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The Folktale
Stith Thompson

AT 1537

The Corpse Killed Five Times

Part Two

The Folktale from Ireland to India

III – The Simple Tale

1. Jests and Anecdotes

K. False Accusations

If we take all kinds of tales, especially if we include the complex wonder tale and the literary anecdote, we should find a very large number of motifs concerning deceptions through shams. Besides the bluffs and impostures popular in oral anecdotes, we should also have found a large number of deceptions by disguise or illusion, and of tales of hypocrites; and we should meet a whole gallery of villains and traitors. These latter do not form much of a part of the repertory of jests which are preserved in oral tradition. But there does remain one series of deceptions that has attained a real popularity in folklore, though most of them are unmistakably taken from old literary collections of jokes. These are stories of false accusation.

In the wonder tale, false accusations are usually tragic in their intensity, but in short jests they may be used merely to produce a humorous situation. Such, for instance, is the tale of the priest's guest and the eaten chickens. The servant who has eaten the chickens tells the guest to flee, because the priest, who is arriving, is going to cut off his ears. Then he tells the priest that the guest has stolen two chickens. The priest runs after him and the guest makes all the speed he can (K2137; Type 1741). This medieval literary tale has been recorded over most of Europe and sporadically in other continents. It is, of course, closely related to the tale of the trickster who sends his master running after the wife's paramour (K1573), and it is often joined with that story.

A small group of tales in which the innocent are made to appear guilty secures its primary interest from its gruesomeness. In one of these, a corpse is handed around from one dupe to another. Each is accused of the murder and the trickster is paid to keep silence (K2151; Types 1536C, 1537). This well-known fabliau and medieval jest

Is told all over Europe and a good part of Asia, and is known in Africa and in America, both in European and American Indian tradition. In a similar tale a corpse is set up to frighten people and usually when it is knocked down, the bungler is accused of murder (K2321; Type 1536A). Of this small group, the best known in literature is undoubtedly the tale of the three hunchbacked brothers who were drowned. In this old fabliau a drunken man is employed by a woman who has accidentally killed three hunchbacked brothers to throw one of them into the river. He does so, and then she puts another out, and finally the third. The man thinks that they keep coming to life. Finally he sees the woman's hunchbacked husband and drowns him (K2322; Type 1536B). This latter story is hardly a part of oral tradition at all, but has probably been learned over and over again directly from literary collections. [p. 209]

 
Types:

1536A, 1536B, 1536C, 1537, 1741
Motifs

K1573, K2137, K2151, K2321, K2322

Number of Borrowing of European-Asiatic Tales by Indonesians, African, and American Indians

Type

Indonesianx

Africanx

Americanx

Indianx

 

1. The Theft of Fish

5

7

2. Tail-Fisher

3

13

4. Carrying the Sham-Sick Trickster

5

5. Biting the Foot

13

16

6. Inquiring about the Wind

2

7. Calling of Three Tree Names

1

8. The Painting

2

7

9A. The Unjust Partner: Bear Threshes

7

9B. The Unjust Partner: Corn and Chaff

2

15. Theft of Butter (Honey) by Playing Godfather

13

2

21. Eating His Own Entrails

1

1

30. Fox Tricks Wolf into Falling into a Pit

1

31. Fox Climbs from Pit on Wolf's Back

15

33. Fox Plays Dead and is Thrown out of Pit and Escape

20

5

36. Fox in Disguise Violates the She-Bear

1

37. Fox as Nursemaid for Bear

7

30

38. Claw in Split Tree

11

2

47A. Fox Hangs by Teeth to Horse's Tail

2

1

49. Bear and the Honey

2

50. Sick Lion

1

55. Animals Build a Road

18

1

56. Fox Steals Young Magpies

7

60. Fox and Crane

3

62. Peace Among Animals

1

72. Rabbit Rides Fox a-Courting

1

6

7

73. Blinding the Guard

2

2

100. Wolf as Dog's Guest Sings

1

101. Old Dog as Rescuer of Child

1

104. Cowardly Duelers

3

105. Cat's Only Trick

2

111. Cat and Mouse Converse

3

122A. Wolf Seeks Breakfast

2

122B. Cat Washes Face before Eating

5

123. Wolf and Kids

1

125. Wolf Flees from Wolf-Head

12

130. Animals in Night Quarters

1

154. "Bear-Food"

6

1

155. Ungrateful Serpent Returned to Captivity

12

156. Splinter in Bear's Paw

1

157. Learning to Fear Men

1

1

175. Tarbaby and Rabbit

2

39

23

210. Cock, Hen, etc. on Journey

10

221. Election of Bird King

2

222. War of Birds and Quadrupeds

4

225. Crane Teaches Fox to Fly

4

3

43?

