i87A2. What are two? Dialogue, ATU 812, 2010, H602.1.1., †H602.1.1. .14.-.17.23.27.-.29.31.33.-.35.38.
Theantagonist calls numbers from one to seven or nine, the hero answers what each corresponds to, the antagonist is unable to object.
Morocco, Portuguese, Catalans, Spaniards, Basques, Aragon, Italians (Liguria), Sardinians, Austrians, Frisians, Flemish, British, Arabs of Syria, Qatar, Ancient India ("Mahabharata") , Sindhi, Hungarians, Greeks, Czechs, Ukrainians (Ugric Russia, Galicia, Podolia), Adygs, Abazins, Ossetians, Ingush, Avars, Lezgins, Georgians (Imereti, Ingeloyans), Azerbaijanis, Swedes, Danes, Norwegians, Finns, Estonians, Lithuanians, Kazakhs (Eastern Kazakhstan), South Altai Tuvans, Buryats, Khalkha Mongols, Dagurs, Northern and Eastern Khanty, Japanese.
North Africa. Morocco [a person wants a wife who can answer his questions; finds a girl who answers that there are 8, 4, 2: the number of nipples a pig, camel, woman has; sets the condition that before her wedding night, she will ask three questions herself; sends a maid with expensive clothes and a vessel containing oil and honey; the maid eats oil and honey, takes some of her clothes; the man tells the maid to give it Mrs. some words from which the bride understands that the maid is a thief]: Nowak 1969, No. 476:378-379.
Southern Europe. The Portuguese [read this prayer if they are afraid that the devil will take possession of their souls; a story before prayer; the Virgin Mary or guardian angel teaches the soul what to answer each of the devil's 12 questions; one: the holy dwelling of Jerusalem; two: two tablets of the Covenant; three: St. Trinity; four:4 evangelists; five: 5 wounds of Christ; 6:six holy candles; seven:7 sacraments; eight: 8 blessings of the Sermon on the Mount; nine: 9 months pregnant St. Virgos; ten:10 commandments; eleven: 11,000 virgins; twelve:12 apostles; but if the devil asks about thirteen, you must answer: 13 rays of the sun, 13 rays of the moon, this soul is not about you]: Cardigos 2006, No. 2010:380; Catalans [to avoid falling into the hands of the devil (from whom he got help), a person must answer his questions; What is alone? - The sun is brighter than the moon. - What are two? - A two-year-old can't walk along the river bank. - What are three? - The empty bag is not heavy]: Oriol, Pujol 2008, No. 1010:287; Basques [the poor widower has 11 children, he went on a journey; came to the castle; the red-haired gentleman gave him money, a couple of oxen and a needle; a year later the person will have to tell him 12 truths, and if he does not answer, he will take him away; upon learning about this, St. Peter told the man not to be afraid and stand behind him; the red gentleman comes and begins to ask, giving numbers from 12 to 1; answers: 12 apostles, 11 archangels, 10 commandments, 9 prayers of St. Virgins, 8 heavens, 7 (sources) of light, 6 orders, 5 celebrations of Jesus Christ, 4 Gospels, 3 virgins, 2 altars in Jerusalem, 1 God; then the redhead asks if there are good oxen in this house? - Yes, these are the calves of beautiful cows. - And the needle? - Yes, this is a de courdier child. - It's you, St. Peter? - Yes. - Does that water flow up or down? - Up or down and you go down. - The red gentleman is gone, the man has been saved]: Cerquand 1876, #28:25-27; Spaniards [Aurelio Espinosa, "Cuentos populares de España": one: sky; two: two tables of the Law; three: three Mary's (mothers of Jesus, Salome, Mary Magdalene); four: four evangelists; etc.]: Scelles-Milles 1963:286; Italians (Liguria) [the poor man leaves home and is even ready for his soul sell the line; towards the gentleman, gives a purse of money; for this, at the next midnight, a person must tell him 12 words of truth; the wife thinks that you should just name the utensils, etc.; someone looks into cuisine and tells the couple not to worry; for the hospitality provided, he will answer the devil's questions himself. "- What is one? - God. - Two? - Two truths of our holy faith. - Three? - Father, son and holy spirit. - Four? - Four evangelists. - Five? - Five wounds on Christ's body. - Six? - Six sacraments of the holy church. - Seven? - Seven Commandments. - Eight? - Eight blooming trees in Jerusalem. - Nine? - Nine angel ranks {choirs?}. - Ten? - The Ten Commandments of Christ. - Eleven? - Eleven burning shrines in Jerusalem. - Twelve? - Twelve apostles. - Thirteen? "Go to hell, devil, not thirteen." Oh, Saint Martin, I can't defeat it since Saint Martin intervened." One was the devil and the other was St. Martin]: Andrews 1895, No. 45:209-212; Aragon [twelve truths; a series of religious motives, numbers ascending]: González Sanz 1996, No. 2010:143; Sardinians: Uther 2004 (2), No. 2010:511- 512.
Western Europe. Austrians [the unlucky peasant wants to hang himself; the devil agrees to work for him, but seven years later he will have to tell him seven truths; an old man came into the house the day before; at night he meets the line instead of a peasant; the first truth is that you are outside and I am inside; second: lovers want to be together; third: the stool has three legs; the fourth: the cart has four wheels; the fifth: every five fingers; sixth: six less than a week; seventh: seven years have passed, seven pigs have been eaten, and you are damn away; the unclean is gone; the old man tells you not to take such a servant again; admits that he is God also helped the peasant because he led a righteous life]: Cerf 1992:251-255; the British [in connection with this story, the author recalls hearing this in Wiltshire]: Busk 1874:254; friezes , Flemish, British: Uther 2004 (2), No. 2010:511-512.
