K35a5. A sign by which the patron recognizes the person who has come. .15.16.27.-.30.

The powerful character leaves a sign (letter) for the little boy that when the boy grows up and comes to him, he will be able to recognize him.

Italians (Menton, Ticino), French, Bretons, Bulgarians, Greeks, Ukrainians (Transcarpathia), Abazans, Lurs.

Southern Europe. Italians: Calvino 1980, No. 3 (Menton) [the poor man cannot find a godson for the child; asks a person to agree; after the christening he gives a purse of gold and a letter; young man, when will grow up, must come to him with this letter and inherit the English crown from him; along the way you can't take cross-eyed, lame, lousy, etc.; the young man grew up and set off; the young man went on a journey; the young man got rid of the scythe and the lame man, agreed to the offer of a man who looked healthy; at night, he stole money, a letter and a horse at the inn; the young man caught up with the thief, but he forced him at gunpoint the gun to call himself a servant, and to recognize the heir to the English throne in his companion; he took off his wig and it became clear that it was a bastard; the king received the impostor and asked for the release of his kidnapped daughter from the island, where she is being kept; the impostor sent a servant; an old bearded sailor advised to demand a three-deck ship from the king; load cheese on one deck, bread crumbs on the second, and carrion on the third; teams do not to recruit, we'll swim together; they got cheese on the island of rats, bread crumbs on the island of ants, rotting meat on the island of vultures; rats, ants and vultures promised to help any minute; on the last island, the Sibiana fairy promises to free the princess if those who sailed meet three conditions; 1) level the mountain (the rats leveled); 2) separate the peas from the lentils (the ants separated); 3) get a barrel of living water; the young man tied a cup to each vulture's neck, who brought water and filled the barrel; the young man brought the princess to his father, but the impostor sent the murderers to slaughter him; but the old sailor brought that a barrel of living water and revived the young man; the young man told the impostor that he had bathed in a barrel of boiling oil; the impostor stabbed a dagger into his heart and threw himself into the oil; the wig surfaced and a lousy head appeared; "This is my old enemy," exclaimed the king; married the young man to his daughter and appointed him heir]: 7-12; Keller 1981 (Ticino) [the prince knocked on someone's house, asked for a drink; the owner responded by asking him to become his son's godson; the prince called him Valoroso ("brave"), left a note: when the boy is 14, let him come to his service; the young man was shy and asked to give the note to another, he pretended to be a godson, received a position (the prince had become king by that time); V. was hired to clean the stable; the imaginary V. decided to get rid of him, told the king that the young groom could get a golden bird; the king ordered to get it, otherwise he executes; the old woman ordered to ask the king for a golden cage and thread; the bird flew into the cage, V. pulled the thread and slammed the door shut; the imaginary V. persuades to send V. for the queen Moors from a green country; old lady: ask for a ship with musicians, dancers and food; three giants carried it across the seas, V. fed them meat and bread, they are grateful, gave Schächtelein them summon; ants appeared, V. fed them, they also let Schächtelein summon them; the same is birds, the eagle gave a feather; the Queen of the Moors requires three tasks; 1) separate the rice and millet mixed in the bucket and corn (ants perform); 2) cultivate a huge field (giants perform); 3) bring water from sources of living and dead water before sunrise (thrushes bring); the king has a feast; the imaginary V. stabbed with the dagger of the present; the queen of the Moors cut the body into pieces, revived it with living water, V. became handsome; the imaginary V. wanted the same thing, the queen poured dead water on it; married V., who became king]: 214-219.

