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Motifs — first 20 of 33
- Tabu: showing surprise when supernatural husband resumes his true shape. C32.1.2
- Tabu: expressing surprise in lower world of dead. C413
- Fairy prince becomes mortal when surprised by daylight. F383.4.1
- Water-spirit surprises and rapes a mortal woman. A son is born who is sleepless. F420.6.1.7
- Ass follows after lion and is punished. Ass and cock are surprised by lion. Cock crows and scares lion, who runs. Ass thinks that he has scared lion and pursues. J952.2
- Testimony of unsuccessful suitor discredited. Adulteress is surprised in intrigue by unsuccessful suitor. He threatens to tell her husband. She tells her husband that the scorned suitor has accused her falsely of indiscretion with many men. When the suitor tells the husband he does not believe him. J1151.4
- Condemned man wins pardon by clever remark. Fool is allowed to jump off cliff (balcony) as punishment. Master expresses surprise that in three trials he has failed to hurl himself from the height. The jester offers the prince four trials. Amused prince pardons the jester. J1181.3
- Numskulls surprised at news that God has a son. J1738.3
- Numskulls surprised to hear that God's son has died. J1738.4
- Peasant surprised that king is not larger than other men. J1742.4
- Throwing the thief over the fence. Thief, surprised at theft says: "Do your worst, only don't throw me over the fence." When thrown over, he escapes. K584
- Artificial whale made as stratagem. Enemies surprised and killed. K922
- Wife surprises husband in adultery and shames him into giving her all she desires. K1271.3.1
- Seduction by masking as woman's husband: "Why – you have just left!" After the seduction the husband comes and the wife shows surprise. K1311.0.1
- The husband in the chicken house. The husband returns unexpectedly and surprises his wife with her lover. She makes the husband believe he is pursued and hides him in the chicken house. (Cf. K1514.9.) K1514.1
- The animal in the chest. The husband has locked the surprised paramour in a chest while he fetches his family as witness of his wife's unfaithfulness. She frees the lover, substitutes an animal, and discountenances the husband. (Cf. K1542, K1555, K1566, K1574.) K1515
- Paramour poses as unsuccessful suitor. When surprised with the wife he tells the husband that he has been trying to force the woman, with no success. The wife supports the statement. K1517.5
- Paramour disguised as cloth merchant is surprised by the husband. He asks the woman to be paid for a pretended sale. K1517.9
- Husband who has surprised wife and paramour is made to believe that he has had an illusion. K1518.1
- The Lord above; the lord below. A husband returning home surprises a woman and her paramour and a numskull who has blundered in. The woman hides the numskull in the bed and the paramour under it. The husband, who is leaving on a journey, lifts his hands to heaven and says, "I commend you to the Lord above." – The numskull: "Commend her rather to the lord below!" K1525