K56a2a. Wash yourself in red water .12.14.22.27.29.30.32.
A girl becomes beautiful or ugly after being washed with water of a certain color.
Kpelle, Ekoi, Egyptian Arabs, Karen, Greeks, Bulgarians, Balkarians or Karachays, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Persians, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Chuvash, Bashkirs.
West Africa. Kpelle [=1924, No. 29:161-162; a kind woman has one daughter, an envious woman has many; a good daughter met a spirit without arms, legs, no mouth, who ordered to cook rice, eat too, take a little one chest, take {caress?} chicken, dog, wash herself with red water; the girl's hair turned gold, there was wealth in the chest; an envious woman sent her daughter, who called the spirit a freak, why should the freak eat rice, hit the chicken and cat, washed with clean water, covered with a rash; terrible things came out of the chest at home {creatures?} , killed them {girl and her mother}]: Westermann 1921b, No. 29:413-414; ekoi [husband has two wives; one borrowed yam from the other water; she sent her daughter to get water to repay the debt; but the stream has dried up; she went to the spirit village; hu married her; the lame Young Man told her not to eat anything she was offered here, gave her edible clay; the husband's spirit is covered in ulcers, so don't go to bed, but say you you always sleep on ash; you can't let anyone touch your hair; if you go swimming, swim in black water and do not touch transparent water; the girl did so, took a small box with her; answered the spirit that she likes the light breeze rather than the wind; the spirit took her to her mother, she brought her water; the next time the first woman borrowed from the second water and sent her daughter for water; she did not listen the instructions of the Lame Young Man, fell ill with leprosy; took a large box with her valuables in it; chose the wind; the wind carried her, hit the trees; when she got home, she soon died]: Talbot 1912:280- 283.
North Africa. The Arabs of Egypt [the ruler is childless; the old woman gave his wife a pomegranate to eat in half with her husband; a daughter was born Pomegranate Apple (GJ); the mother died, the ruler took another wife, she has her own daughter and friend sorcerer; a woman asks him who is the most beautiful, he replies that GJ; to get rid of GJ, let her stepmother send her to the cellar, give her dirty claps and tell her to tie stockings out of him; the old woman teaches: they will pass past the blue, red, Black Sea; when the white sea appears, you have to immerse cotton in it, wash your hands and face; stockings appeared, GJ became even more beautiful; stepmother sent her own daughter; the old woman tells me to wash in black the sea, the girl became a freak; the stepmother told her husband that his daughter was walking with the boys; he sent the vizier to kill the girl; the vizier let her go, brought the dog's blood; GJ came to 40 as a robber, cleaned everything up; the next day, one robber stayed to look; the robbers left the GJ as their mistress; the stepmother asks the sorcerer if she is the most beautiful; the sorcerer: no, GJ, who has 40 thieves; stepmother came and gave GJ poisoned ring; the robbers put the body in a glass coffin; the prince saw, asked to give the coffin to him, decided to bury the girl; the servants took off the ring, she came to life; put it back on and asked the prince how he was doing them will reward; when the GJ came to life, the prince generously rewarded the servants; the GJ invited 40 robbers to the wedding, asking them for permission to marry the prince; the mirror again replies that the GJ is more beautiful; the sorcerer gave a pin to plunge into GJ's head; she will become a dove, she must be replaced by the woman's own daughter; she is ugly: it means she is sick; the dove puts the gardener to sleep, he forgets to water the trees, they have dried up; the prince caught a dove takes care of her; the sorcerer teaches a woman to ask a dove to rub her daughter with blood - she will recover; but the prince accidentally took out the pin, his wife regained her appearance; the woman and the sorcerer were burned at the stake]: Ildan Dan 1977:25-28 in Sutrop 2018:679-682/
Burma - Indochina. Karen [the girl went to get water, the bamboo vessel slipped out, swam along the river; she came to the giant's dam for it; he brought her home; he and his wife took care of her, did not tell her open two baskets; the girl opened it, one had human skulls, the other was gold and silver; the giantess asked to clean her hair, there were snakes and centipedes; the girl killed them; she was allowed to go home, take any basket; she took an old one (with gold); she opened it, one had human skulls in one, told her to wash her hair in a black river, her lips in red, her body in white; a girl at home gave her neighbors treasures; one young man also arranged for the giants to adopt him; asked for an old basket, not knowing that it had skulls; opened it at home; a giant came and ate it]: Mason 1865:228-229.