Western Europe. The French (Haute-Marne) [the English king hunted in France, chased the bird, did not catch it, spent the night in a poor house; the hostess just gave birth, the king agreed to be a godson, called boy Eugène (E.); left a letter - let the young man come with him when he is 17 years old; E. set off; before that, the godmother (marraine) warned that if he meets a hunchback or crooked, we must go back; E. returned twice, but the third time his humpback classmate Adolf, E. went with him; at the inn A. stole his horse; when E. caught up with him, he forced E. swear that he would say that he was the king's godson, A., not E.; the king believed; promised to give his daughter to his godson, but she was kidnapped; all the courtiers fell in love with E. (who was called A.) and A. was hated; A. says that E. boasted to get a giant's mule; the old man teaches: the giant has a thrush, he sings loudly, he must cross the sea when the thrush sings; the giant gave the mule on the condition that E. would return it later; A. persuades the king to tell E. to get the giant's thrush; the giant gave the thrush with the same condition; the giant's lantern (the same); find and return the king's daughter; the old man teaches you to ask for help; he tells you to build a ship without using iron, take with you a mule, a thrush and a donkey, 300 virgins; on the way, the giant weaves, the virgins spin; on the way, a fish castle, they it is necessary to crumble the bread, the fish missed the ship; the king of fish let his fin call it; then the ants - E. gave them millet, the king of ants gave them a paw; then the rats (gave bread - wool); crows (meat is a feather) ; giants (E. gave a lot of bread - a hair from the king's beard); the princess in the queen's castle with silver legs, turned into a lioness spewing fire; the lioness is glad; the queen orders to bring 300 measures of canvas, woven by virgins (E. gives); further tasks: 1) a garden on the site of the mountain (the giants removed the mountain, the rest of the helpers set up the garden); 2) bring living and dead water; the crows gathered, but no one knows where is the water; two old drunken soldiers appeared; the first was imprisoned, but released at the request of the second - otherwise he would not bring water; they went underground, collected water; the queen sent pigeons knock over the bowls, but the crows drove them away; the giant teaches: first demand that the Queen restore her human appearance, then kill her by splashing dead water in her face; returning to her father, the princess asked to postpone the wedding for 8 days; said she dropped the ring into the sea; the fish did not know where the ring was, the same two drunken soldiers took it out; the princess asked for her castle, where she lived with the Queen; giants, ants and others delivered; then A. called E. to hunt, shot him, threw him into a hole; the princess saw crows, revived E. with living water; E. showed the king his letter, married the princess; A. was burned alive]: Cosquin 1886, No. 3:32-43; Bretons: Luzel in Cosquin 1887 [the son of the French king got lost hunting, spent the night with a coal miner whose wife had just given birth; left a letter that the boy Louis (Petit- Louis), when he grows up, must bring him - he will be admitted to the palace; sending his son, his father tells him not to deal with the humpback, lame, leper; L. left the first two; contrary to the advice of the horse, picked up shining pen; when he leaned to the spring, the leper pushed him, took the horse and the letter, received him at the palace; L. was hired there as a groom, found his horse; the leper notices the light spreading from pen; tells the king that L. boasted that he could get a princess with golden hair; various animals join L. on the way; with their help he carries out the princess's tasks; she, when she arrives at the king, demands that her silver castle be delivered to her; she threw the keys to it into the sea; the king of fish pulls them out; the princess demands that the groom be young, this requires living and dead water; the horse teaches L. how force the crow to bring them; the princess sprinkled dead water on the king and married L.; (hereinafter referred to as the cliff, living water does not appear)]: 294-295; Lopyreva 1959, No. 65 [the king answers the coal miner what he will have himself godparents; gives half of the castle; son Charles grows up, goes to his godfather; the old woman tells him not to drink water on the way; the traveler persuades him to take a sip, snatches out half of the castle given by the kingá, jumps to the king, mistaken for a godson; S. is hired into the palace as a shepherd, the deceiver recognizes him, tries to destroy him; says that the shepherd promised to find out why the Sun is red in the morning; the old man gives S. a wooden horse to get to the Sun Castle; the mother of the Sun tells him not to eat a boy; the Sun says it tries to shine brighter, because Princess Tronkolen dazzles with her beauty in a nearby castle; imaginary the godson suggests sending S. for T.; the old man orders to take food to the king of ants, the king of lions, the king of hawks; they promise to help; T. accepts him, tells 1) to divide the seeds of clover, flax, hemp, turnips and cabbage (ants perform), 2) cut down an alley of oaks (lions perform), 3) level the mountain (hawks perform); T. arrives at the king, says that he will marry a real godson, and the false one is the devil; burned in the stove]: 302-312.

The Balkans. Bulgarians [the king left his pregnant wife, went to another; ordered to send a son to him if a boy is born; the mother sends her son a cake to school, sent her to bite her; sends her with another person, he did not touch; she thinks that he will be loyal to her son, sends her son to his father, giving that man as his companion; on the way, the guide tells the young man to go down to the well to get water, lets him get out for his promise give the paper and change roles; the impostor lives with the king; to get rid of the young man, he sends a matchmaker to another king who killed his daughter's suitors; on the way, the young man saves ants, eagles, storks, fish, they they promise to help; the king orders 1) to disassemble the mixed grain overnight (ants disassemble), 2) to revive a baby who died 3 years ago (the stork brings living water), to sail to the princess on the island (the eagle carries it), 4) get a ring dropped by the princess into the sea (she pulls out the fish); the prince brings the bride, the impostor hacked him down, the princess revived him with living water; the tsar executed the impostor, married his son to the princess]: Klyagina- Kondratyeva 1951:73-77; Greeks [the tsar sails on a ship, finds himself on a foreign shore, goes to a shepherd; baptizes his newborn son; leaves a ring and a note; does not order him to take him as companions lame, blind, beardless (baldchin); the young man goes to look for the godfather; takes the lame, the blind, but they slow, he leaves them behind; the beardless offers to let him down for water into the well; raises him after vows that he will give him a ring and a note will remain silent to death; the king sends a young man to herd cows, takes the deceiver for his son; the young man understands the language of birds and animals, laughs at swallows; the deceiver persuades the king to send him to bring 1) a Pipiree bird from India; the maid teaches him to fly a flying horse, avoid the fire, the young man brings a bird; 2) bring Gold-haired; the maid explains what to take with him; the horse wakes up the young man, he kills the snake that devoured the eagle's chicks; she first thinks that it was the young man who killed the chicks, the chicks explain; the eagle gives a pen; the horse tells not to trample ants, the young man feeds them grain; the ant gives its wing; the young man saves the fish aground, which gives a seed; he saves bees from the water, feeds honey, they give a sting; the king promises to give his Gold-haired daughter if the young man 1) gets it a ring thrown into the sea (fish bring), 2) will separate the mixture of different grains (ants perform), 3) will bring the water of life; the eagle tells you to go to the interpreting mountains, fills the young man's golden vessel with water; the king believes ordering to kill the Moor and reviving him; 4) identify the bride among 40 girls (the bee sits on her); the young man brings Gold-haired; the beardless tells him to take an apple from the very top, the young man falls, breaks, beardless buries him; Gold-haired revives with living water; the young man is released from his oath; the beardless is tied to the horse's tail]: Megas 1970, No. 33:83-93.