Western Asia. The Arabs of Syria [the daughters of the king, vizier and merchant are three friends; envious of the mind of the merchant's daughter, the princess told her father to execute him; the vizier advised him to ask questions that the merchant would not be able to answer ; 1) what is the sweetest, most beautiful and most precious thing in the world? the daughter told the merchant to say that sleep, the moon and the moment that goes away; 2) what is "no, no, no"? your property is yours, but your spirit is not; your son is from your flesh and blood, but your daughter is not; the hair in your beard is yours but not in your fist; 3) explain the numbers from one to 12; One is God is one, two is day and night , there is no third; three are the sun, moon and star; four to 4 righteous caliphs; five to 5 prayers a day; six - the world was created in 6 days; seven to 7 heavens; eight-7 sleeping youths and their dog; nine-9 months pregnant; ten to 10 good messengers in paradise; eleven Joseph had 11 sons; twelve in a year 12 months; the merchant confessed that his daughter had taught him and ordered her to come; she agreed to the condition that she would be able to take the most precious thing from the palace; the king was fascinated, ordered coffee to be served; the girl made it herself; continued to charm him, and he reminded him of her condition; finally, I guessed it and she confirmed; the king married her and she gave birth to an heir; treated the king's daughter well]: Kuhr 1993:353-357; the Arabs of Qatar [motif H602.1.1 "Symbolic meaning of numbers one to seven (ten, twelve). [Religious interpretations]" as part of "The Devil's Riddle"]: El-Shamy 2004, No. 812:448.
South Asia. Ancient India, Mahabharata, Book 3, Ch. 134 [when Brahman Ashtavakra was still in his mother's womb (where he had already learned all the Vedas), his father, Kahoda, went to Mithila, the capital of King Janaka, and lost there in a dispute with the skillful arguer Wandin (the name means "panegyrist"), the son of Suta (guardians of oral tradition of all kinds, a special military caste), was drowned, like his unlucky predecessors. After 12 years, Ashtavakra learns about what happened to his father and goes to Mithila for another great sacrifice to Janaka to compete in wisdom and poetic technique with Vandin. At the gates of the city, the king himself meets him and tests it, asking poetic riddles. Convinced of his wisdom, he allows him to compete; Vandin: one is fire, sun, King of the Gods, Yama; Ashtavakra: two - Indra and Agni, Narad and Parvat, Ashwins, two chariot wheels, husband and wife; V.: three - an earthly creature is born three times, three participate in the wajapea, the Adhvarya perform a triple bath, there are three worlds and three lights; A.: four - quadruple is a sign of brahmanas, 4 priests set to perform this sacrifice, 4 sides of the world, 4 varnas, 4 legs for a cow; V.: five lights, five pankti pads, five types of sacrifices, 5 sensory organs, in the Vedas 5 apsars, with 5 curls each, the world glorifies the blessing of the Bird; A.: six is a six-time gift to brahmanas on the occasion of the establishment of the sacrificial fire, the wheel of time from 6 seasons, 6 senses, 6 Critic (in Pleiades), 6 Sadyaska sacrifices; V.: seven - 7 species of domestic and 6 wild animals, 7 poetic sizes with one sacrifice, seven holy sages, seven honors, 7 strings of guilt; A.: eight - 8 shana is 100 mana, 8 legs for a sharabha who kills a lion, 8 vasu among the gods, for any sacrifice, an octagonal sacrificial pillar; V.: nine to 9 prayers when lighting a fire in honor of the forefathers, a creation of 9 stages, 9 syllables make up the size of a brihati, a combination of 9 digits when counting; A.: ten - a person's life is divided into 10 periods, 10 hundred are 1000, 10 (lunar) months of pregnancy, "ten" (heard in the names) "dasheraki", "Dasharny", "dasha"; V.: eleven to 11 pets for 11 days half the lunar month, for them 11 sacrificial pillars, 11 modifications are undergoing living in the sky among the gods there are 11 rudras; A.: twelve months, 12 syllables are the size of jagati, 12 days are usually the sacrifice, 12 adityas have brahmanas; V.: thirteen is the 13th lunar day is the most formidable , a land of 13 islands..; V. stumbled on this, and A. continued: Keshin spent 13 days on the road, 13 or more syllables in the size of atichchhandas; everyone recognized the superiority of A., he ordered V. to drown; V. himself joined ocean waters]: Vasilkov, Neveleva 1987:276-279; Sindhi [the princess promises to marry someone who answers her 20 questions, and executes those who fail to answer; the shepherd's son answers; One: God; two: Prophet Mohammed; three: Tage der Totenfeier; four: four friends; five: five pure; six: Tage für di chhati; seven: seven days of the week; eight: Friday, der hat keinen neunten; nine: a day pilgrimages to Mecca; ten: 10 days in the month of Muharram; eleven: the day of the padishah Yarhin; twelve: 12 noble imams; thirteen: terhen tezi; fourteen: the moonlight (Helle der Mondes); fifteen: the middle of the month; sixteen: the number of women's decorations; seventeen: the wedding ceremony; eighteen: the number of sons of Ali Shah; nineteen: the number of prayers before the evening prayer; twenty: the number fingers and toes; and 21 more are you, 22 are me, 23 are cadia, 24 are marriage; the king arranged a wedding]: Schimmel 1995, No. 8:72-75.
