M134B. Wolf measurement .28.29.31.32.

When a predator is about to eat a person, he asks for permission to measure him first and hits him with an (imaginary) measuring instrument.

Russians (Pskov, Yaroslavl, Moscow, Voronezh), Northern Ukrainians, Terek Cossacks, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Karelians, Kazan Tatars, Udmurts, Mari, Chuvash, Bashkirs.

Central Europe. Russians (no place of recording) [the wolf tells Christ what he wants to eat; he tells the mare to eat; she replies that it is impossible - let her look at her hind legs, lie down; then Christ tells you to eat a ram; he offers to jump into his mouth with a run, knocks him down; Christ tells you to eat the tailor; he asks him to measure whether he will fit into him; the tailor came up from behind, grabbed him tail, beat for a long time, ran away, climbed a tree; the wolves decided to stand on top of each other, the curgoose below; tailor: the kurgoose will get the most; he rushed to run, the wolves fell, caught up and tore Kurgoose]: Afanasiev 1958, No. 56:80-81; Russians (Pskov) [the wolf wants to eat the tailor; he promises to sew a fur coat for him, and to do this, first take a measure; beats; the wolf calls other wolves, the tailor climbed in on a pine tree; wolves stood on each other's backs, beaten below; the tailor sniffed tobacco and coughed; the wolf thought they were shooting, rushed to the side, the wolves fell and killed that wolf]: Ploschuk 2004, No. 9:71; Russians (Moscow) [wolf to the tailor: I'll eat you; tailor: first I'll die you, or suddenly I won't fit; I'll measure off the tail; tail in my left hand, arshin in my right hand; beat the wolf until the tail comes off; short wolf gathered 10 wolves, the tailor climbed the tree; the wolves climbed one on top of the other, the short ("curgoose") below; the tailor: you were the first; the short one rushed, the wolves fell down, ran away]: Vedernikova, Samodelova 1998, No. 10:41-42; Russians (Voronezhskaya, p. Bolshaya Vereyka, 1925) [Shvets goes to a foreign village, meets a wolf in the forest, who wants to eat it. Shvets asks the wolf to allow him to be measured before death, he turns, and the Swedish grabs the beast by the tail, beats him, and tears off his tail. The wolf meets the horse, wants to eat it, she asks the wolf to read the aphorism written in her ass, the wolf bends down and the horse lies down. He wants to eat a ram, which agrees to jump into his mouth, but hurts the wolf with horns. The wolf meets the fox, she says that she married the mayor, the wolf wants to see him. The fox agrees to show her husband in exchange for a ram, the wolf agrees. A bear is sitting at the fox, he climbs a tree. The cat screams that it is not enough meat, hides in the leaves, the wolf rustles with leaves, the cat decides that it is a mouse and rushes at it and scratches it. A wolf and a bear run out of the fox's house frightened. The rooster hears a conversation between a wolf and a bear, runs to the fox, shouts "point, point my braid, I want to cut a fox!" The fox and the cat leave the hut. The wolf breaks in, eats the rooster]: Baryshnikova 2007, No. 20:114-116; Smirnov 1917, No. 170 (Yaroslavskaya) []: 445; northern Ukrainians (Chernigov, Nezhinsky u.) [the wolf came to the tailor to sew a sheepskin coat; he agreed, but we must try it on; grabbed the wolf by the tail, began to beat him with arshin; the wolf rushed, tore off his tail; brought other wolves; the man climbed the oak tree; the wolves climbed one on top of the other, short below; the tailor, as he said about arshin, is so short-tailed to run, and the rest follow him]: Malinka 1902, No. 43:326-327; (cf. Northern Ukrainians (Chernigovskaya, Borznensky u.) [the priest's tailor went to work in the city; at this time the wolf asked God for food; he said that the wolf would meet the popov - this is his food; the wolf met the mare, asked whose it was; the mare replied that Popova ; the wolf said he would eat it; the mare replied that she was in town and brought the papers; invited the wolf to look at them; while he watched, she galloped off; the wolf thought, "What a fool I am: am I a pan or a writer, why Should I look at papers?" ; then he saw the ram, asked whose it was; the ram replied that he was a priest; the wolf warned that he would eat it; the ram said that he would climb the mountain and jump into the wolf's mouth; as a result, he accelerated and hit him in the forehead ; the wolf began to think, "What a fool I am, am I pan or something, since I wanted light bread"; met pigs, asked whose they were; the pigs replied that they were popovs; the wolf warned that he would eat them; they asked for permission sing a song; while they were singing, people came and drove the wolf away; he met the tailor, asked whose it was; the tailor replied that he was priests; the wolf said he would eat him; the tailor asked for permission to finally wash his face with his tail wipe off {the intention to measure the wolf is not said}; wrapped the wolf's tail in his arms, "yak letting go of three arshini"; then ran away, climbed an oak tree; the wolf called for help from other wolves; they stood on top of each other; He was tailless downstairs; when the wolves almost reached the tailor, he smelled tobacco; smelling, he sneezed: "Achhi!" ; the wolf from below thought that the tailor was shouting: "Arshin!" ; ran; other wolves hit; caught up with the tailless and tore it]: Rudchenko 1869, No. 2:5-6).

