M197C. Flea repellent, ATU 1862A.
.15.16.26.27.-.33.
A person sells sand, dust, etc. as a remedy for fleas, mice, etc. Explains that it is necessary to catch a flea and pour sand into its eyes. The buyer replies that the caught flea can be crushed. Seller: It's even easier that way.
Italians (region not specified, conditionally south), Irish, Germans (Mecklenburg), Chinese (province not specified), Hungarians, Romanians, Slovaks, Adygs, Abazins, Karachays and Balkarians, Ingush, Chechens, Dargins, Azerbaijanis, Turkmens, Persians, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Danes, Finns, Lithuanians, Latvians, Bashkirs, Kazakhs.
Southern Europe. Italians (region not specified, conditionally south): Cerise, Serafini 1975, No. 1862A: 412.
Western Europe. Irish, Germans (Mecklenburg): Uther 2004 (2), No. 1862A: 464.
China - Korea. Chinese {according to the bibliography, they're really Han, not minorities}: Ting 1978, #1862A: {page number in pdf is not visible}.
The Balkans. Hungarians, Romanians: Uther 2004 (2), No. 1862A: 464.
Central Europe. Slovaks: Uther 2004 (2), No. 1862A: 464.
Caucasus - Asia Minor. Adygi [Khoje cuts the branch on which he is sitting; a passerby says that he will fall; H. falls, considers a passerby to be a predictor, asks to know when he will die; he replies that when donkey H. three times will release the winds; it happened, H. lay down in the hole; the wolves ate his donkey; the camel caravan was coming, H. jumped up, the camels were scared, the pots broke, H. was beaten; only one camel left pots; X. on him sat down and went; says to Allah that he is a fool; the camel stumbled, the pots are broken; H. Allah: you do not understand jokes; H. source shards, began to sell as powder against fleas; one buyer asks how to use it; H.: pour a flea into the eyes; buyer: but you can simply crush it; H.: it's even better]: Sokolov, Broydo 1936:481-483; Abazins [Khoja bought jugs, cart at the bazaar turned over, the jugs broke; he powdered the shards and sold it as a flea repellent; the woman who bought the powder came back and asked what to do with it; - Catch a flea and fill it in eyes. - Then wouldn't I be able to kill her without your medication? - If you know, why are you asking?] : Tugov 1985, No. 146:351-352; Balkarians and Karachays [Khozha dropped a jug of sour cream; a shard boring, began to sell powder as a flea remedy; one buyer caught up with Hugh and asked how to use the powder; H.: catch a flea, pour it into your eyes: it will first go blind and then die; buyer: but it is easier to crush it; H.: it's even better]: Aliyeva, Kholaev 1971:181-182; Ingush [ Tsagen broke a brick, went to sell mouse medicine; one person asked how to use the medicine; Tsagen: catch a mouse, push a mouthful of powder, it would die; what if you hit the mouse on the floor? - Even better - you will kill the mouse and save money]: Sadulaev 2004, No. 92:235; Chechens [Molla Nesart broke the pot; decided to crush the shards, went to sell the powder as a remedy for rats; rich man bought the powder, then ran for MN to ask how to use it; MN: catch a rat and pour powder into its nostrils; boschach: isn't it easier to hit it? MN: It's even better, and the rat is killed and the powder is intact]: Kibiev, Malsagov 1973:192-193; Dargins: Amirov 1878 [Mullah Nasreddin offended his jamaat in some way; then, in his absence, his house was turned into latrine; returning, N. collected the crap, dried it, filled his bags and brought it to the city under the guise of a mouse remedy; sold everything in two days; the residents of the village collected all the crap and also took it to the city; to this time sent from the city came with a question: how to consume the powder; N.: catch the mouse and pour powder into its eyes; the sent returned and told; at this time the inhabitants of the village brought their crap; they were beaten ; when they returned, they killed N.'s mother; he brought the corpse to a wealthy house and made it look like the old woman was alive; at lunch, N. takes two servings - for her mother, she is embarrassed to enter; sent her daughter to call her; the corpse fell into the river; the girl was given for N.; he said that in the city he changed the corpse for a girl; fellow villagers killed old women, brought them to the city; they were driven away with clubs; they burned N.'s house; he collected the coals in bags, putting them on the bottom a few silver coins each; went to town, stayed with a wealthy Jew, shouted in the morning that he had been robbed; judge: if there was money, something was left at the bottom; as it turned out, the judge ordered fill bags with silver; N. said that he sold the coals; the residents burned their houses, brought the coals, poisoned them with dogs; the residents decided to drown N.; he ran and told the shepherd what they were chasing him to do tsar; the shepherd agreed to change clothes; the shepherd was drowned, N. brought the sheep from the bottom; all the inhabitants drowned]: 37-41; Osmanov 1963 [the Balkhite carried an arba of jugs, it overturned, the jugs broke; The Gapshiminets advised to grind the shards into powder, sell them as a remedy for mice; when the powder was almost all sold, one person asked how to use it; the Balkhite replied that it was necessary catch a mouse and pour powder into its eyes]: 72 (=Khalilov, Osmanov 1989:238); Azerbaijanis: Uther 2004 (2), No. 1862A: 464.
Iran - Central Asia. Turkmens [Molla Kemine was carrying sand; answered the oncoming bay that he was carrying flea and mosquito repellent; bai bought sand; the next time he met, he shouted that K. had deceived him; he claims that buy used the product incorrectly: you have to catch a flea and pour sand into her eyes; buy: then I'll just kill her; K.: it's even better]: Kekilov, Kosaev 1962:30-31; Persians (Qazvin) [in villages a lot of bedbugs appeared; people turned to Daho for advice; Daho: catch bugs, open their eyes and cover them with pepper and ginger; they will go blind and will not be able to see who to bite]: Baiburdi, Borshevsky 1968:19-19; Tajiks [wife reproaches Mushfiki for idleness; he began wrapping pinches of ash in paper in the bazaar: I am selling mouse repellent; the buyer asked how to use it; M.: catch a mouse and, holding the tail, hit the ground hard; if the mouse does not move, pour this poison into its mouth and nose; buyer: but a mouse can be killed without your poison; M.: It is important for me that you buy a drug, and not it's important whether you kill the mouse in your own way or in my own way]: Amonov, Ulug-zade 1957:398; Uzbeks: Uther 2004 (2), No. 1862A: 464.
Baltoscandia. Latvians [Imaginary doctor. Explains how to use flea powder: catches a flea, opens its mouth, puts powder in it]: Arys, Medne 1977, No. 1862A: 375; Lithuanians, Finns, Danes: Uther 2004 (2), No. 1862A: 464.
Volga - Perm. The Bashkirs [Khuzha carried pots, the cart turned over, the pots broke; Khuzha crushed the fragments into flour, began to sell them as a remedy for mice; the last buyer asked how to use it; Kh.: catch a mouse and pour powder into its eyes]: Barag 1992, No. 142 (167): 193.
Turkestan. Kazakhs: Uther 2004 (2), â„– 1862A: 464.