K168. Imaginary life in a moment, ATU 664*, 681.

.13.14.17.21.26.-.34. (.36.) .38.

A person is going through an eventful long period of life. Everything turns out to be an illusion, he's back in the same place and at the same point in time from which the story began.

Nubians, Berbers of Morocco, Arabs of Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Kuwait, Yemen, Shehri (?) , Tibetans, Ancient China, Chinese, Serbs, Russians (Arkhangelsk, Olonets, Vologda, Samara, Perm, Siberia), Northern Ukrainians (Chernigov), Poles (?) , Abkhazians, Turks, Eastern Sami, Karelians (Ludiks), Icelanders, Komi, Mari, Kyrgyz, Tuvans, Mongols, (Yakuts), Ancient Japan, Japanese.

Sudan - East Africa. Nubians: Reinisch in El-Shamy 2004, No. 681:370-372

North Africa. The Berbers of Morocco (Fez): El Fasi, Dermenghem 1926:41-47 [the sultan sent his daughter for a walk in the city, ordered the shops to open; but the wizard deliberately locked his own; when the servants broke the door, the princess saw the wizard's son, a young man of extraordinary beauty; the magician put a sign on her son's forehead that made him invisible; the young man came to the princess and stayed with her; the Jew advised him to heat it hot room; the young man wiped off the sweat and with it a special sign; the sultan sent for the magician; he demanded a horse and a luxurious attire; the sultan ordered him to be brought by force, but the servants brought a donkey, then a mule, a nag and etc.; the magician called Hajib (Sultan's housekeeper}, the vizier and the Sultan himself; everyone is led to the aisle, where he falls and spends a lot of time in a different form, and then returns at that moment the time when the fall began; Hajib was a pregnant woman who gave birth to a stillborn child; the vizier was a donkey, tormented by work for two weeks; the sultan was shipwrecked and sailed for three weeks, holding on to the board], 154-177 [the vizier predicts to the childless sultan that his son will be born, but will outlive him only by 9 years; the young man is beautiful, achieving perfection in teaching and martial arts; The mentor takes him to the desert, shows him a wooden horse; if you sit on it, the horse will come to life, take him to the top of the mountain; there is a palace, the guards are phantoms; you have to take a box and bring it to him; in a box a ring that summons genies helpers; a young man: you are not needed yet; a beautiful woman enters surrounded by beautiful maids; the young man lives with her for three months; she must go to her father, leaves the boy a book; Three months later, after reading a third, he leaves the palace into the city, marries the Sultan's daughter, and suddenly finds himself next to the book at the same time as he closed it; three months later, the young man leaves again , marries another beauty, finds himself next to the book again; three months later, the young man finished reading the book (the same episode; each time he gives pearls, so accepted by the Sultan, etc.); the wife returned, she is the daughter of the king of the genie kings; all the adventures were planned by her father, because her daughter was supposed to marry this mortal; her wife arranged meetings with beauties so that her lover would not be bored in three months; the prince wants to visit his parents; his wife tells his father that the young man and wife have come with a huge army; the wife orders that his three wives he took during his phantom absences from the palace be moved here; prince and his 4 legal wives are happy]; the Arabs of Tunisia, Egypt: El-Shamy 2004, No. 681:370-372.

Western Asia. Arabs from Lebanon, Iraq, Kuwait, Yemen, Shahri (? Dofar): El-Shamy 2004, No. 681:370-372

Tibet is the Northeast of Asia. Tibetans [the magician reluctantly agrees to make the ruler happy by resorting to illusion; asks him for a paper promising not to punish him if he does not like it; someone is mowing the grass in his fields; servant: there are two thrones, gold and silver; on the way from the lower world, the god of fate, Sa-i-nibu, arrived in heaven; he agreed to leave his son with the rulers, marrying him to his daughter; one day they fell from the sky parts of human bodies, including S.'s head; she was cremated; the ruler's daughter frivolously reported this to son S. and he threw himself into the fire; S. himself soon appeared and learned that his son had died, he was going to bring down all kinds of punishments are imposed on the ruler; he is in despair; the magician tells him to stand up: it was an illusion; the ruler did not leave the palace for three months]: Komissarov 1997:127-131; {the same in Shelton 1925, No. 47:187-189?}.