Caucasus - Asia Minor. Terek Cossacks (no place of recording) [the short wolf is going to eat the tailor; he promises to sew a fur coat for him; the wolf agrees; the tailor tells him to turn his back to measure; the wolf grabs for the rest of the tail and hits with an iron arshin; the wolf runs away; complains to other wolves; they chase the tailor together; he climbs a tree; wolves stand on top of each other to get it; a short wolf stands in at the very bottom; the tailor threatens; the short wolf gets scared, begins to toss and turns; the rest of the wolves fall; rush at the short; he breaks out; complains to St. George to the tailor and wolves; says he is hungry; St. George tells me to eat the Popov pig; the wolf finds it; the pig: "It's better to grab my ear and go to the village together - there you will be appointed judge and feed you piglets"; the wolf agrees; in the village he is beaten; he complains again to St. George; he tells me to eat the Popov sheep; the ram: "Just stand under the mountain and open your mouth, and I'll run into it - you will swallow me"; the wolf agrees; the ram runs away and hits him in the forehead; the wolf complains to St. George; he replies that he is tired of the wolf and tells him to eat the Popov horse; the horse: "But you'd better skin me first, and then pop me: grab my tail and pull me!" ; the wolf grabs her tail; the horse hits him with its hind hooves; the wolf dies]: Baranov 1899, No. 1:197-200.

Baltoscandia. Lithuanians [the tailor met the wolf; said he would get into his mouth, but to do so he had to measure it; stepped on the tail, began to beat him with a stick; the wolf escaped, brought dozens of wolves to kill the tailor ; he climbed a tree; the wolves stood on top of each other, torn below; the tailor shouts that he would give the most naked; that wolf ran, the rest fell and ran away]: Kerbelite 2014, No. 8:42-43; Latvians [the wolf wants to eat the old man; he asks the wolf to allow his tail to measure the coffin candle; wraps his tail around his arm, hits him with a club, the tail comes off; other wolves have come running, the old man climbed on spruce; the wolves climbed on top of each other; the old man suggested that he eat it alone, cut off his tail too, throw it down; the short man thought that the tail was for him, jumped out, all the wolves had fallen; since then, the wolves had necks don't bend]: Alksnite et al. 1958:26-27; Estonians [The wolf lived with people, slept in a sheepfold, but was still always hungry and intended to steal something; the woman said she would give him warm bread herself gave a hot stone; he burned his mouth, ran into the forest, complained to the Forest Father, who allowed him to live in the forest, take care of his own food; when he leaves, the Wolf may bite the first one who comes out; beggar, the woman persuaded them not to eat; the tailor asked permission to first see if he would fit into his stomach; quietly tied his belt to a tree, beat him with a measuring stick; the wolf escaped, ran away, called other wolves; the tailor climbed the tree, the wolves climbed on top of each other, beaten below; the tailor shouted to him what more he would get now, the wolf jumped out, the others fell; now the wolves are afraid of people, but they are killing sheep, i.e. that belt was made of sheep wool]: Jakobson 1954:148-152; Karelians (Tver Karelians) [the wolf asks St. George, what does he have; he sends him to kill the mare, but not to touch the foal; mare: do you have permission? wolf: from St. George; mare: and I have it from St. Mykola, look at it; the mare raised its tail, the wolf came up, she kicked him; the wolf came back to St. George, he allowed him to pick up the ram; the ram: I'll jump into your mouth myself; hit you with horns; for the third time St. George offers to eat a tailor with an iron arshin; he demands that the wolf first allow him to be measured; grabbed his tail, beat him with arshin; the tailor left and climbed the tree; the wolf gathered others wolves, called the bear; the bear was below, the wolves stood on top of each other; the tailor sneezed, the wolf was frightened, the animals were gone]: Makarov 1963, No. 40:55-58.