The Balkans. The Greeks [the king has two daughters; one went to the mountains, the old woman asks to look in her hair and then wake her up when the red water flows; she dipped the girl in red water, the girl turned red and returned home; then the king sent another daughter to the mountains; the old woman told her to be woken up when the black water came; her blackened daughter returned to the king; one day this princess recognized the old woman in the beggar who had come, The king ordered her to be captured; she managed to escape, but the king put her in prison again]: Dawkins 1916:335; Bulgarians [(very many records); father takes his daughter {from his first wife} into the forest, leaves her there; she gets to an old woman (sorceress, samodiva), takes care of her animals (snakes, lizards), carries out her errands; chooses a simple, dilapidated chest as a gift, with wealth in it; on the advice of an old woman, on her way home she washes in the yellow river, makes gold herself or pulls a chest of gold out of the water; the stepmother sends her own daughter, she does everything badly, the old woman tells her to wash herself in black water, she turns black like an arapka; chooses a painted chest with snakes and lizards in it (they eat her and her mother)]: Daskalova-Perkovska et al. 1994, no.*480 3:170-171.
Caucasus - Asia Minor. Balkarians or Karachays [stepmother tyrannites Fatima; sends a cow to herd and at the same time spun wool in the meadow; the wind blows away the ball, F. goes to search, enters the Emegenshi cave; she tells pick up the scattered silver, makes sure that F. has not hidden anything; goes to bed, tells me to wake up when white water flows through the cave; F. washes with this water, she is made beautiful in brocade clothes; stepmother sends her own daughter; she fills her pockets with silver, the Emegensha tells her to wake her up when black water flows, her girl's cheek turns dog cheek and the other monkey; Father F. drives his wife and her ugly daughter]: Aliyeva, Kholaev 1983:32-36 (=Malkonduev 2017:298-300); Armenians: Khachatryants 1933 (Ararat Valley) [=Ganalanyan 1965:49-53; brief retelling in Russel 2004b: 633-634; king sees a snake , who plays with snakes, wants a child for herself; his wife gives birth to a snake, the king raises him, he turns into a vishapa, he is fed girls; the girl Arevakhat greets him, he turns into a young man, marries A .; she tells how her stepmother told her to knock her hair; the spinning wheel fell into a crack in the rock; the old woman asked whose canopy was cleaner, whose head was cleaner, told her to wake up when the yellow water poured, not to wake up until black, red; dips her hair in yellow, A. has golden hair; she hides it under the skin of a ram; the stepmother's daughter discovers golden curls; drops a spinning wheel; replies that her mother's head, not the old woman, is cleaner than the canopy; she tells her to wake her up when her black head flows; the girl turned black; the stepdaughter was kicked out, but then the king's servants found her]: 143-149; Azerbaijanis [the fisherman has an adult daughter Fatmajykh and a little son Kiyavyzhykh; the mother died, the fisherman took the fanged Bash-khanum; she gave birth to a bald boy and a girl; ordered her old children to be taken to the forest; the father tied a board to the tree so that she could knock, and the children thought he cuts wood; left; K. is thirsty, F. does not tell me to drink from the spring - you will become a horse; then a dog; K. got drunk from the third, became a bull; said that he would now feed his sister with honey and oil, which he had in horns; took his sister; although father and stepmother moved, the bull found them; F. said that her brother was run over by a bear, and she came by bull; she was sent to scratch her hair, the bull fed her; the wind carried away the tow; F. ran after her, ran into the hut; there Baba Yaga, with snakes and centipedes in her hair; F. asked for her tow, the old woman asked how she liked the hut; F. praised the cleanliness; the old woman blessed her; told Wake her up when white, red and black water runs; washed her with three waters, F. became white-bodied, her eyebrows and eyelashes black, her cheeks and lips red; gave her tow; her stepmother sent her own daughter; she called the old woman is ugly; three waters made her body black, her eyebrows and eyelashes white, and a red spot appeared on her forehead; then her stepmother pretended to be sick, asked for bull meat; he tells her sister to collect his bones and throw it into the well, a beautiful outfit will appear there; the stepmother and daughter went to the Shah's meeting, and