The Balkans. Hungarians [mother does not want her son to bring her daughter-in-law into the house, he left home; the old man tells her to cross the copper bridge quietly, without knocking, otherwise he will die; the guy crossed, but to hell; praises the guy for respect, indicates where to get a wife; when a guy returns with his wife, he gives pigs, but promises to come and ask questions; a beggar has come, tells me to remain silent, he will answer the line himself; What is alone? - God. - Two? - Sharp eyes. - Three? - If the house has three windows, the lights are just right. - Four? - Wheels in the cart. - Five? - Five fingers are just right for the handle of a saber. - Six? - Whoever has six good oxen doesn't need helpers. - Seven? - Who has 7 daughters, his head swells with worries until he marries them. - Whoever has 8 ricks in an ram doesn't need someone else's bread. - Nine? - Whoever has 9 pigs hanging in the attic will not run to his neighbor for bacon. Damn gone, the young ones have healed well]: Ortutai 1974, No. 19:313-319; Greeks: Uther 2004 (2), No. 2010:511-512.
Central Europe. Ukrainians: Dragomanov 1876, No. 27 [the poor man goes to buy bread for children; hell gives smu six pigs for three years; the man stabbed one, sold the rest, became rich; when the time came, for the night the elder asked; asks why the owner is sad; tells him not to respond when the hell comes; the devil asks through the window who is in the hut; the elder: one is not a single one; - And two? - It's good to threshing two. - Three? - It's good for three to go. - Four? - If you have four wheels, you will have your own cart. - Five? - If a person has five daughters, then his own gatherings (parties). - Six? - Damn gave the poor man six pigs and is gone forever. The devil furiously tore off the top of the hut and flew away, and the man thanked the old man]: 56-57; SUS 19790, No. 812* (Ugric Rus, Galicia, Podolia) [Requested is saved: answers questions the devil is what is one, two, three, etc. (an angel is responsible for him)]: 205; Czechs: Uther 2004 (2), No. 2010:511-512.
Caucasus - Asia Minor. Adygi: Mafedzev 1984 [children's play: an adult, pointing on his fingers, named and commented on each figure; One is lonely unhappy; two or two eyes know each other; three - the Adyghe table about three legs; four - if the horse's four legs are equally healthy, then it is sharp; five to five fingers on the hand are almost equal; six to two times three is six; seven - when seven star brothers turn (Big Dipper), dawn is coming; eight - the eight-haired harness pulls well (plow); nine is nine, one is missing; ten - you count to ten while enough]: 78; Sokolov, Broydo 1936 [Oh , once! - One alone. - Two! - Two eyes can see well. - Three! - There is a three-legged on three legs. - Four! - There are four nipples filled with milk in the udder. - Five! - Five fingers in five. - Six! - A young man with six prisoners. - Seven! - Seven star brothers will turn around - dawn. - Eight! - They plow arable land on eight oxen. - Nine! - Add one, it will be ten]: 465; Abaza [the prince liked the peasant's wife; he called a peasant to him and said: "Tomorrow I will tell you seven words. If you can tell me what they mean, I'll give you seven heads of cattle. If you fail, you will give your wife back"; the peasant returned home, told his wife; the wife: "When the prince comes, speak to him through the window. I'll sit outside the window at your feet. The prince will say a word, you do not hurry to answer, but listen to me and repeat what I am going to say"; the prince came the next morning, went to the window and asked the peasant if he was ready to answer; then said that his first the word is "one"; the peasant, after listening to his wife's hint, answered "God is one"; Two! - If a person has both eyes healthy, he can see well; Three! - If Aisha (a low round table) has three legs, she stands firmly; Four! - If a cow has all four nipples healthy, she gives a lot of milk; Five! - If a person has all five fingers intact, he holds both the pitchfork and the shovel well; Six! - If six bulls are harnessed into the plow, it plows well; Seven! - When the Seven Brothers (i.e. the Big Dipper) descend to the south, it quickly begins to dawn; the prince admitted defeat and invited the peasant to pick up the cattle]: Tugov 1985, No. 79:254-255; Ossetians: Britayev, Kaloev 1959 [the giant gives the poor man a cow on the condition that he asks him questions in three years; if he answers, the cow with his offspring, if not, will take the property and family; questions: what is alone? me; what are two? my eyes; three? triangular arrow; four? a horse about four horseshoes; five? Whoever has five hundred sheep is not poor; six? Who has under 20 hay six times does not need food; seven? Who has seven who go for hay does not need food; eight? who will harness eight pairs of oxen, feed themselves; nine? I wasn't here at nine o'clock; where was I? at Terek; what did you move through Terek on? caught a donkey, made a saddle out of a hat, cinch bars out of leg bandages; probably it was not Terek, but a stream? if a donkey screams from one bank, you can't hear it on the other; is the little baby? his skin made a fur coat and hat for Uryzmag; is Uryzmag small? When a rooster sings at his foot, he can't hear his head; was he deaf? When ants were plowing in the underworld, he heard a noise; were they close to him? did shepherds get to them in a year; were they bad shepherds? they walked for a whole year and the wolves didn't even get a kid's ear; were the wolves bad? they only have enough buffaloes in the steppe for one grip; bad buffaloes? they did not have enough iron yoke for one team; the giant fell silent; the poor man told him to turn into a stump with a damask ax planted in it]: 380-382 (=Kapieva 1991:356-359); Byazyrov 1972, No. 39 [the giant gave poor people a cow on the condition that he would come in a