Index of Motifs
In this index, tales from
Swapping Stories are identified according to their respective
numbers in Stith Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature
(1955-58). Motifs which end with asterisks "*"
or lower-case letters in parentheses "(a)" refer to
the supplemental numbers and titles that appear in Ernest W. Baughman's
Type and Motif-Index of the Folktales of England and North
America (1966). Thus, the following is a Thompson motif: X1301.
Lie: the great fish; but this is a supplemental motif introduced
by Baughman: X1301.5*(e). Fish leaps, causes tidal wave.
| Motif number and international title | Number and title of tale as it appears in Swapping Stories. |
| A930.1.1. Snake as creator of rivers and lakes. | 192. How Bayou Teche Was Formed. |
| A1115.2. Why the sea is salt: magic salt mill. | 204. Why the Ocean Is Salty. |
| A1131.0.1. Regulation of Rains | 205. Why the Frog Croaks |
| A1427. Acquisition of spiritous liquors. | 45,46. The First Meeting of the Indians and the Europeans. |
| A2034. Origin of mosquitoes. | 201. The Legend of the Mosquito. |
| A2219.1. Animal
has color spilled on him: cause of his color. |
203. Why the Crow Is Black. |
| A2356.2.9. Why tortoise has a humpy back. | 38. The Turtle and the Rabbit Run a Race. |
| A2377. Origin of animal characteristics: wings. | 197. How the Bat Got His Wings. |
| A2411.2.1.6. Origin of color of crow. | 203. Why the Crow is Black. |
| A2411.2.6.7. Origin of color of peacock. | 203. Why the Crow is Black. |
| A2412.5.1. Origin of spots on tortoise's back. | 38. The Turtle and the Rabbit Run a Race. |
| A2413.4. Origin of stripes of tiger. | 202. How the Tiger Got His Stripes. |
| B2. Animal totem. |
191. A Chitimacha Flood Story. 44. The Deer and the Wildcat. |
| B53.1. Drowning man rescued by siren. | 177. Lifesaving Sirens. |
| B98. Mythical frog. | 205. Why the Frog Croaks. |
| B122.0.3. Wise owl. | 39. Bel's Encounter with a Wise Owl. |
| B261.1. Bat in war of birds and quadrupeds. |
38. The Turtle and the Rabbit Run a Race. 197. How the Bat Got Its Wings. |
| B512. Medicine shown by animal. | 37, 199. Learning from the Bear. |
| B733. Animals spirit-sighted. | 187. Mr. Blue and the Dog Ghost. |
| C401.3. Tabu: speaking while searching for treasure. | 165. A Moaning Ghost and Buried Treasure. |
| C631. Tabu: breaking the Sabbath. | 147. Ben Lily, Strongman of Morehouse Parish. |
| D113.1.1. Werewolf. |
170. A Brush with the Loup Garou. 174. An Oyster-Culling Loup Garou. 176. Loup Garou as Shadow Companion. |
| D915. Magic river. | 173. Two Mysteries of Bayou Go to Hell. |
| D950. Magic tree. |
37, 199. Learning from the Bear. 185. A Holy Tree. |
| D1240. Magic waters and medicines. | 123. A Priest with a Small Parish. |
| D1542.1. Magic object produces rain. | 185. A Holy Tree. |
| D1652.3.1. Cow gives inexhaustible milk. | 21. How the Farmer Saved His Pigs. |
| D1841.4.3. Walking upon water without wetting the soles or garments. | 95. Walking on Water. |
| D1901. Witch induces love. |
179. The Red-Headed Witch of Bogalusa Creek. 66. He Got the Pig and the Girl. |
| D2172.1. Magic repetition: person must keep on doing or saying thing until released. | 179. The Red-Headed
Witch of Bogalusa Creek. |
| E1. Person comes to life. |
18. The Mean Mountaineer. 201. The Legend of the Mosquito. |
| E113. Resuscitation by blood. | 201. The Legend of the Mosquito. |
| E261. Wandering ghost makes attack. | 178. The Silk Lady. |
| E265.2. Meeting ghost causes madness. | 169. The Ghosts of Jean Lafitte's Pirates. |
| E272. Road-ghosts. | 182. Headless Man of Black Bayou. |
| E291. Ghost protects hidden treasure. | 164. The Haint Took It. |
| E338.1. Nonmalevolent ghost haunts house or castle. | 180. The Hammering Ghost of Minden. |
| E402.1.1.3. Ghost cries and screams. | 178. The Silk Lady. |
| E421.1.2. Ghost visible to horses alone. | 187. Mr. Blue and the Dog Ghost. |
| E421.2 (a). Ghost scares horse. | 178. The Silk Lady. |
| E422.1.1. Headless revenant. |
182. Headless Man of Black Bayou. 183. Evie Sees the Headless Man. |
