“That Is a Lie!” (previously The Master and the Farmer). A master offers a reward to anyone who can tell such a lie that he interrupts him and accuses him of lying. His farmhand tells a story in which he claims that the master owes him a large…
“That’s my Head!” Several young men (at an inn) dare each other to steal a skull from a graveyard. One of them who is not frightened (the innkeeper’s daughter) goes to the graveyard to steal the skull, and the others go and hide among the graves.…
“The Barn is Burning!” A master has instructed his farmhand (a traveler) to use peculiar names for everything, for example, Purity for the cat, Beauty for the fire, High for the roof (and punishes the farmhand when he does not). The farmhand plans…
“The Devil!” (Including the previous Type 1810C*.) The clergyman asks a boy in the confirmation class, “Who is the worst enemy of mankind?” The boy does not know the answer. For some other reason, another boy curses, “The devil!” The clergyman…
“The Owner Has Refused to Accept It.” A thief (Gypsy) steals the clergyman’s gold watch (snuffbox). The thief confesses that he stole a watch and offers to give it to the clergyman, who refuses it saying that the thief should return it to its owner.…
“The Pig Eats the Money.” A wife falsely accused [K2110] of giving away money (to her lover). Her husband threatens to kill her but their child says that the pig (ox) has eaten the money. The man kills the pig and finds the money. He begs his wife’s…
“The Sea Burns.” Miscellaneous Type with diverse contents. Three main themes can be distinguished: (1) A man brags that he shot a single arrow through the hoof and the ear of a deer, so that the hoof remained stuck to the ear [N621]. When hearers…
“The Time Has Come but Not the Man.” A water spirit shouts three times from a river, “The hour has passed and the man did not come” [D1311.11.1]. The call is heard far outside the town. A young person runs to the river and drowns.
“There Was Once a Woman; the Woman Had a Son.” (Including the previous Type 2320.) This miscellaneous type comprised of rounds in which a narrator repeats his tale in a never-ending circle [Z17]. For example, articles of clothing (parts of the body)…
“Think Thrice before you Speak.” A master (teacher) cautions a boy to think three times before he speaks. The boy obeys even when he sees that the master’s clothing (turban) is on fire [J2516.1, cf. J571.1].
“Today for Money, Tomorrow for None” (previously “Today for Money, Tomorrow for Money”). A barber (innkeeper) hangs out a sign, “Today for money, tomorrow for none,” meaning that the shop is about to go out of business. Customers wait a day and…
“Wait till I Am Fat Enough.” A captured animal (hog, sheep, dog) persuades his captor (wolf) to wait until he is fat enough to eat. Thus he escapes [K553].
“Wait Until I Get Dry.” A monkey is pulled from mud by a tiger who wants to eat him. He asks the tiger to be allowed to dry in sun before being eaten. Thus he escapes [K551.12].
“Wash Me” (“Soak Me”) before Eating. This tale exists chiefly in two different forms: (1) A wolf (jackal, fox) wants to eat a piglet (crabs and fish). The sow persuades the wolf that she has to wash the piglet first, and pulls the wolf into the…
“We Three; For Money.” Three Valaisans (men of another nationality) who are going to England (another foreign country) learn in advance some important English phrases (cf. Types 1699, 1699B). The first one learns to state who they are: “We three…
“What Does David Say?” A clergyman sends his servant to buy something from the butcher David (Paul, Moses). The servant returns to the church just as the clergyman asks in his sermon, “What does David say?” The servant thinks the question is…
“What Should I Have Said (Done)?” Miscellaneous type. (Including the previous Type 1696A*.) A mother tells her stupid son (man tells his wife) what he should have said (done) in a particular situation. The son follows the advice at the next…
“Where Have you Been, Goose?” Facetious questions and answers built upon the anatomy of an animal. For example, “Where have you been, goose (lamb)?” – “Out in the fields.” – What do you have in your beak?” – “A knife (brick, water, ox, stick, old…
“Where Is the Father?” (previously “Where Did Our Father Stay?”). A clergyman asks a boy (man) who the personages in the Trinity are (asks someone how he crosses himself or how he has baptized his child). The boy answers, “God the Son (Father) and…
“Where is the Warehouse?” (previously A game, song, or rhyme composed of questions and answers that lead to the next question. For example, Where is the warehouse (God’s house)? – The fire burned it. – Where is the fire? – The water quenched it. –…
“Where Was Christ when he Was Neither in Heaven nor on Earth?” The clergyman asks where Christ was, when he was neither in heaven nor on earth (he asks, what does God do). The answer is, he was looking for a good stick (getting a whip ready) to beat…
“Who Gives his Own Goods Shall Receive it Back Tenfold.” A preacher gives a sermon saying that whoever gives alms will receive them back tenfold [J1262.5.1]. A farmer brings him his only cow. In the evening, she goes back home to the farmer, and all…
“Who Has Lost This?” A man comes to confession with a purse of money which he has found (a clergyman finds such a purse). In order to return it to its owner, the man is supposed to announce his finding in the city, but he speaks so softly (has hidden…
“Who Was the Father of Noah’s Sons?” A foolish farmer (young man) wants to become a sexton (teacher). Among other questions, the clergyman (landlord) asks him, “Who was the father of Noah’s sons?” The farmer cannot answer this question and tells his…
“You Don’t Know what you Are Missing.” A priest rides in a train eating a ham sandwich. He offers one to a rabbi (Jew) sitting across from him. The rabbi explains that he is not allowed to eat pork. The clergyman says, “You don’t know what you are…