F. ordered to separate the millet from the ash and fill the bowl with tears; the rooster and the chickens were separated, the rooster advised cook salt water; wearing the dress that was in the well, F. came to the palace, showered everyone with flowers, and her stepmother with ash; when she ran back, she lost her slipper; Tsarevich Mamed ordered to look for the owner; the rooster shouts that F. is in a hole, tied hand and foot; M. married F.; stepmother's daughter pushed her into the sea, put on her dress; in the morning the rooster screams: her sister was drowned in the sea, swallowed her catfish, she was swallowed under her heart The shah wears and the sky asks for salvation; the fishermen caught the catfish, took out F.; M. asks the liar if she wants a golden knife or a seven-year-old mare; she did not understand whether she wanted a mare; she was put in one bag, and puppy and pan to another; frightened by the roar, the horse rushed, the body was scattered across the valleys; M. stayed with F.]: Bagriy, Zeynally 1935:3-19; Kurds (Iraq) [Askol is stepdaughter, Khursha is his own daughter; stepmother tells A. to herd the cow, hide all the wool in a day; the wind carried the yarn, A. followed her, saw a female diva with long breasts, she asks to comb her head, A. lies that her hair is clean; she tells her not to wake her up while the blue, green, red, yellow, purple, black, brown water is cloudy, but to wake her up when the white water goes; the female diva dipped A.'s hand in white water, A. became beautiful, the yarn became threads; the stepmother sent H., who tells the female diva that her head is disgusting; the female diva tells her to wake her up when the water is cloudy, H. is covered with warts; the padishah's son saw A. with the roof of the palace; the stepmother hides her in tandoor, sends H., but the rooster screams about it, the padishah's son marries A.; the stepmother comes, calls pregnant A. for a walk, pushes her into the river; she swims out to the other side, gives birth to a son; a shepherd hears her story; a padishah's son returns his wife and son; stepmother and H. are tied by the legs to mules]: Yusupova 2004, No. 3:140-145.
Iran - Central Asia. Persians: Rosenfeld 1956 [Mollabaji's teacher persuades girl Shahrban to push her mother into a vinegar barrel and then persuade her father to marry her; he got married, she brought her ugly daughter; opened a barrel of vinegar, a red cow came out of there; M. gives S. more and more work, sends a cow to herd and spin; the cow chews cotton, turning it into yarn; tomorrow the wind picked up cotton, threw it into well; the cow calls S. a daughter, tells him to climb into the well, do the opposite when asked; the diva tells him to hit him with a stone, S. looks in his head; replies that his head is cleaner than his stepmother's; does not break the house with a pickaxe, but sweeps the yard; replies that the manor, the diva's dishes are better than her father's; takes cotton, not gold; the diva orders to wash her hair in black water, her face and hands in white; at home, the stepmother sees that W is on her forehead . moon, star on her chin; M. sends her own daughter, she does everything wrong, the diva tells her to wash in yellow water, a snake appears on the girl's forehead, a scorpion on her chin, the gold she grabbed, turns out to be bricks; M. and his daughter, wrapping her face with a handkerchief, go to the wedding, tells Sh. to disassemble the mixture of peas, beans and beans, fill the bowl with tears; S. goes to the diva, he gives salt (the water will be like tears) rooster (separate beans, etc.), luxurious outfit, ash (pour on M. and her daughter), flowers (throw at the bride and guests); S. sees the prince, she runs away, loses her shoe; returning home, M. pretends to be sick, let the husband slaughter the cow; the divas replace the cows, tells S. to bury the bones slaughtered in the barn; the prince's servants are looking for the owner of the shoe; M. hides S. in the oven, but the rooster screams where she is; M. feeds S. with onions and garlic, to make her smell bad and embarrass her; the diva helps to get out of the situation, and M.'s daughter, who she imposed on the vizier, stained the room; M. and her daughter were thrown into the ditch, the divas cut the cow's skin, and came out of it mother Sh.]: 130-149 (same or very similar text in Lorimer, Lorimer 1919, No. 13:79-88; Romaskevich 1934a, No. 12 (Isfahan Jews) [an ugly girl is spinning on the roof; the wind threw yarn into the next yard; the girl went down for her; the hostess asks to break her head, tear the blanket, destroy the room, break the jugs; the girl cleans