All the common motifs which occur in the fairy tales have been classified by Andrew Lang under these heads:—­

      (1) Bride or bridegroom who transgresses a mystic command.

      (2) Penelope formula; one leaves the other and returns later.

      (3) Attempt to avoid Fate.

      (4) Slaughter of monster.

      (5) Flight, by aid of animal.

      (6) Flight from giant or wizard.

      (7) Success of youngest.

      (8) Marriage test, to perform tasks.

      (9) Grateful beasts.

     (10) Strong man and his comrades.

     (11) Adventure with Ogre, and trick.

     (12) Descent to Hades.

(13) False bride.

(14) Bride with animal children.

From a less scientific view some of the common motifs noticeable in the fairy tales, which however would generally fall under one of the heads given by Lang, might be listed:—­

(1) Child wandering into a home; as in Three Bears and
Snow White.

(2) Transformation; simple, as in Puss-in-Boots; by
love, as in Beauty and the Beast, by sprinkling with
water, as in Beauty and the Beast or by bathing, as in
Catskin; by violence, as in Frog Prince and White
Cat.

(3) Tasks as marriage tests; as in Cinderella,

(4) Riddle test; as in Peter, Paul, and Espen; questions
asked, as in Red Riding Hood.

      (5) Magic sleep; as in Sleeping Beauty.

      (6) Magic touch; as in Golden Goose.

      (7) Stupid person causing royalty to laugh; as in Lazy Jack.

      (8) Exchange; as in Jack and the Beanstalk.

      (9) Curiosity punished; as in Bluebeard and Three Bears.

     (10) Kindness to persons rewarded; as in Cinderella, Little
          Two-Eyes, and The House in the Wood.

     (11) Kindness to animals repaid; as in Thumbelina, Cinderella,
          and White Cat.

     (12) Industry rewarded; as in Elves and the Shoemaker.

     (13) Hospitality rewarded; as in Tom Thumb.

     (14) Success of a venture; as in Dick Whittington.

After studying the tale as folk-lore, know it as literature.  Master it as a classic, test it as literature, to see wherein lies its appeal to the emotions, its power of imagination, its basis of truth, and its quality of form; study it as a short-story and view it as a piece of narration.  It is rather interesting to note that you can get all there is in a tale from any one point of view.  If you follow the sequence as setting, through association you get the whole, as may be seen by referring to Chanticleer and Partlet under the heading, “Setting,”