Volga - Perm. Tatars: Bashirov, Yarmukhametov 1956 [the wolf is going to eat a tailor; he asks for permission to try on the wolf - whether it will fit in his stomach; hits with an iron arshin; wolf: why was it necessary take a measure, I could eat a tailor in more than one go]: 123-124; Zamaletdinov 2008a, No. 26 [the ox wants to eat the horse, it asks to pull the golden hair out of its tail, kicks the wolf; wolf: where did you see golden hair on the tail?! the bull asks to remove the gold watch from his neck, butts (the same thing); the goat says she is a muezzin, asks for permission to climb to the roof, calls the owner; the wolf wants to eat the lych; she says she is a teacher offers to teach cubs; ate them; said they would come soon; offers to eat flour from the millstone, lets water in; wolf: when was the fox a teacher? ; the fox promises sheep to the wolf, tells him to hide in ricks, sets fire, the wolf is burned; wants to eat a man; he promises to sew clothes for a naked wolf; beat him to death with an iron arshin]: 74-78; Yarmukhametov 1957 [ the wolf met a tailor on the road, was going to eat it; tailor: you must first know if I can fit in your stomach; the wolf allows himself to be measured, the tailor hits him with arshin; wolf: and why did I agree, could he eat right away!] : 47 (=1970:237); Udmurts [the wolf wants to eat geese, they say that they are dirty, they have to wash themselves, they swim away; pigs ask to be allowed to sing a song first, men run to scream; the ram advises open your mouth, butts, knocking out the wolf's teeth; the horse advises you to cling to his tail, the wolf's last teeth have broken; tailor: I don't know if I can fit in your stomach, let me try you on; measures and hits with arshin; climbed to the spruce; the wolf brings the other wolves, they stand on top of each other, that wolf is at the very bottom; the tailor sneezed, the wolf remembered the arshin, rushed, all the wolves fell]: Kralina 1960, No. 24:74-76; marie: Bakulevsky 1973 [the wolf wants to eat the man; he offers to sew a fur coat for him; to do this, the wolf must be measured; the wolf lies down, the man starts hitting him with a stick; the wolf believes that now he has a warm red fur coat; wants to eat a ram; he says he will jump into its mouth; after running away, he butts; the wolf believes that he has swallowed a ram; the horse tells you to count the hair in its tail before eating it, kicks wolf; the dog asks her not to eat, but calls her to the wedding; the wolf sings under the table, he was not found; then went out to dance, they started beating him, barely left]: 39-42; Wichmann 1931, No. 8 [the wolf is going to eat the tailor; that offers to sew his clothes first and take a measure for this purpose; grabs the tail and hits him with arshin; the wolf wants to eat the ram, he offers to jump into his mouth, butts with a take-off; wants to eat the bull, he asks the wolf first stands backwards to him, also butts; wants to eat the mare, she offers to start from behind, kills by kicking]: 166-167; Chuvash: Chuvash tales 1937 []: 120-121; Eysin 1993 [the wolf wants to eat tailor; he offers to sew a fur coat for him, take a measure; holds his tail and hits him with an iron arshin; the horse offers to show an interesting picture, lies with his hoof; the ram jumps into the mouth, butts from the take-off; pig - sing a song, people scream, people run; dog - bring to a feast; in the underground, the wolf drinks and eats, starts singing; he was killed]: 39-40; Bashkirs [the wolf wants to eat the merchant, he offers it first measure whether he will fit in the belly; hits with an iron arshin; the goat asks for permission to shout Azan before death, his owners beat the wolf; the foal says that he has a ticket under his tail so that his wolf does not he ate, the wolf kicks; every time the wolf asks himself why he did it, allowed this and that, he should have eaten]: Barag 1989, No. 110:426-428.