228. Titmouse Tries to be Big as Bear

1

8

235. Jay Borrows Cuckoo's Skin

3

248. Dog and Sparrow

1

249. Ant and Cricket

3

275. Race of Fox and Crayfish

26

1

295. Bean, Straw, and Coal

3

300. Dragon-Slayer

1

14

301. Three Stolen Princesses

16

302. Ogre's Heart in Egg

2

1

303. Twins or Blood-Brothers

3

3

307. Princess in the Shroud

2

311. Rescue by Sister (Girls in Sacks)

5

1

313. Girl as Helper in Hero's Flight

2

33

314. Youth Transformed to Horse (Goldener)

24

4

15

325. Magician and Pupil

1

326. Learning What Fear Is

2

327A. Hansel and Gretel

6

8

10

327B. Dwarf and Giant

3

327C. Devil Carries Hero in Sack

9

6?

328. Boy Steals Giant's Treasure

6

331. Spirit in Bottle

1

333. Red Ridinghood; Six Little Goats

16

400. Quest for Lost Wife

37

11

29

401. Princess Transformed into Deer

1

402. Mouse (Cat, etc.) as Bride

1

403. Black and White Bride

1

15

6

408. Three Oranges

1

425. Search for Lost Husband (Cupid and Psyche)

5

5

1

432. Prince as Bird

1

450. Little Brother and Little Sister

3

451. Maiden Who Seeks her Brothers

1

461. Three Hairs from Devil's Beard

17

1

1

471. Bridge to Other World

1

1

1

480. Spinning Woman by the Spring

6

3

506. Rescued Princess: Grateful Dead

6

1

507. Monster's Bride: Grateful Dead

1

510A. Cinderella

2

3

4

510B. Cap o' Rushes

2

1

511. One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes

3

513. The Helpers (Extraordinary Companions)

2

3

514. Shift of Sex

1

516. Faithful John

1

518. Devils Fight over Magic Objects

2

531. Clever Horse

3

2

533. Speaking Horse-head

6

545. Cat as Helper (Puss in Boots)

2

10

550. Bird, Horse, and Princess

4

4

551. Sons on Quest for Remedy

4

552A. Three Animal Brothers-in-Law

1

554. Grateful Animals

11

555. Fisher and His Wife

5

559. Dungbeetle

1

4

560. Magic Ring

36

8

2

561. Aladdin

1

2

563. Table, Ass, and Stick

7

14

4

566. Three Magic Objects and Wonderful Fruits

2

1

567. Magic Bird-heart

13

1

1

569. Knapsack, Hat, and Horn

5

5

570. Rabbit-herd

1

1

571. "All Stick Together"

1

590. Prince and Arm Bands

1

592. Jew Among Thorns

1

612. Three Snake-Leaves

2

613. Two Travelers

5

1

621. Louse-Skin

3

650. Strong John

27

3

4

653. Four Skillful Brothers

8

12

655. Wise Brothers

1

2

670. Animal Languages

6

23

671. Three Languages

2

675. Lazy Boy

2

676. Open Sesame

1

9

700. Tom Thumb

5

1

706. Maiden Without Hands

6

2

707. Three Golden Sons

8

1

709. Snow White

6

750. The Wishes: Hospitality Rewarded

1

1

3

780. Singing Bone

8

781. Princess Who Murdered her Child

12

785. Who Ate the Lamb's Heart?

1

851. Princess who Cannot Solve Riddle

3

2

852. Princess Forced to Say, "That is a Lie."

1

2

853. Princess Caught with her own Words

2

854. Golden Ram

1

875. Clever Peasant Girl

3

3

882. Wager on Wife's Chastity

2

900. King Thrushbeard

1?

