The Clever Animal and the Fortunate Exchanges. A bird (fox, rabbit) asks someone to pull a thorn out of his foot. The thorn is used for a fire so the bird demands the bread that was baked in the fire. The bread is exchanged for other things (sheep,…
Lending and Repaying: Progressively Worse (Better) Bargain. (Including the previous Type 2037A*.) This miscellaneous type consists of various chain tales in which a person (animal) trades something for another thing, which he trades again for…
The Mouse Regains its Tail. A hunting cat bites off a mouse’s tail. Or, a woman cuts the tail off (belly open) of a mouse (cat, rat) because it stole her milk. The mouse wants to get its tail back. The mouse asks the cat for its tail (the cobbler to…
The Healing of the Injured Animal (previously The Cock’s Whiskers). (Including the previous Type 2032A.) An animal (mouse) is wounded (by another animal) and asks for help. He is told that this will happen only if he brings a particular object…
The Mightiest Being as Husband for the Daughter (previously The Man Seeks the Greatest Being as a Husband for his Daughter). A magician rescues a mouse (rat) which he transforms into a girl. Or, a childless couple wish for a child but instead have a…
Abraham Learns to Worship God. At nightfall Abraham worships a star, then the moon which outshines it, and in the morning the sun. Finally he learns to pray only to God [Z42.2].
The Esdras Chain: Stronger and Strongest. The Jewish bodyguards of the Persian king Darius discuss the question, what is the strongest thing in the world? The first thinks it is the king; the second, wine; the third, a woman. But the truth is the…
Stronger and Strongest. An ant (sparrow, hare) hurts himself on some ice, which he thinks must be the strongest thing in the world. The ice says this is not true, because the sun can melt it. The sun says it is not the strongest, because a cloud can…
The Old Woman and her Pig. (Including the previous Types 2030A–H, 2030J, 2030A*–E*, 2034B, 2034E.) This miscellaneous type consists of various chain tales in which a person (animal) wants an animal (person, object) to do something (go home, pick…
The Devouring Animal that Was Cut Open (previously The Troll [Wolf] who was Cut Open). (Including the previous Types 2027, 2027A, and 2028A*.) A cat (wolf, troll, mouse, giant, bear, chick, pumpkin, woman, louse) with a huge appetite drinks a great…
The Fleeing Pancake. A pancake (pudding, cake, cookie, cabbage strudel, round bread) jumps out of the pan (plate) and runs away from the cook (mother) who wants to eat it. The pancake runs outside and meets a series of animals (hen, rooster, duck,…
Rabbit Borrows Money. A rabbit borrows money from a beetle, a hen, a fox, a dog, a tiger, and a hunter. When the beetle asks for the money back, the rabbit tells him to wait behind to count the money. Instead, the hen eats the beetle, then the fox…
Little Ant Marries (previously Little Ant Finds a Penny, Buys New Clothes with it, and Sits in her Doorway). An ant (beetle, cockroach, grasshopper, snail, cat, etc.) finds some money, buys new clothes, and sits in her doorway. Many animals come by…
The Broken Egg (previously The Hen Lays an Egg, the Mouse Breaks it). A hen lays an egg which breaks (a mouse breaks it). All the witnesses show their grief at this misfortune. For example, the hen ruffles her feathers, the rubbish begins to burn,…