China - Korea. Ancient China (Tang, Yuan, and possibly other eras): Ting 1978, #681:; (Chinese? it is impossible to determine the places of recording; it is possible that all publications contain texts from written sources): Ting 1978, No. 681:; Chinese (no location specified) [Yaochenshu ("tree, on which gold, silver and copper") is popular in Chinese folk mythology; shake and jewelry is pouring in; often depicted in pictures that are hung for the New Year; a man went to the mountains, fell into the abyss, but caught on a tree branch that grew from the top of his head; saw a black and white mouse gnawing at its roots; next to me I saw another tree with golden and silver branches growing and copper coins; it was Yaoshenshu; forgetting the danger, he began to pluck these gold and silver fruits; the mice gnawed through the roots, the man flew down, but woke up: he dreamed of it all]: Arndt 1891:329.

The Balkans. Serbs [the young man wanted to wander around the world; the wizard offered to stand on his foot; the young man found himself on a ship, sailed into the city, cured the princess; her brothers chased him with sabers; trying to escape, he jumped from the roof to the bell tower, but fell off and flew down; when he woke up, he found himself next to the magician]: Tesic 2017:19-21.

Central Europe. Russians (Arkhangelskaya, Pomors) [in the evening two fishermen began to catch an ear; voice: Should I untie it? brothers: untie it; in the morning the seine is unwound, the threads are rolled into balls, the floats are in a bunch; the next evening: Should I tie it? they ask to tie; in the morning the net is as good as new; when they returned home, the older brothers to the younger: you, Peter, are single, go look for another miracle; they say that Nikiforovo's miracle is so wonderful; Peter went and asked a young man; he does not know about N., but he began to talk about himself; and calls the old people who are nearby sons; he noticed a girl who immediately: you wanted to meet me; then: well done, become stallion; drove all day, and in the evening she regained her human form; so three times; stepmother gives a cinder of a Christmas candle, you have to hit her with a bridle, saying: there was a girl, become a mare; he's like this for three days; then her sisters ask to leave the girl alone and give them a towel; he has been worn out and since then he is 25, although he is actually 90; P. went on; another story; the guy lived in a monastery, his father married him, and he ran away with weddings; the wife hit him with a rod, turned him into a dog; the city was attacked by a bear, the turn of the royal daughter, the dog drove him away; he lives well; but the wife found it, turned it into a drake; he fell into the prince's snare; prince: was drake, well done; this prince was that bear, now disgraced; now P. came to Nikifor; N.'s story; he got lost in the forest, went out to the fire, there's an old man telling him to send his son to work for a year; so 8 nights - gave 8 sons; old man: you would not ask to warm up, but show the way; there's a stump - there's a road; jump only into the ninth sleigh; wife shakes: why are you raving: and I'm at home on the floors; here's Nikiforovo's miracle ]: Razumova, Senkina 1987:172-178; Russians (Olonetskaya) [the postal landlord takes travelers for fairy tales for the night; one went out with the owner into the yard, they became bears, broke all the cows, horses; hunters chased them; man to master: they will kill me, they will take off my skin, you jump out of the hole and shout: kids, don't kill me; sons ran in with candles: mother's father scratches between her legs and screams; as soon as the old man was delayed, he was in an eclipse for a month and a half]: Onchukov 2008, No. 270 (171): 492-493; Russians (Vologda, Kirillovsky y.) [the hunter man shot the caress, took off his skin, threw the meat; turned around: a skinless caress followed, tells me to serve the skin, he threw it - what a wonder!? Laska: it's not amazing; before reaching three stations to Moscow, the hunter had a wonder there; go and you'll find out! a man came to the hunter, he says; we were three brothers, six dogs, we didn't get anything in a week; If only the hell met us, he would kill him! Damn it: you can't get home without me; tells you to sit on it, brings it, the hunter grabbed a tree in the garden; Old woman - take me off! Old woman: after all, you are holding on to Polati, wake up; the hunter crossed himself: all sons are alive, the dogs are under the bench; since then you have fallen behind hunting]: Sokolov, Sokolov 1981, No. 36:151-152; Russians ( Olonetskaya) [the hunter shot the fox, took off its skin, hung it by the fire; the wind tore off the skin, it put on the carcass, the fox came to life; running away says: "Don't marvel, but ask what happened to Ivan Goly in the village on Sholy- rivers"; once on Chola, the hunter found IS, an old man; he told how he shot squirrels and hazel grouses 30 years ago and started eating dinner in a forest hut; a red-haired man in an Armenian woman came in; IS invited him to eat; he ate squirrels, hazel grouses, bread, dog and left, carrying a gun and gunpowder, promising to return and eat IS itself; someone put his head through the window and told him to run to the road, jump on a cart drawn by three horses, and then grab the branch; IS grabbed and saw that he was in his hut, grabbed the crow (a beam under the ceiling) with his hands; and the gun, dog, squirrels and bird found themselves in the barn]: Azadovsky 1947, No. 47:193-196; (cf. Russians (Tverskaya): Chudinsky 1864, No. 24a [soldier fools the people as if he had