year and ask questions; if they did not answer, they would become his property; on the evening of the appointed day, Uastyrji arrived in the form of a simple rider; whipped - a wooden chair appeared for the old man and a silver one for W. himself; hit a meager treat, it turned into food; on the ground, wooden and silver beds; at midnight, the giant called out to the owner, W. answers instead of him; one - no one better than me; two - better than my two eyes; three - a three-feather arrow flies into the sky and underground; four - a four-wheeled cart; five - my five fingers would touch you, I would I asked you; six - how to impoverish someone who has six mowers mow hay; seven - let a woman who buried her husband seven times walk near my house; eight - will someone who cuts 800 call you poor sheep; nine - and I was not here on the ninth; where was I? - hunted, flying on a chrome mosquito, the sea from edge to edge; is the sea small? - The eagle didn't fly and fell into the water. - Is the eagle small? - Could you cover the village with a rain wing. - Is the village small? - When a donkey was yelling at one end, you can't hear it at the other. - Is the donkey small? "He chased the hare with millstones on his back and caught it." Is the hare small? - His skin was used to make a fur coat and hat for the eldest of the sledges, Uryzmag, and W. was so tall that the rooster's cry on his foot did not reach his ears; the giant wanted to run away; Uastyrji cursed him, turning him into a log for the hearth (in a pine tree stump) with a new ax stuck in it]: 260-262; Dzagurov, 1973, No. 62 [the poor man was a giant's farmhand; when he asked for money for work, the giant said: "If you give me ten answers to my ten questions, I'll give you your due pay"; then the giant asked the first question: Well, one, one? Farmhand: If you take one person, there is no one like me; Two, two? There's nothing I wouldn't see with my two eyes; Three, three? The three-pinned arrow goes both into the sky and into the ground; Four, four? The four-wheeled arba rolls both in the mountains and out of the blue; Five, five? If I grab you with five fingernails, where else would you go? Six, six? Why does someone who plowed arable land on six bulls still call himself poor? Seven, seven? How can seven brothers who have mowed their mows still call themselves poor?! Eight, eight? When a farmhand has worked for a person for eight years, he must pay for the work; Nine, nine? Why does someone who milks nine cows still call himself poor? Ten, ten? I wasn't here at 10. The lame mosquito was my horse. I jumped it to the other side of Terek; giant: And if Terek was small, what then? Farmhand: Where did little Terek come from, when the eagle could not fly from one bank to the other; Or maybe the eagle was small, what then? Where did the little eagle come from when it covered an entire Nartovo village with one wing! Or maybe the village was small, what then? Where did the small village come from, when the donkey screamed from one end, he could not be heard screaming at the other end; or maybe the donkey was small, what then? Like a little donkey: with millstones and pounds of salt on his knees, he caught a hare; Or maybe the hare was small, what then? Like a little hare: a fur coat and hat for a Nart man came out of his skin; Or maybe the Nart man was small, what then? Like a little man: a rooster sang at his feet, but his head could not hear him singing; Or maybe he was deaf, what then? How deaf: when a bull was chewing gum just around the corner, he could hear it; Or maybe the mountain was close, what then? How close the mountain was: another shepherd couldn't get to it in a day; or maybe another shepherd was a boy, what then? What a boy he was: after all, he caught a wolf in his back legs with whom you could not help; the giant burst out of anger, and the poor man's son took his cattle]: 305-307; Dzutsev et al. 2011 [hell gave a poor man of several goats, forbid slaughtering black, gray and white; goats have bred; the poor man tells him to come for a debt on Monday.. (like this all days of the week); hell suggests a verbal duel; One - I'm not better than me; Two - I have two black eyes; Three - Fung (table) on three legs; Three more - Three faces at the arrow; Four - Four horseshoes at the horse; Five - Fingers on hand; Six - Six times 20 would have from your flock, I would be rich; Seven - Seven times let the enemy be unlucky in choosing a wife; Eight - Eight days I have not been here, I was in deep sea; - How did you get out? "I caught a lame mosquito, made a cinch out of bandages, a bridle out of a belt, sat on it and flew;" Was the sea small? - The eagle flew from one side to the other, sat down to rest on a rock in the middle of the sea; Was it an eagle? - It rained heavily over the large village of sledges, the eagle covered it with its wings, the drop did not fall; - Is the village small? - If the donkey was crying at one end, you couldn't hear it at the other; was it a donkey? "He carried three blocks of salt from afar to the mountain, chased the hare, kicked it with his hoof, which fell into the abyss;" Was it a hare? "If the rooster screamed at his back leg, his head could not hear;" Was he deaf? - Two ants were quarreling underground, he heard an argument; the goats were left with the poor man, the hell paid for the work]: 152-155; Sokayeva 2016: No. 1 (Ossetians in Turkey) [Uaig called three orphans to spend the night with him, otherwise he would eat; they cried, went to their neighbor Uastyrji; he went to ask his neighbor to shelter them, the neighbor refused - she had guests; the man with cotton ears was the same; then W. hid himself in the chimney; Waig comes, asks what is one; W. rattles out of the trumpet - God; - Two? - Two eyes. - Three? - Triangular arrow. - Four? - Four-wheeled cart. - Five? - Five huddled together (sheep). - Six? - I haven't been here on the sixth, where