Central Europe. Ukrainians (Transcarpathia) [Yurko's 12th son goes to look for a godfather who gave him a letter at christening; this is a tsar; his grandfather suggests that Yu be his servant, pretends to be a godson; the tsar does not believes, orders to bring the golden-haired daughter of Tsar Poganin; Yu goes, the bird, the ant, the bees promise to help; P. tells 1) to disassemble the grain (birds, ants disassemble), 2) identify the bride among the 12 sisters (bee will hit her in the eye); grandfather kills Yu in the forest, the bride revives him with live water, his grandfather was torn by horses]: Verkhovyna's Tales 1970:356-361.

Caucasus - Asia Minor. Abazins [disguised as poor, the padishah sleeps in a poor house; a son was born there that night; when leaving, the padishah leaves gold and a letter with which the young man, when he grows up, must come to the padishah if wants to marry; when the young man sets off, his father warns him not to take a beardless man as a companion; the beardless asks for companions, agrees to take a close road where there is no water; he lowers him into the well for water and picks him up after the young man has given the padishah's letter; the beardless pretends to be a young man, and even a groom; wants to marry an overseas beauty, asks the padishah to send behind her an imaginary groom; on the way, the horse tells you to feed the eagle, bees, throw fish into the water; the fish lay down on the water, the horse crossed the sea along it; the girl's father wants a cure for death for her daughter (the eagle brings); find out the bride among the other girls (a bee is spinning over her); get an abandoned ring from the bottom of the sea (the fish took it out); before leaving, the daughter stole a bottle of immortality medicine, which her father hid; the girl told beardless to ask the padishah to kill the groom young man, then revived him; he told the padishah everything - death and resurrection freed him from this beardless word; the beardless man was torn by horses]: Tugov 1985, No. 46:125-131.

Iran - Central Asia. Lura [Shah Abbas dressed as a dervish, walked along the road, met an old man and they went together; asked who would shorten their journey; when he saw a wheat field: what kind of wheat it was if the owner had already eaten ears; seeing the funeral procession: O dead, if you did not die, would you be dead? crossing the river: which one of us will be a bridge? In an old man's village: Where is your mosque? (the old man pointed out); began to tell his daughter that he was walking with some madman; the daughter explained: who would start a conversation? the owner sold green wheat; if a person has a decent son or brother, he did not die; who would carry someone across the river; by mosque, the satellite meant a house; the daughter guessed that it was SHA and told give him 12 bread and 12 eggs; he ate 3 loaves and 3 eggs on the way; SHA: Is your year 9 months old? the daughter tells me to bring SHA and give it to him; after the wedding, SHA left 3 days later, giving his wife a bead; if a boy is born, put it in his hand and tell him that his father is SHA Isfahan, who buys cheaply and sells at a high price, buys at a high price and sells cheaply; the son grew up, went looking for his father; met a herb collector (ST), stayed with him, but called himself not the son of SHA, but simply Abbas; ST called himself his father; the young man is tired of collecting herbs, he wants to go hunting; ST: but come back before dark, otherwise the gate will be closed and you will be eaten by a dragon; the young man chased the gazelle, did not have time to return; let the dragon swallow himself holding his sword with his teeth and holding its ends with his hands, ripped the dragon apart; Ali's gatekeeper saw a dead dragon and a unconscious young man, beat him, left him in some ruins; the young man was found by a shoemaker, brought him to for himself, went out; now he called himself the father of a young man; the young man began to work in a pastry shop; a maid (or daughter?) , then the vizier's wife saw him; his wife ordered him to dig an underground passage through which the young man began to come to her; SHA saw this, wanted to execute the young man; the shoemaker said that the young man was his son, took it out and showed that bead; feast; Ali's guard wrapped in leather and burned at the stake]: Amanolahi, Thackston 1986, No. 3:18-24.