M197D. Shortened stick, ATU 926C.2. (.17.) .23.29.30.

To find a thief, a person gives the crowd sticks and says that the thief will have sticks longer overnight. The thief cuts off the end of his stick and is thus discovered.

(Palestinians), Telugu, Kumaoni, Multani, Uttar Pradesh (Hindi), Persians, Tajiks, Pashtuns.

(Wed. Western Asia. Palestinians [during the Egyptian occupation of Palestine, a jeweler approached Ibrahim Pasha, who arrived in Jaffa, and said that he had been robbed; this was not the case under the Turks; I. promised to investigate the case and began from the door that was to blame for letting the thief in; the door began to beat; then I. put his ear to the door; said that the door was nonsense; she was beaten again; for the second time, I. said that "this stupid girl continues To say that the thief is among honest people and he has some dust and webs left from the store on his fez"; one person looked at his fez and was captured]: Hanauer 2009:106-107).

South Asia. Telugu (Andhra Pradesh) [when the necklace disappeared from the Raja's treasury, he gave each one the same stick and said that the culprit would grow two inches overnight; the thief shortened the stick in the morning they grabbed him and found a necklace]: Kudinova, Kudinov 1995:206; Kumaoni [the man lost his money; the judge gave each of his family a stick, warning that the thief would grow on his finger tomorrow; the thief cut off his stick and was discovered in the morning]: Minaev 1966, No. 36:98-99; multani [robbed the house; Sardar Sahib gathered five suspicious people, gave each a stick of the same length, and ordered bring in the morning: the thief would have it longer; fearing that his stick would grow, the thief shortened his stick; the SS accused him and the thief was imprisoned]: Skemp 1917, No. 33:63; Uttar Pradesh (Hindi) [u The rich man in Delhi lost gold; Birbal called his six servants, hit him a straw and said that the thief would grow a straw overnight; he shortened his own and thus betrayed himself; he was beaten and showed where hid the gold]: Beskrovny, Chelyshev 1978:248.

Caucasus - Asia Minor. Adygi [a thief of five men needs to be identified; the judge gives them one stick of the same length and says that the thief's wand will extend by a finger overnight; the thief cuts off a piece of his stick, posing as ]: Tkhamokova 2014, No. 926**: 188

Iran - Central Asia. Persians [a man has lost gold; the judge called his household members, gave each a stick of the same length; whoever has a stick longer than others is guilty of theft; a servant who stole gold sawed his stick, exposed]: Afrafi et al. 1963, No. 240:101; Tajiks [a man suspected neighbors of stealing a purse, brought them to Efendi; he gave everyone a stick; whoever stole the stick, from him it tomorrow it will be a quarter longer; the thief cut off his stick and was exposed]: Gordlevsky 1957, No. 407:237-238 (=Amonov, Ulug-zade 1957:407); Pashtuns [the man lost his wallet; the judge gave each of his household members on a stick, saying that the thief would grow two tops; the thief cut off his stick and thus was discovered]: Lebedev 1955:145.