have you been? - I jumped across a big river. - Who was your horse? - Gadfly. - With a whip? - Fire serpent. - What was the river like? - The falcon would only fly halfway through. - Was it a falcon chick? - He could cover the village with his wings. - Is the village small? "If a donkey screamed at one end, you couldn't hear it at the other." Was it a donkey? - With a bag of salt on his back, he caught a hare with his hind legs. - His skin made a man a fur coat and hat. - Is the man small? "When a rooster crowed at his feet, his ears could not hear him." Was he deaf? - I went to listen to Dalimons (underground] demonic creatures). Waig turned into a stump out of anger. The girls cut it down in the morning and burned it in winter], 2 (Ossetians in Turkey) [the devil gave the poor goats, did not tell him to slaughter black, white, gray and red ones; the poor man told him to come not on Monday or Tuesday (so until Sundays); hell: what's one? - There's no one better than me. - Two? - My glasses. - Three? - Triangular arrow. - Four? - A horse with four horseshoes. - Five? - Five fingers. - Six? - If I had six and twenty black cattle, I wouldn't be poor. - Let my enemy have six released wives. - Eight? - I haven't been here for the eighth time, I've been to Terk, Turk. - How did I cross the big river? - I caught a lame gadfly, made cinches out of footbands, a saddle out of a hat, a bridle from my waist. - Is the river small? - If an eagle flew from one bank, it couldn't fly to the other. - Is the eagle small? - When it rained over the village of Nart, it covered the village with one wing, but did not fall a drop. - Is the village small? "When a donkey screamed at one end, I couldn't hear it at the other. - Carrying three salt stones, I caught up and caught a hare. - Bunny? - His skin was used to make the sledge elder a fur coat and the rim of his hat. "When a rooster crowed from his leg up, he didn't hear it." Were you deaf? - I heard two ants arguing in the underworld. - Maybe he was smart? - Died from madness. Damn it, the poor man got the herd]: 147-148, 148-149; Chetita 1989 (p. Roro, Leninogorsk District, South Ossetia) [After a predetermined period, the shepherd asks the owner for his share. Host: Okay, since you don't want to serve me anymore, I'll let you go, but only on one condition: if you can answer all my questions, I'll give you my whole flock, and if not, consider you for nothing served all these five years. Shepherd: I agree, ask me what you want. Host: What is one? Shepherd: Our Lord alone is all-good, he alone distinguishes the righteous from the unrighteous. Host: Then what would be two? Shepherd: The shepherd guarded your countless flock with two eyes, followed her relentlessly on two legs so as not to lose a single lamb. Host: But you'll have nothing to say about three. Shepherd: Our old Ossetian table stands on three legs, which satisfies the hungry and instantly makes the tired drunk. Host: What would you give me a damn about the four? Shepherd: During all four seasons, I asked you to let me go as is customary, but you did not heed my request and my heart was filled with bitterness. Host: But you, I'm having tea, won't be able to say anything about the five. Shepherd: We have five fingers on each hand that help us live and bring us joy. Owner: They say that an eagle once stole an ox from sledges, what size should that ox be? Shepherd: Why do you believe fairy tales! Another time, the mosquito will also present itself as an ox. Host: What a mosquito there is! Uryzmag himself plowed the land on this will. Shepherd: The owner of Nart's treasures did not need to plow the land, etc.]: 58-59; Ingush: Dakhkilgov 2006 [Shaitan came to the old man. - Are you alone? - What is more valuable than a person's soul alone? - Are you two people? - What is clearer than two eyes? - Are you a triune? - You're not worth a chair without three legs. - Are you one in four? - Without four corners, the tower is not a tower. - Are you one in five? - The owner of five cows will always live in abundance. - Are you one in six? - The father of six sons was not jealous of someone else's booty. - Are you seven? "May a widowed woman not walk around your yard and mine seven times." You had a son. - Men have always had children. - You were not at home and your wife had a party. - If a son is born, They always celebrate. - And your wife saved a share of the feast for you. - Because I'm the owner of the family. - And your cat ate your share. - Your wife overlooked that. After that, Satan died of a broken heart]: 435; Malsagov 1983, No. 95 [the old man mowed the grass, the hell decided to deceive him, asked: "Are you alone?" ; old man: "What could be more valuable to a person than a single soul?" ; "So there are two of you?" - "Is there anything more vigilant than two eyes in the world?" ; "Three of you?" - "Three-legged and a chair can be"; "Four of you?" - "There is no tower without four corners"; "Five of you?" - "A housewife with five cows doesn't need grace"; "Six of you?" - "A father with six sons was not jealous of someone else's booty"; "Seven of you?" - "A woman who has married seven times should not be in your house or in my house"; the devil could not outsmart the old man and, when he found out that he has no children, said: "Your wife gave birth to a son"; the old man: "Man always has offspring"; "Without you, your wife arranged that for this occasion" - "The birth of a son is always celebrated"; "And your wife left you a share" - "Because I am her husband"; "A cat ate your share" - "Mistress for I didn't see dishes"; the devil could not argue with the old man, he gave up his breath]: 247; Avars: Aliyeva 2013, No. 1 [khan gives the poor man to slaughter a mare that has not been screwed for 7 years, provided that in the evening he he will answer his questions; otherwise he will take both the mare's meat and his field; mutallim stays with the poor