| E721.1. Soul wanders from body in sleep. | 170. A Brush with the Loup Garou. |
| 403.2.2.1. Familiar spirit in animal form. | 175. The Shadow Companion. |
| F403.2.2.3. Familiar spirit equivalent to man's soul. |
175. The Shadow Companion. 178. Loup Garou as Shadow Companion. |
| F610. Remarkably strong man. | 147. Ben Lily, Strongman of Morehouse Parish. |
| F628.1.1.4. Strong man kills bear. | 147. Ben Lily, Strongman of Morehouse Parish. |
| F652. Marvelous sense of smell. | 147. Ben Lily, Strongman of Morehouse Parish. |
| F685. Marvelous withstander of cold. | 147. Ben Lily, Strongman of Morehouse Parish. |
| F687. Person's remarkable odor. | 92. They Couldn't Fool a Polecat. |
| F696. Marvelous swimmer. | 149. Shine and the Titanic. |
| G219.4. Witch with very long hair. | 179. The Red-Headed Witch of Bogalusa Creek. |
| G224.4. Person sells soul to devil in exchange for witch power. | 179. The Red-Headed Witch of Bogalusa Creek. |
| H215.4. Ineradicable handprint proves innocence. | 145. The Traveling Salesman. |
| H1114.1. Task: securing three eggs from top of glass tower. | 51. Les trois jobs. |
| J814.4. Flattering the wicked to avoid being beaten or killed. | 84. He Was Definitely Out. |
| J1086. Ignoring the unpleasant. | 90. For Better or for Worse. |
| J1761. Animal thought to be object. |
40. Bel's Encounter with the Rabbit and Cow. 43. Rabbit Rolls into a Ball. |
| J1803. Learned words misunderstood by uneducated. | 85. How to Save on Heating Costs. |
| J1805.1. Similar sounding words mistaken for each other. | 77.That's One Tourist Who'll Never Come Back |
| J1813. Cooking processes misunderstood. | 80. Swapping Stories. |
| J2413. Foolish imitation by an animal. | 44. The Dear and the Wildcat. |
| J2425. The bungling host. | 42. How the Buzzard Got a Pierced Nose. |
| K11.1. Race won by deception: relative helpers. |
38. The Turtle and the Rabbit Run a Race. 194. La tortuga y el conejo. |
| K581.2. Briar-patch punishment for rabbit. |
49. Bouki, Lapin, et Rat de Bois. 190. Bouki and Lapin in the Garden. 200. Brer Rabbit and Tarbaby. |
| K741. Capture by tar baby. |
33. Le petit bonhomme en Coal Tar. 49. Bouki, Lapin, et Rat de Bois. 190. Bouki and Lapin in the Garden. 200. Brer Rabbit and Tarbaby. |
| K1813. Disguised husband visits his wife. | 153. La vuelta del marido. |
| K1955. Sham physician. | 42. How the Buzzard Got a Pierced Nose. |
| N534. Treasure discovered by accident. | 159. Family Misfortunes. |
| N650. Life saved by accident. | 148. The Legend of the Brooch. |
| N741. Unexpected meeting of husband and wife. | 153. La vuelta del marido. |
| N741.4. Husband and wife reunited after long separation and tedious quest. | 153. La vuelta del marido. |
| Q451. Mutilation as punishment. | 42. How the Buzzard Got a Pierced Nose. |
| S123. Burial alive. | 22 .They Buried Her Too Soon. |
| S172. Mutilation: nose cut off or crushed. | 42. How the Buzzard Got a Pierced Nose |
| X137. Humor of ugliness. Hunter's ugliness fatal to animals. | 128. Looks Can Kill. |
| X459. Jokes on parsons. |
117. The Persimmoned Parson. 123. A Priest with a Small Parish. |
| X1061. Lie: great boat or ship of remarkable man. | 155. La pesca del camarón. |
| X1061.1. Lie: remarkable size of great ship. | 155. La pesca del camarón. |
| X1130.2. Lie: fruit tree grows from head of deer shot with fruit pits. | 134. The Alligator Peach Tree. |
| X1150.1. Lie: the great catch of fish. |
126. That Squirrel Could Really Fish. 155. La pesca del camarón. |
| X1286. Remarkable mosquitoes. | 127. Mosquitoes Save a Life. |
| X1286.5(a). Deadly bite of mosquito: Mosquitoes are so deadly that people bitten by mosquitoes have rattlesnakes bite them to counteract the mosquito venom. | 127. Mosquitoes Save a Life. |
| X1301. Lie: the great fish. |
26. The Big Fish of Corney Creek 129. A Tale about a Catfish. 130. Does He Drive, Too? |
| X1301.5* (ha). Scales of big fish are used for shingles. | 27. Another Big Fish Story. |
| X1633.3.1*. Lizards carry chips to sit down on. | 24. It Was So Hot. |