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Motifs — first 20 of 204
- Sun sets and refuses to rise: must be coaxed back from underworld. A739.6
- Toad refuses to weep over its dead children: dries up when dead. Cursed by Virgin Mary. (Cf. A2234.4, A2468.2.) A2231.8
- Snake refuses to help make road: dies on road. (Cf. A2441.4.1.) A2233.1.2
- Shrew refuses to help make road: dies on road. (Cf. A2468.1.) A2233.1.3
- Sloth refuses to help make road: may not look upon sun. A2233.1.4
- Animal characteristics: borrowing and not returning. Animal borrows a member (or quality) from another and refuses to return it. (Cf. A2242, A2313.3, A2345.1, A2351.3, A2375.2.1, A2421.4, A2435.4.1.) A2241
- Monkey borrows tail from deer and refuses to return it. A2241.11
- Spider hands box to ant and refuses to take it back: hence ants carry huge loads. A2243.1
- Magpie refuses to get into ark, sits around outside, jabbering over drowned world, is unlucky. (Cf. A2232.4.) A2542.1.1
- Horse refuses to carry one who speaks falsehood. B133.4
- Talking animal or object refuses to talk on demand. Discoverer is unable to prove his claims: is beaten. B210.2
- Ass insists upon payment of tithes. When stolen by thieves, the ass refuses to eat for three days because the thieves' provender has not been tithed. B259.1
- Sabbath-keeping cow. Refuses to work on Sabbath. B259.2
- Wedding of fox and hyena. Fox refuses to marry hyena, since, according to belief, hyena yearly changes sex. B281.1
- Crow refuses to marry titmouse, since she is 100 years old. B282.22.1
- Faithful horse refuses to go before its master mounts it, even when already loaded with two chests with gold. B301.4.6
- Faithful cow refuses to move for grief at master's death. B301.6.2
- Tabu: striking monster twice. Though monster begs that hero strike him again, hero refuses. Monster would otherwise revive. C742
- Transformed animal refuses to touch meat of that animal. D686
- Person transformed to animal refuses human food. Will eat only food suitable for his enchanted form. D686.1