man; Khan comes in the middle of the night, mutallim answers instead of the owner; The first thing? - Allah. - Second? - Two rifle shots in your chest. - Third? - If there are three bright stars in the sky, I'll find my way everywhere. - Fourth? - I'll go where I need to go on a horse with four legs. - Fifth? - A father of five sons is not afraid to speak in a village square. - Sixth? - Whoever has six bulls won't be too late to plow. - Seventh? - The seventh is me, who ate the meat of a mare that hasn't been screwed for seven years. Khan leaves cursed], 28 [the foreman wants to take over poor Bolo's farm; if he answers 9 questions, he gets a mare who has not been screwed for 9 years, otherwise he will lose his farm; Kunak answers from outside the door instead Bolo; - Here's one for you. - One - you're the head in our village. - What are two? - Two eyes see better. - Three? - The person sitting in a tripod chair feels like you now. - Four? - If you're riding a four-legged trotter, nothing cares. - Five? - A hand with five fingers. - Six? - If you harness six bulls, it's good to plow. - Seven? - If there are seven sons in the village square, the father's word counts. - Eight? - If there are eight stars in the sky and it's light at night. - Nine? - Bring a mare that hasn't been screwed for nine years; Bolo began to think what to do with the mare; Kunak: slaughter before the foreman comes and asks the tenth question]: 38-40, 127-129; Georgians (Imereti) [the wolf gave poor people have a cow with the condition to come in three years and ask three questions; if the old people do not answer, he will eat them; after three years, an angel came in the evening looking like a beggar, stayed overnight; wolf: what means one? - Unmarried. - Two? - Husband and wife. - Three? - Husband with wife and child. - How did I fly across the big sea? - Saddled a fly. - Is the sea small? - An eagle flying from one side could not reach the other and drowned. - Was it not an eagle, but an eagle? - When he flapped his wings, he covered three cities. - Are cities small? "The rider barely walked around them in three months." Was it not a horse, but a foal? - When she was dead, the owner made three fur coats and three hats out of her skin. - Was the owner small? - When the rooster sang, he hardly heard it. - Was he deaf? - When ants were arguing in the ground, he heard them speak. The wolf is gone. The beggar said he would not show up again and disappeared]: Kagan 1898a, No. 22:64-66; Lezgins, Azerbaijanis ("this tale is told by Lezgins and Mughals"; translated from Azerbaijani) [poor man went to visit a rich man; he gave him a bull on the condition that in three days, when he, the rich man, came to the poor man, he would be ready to answer questions (otherwise the poor man would have to return to seven times more than a bull costs); the poor man agreed, went home, stabbed the bull; the wife warned that there was some trick; on the third evening a beggar came to them and asked for shelter for the night; his owners received and told a story about a bull; at night, a rich man knocked on the door and began to ask questions: "Why is there one in the world and not two?" ; "One God," said the beggar; "What are two and not three?" - "Day and Night" (Var.: Sun and Moon); "What are three and not four?" - "Three divorces from his wife" (when divorcing his wife, a Muslim throws three stones); "Why four, not five?" - "Four sacred books sent down from God: Injil (New Testament), Tavrat (Torah), Zabur (Psalter), and the Koran"; "What is five, not six?" - "The five conditions of Islam: recognizing one God, fasting, praying, traveling to Mecca and Zakat"; "What are six and not seven?" - "Six rules when praying: washing, turning south, cleansing, raising your hands to your ears at the beginning of prayer, bowing to the waist and bowing to the earth"; "What are seven, not eight?" - Seven Heavens to the Throne of God (Var.: Seven Earths and Seven Hades)]: Von Plotto 1870:48-50.
Baltoscandia. Swedes [in Catholic countries in Europe are usually like this: one God, two tablets, three patriarchs, four evangelists, five wise virgins, six bowls in Canaan, seven sacraments, eight blessings, nine angelic choirs, ten commandments, eleven virgins, twelve apostles; other versions in Protestant countries; in Sweden they were sung to a certain melody; in the 16th century, Jews in Bohemia counted 13 to 1 ; probably spreading the motive from east to west (Rigveda I, 164 and other Sanskrit texts)]: Liungman 1961, No. GS 2036:349; Norwegians [the man sold his soul to the devil but he promises to release his contract, if a person can answer 7 questions/solve seven riddles that the devil asks; St. Peter gives answers instead of a person, saving him]: Hodne 1984, No. 812:173; Danes, Finns, Lithuanians: Uther 2004 (2), No. 2010:511-512; (cf. Latvians {it is not clear from the paraphrase if our motive is} [the son is promised a line; hell agrees not to take him away if the son answers three questions; at the appointed time, the son comes to the lake where the devil lives with Gypsy; Gypsies answer instead of son]: Aris, Medne 1977, No. 812*: 323); Estonians (Estonian Literary Museum, Tartu, archive; data collected and shared by Andres Kuperjanov, July 2017) [1) E 32340/1 (19), The arrival of Torm, y. Geunnu, Eliisabeth Soodla, 1897; with minor differences in Matthias Johann Eisen, Eesti kohalikud muistejutud, I-III, lk. 90-93; also Matthias Johann Eisen, Mis teadis rahvas, EkirJ. VI (1911), lk. 331; people complained that fish were not being caught; Kalevipoeg decided to help; drove havisid from Lake Peipsi up the Avinurme River and since then the place has been called Avinurme; K. built a house for himself where Avinurme Manor is now, he plowed the field and sowed silver coins, which are still being found today, in the size of 5, 10, 15 and 20 kopecks (the informant saw them himself); K. built a current there to