ATU 875D The Clever Young Woman at the End of the Journey

ATU 875D

The Clever Young Woman at the End of the Journey

Aarne–Thompson–Uther tale-type index · Religious Tales · The full type description is not served here; the number and name are the classification facts.

Motifs the recorded variants carry

Laughing fish reveals unjust judgment. A severe judgment is rendered for a small offence. As the convicted man is being led away, a dead (dried) fish is heard to laugh. The fish reveals that he has laughed at the foolishness of the judge who, while he punishes minor offences severely, is unable to see the capital crimes in his own household. (Cf. D1281.) 10 variants
Clever daughter construes enigmatic sayings. 10 variants
Riddling remarks of traveling companion interpreted by girl (man) at end of journey. 10 variants
Man helps traveler and makes riddling remarks. Gives him food, shares his coat in rain, and carries him over stream. Reproaches him with traveling without mother, house, or bridge (nourishment, shelter, or horse). 1 variant
Traveler says he is going to the city to see what has become of the seed he sowed in the street. (What has become of the girl he left in the city to await his return.) 1 variant
Traveler says he is going to seek a hind that he saw in the woods ten years before. (A maiden.) 1 variant
Traveler says he must look after his net to see if it has taken fish. (He has left his lady seven years before with a pledge of faithfulness. Net has taken fish – lady has had lovers.) 1 variant
One traveler to another: Let us carry each other and shorten the way. (Let us tell tales and amuse ourselves on the way.) 1 variant
One traveler to another: That field (uncut) is already harvested. (Belongs to spendthrift who has already spent the money.) 1 variant
One traveler to another (as they see corpse borne by): He is not entirely dead. (Has left good property.) 1 variant
One traveler to another (when asked how he crossed an unbridged stream): I cross on an ashen bridge. (Found a ford with an ashen staff.) 1 variant
One traveler to another: Is this cup valuable or not? (Is your daughter married or not?) 1 variant

Type numbers and names after Aarne–Thompson–Uther, via Hagedorn, trilogy (2022), CC-BY-NC-SA; motif links weighted by the dataset’s recorded tale variants. Served as classification facts with attribution.