climbed through a tree; a man carries hay and shouts to people that the man is behind the tree; soldier: look around; the hay is burning, the man started it throw and extinguish, people laugh; soldier: the gullies are burning; the yoke; the man chopped them; the man rode back empty-handed], 24b [the soldier went to spend the night in the hut, there are girls at gatherings; he took it out the bottle, the water poured out of it, getting higher; the girls ask them not to heat them, the soldier opened the door, the water flowed out; the girls went home, and the owner treated the soldier so as not to make him angry], 24c [the soldier came in to spend the night, the owners did not offer to eat; soldier: you have cabbage soup and porridge in the oven; the hostess opened the flap, the soldier threw powder there, water poured in; soldier: yes, I just want to eat, now the ducks will come here - cut their heads; the owner began to cut, the water went away, the boots were chopped on the stove; the owner began to scold the hostess, she set a rich table]: 104-105, 105, 105-106); Russians (Samara) [the soldier served 25 years and went to see the king; the soldier was let in; the king asks how great the light is; soldier: 25 hours the sun goes; how much is from heaven to earth; there he knocks, but here you can hear; how deep the sea is; we had a grandfather 70 years old, went to the next world and now he is gone; the tsar gave the soldier 25 rubles, he went to the tavern, skipped everything; bought carrots, cut them into mugs, gave them to the innkeeper, who mistook him for gold; when he later saw carrots, the innkeeper brought the soldier to the king, took out the carrot - gold; the king asks him to joke; the room has been flooded with water, the king is on the roof, the water comes in, a boat has appeared, the king has sailed in it; the water has come down, the old woman is coming with with buns, he took to hold it, the quarterly one comes up - the king holds human heads; they took them to the scaffold to beat with a whip; the hangman hit once, the king screamed; people ran in, the king is sitting on on the couch; the king thought that a year had passed, but only an hour; the king gave the soldier a wolf ticket; the old man called to him, asked for a fairy tale; sat down on the floor, the soldier ordered his daughters-in-law to be sent to bed, otherwise he says obscenely ; the old man felt - they are both bears; soldier: you have to run into the forest; if I'm killed, you'll tumble over me; that's what happened; the owner tumbled over the floor, my daughters-in-law ran in, picked me up; the old man drove soldier]: Sadovnikov 1884, No. 25:116-119; Russians (Perm) [the sailor got off the ship in a non-metchin, began to walk, did not take change; it turned out that he paid with soldier buttons; him to the governor; soldier: where to confess when the alarm sounds, fire; the soldier threw a feather bed through the window, told the governor to jump; he jumped from table to floor; soldier to the general; he promises to peel off his skin; soldier: terrible waterfield , the water was already on the third floor; they were on the roof, climbed onto the pipe; suddenly the boat was without oars, they went to land in it; the sailor became a shepherd, and the general became a herd; over the summer the sailor earned 15 rubles, General 10; General: Whoever would bring home would give the last ten; sailor: is it true? and they are already in the same room at the table; the general's children have not yet returned from the walk; the general gave 10 rubles and let go with God]: Zelenin 1991, No. 55 (=1914, No. 52): 290-292; Russians (Siberia) []: Azadovsky 1928 in SUS 1979, No. 664*: 171; Russians (place of recording not specified): Afanasiev 1958 (3), No. 376 [approximately as in (377), in short], 377 [Tsar Agea Burlak Ivan {in this case, a sailor} on ship; the ship died, I. escaped; came to the soldier: I'll just spend the night, and for this every day for nothing; the soldier puts them in a piggy bank; once opened them - there are chips; complained to the king; when the piggy bank they opened it, there was money; A. tells me to whip the soldier, but I. stood up: I played a joke; A.: play with me too; the palace was flooded with water, I. and A. in a boat, they were carried into the sea, nailed to the island; A. looked around: neither boats, neither I.; came to town, hired a woman to sell lamb as a porter; once I tried lamb, people around: what are you eating, it's a human hand; on the chopping block, the hangman swung, A. cried out courtiers: what's wrong with you; A. on his throne; expelled Ivan, he came to the peasant, he let him go for a fairy tale; I.: look at yourself - he became a bear; and I too; we will be killed; they will be killed; they are through the window into the forest, the hunters follow, bear man in the hollow; I.: if they kill me, I'll take off my skin, tumble over it, you'll become a man; the man did so; fell off the floor, hit hard; kicked Ivan out]: 148-149, 150-152; northern Ukrainians (Chernigov, Nezhinsky district, p. Flat) [the soldier asked the old man to spend the night; the old man agrees if the soldier knows a fairy tale; the soldier says that the old man fell asleep; there is not a soldier nearby, but a bear, but he is a wolf; go to meet the woman; bear: this is my woman, let's eat it; we ate it; also with a cow (the narrator forgot then)]: Malinka 1902, No. 74:357-358; Poles {? reference to Polnische Volksmärchen, No. 69; this is probably true, although the reference to the Abkhaz version is wrong: in Shakryl 1975, No. 35, another motive}: Uther 2004 (1), No. 681:373-374.

