over!" Man who has been promised a beating lives in constant dread. Is eventually beaten. He thanks God. J2568
Deceptive land purchase: saint's enemy promised as much land as he can see from certain point. Saint causes cloud to obstruct vision. K185.12
Strokes shared. The boy promises the soldier what the king has promised to give him. The soldier receives a beating in place of the boy. K187
Devil cheated of his promised soul. The man saves it through deceit. K210
Devil cheated by pretended hanging. The man has promised himself to the devil in return for money. He stuffs his clothes with straw and hangs them up. The devil thinks the man has hanged himself and is satisfied. K215
Devil cheated of promised soul by intervention of Virgin Mary. K218.4
Other ways of cheating the devil of his promised soul. K219

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Tale types