expel money; one day, the goose decided to profit from the money and called the devil (vanapagan) to help; he agreed to the condition that the goose would answer his questions; hell: "What's alone?" - Gooser: "One is nothing on its own." "What's two?" - "A kitten has two eyes." - "What's three?" - "Three legs near a porridge pot." - "What's four?" - "A cow has four nipples." - "What's five?" - "Five fingers in the palm of your hand." - "What's six? - "Six nails in a horseshoe." "What's seven?" - "Seven stars in the sky {Pleiades}." - What are eight?" - "Eight spokes in a reel." - "What's nine?" - "Nine holes in a person." "What's ten?" - "Ten spokes in the cart wheel." "What's eleven?" The goose could not answer this question, began to groan the line with a flail; he fled and no one received Kalevipoeg's silver money; 2) Väike-Maarja parish, p. Kaarma, Johannes Reise, 1889; H II 11, 703/6 (1), lk. 703-706; a poor woman with a small child went to buy berries, got lost, could not find her way home for three days, began to eat picked berries; hell (vanapagan), asks what she is doing in the woods; the woman mistook him for a man, told him everything; hell promised to show her the way home if she gave him the child; but he would let him go if the boy will answer seven questions; the woman decided that the man was joking and went with him; when they approached the house, the devil told him to bring the boy to the river in 7 years, otherwise she would pick it up himself; at home about meeting the devil and his The woman kept silent about her promise; 7 years later, the woman brought her son to the appointed place and cried; said that she was just wiping her eyes and told the boy to go to the river, supposedly there was something interesting there; In the bushes, the boy noticed an angel who promised to answer the devil's questions himself; the hell came up and asked: "What is one?" The child, at the angel's suggestion: "üks põle ühtigi". "What's two?" - "A cat has two eyes." "What's three?" - "Three legs at the boiler" ("kolm jalga aistnal all"). "What's four?" - "A cow has four nipples." - "What's five?" - "Five fingers on a man's hand." "What's six?" - "Six nails in a horseshoe." "What's seven?" - Seven Stars in the Sky Sieve. "What's eight?" - "And we didn't agree on eight." The devil got angry and told the boy to clean up, since he was smarter than him; then both the devil and the angel disappeared, and the boy returned to his mother and told him what had happened to him; the happy mother took the boy in her arms and brought him home]; 3) Väike-Maarja parish, Kiltsi, Jakob Palm, 1890; H II 11, 856/7 (4); lk 856-857; according to an old woman; when her daughter was born, a woman promised her an evil spirit; when she was 7 years old; sent her to the river wash the black wool white; the girl went to the river, to meet an angel, advised me to beat the wool against the water and say that the black wool turn white; when someone comes up and starts asking, let the girl answers how an angel will teach her; someone came and asked questions; What is sweeter than honey? - Mother's milk. - What's softer than a pillow? - Mother's knees. - What is stronger than a stone? - Mother's heart; the questioner left; the next day, the mother sent her daughter to wash her daughter's white fur; the angel again taught me how to answer questions; - What is alone? - Nothing on its own. - What are two? - A cat has two eyes. - What are three? - Three legs at the cauldron. - What are four? - A cow has four nipples. - What is five? ~ Five fingers on your hand. ~ What's six? - Six nails in a horseshoe. - What is seven? - Seven stars in the sky. - What are eight? - We didn't agree on eight; hell: well, scoundrel, who taught you - take your wool and fall off; Väandra parish, 1897, Ernst Tetsmann; Kanga käärimise sõnad; 1) H II 58, 494 (8); one - nothing, a cat has two eyes, three legs on a stool, four nipples for a cow, five fingers for a person, seven stars in a sky sieve, two sheep have eight legs; (Siis olnud üks pasmas käe; 2) H II 58, 494 (9) ); one is nothing, the cat has two eyes, the cauldron has three legs, the cow has four nipples, the person has five fingers, the horseshoe has six holes, the sky has seven stars, the wheel has eight spokes, nine is nothing (pole ü hti), kümnes küit härg. Ühest sigurast sisse, teisest välja karpõmm.
Turkestan. Kazakhs (eastern Kazakhstan) [poor Ali asked for food from an infidel, he gave it, ordering him to pay a ruble for each day; the poor man turned to the Prophet Mohammed; hero Ali volunteered to help, M. his blessed; Ali pledged his sons Hassan and Hussein to the infidel, goes to get money; grabbed a lark by the leg, who lifted it into the air, brought it to the country of the infidels; Ali invites the old woman to become Muslim, she refuses, Ali hung her, came to the men for a feast, he is invisible to them; the mullah cannot make an ordinary speech, says that the prophet is nearby; Ali becomes visible, the mullah asks questions: - What is one thing? - God. - Two? - The sun and the month. - Three? - At the end of the night prayer, there's a break. - Four? - Four caliphs (Oman, Osman, Ali, Abu Bakr). Then five prayers, six formulas of creed, seven underworld for sinners, eight heavenly places for the righteous, nine sons of the prophet Ibrahim, ten (lunar) months pregnant. Each time, the mullah's question is in the form of: what is two instead of three (three, not four, etc.). Ali demands that the mullah answer three questions and those present must repeat the answers. "What did God write at the gates of paradise? - Bismillah ir rahnan, ir rahim. - What is written in paradise in a place of honor? - - La illa illalahi. - At a place of rest? - (same). By saying these words, the mullah and everyone present become Muslims. Ali gets gold and silver, the lark brings it back to Medina, he pays the poor man's debts]: Radlow 1989:324-327.