Caucasus - Asia Minor. Abkhazians [blacksmith Sogum, 50 years old, no children; went to burn coal, washed his face in a spring and turned into a girl; the princely son saw her and married her; the wife gave birth to three sons, went to that a spring and became a mare; the princely son let her into his herd; she gave birth and fed three foals; went to the spring, became a dog (the same, gave birth to puppies); the dog got drunk from the spring and became a blacksmith again S.; he took the cooked coal and returned home, his wife just managed to cook the fast, which she put on the fire when her husband left; in three years, the prince promises to give his daughter to someone who boils with a word milk in a cauldron; sees young men riding across the river on three mares with three dogs - he gave birth to them all; only the youngest agreed to transport S.; everyone tells stories, milk does not boil; said S. - it boils; the prince gives him his daughter, but he gave it to his youngest son; S. has healed well]: Shakryl 1974, No. 35:176-179; Turks [padishah sends two servants one by one to the palace, where suddenly has become a helper's house; they have fun there with girls; when the padishah comes there by himself, he finds servants in the mud near the hut, caressing cats and dogs; while the padishah washes, the assistant lets him live the life of your mother (i.e., a helper mother}, and thereby allows you to know how difficult it is for the poor to live and what a sin it is to decapitate a poor person just because of your own mood]: Eberhard, Boratav 1953, No. 221.V: 266

Baltoscandia. Eastern Sami, Karelian people [defined by Aarne, Thompson 1951, not Uther 2004; when a soldier tells tales, the inn owner thinks he has become a bear, and soldiers are a wolf; they are chased by dogs, etc.; when they recover, the judge releases the soldier]: Kecskeméti, Paunonen 1974, No. 664B*: 234; Icelanders []: Gering 1992, No. 81 (3): 163-165.