the hostess's hair, darns the blanket, sweeps the room, fills the jugs with water; the woman tells me to sit by the stream; when the black, yellow water flows, be silent, and when it is red and green, splash on your face and say "a month on the forehead!" ; ugly became beautiful; a beautiful girl found out about this, deliberately threw off her yarn, did everything literally as ordered; the woman tells me to splash black water and say "donkey's penis on her forehead, back leg on the chin"; that's what happened; this girl came back, got into a fight with the first one, killed each other]: 74-76; Persians, Tajiks, Uzbeks (widely used manuscripts in Persian and in translated into Uzbek) [the stepmother tells her stepdaughter to strain a huge amount of yarn every day; the girl inherits a cow and a chicken from her mother; the cow ran into the cave or the wind took cotton wool from the girl's hands; a gray old woman in white sits in the cave, tells (in Persian version from Ura-Tube) to sweep the floor, look in her head, remains satisfied, rewards the girl with beauty; tells the cow to eat cotton wool, behind Thin yarn begins to come out; in the Persian version, her stepmother's own daughter is inattentive to the fairy, becomes ugly (a bead stolen and hidden in her mouth causes goiter); Tajiks in In Samarkand, stepdaughter washes her hair in the Black River and her face in White River becomes beautiful; her own daughter, on the contrary, becomes black faced and gray hair; stepmother asks her husband to stab a cow; she tells The stepdaughter does not eat her meat, bury her bones under the threshold; a noble man invites her to a feast; the stepmother tells her stepdaughter to separate the millet from the sorghum, the chicken does the job, the old fairy calls the guria, they dress up a girl to go to a feast; a girl loses her slipper, a noble man tries it on for everyone, her stepmother locks her in a latrine, but the chicken shows where to look; after getting married, the stepdaughter cooks a treat in honor of an old fairy woman (Bibi Se-Chambe), the husband enters, offended that the treat is poor, overturns the cauldron; goes to cut melons, in his bag they turn three missing princes into the heads; before by execution, he goes to his wife, repents, heads turn into melons, princes return]: Andreev 1927b: 8-12.
Volga - Perm. Chuvashi [stepmother tells her husband to take her stepdaughter to the forest; he ties a block of wood to the tree, he swings in the wind, knocks, the girl thinks the father is near; at night she hears the voices of 12 pigeons, praises them , they throw her jewelry, she comes back; the stepmother leaves her own daughter in the forest, who wakes up to the scream of 12 kites, scolds them, they fill her with twigs, the stepmother has difficulty digging up; sends her stepdaughter turn to the bathhouse to be eaten by Ye; she gets out from under the stove, leeches and snakes in her hair; the girl replies that the guest looks better than many; J. asks to look in her head, wake her up when the white one flows, black and red water; water pours, J. bathes the girl in white, runs her black eyebrows, red over her lips and cheeks, the girl returns beautiful; the stepmother sends her own daughter, she calls the old woman dirty , she bathes her in black water, runs her white through her hair and eyebrows, red on her forehead; her stepmother is choked, her daughter is drowned]: Aisin 1993:300-302; Bashkirs [stepmother tells her to spin, stepdaughter spins better own daughter, stepmother throws her stepdaughter's ball out the window, she follows him; helps the old woman gather geese, refusing to take one as a reward (she will take one on the way back); the shepherd gather sheep (the same); cows (same); horses (same); the ball rolls to the old woman; the girl replies that the old woman's food tastes better than at home, the house is more beautiful; the old woman tells her to kick, tear off her clothes, pour boiling water in the bath, girl she does everything gently, carefully, washes the old woman with warm water; the old woman's hair is not lice, but gold; she tells her to wake her up when not black, but yellow water flows out of her; the girl's hair turns golden, her teeth are silver; she chooses the smallest old chest; on the way back she gets cattle with offspring, rides in a tarantas, the puppy barks about it; in the chest there is a magic tablecloth; the stepmother throws a ball own daughter; she is doing everything wrong, the puppy barks that her own daughter has found her death; she brings in a chest with snakes in it, her own daughter and stepmother died from bites]: Barag 1989, No. 34:174-177.