Southern Siberia - Mongolia. South Altai Tuvans [Arvayang tied his horse uninvited and entered the Golden Buddha's yurt palace; they wanted to give him 350 blows, but soon everyone was convinced that he was the most worthy of people; Hit the same coin three times from 50 steps; quickly swam across the river and back; Hamba Lama asked him: "What is one? - If it weren't for one, where would the number thousand come from. - Two? - A person won't lose what he saw with two eyes. - Three? - A horse with three legs tied won't go far. - Four? - When you're four, why not start working. - Five? - How will the five nines (45 coldest days of winter) go, will the soup freeze on the plate? - Six? - If an astrologer does not know his calculations, why should he bear this name? - Seven? - When the seven khans (the Big Dipper) reach its zenith, why doesn't dawn then? - Eight? - If you read sacred texts eight nights in a row, why not get rich from it? - Nine? - Why does a person who has nine tricks go to bed on an empty stomach? - Ten? - Why aren't all the saddle straps occupied when a deer with horns divided into ten branches is killed? And he laughed so loudly that the horns of the colorful goat split in two, the horns became deer, and the tail of the horse's dark brown; when A. returned home, his wife, offended by his long absence, was about to leave; but remained, conquered by his kindness]: Taube 1994, No. 74:292-295; Khalkha Mongols [guess the first one! - Is it possible to forget what I saw once? - The second one! - Is it possible to drop what you hold with both hands? - Third! - If a horse is strung by fetters made of three twisted ropes, will it be able to jump over three hills? - Fourth! "If we plow on a black bull with a ring pierced nose, we'll have enough food for four years. "If we release our five hawks, we'll have all the wild animals of the plain in our hands. - Sixth! - If we look at our divination plates, we'll know everything. - Seven! When the Big Dipper is standing above her head, the weather is clear. - Eighth! - When the eighth moon (the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar) comes, leaves and flowers open.]: Zhurinsky 2007:95; Buryats [- What is one? - What you saw once, why forget Yui? (Var.: If you see a person once, why not recognize him another time?). - Two? - What can't a person with two eyes look at? - Three? - How can a horse, strung by a tripod with three fasteners (var: a stale horse), cross three ridges? - Four? How far can a horse with four legs be far away? (Var.: If four pillars have been built, why not complete the yurt?). - Five? - What should a person with five sons be afraid of? (Var.: If you went to the taiga with a gun, why not get five people stained in blood?) - Six? - How can there be no summer if you can't see six stars (Pleiades)? (Var.: If you live to be 66, you can't see anything). - Seven? - How can it not be dawn if there are seven heavenly old men (Ursa Major)? - Eight? - How can the leaves and grass dry out when the eighth month of the year comes? (Var.: Why should a person starve when greens are all around?). - Nine? - How can you not get rich if you sacrifice 99 tengria? (Var.: if you prayed to the ninety lords?). - Ten? - How not to sanctify (?) when do you kill a red deer with ten branched horns? (Var.: Why be afraid of people when you have ten elders and four (?) little brothers?] : Zhurinsky 2007:95-96; Dagurs [What is one? - Is it possible to forget a person you've seen at least once? What is two? - If you keep your hands on your back, won't your body rest? What is three? - If a horse gets tough, how far can it go? What is four? - If you plow on four bulls, don't you get a year's supply of food? What is five? - If you skillfully let an eagle go (hunt), don't you get a year's supply of meat? What is six? - If you ride a pacer, won't your body rest? What is seven? - If there are seven stars in the east, doesn't that mean it's already dawn? What is eight? - If the cuckoo cuckoo is cuckoo, isn't this a sign that branches and leaves will bloom? What is nine? - If you dedicate nine white cows to heaven, won't they get rich after that? What is ten? - Can the emperor's son be overcome by illness?] : Todayeva 1986:110.
Western Siberia. Northern Khanty (Kazim dialect): Steinitz 2014, No. 37 [- Rogovoy Strug, little nephew, your body has lost so much weight. - Uncle, I crossed Pechora by boat without oars. - Is Pevora not so small? - Pechora is big, a bird that has arrived from a distant country falls in the middle of Pechora. - Is the bird not small? - The bird is big, if you put it in a house of four-planted boards, the tail feathers will come out. - One month, what is this? - One person living further up the Ob River inhabits one village, one city. - Two months? - The bird I saw with my two eyes didn't sing or fly. - Three months? "The bird shot by my three-feather arrow didn't sing or fly. - I walk on the ground with my four arms and four legs. - Five months? - In my village, in my five-house house, I don't need an ax, I don't need a pot. - Six months? - With my six-legged son, I wander through the land of nay 'ev, on the land of worth {heroes, heroes}. - Semb months? - While the seven-month winter was done, the seven-month summer was done, the man's barn with the barn and the house with the house are being filled. - Eight months? -While the eight-month winter was done, the eight-month summer was done, the man's barn with the barn, the house with the house was emptied. - Nine months? - You're without a father, without a mother! Nine months of winter is not done, nine months of summer is not done, have you heard anything about it? "Then Uncle became a forest spirit, Horn-Strug became sharp], 38 [- Horn-Strug, Horn-Strug, your body has lost so much weight. - Because I drank a raw seagull egg. - Your legs are so crooked! - I carried seven muksuns (whitefish) living overseas to dry. - One month, what is that? - One month in a village with one house. - Two months? - Two people sitting happy. - Three? - I fired a three-first arrow. - Four? - In a village with four houses, I don't need a pot and a dish. - Five? - How many men live in a village with five houses, women and men all work. - Six? - In a village with six houses, do we bring forest animals, meadow animals - Seven? - We drive seven animals off their trampled land, kill them, hunt them out. - In a village with eight houses, I don't need an ax, I don't need a cauldron. - Nine months have not been completed. No father, no mother! When, without a father, without a mother, nine months were made]: 206-208, 208-209; Eastern Khanty (b. Pym) [towards Menk-iki's man; - You're pale. - An ocean called a tambourine has crossed the region. - You're brave, let's tell stories, the winner will eat another. One moon and one cell, what kind of animal? - When people live with one mind, you can build a village or a city. - Two moons, two cells? - What I saw with two eyes. ~ Three? - An arrow with three wings. - Four? - The ground came out with four arms and legs. - Five? - If five plague are nearby, there's always a knife and an ax. - Six? - I rode the ground on a reindeer sledge with six crossbars. - Seven? - If summer is seven months, warehouses and houses are empty. - Eight? - If summer is eight months, warehouses and houses are full of everything. - Nine? - There is neither summer nor winter out of nine months, and now I'm going to hack you with an ax. Menk ran away]: Lukina 1990, No. 76:200-201.
Japan. Japanese (5 versions from Honshu: Nagano, Gifu, Shiga, and Shimane Prefectures) ["Advice in Formulistic Rhymes": "I. Every night, a priest leaves the temple to live with a married woman. Left alone in the temple, the student displays a kanji teacher with values from one to ten on a precious screen. II. When the priest returns, he asks questions about the meaning of each. The explanations given by the student are related to the condemnation of the priest's behavior (H602.1.1; Z80)"]: Ikeda 1971, No. 1360C: 239.