Volga - Perm. Komi [the soldier served for 25 years, came to the village, quietly snuck into the hut on the floor; the hostess came in, woke up her husband and told the soldier to drive away; her husband is bored, ready to leave for a fairy tale; the owners they have dinner, but the soldier is not invited; he said that without eating, he would not be able to tell a fairy tale; when they lay down, the soldier began to tell, and then both turned into bears, ran into the forest and sucked their paw in den; in spring, a soldier bear says that when they start tearing cows, they will kill him, take off his skin, let the master bear steal it, then become human again; when the owner bear pulls the skin, fell and found himself in a hut on the floor; ran to the barn - the cows are intact; in the morning the soldier says that he will not leave, but will pay a silver ruble for every day; in a year and three months, the owner has a bucket of silver; wanted show his wife, and there are pieces of birch bark in the bucket; the soldier to the king, he orders to be executed; the soldier asks for permission to say goodbye to the white light; went out onto the porch, water poured, the king to the roof, then onto the pipe; the fisherman in the boat I agree to save if the king goes to him as a laborer; the king caught fish and repaired nets all summer; then the fisherman sent him to the city to make dumplings and sell them; the trade was successful, but he was in flour severed hand; the king was led to trial; soldier: do not cut my voice; king: they are cutting my own; the king suddenly realized that he was in his palace, and the hangman wanted to execute the soldier; the king forgave and rewarded the soldier]: Plesovsky 1975:132-136; Marie [soldier (passer-by) pays in gold, which turns out to be carrot scraps; he is summoned to the king for trial; a soldier fools the judge as if a flood is happening, and makes him go through a series of adventures without leaving the room]: Sabitov 1989, № 664A*: 39.

Turkestan. Kyrgyz [Abu Ali Sino studied to be a doctor; he himself began to teach that there is a two-headed snake; if you cut off and cook its two heads and drink broth, then all the herbs will tell such a person what disease they could cure; Abletun and Alastun decided to find a snake, although the AAC warned that they were unlikely to succeed; after 21 years they found it, began to cook it; fell asleep at the cauldron, and their seven-year-old son the old woman accidentally took a sip; when A. and A. woke up, they drank the broth, but did not gain knowledge; found out about the boy who became a famous healer; the AAC reported that if they got the boy's liver, they would not touching it with a knife, they will cook it and drink the broth, then knowledge will pass to them; but then they were afraid to commit murder, decided to come to the boy's mother and serve him; the boy's name is Ulukman; after many years A . and A. surpassed even himself in knowledge and skill; one day W. received messengers from Khan, who has a 17-year-old daughter; Abletun suggested that a wire be stretched from Khan to W.; when he touches her Khan's daughter, W., will determine the cause of the disease; but W. feels that the wire was touched first by a kid, then by a bear; gave medicine, Abletun carried it to the khan; tells the khan to put his willow on the branches a coat and climb under it; the khan turned into a naked woman; the caravans gave her clothes, married a widower in one village; a woman (i.e. a former khan) gave birth to two sons; 10 years later she went to fetch water, fell into the river, the water carried it; Abletun appeared and pulled it out; the khan was again under his coat, people were around; Abletun explained that this was punishment for joking with a kid and a bear; Khan says he did not guilty; it turned out that this was done by a man who was entrusted with holding the wire; Abletun cured the khan's daughter; W. blessed him; (hereinafter another episode showing the art of W.)]: Sabyr uulu 2008:164 -172; Kyrgyz [a young hunter got lost in the mountains, got into a cave with books and a note: after reading them, you learn the plot; two years later, the young man found out the plot and became a magician capable of working miracles; hired a merchant's shop; the goods ran out, the magician created new ones; the owner fell in love with the khan's daughter; the magician told him a plot to become invisible; he began to visit the palace, but then forgot the plot; They want to execute him; a magician appeared and told him not to do so; the khan asked him to show magic; he found himself in a foreign city, worked as a porter, married, became a father of 8 children, and then came back to his world: only a moment passed; the khan was angry, but the magician threatened to take his place; the khan was frightened, ordered the magician to be fed and let go]: Muchman 1944:30-32.

