M154a1. Pregnant wife on a stud mare .16.27.29.33.

A person who understands animal language hears a mare saying that it is carrying four (three): she has a foal in her stomach, and the woman in the saddle is also pregnant.

Corsicans, Albanians, Greeks, Romanians, Bulgarians, Georgians, Azerbaijanis, Kazakhs.

Southern Europe. Corsicans [the guy hired to herd sheep; once saved a man from the claws of a lion; he turned out to be the son of a sorcerer, advised him to ask his father to be able to understand animal language; the sorcerer blew in his mouth; he should not talk about it; the guy got married; the mare tells the foal that she is carrying three (a pregnant woman and she is pregnant herself); the man laughs, the wife demands an explanation, the husband is ready tell; the dog howls: the owner will die; the rooster: and I don't feel sorry for him, since I can't cope with one wife, but I can cope with many; the man beat his wife]: Massignon 1984, No. 2:5-6.

The Balkans. Albanians [the man invited everyone to taste the fruits from his garden; the monk ate, offered to fulfill any wish, the person chose to know the language of animals and birds; but on pain of death, about it you can't tell; one day a person hears a donkey talking to an ox; an ox complains about life, and a donkey advises him to pretend to be sick; in the morning a man harnesses a donkey instead of an ox; in the evening he advises an ox to recover, otherwise the owner is about to slaughter him; the owner laughs, the wife is puzzled; another time the wife is pregnant and the mare complains to the foal how many she must carry; the man tells his wife to get off mares; then the man hears the conversation between sheep and dogs; promises to tell his wife everything; the dog is in mourning, reproaches the rooster for having fun; the rooster: I have 40 wives, and the owner can't cope with one; the man kicked out wife]: Pedersen 1898, No. 11:82-88; Greeks (Lesbos) [a young man wanders around the streets, he is considered not quite normal, advised to give alms to the sea; he bought bread, crumbles in the sea; once comes empty-handed and asks forgiveness from the fish; she promises to reward him herself; belches a pebble: if you put it in your mouth, you understand what the animals are talking about; but if you let it slip, you will die; one day the man lay down on the ground; the crow decided that he was dead, went down, the man caught him; let the crow go for promising to show where the treasure was; became rich; once he was riding a horse with a pregnant wife; the foal did not keeps up with the mare, who is also pregnant; she replies to the foal that she is carrying three, and he is alone, let him hurry; the husband laughs, the wife demands an explanation; the husband is preparing to die; the chicken to the rooster: the owner will die soon, but you don't care; rooster: will die because a fool would take a stick and beat his wife; the husband followed the advice of the rooster and moved on quietly]: Georgeakis, Pineau 1893:320-321; Romanians [young and a poor shepherd rescued a snake from the fire; she brought him to her father and advised him to be rewarded with his ability to understand animal language; but you can't talk about it - you'll die; the bird will tell him where he is buried treasure; now he is rich, he is getting married; once he and his wife went with his wife - a pregnant wife on a pregnant mare; the mare is a little behind and says to the horse on which her husband rides that he is carrying four, and he is only two; the man laughs; then hears the conversation between dogs and the wolf; the wife demands an explanation; the husband has prepared the coffin, but hears the rooster with contempt saying that he commands 35 chickens, and the owner cannot cope with one wife; husband quilts his wife with a rope so that he no longer thinks of asking why he laughs]: Bîrlea 1966:452-454; Bulgarians [the grateful snake (which the man saved from the fire) gives him the ability to understand the language of animals, but he should not talk about it on pain of death; he learns from a bird where the treasure is buried; understands the conversation between a wolf, an old dog and a corrupt young dog; the conversation of a horse and mares; donkey and ox; slander on sheep; wife demands explanation; husband is ready to tell and prepares to die, but does not do so when he hears a conversation between a dog and a rooster; the rooster says he copes with many wives, but the owner cannot calm down one; the husband beat his wife]: Daskalova-Perkovska et al. 1994, No. 670:231.

Caucasus - Asia Minor. Georgians [the carpenter's son feeds the fish, the king of fish agrees to run his tongue in his mouth, he now understands the language of all animals, but if he says, he will die; the magpie asks to save his a chick tormented by children says where the treasure is buried; a man does not tell his wife about it, gives money little by little; laughs when a pregnant mare talks with a foal; the wife demands an explanation, the husband promises; the dog reproaches the rooster for crowing at such a time; the rooster says that he commands 60 wives, but the owner cannot cope with one; the husband whips his wife with rose hips, as advised by the rooster, the wife began to respect her husband]: Kurdovanidze 1988 (2), No. 91:125-130; Azerbaijanis: Bagriy, Zeynally 1935 [after the death of his father, Ahmed became a hunter, married Guller; saw a white woman fighting and a black snake, shot a black snake, but hit a white one; the serpent king ordered the poisonous snake Shahmar to kill A., but she overheard his conversation with his wife, told the king that A. had accidentally made a mistake and mourned; Sh. advised A. to ask the king of snakes as a gift for the ability to understand animal language; to do this, the king spat in his mouth; but if A. talked about this, he would die; once A. and G., pregnant, returned from weddings riding a mare; her foal said he was tired; mare: I was wearing three and I was alone - how can I help here; A. laughed, G. began to demand an explanation; threatened to return to her father; A. was ready Tell me everything, but I heard a ram say to the sheep: I'm not a hunter A. to listen to your wife; A. beat his wife and live well with her]: 243-248; Nabiev 1988 [hunter Pirim knew the language of animals and birds; planted a pregnant wife to a pregnant mare; she explains to the horse that she is going slow because she is lucky and carries too many; P. laughed, his wife demanded an explanation, he told everything; P. heard a wolf Rejoices: that night he will bite it; Pyrim was lowered into a deep well; but the wolf dug and took him away]: 276-288.

Turkestan. Kazakhs [Surmergen went hunting, saw two snakes fighting, killed a black one, helped a white one; she showed how to lick a stone; S. also licked and began to understand the language of all animals; the snake warned: if S. talks about his knowledge, he will die; gave a gold bar; after spending the night at bay, S. hears a conversation between a wolf and a dog; the dog promises to prevent the wolf from attacking the owner's sheep and the guest's horse; S. shared with her meat; in the morning after the snowstorm, the sheep and the horse are intact, the wolf is captured; the owner offers the guest a reward for bringing good luck; yarochka: in 5 years I will become a thousand sheep; in 5 years the owner refuses to recognize the contract; judge: how many sheep are turned on the road to S.'s house, let him take so many; turned a thousand after the spring; one day S. hears a conversation between a pregnant mare and a foal, laughs; wife needs an explanation; S. is ready to die; rooster: I am not S., who is going to give the secret to his wife; S. did not say anything; S. once spent the night with caravans; the wolf howls that he is going to eat it; for S. they dug a hole, covered it with felt; in the morning it turned out that the wolf dug the side passage and ate S.]: Babalar sozi 2011:68-69.