901. Taming of the Shrew

1

910. The Good Precepts

2

921. King and Peasant's Son

1

2

922. King and Abbot

1

923. Love Like Salt

1

930. Prophecy for Poor Boy

1

1

931. Oedipus

1

935. Prodigal's Return

1

945. Luck and Intelligence

8

1

950. Rhampsinitus

1

1000. Anger Bargain

5

2

1004. Hogs in Mud, Sheep in Air

2

3

4

1012. Cleaning the Child

1

1015. Whetting the Knife

2

1030. Crop Division

1

1031. Roof as Threshing Flail

2

1060. Squeezing the Stone

1

1

1

1061. Biting the Stone

1

1

1062. Throwing the Stone

1

1

1063. Throwing Contest with Golden Club

1

1074. Race with Relatives in Line

6

38

12

1085. Pushing Hole in a Tree

1

1088. Eating Contest: Food in Bag

20

1115. Attempted Murder with Hatchet

10

1119. Ogre Kills Own Children: Substitutes in Bed

14

5

1149. Children Desire Ogre's Flesh

10

4

1157. Gun as Tobacco Pipe

1

1200. Sowing of Salt

1

1250. Bringing Water from Well: Human Chain

1

2

1260. Porridge in Ice Hole

1

1276. Rowing without Going Forward

4

1278. Bell Falls into Sea: Mark on Boat

2

1310. Crayfish as Tailor: Drowned

18

22

31

1319. Pumpkin as Ass's Egg, Rabbit as Colt

1

1350. Loving Wife: Man Feigns Death

1?

1360C. Old Hildebrand

1

1380. Faithless Wife: Husband Feigns Blindness

1

1384. Quest for Person Stupid as Wife

2

1386. Meat as Food for Cabbage

7

1415. Lucky Hans

2

1

1430. Man and Wife Build Air Castles

7

1

1525. Master Thief

2

6

1528. Holding Down the Hat

2

1

1530. Holding up the Rock

11

3

1535. Rich and Poor Peasant

10

16

11

1537. Corpse Killed Five Times

3

2

1539. Cleverness and Gullibility

7

3

1540. Student from Paradise (Paris)

3

1541. For the Long Winter

2

1542. The Clever Boy: Fooling-Sticks

8

1563. "Both?"

3

1585. Lawyer's Mad Client

1

1590. Trespasser's Defense

1

1610. To Divide Presents and Strokes

2

1611. Contest in Climbing Mast

1

1612. Contest in Swimming

1

1640. Brave Tailor

3

4

1641. Doctor Know-All

21

3

1642. The Good Bargain: Money to Frogs

4

1651. Whittington's Cat

2

2

1653. Robbers under Tree

2

1

5

1655. Eaten Grain and Cock as Damages

10

1

1685. Foolish Bridegroom

6

1

1696. "What Should I Have Said?"

6

4

2

1698A. Search for Lost Animal: Deaf Person

1

1698B. Travelers Ask the Way: Deaf Peasant

1

1730. Three Suitors Visit Chaste Wife

2

3

1737. Parson in Sack to Heaven

1

1775. Hungry Parson

3

1920A. Lying Contest: "Sea Burns"

1

1930. Schlaraffenland

3

2028. Troll (Wolf) Cut Open

1

2030. Old Woman and Pig

2

4

2031. Frost-bitten Foot

4

3

2033. Nut Hits Cock's Head

3

2034C. Lending and Repaying, Progressive Bargains

22

2035. House that Jack Built

4

2400. Ground Measured with Horse's Skin

1

 
Types:

1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9A, 9B, 15, 21, 30, 31, 33, 36, 37, 38, 47A, 49, 50, 55, 56, 60, 62, 72, 73, 100, 101, 104, 105, 111, 122A, 122B, 123, 125, 130, 154, 155, 156, 157, 175, 210. 221, 222, 225, 228, 235, 248, 249, 275, 295, 300, 301, 302, 303, 307, 311, 313, 314, 325, 326, 327A, 327B, 327C, 328, 331, 333, 400, 401, 402, 403, 408, 425, 432, 450, 451, 461, 471, 480, 506, 507, 510A, 510B, 511, 513, 514, 516, 518, 531, 533, 545, 550, 551, 552A, 554, 555, 559, 560, 561, 563, 566, 567, 569, 570, 571, 590, 592, 612, 613, 621, 650, 653, 655, 670, 671, 675, 676, 700, 706, 707, 709, 750, 780, 781, 785, 851, 852, 853. 854. 875, 882, 900, 901, 910, 921, 922, 923, 930, 931, 935, 945, 950, 1000, 1004, 1012, 1015, 1030, 1031, 1060, 1061, 1062, 1063, 1074, 1085, 1088, 1115, 1119, 1149, 1157, 1200, 1250, 1260, 1276, 1278, 1310, 1319, 1350, 1360C, 1380, 1384, 1386, 1415, 1430, 1525, 1528, 1530, 1535, 1537, 1539, 1540, 1541, 1542, 1563, 1585, 1590, 1610, 1611, 1612, 1640, 1641, 1642, 1651, 1653, 1655, 1685, 1696, 1698A, 1698B, 1730, 1737, 1775, 1920A, 1930, 2028, 2030, 2031, 2033, 2034C, 2035, 2400