Southern Siberia - Mongolia. Tuvans [as part of the framed story, "The Tales of a Parrot"; Saryn Khan has a wild horse, no one can catch him; S. mocks the wizard: do something right now if you have learned; magician: when? khan: now and before lunch; magician: if you can't stand it before lunch; I will show you while the steam rises from the hot tea; the khan heard a noise: the servants have driven away an indomitable horse; the khan sat on him, the horse he trotted and threw Khan off the seashore; he was hungry; a noseless old woman appeared: I live alone, eat roots and mice; Khan liked the old woman in the plague and married her; she gave birth to him three sons; one day they went to the sea and disappeared in the waves, the old woman behind them; the khan sits, cries, hears the voice of the magician: maybe that's enough? tea in front of the khan: still warm; magician: what you thought was a raging sea was tea in a golden bowl"]: Vatagin 1971:79-80; the Mongols [the cruel khan summoned an old wizard, ordered show his art; he asks to pour hot tea into a cup and go out the door; there the khan saw a black horse, rode it; the horse brought him to a deserted place and threw it off; the khan, weakened from hunger met an old woman and two thin boys; she said that the khan's collectors took everything away from her; in the spring, one boy fell ill and died; the khan thought and woke up on his throne under a canopy, even tea in the cup has not yet cooled down; magician: think how hard it is for people because of you]: Mikhailov 1967:5-6.

(Wed. Eastern Siberia. {Apparently, Russian borrowing}. Yakuts: Ergis 1967b, No. 386 [Olonkhosut Savva borrowed money, went to buy fur; rich head Trofim forced him to perform olonkho; S. refused, he was put in a cold closet; S. undertakes perform olonkho, but warns him to be listened to to the end, otherwise he will become seriously ill; oh while performing olonkho, his head falls asleep and dreams: he ends up in a bear and is attacked by hunters with a horn; his head wakes up and because S. stops olonkho without finishing, gives him furs], 387 [the rich man liked to listen to fairy tales; a man stopped at his place, promised to tell him for the night; the guest and the owner fell asleep; the rich man dreams that he and the guest had turned into bears, are lying in a den; hunters kill a bear guest, the owner jumps over him, wakes up; it turned out that in a dream he jumped over wife, hit his forehead against the corner of the table; since then he has not forced me to tell fairy tales]: 261, 262).

Japan. Ancient Japan (Lafcadio Hearn. Kwaidan. Stories and Studies of Strange Things. 1903. According to the author, the texts are from ancient sources, although no specific sources are specified) [Akinosuké was sitting with friends in the garden; suddenly he fell asleep, lay down and immediately fell asleep; in a dream he came to pick him up palanquin commanded by the ruler Tokoyo {Tokoyo no Kokuō; Tokoyo is a wonderful or unknown country} to come to him; after a solemn reception, he was married to the ruler's only daughter and appointed governor of one of the islands; his reign was successful and pleasant; after 24 years his wife died; Kokuō sent A. back to the human world and kept his 7 sons and daughters; when he woke up, A. found out that his sleep lasted only 2-3 minutes; they guessed that the yellow butterfly they saw was A.'s soul; the ant grabbed her and dragged her into a hole under the roots of the cedar {probably cryptomeria}; then the butterfly flew back and flew into A.'s mouth; they dug up a huge nest of ants, and at a distance they found a tiny funeral mound with a dead ant underneath it]: Tales of Japan 2019:11-17; Japanese (1 entry from NW Honshu) [a person is asked to fish while others cover the house with a new roof; a beautiful woman meets him on the shore and leads him to another world; they live happily, they have grandchildren and great-grandchildren; One day he decides to visit his old house; he goes ashore: his fishing rod is in the same place and his friends cover the roof]: Ikeda 1971, No. 681:163.