M198a. Smart brothers (missing camel).

.11.-.15.23.26.-.34.

Brothers (rarely: one person) inconspicuously identify the characteristics of a pet they have not seen. {ATU combines stories 655 and 655A; Aarne, Thompson 1961, and regional indexes match story 655A}.

Nyanja, Malinke, Hausa, Arabs of Sudan, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco (?) , Portuguese, Catalans, Arabs of Iraq, Lebanon, Palestinians, Syria, Socotra, Himachal Paharis, Punjabi, Rajastans, Marathas, Bengalis, Koreans, Romanians, Bulgarians, Macedonians, Greeks, Albanians, Bosnians, Ukrainians (Ugric Russia), Kalmyks, Abkhazians, Abazins, Adygs, Balkarians and Karachays, Ossetians, Ingush, (Avars), Dargins, Tatas, Georgians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Turks, Kurds, Turkmens, Tajiks, Tajiks of Sistan , Uzbeks, Shugnans, Yazgulyams, Pashtuns, Finns, Estonians, Danes, Bashkirs, Kazakhs (Turgay), Kyrgyz, Shors, Tuvans, Khalkha Mongols, Mongols of Inner Mongolia (incl. Ordos), Buryats.

Bantu-speaking Africa. Nyanja [two people they meet ask the man if he saw a camel; a man: one-eyed, lame, several teeth missing, loaded with grain on one side and honey on the other? people he meets accuse him of stealing the camel, since he knows the signs; he explains to the judge: the footprint on one side is shallow, the grass is plucked only on one side of the path, pieces of grass fell out mouth when the camel pinched the grass, flies on one side of the trail and ants on the other; the camel was found, the man was acquitted]: Holland 1916:129-130 (retelling in Klipple 1992:386-387).

West Africa. Malinka [when he dies, the sorcerer does not tell his sons to divide property, for one of them is illegitimate; but does not say who it is; the brothers first quarrel and then go to the judge (alkali); man who lost a camel; older brother: the camel was blind in his left eye; middle: with a wound on his back; younger: this is a pregnant camel; man is sure that brothers should know where his camel is; brothers explain to the judge what signs they identified the characteristics of the camel on the road; the judge serves them food; the elder: rice is spoiled; medium: meat is dog; younger: the judge is illegitimate; slave tells the judge about this and he finds out that the brothers are right; lets them go in peace, for he is the illegitimate man said by the brothers' father]: Frobenius 1922b, No. 46:98-104 (retelling in Klipple 1992:224); Hausa [a man lost a camel and met three boys; one says she is pregnant, the other is one-eyed, and the third has an ulcer on his back; the man took them to the emir; boys explained: the camel urinated like a pregnant woman, pinched the grass on one side, covered her back with grass from flies, and part of the grass fell on the road]: Laptukhin 1964:58-59.

Sudan-East Africa. Sudanese Arabs: El-Shamy 2004, No. 655A: 363.

North Africa. The Arabs of Tunisia [all three sons named Mohammed; the father suspects that one of them is illegitimate; when he dies, he says: M. inherits, M. inherits, M. does not inherit; the brothers went to the judge, and he sent him to Cady Hiddy; on the way, one says that the camel on the road was tailless, the second that it was one-eyed, and the third that it was loaded with sweets on one side and sour on the other; the owner met him halfway; the brothers described his camel, he did not believe that they did not see him, went with them to the cadia; the brothers explain the basis for the conclusions: the camel did not throw manure with its tail; pinched the grass with one side of the road; midges were spinning on one side of the road and flies on the other; cadia let the camel owner go, left the brothers for the night, told them to feed them; overhears; one says that the meat is a dog, the other that the woman who brought dinner is sick; the third is that Kadiy is illegitimate because he did not stay for dinner with the guests; the shepherd explains that the lamb was fed by a dog, the woman admitted that she was not feeling well, Kadia's mother - that he is the son of a butcher, because her husband was weak; one brother replied to Kadia that the dog was fibrous, but camel meat was not; the second that the woman did not salt the food; cadia, pointing to the third brother: this M. must not inherit, because only an illegitimate son identifies an illegitimate son]: Stumme 1893, No. 13:123-126 (=Bushnaq 1987:345-348); Arabs of Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Kabila: El -Shamy 2004, No. 655, 655A: 360-363.

Southern Europe. Portuguese: Shishlova 1981 [a passer-by asks three brothers if they saw his donkey; brothers: it was a mule; limped on his left leg; blind in his right eye; explain to the judge: the mule explodes harder the ground with his hind legs; knocked dew off ears with his left side; ate them only on the left side]: 208-210; Braga 2002 [the man has a son and two stepchildren brought by his second wife; parents died without leaving wills; the brothers went to town to ask scholars which of them was the legal heir; on the way they met a man looking for a missing donkey; the brothers replied that they had not seen it and that it was not a donkey at all, and the mulitsa, also blind in one eye and tail on its side; the owner did not believe that they did not see his mulitsa and took him to the judge; the brothers explain that the mulitsa steps differently than the donkey; walking along the onion field, she knocked down the dew on one side with her tail; she also pinched the grass on one side; the judge acquitted the brothers and promised to resolve their case; let them have lunch at his place first; one of the brothers says that they were not served a hare, and a dog: he threw a bone to a dog, but she did not eat, for the dog will not gnaw a dog's bone; judge: the inheritance will be given to whoever digs his father's grave and stabs a knife into his body; two younger The brothers immediately agreed, the elder refused; the judge gave him the inheritance]: 272-275; Cardigos 2006, No. 655 [all the conclusions of the smart brothers are correct; a one-eyed mule passed in front of them along the way with their backs worn; they are accused of stealing this camel; the meat they served from the judge was dog; the judge himself is the son of a Jew (or blacksmith)]: 151; Catalans (Mallorca) [after death father, three brothers went to the king to help them share the inheritance; to meet a man who lost a mule; older brother: one-eyed? medium: grey? younger: lame? No, they did not see it; the owner of the mule went with his brothers to the king; he ordered the brothers to be fed; younger: the pig is raised on female milk; medium: wine from {what?} grapes (Setzlings-Trauben); youngest: the king is an illegitimate son, his father is a Moor; the king began to ask; the pig died, the pig was fed by a female; the wine is really from Setzlings-Trauben; Queen Mother: that year I was captured by the Moors and became pregnant; a lame mule can be seen in the footsteps; blind because I pinched grass on one side of the path; wool is a mixture of black and white; the king invited the brothers to draw portrait of his father and shoot him; the most accurate will inherit; the youngest refused to shoot; the king gave him the inheritance]: Erherzog 1896:95-102.

Western Asia. Syria, Palestinians: El-Shamy 2004, No. 655A: 363; Arabs in Iraq and Lebanon [the merchant has three sons, each named Ali, one of them illegitimate; after death, the brothers read testament: Ali inherits, Ali inherits, Ali does not inherit; brothers go to look for someone to explain the meaning of what is written; the Bedouin is looking for a camel, the brothers give him signs, but claim that the camel they did not see; the Bedouin leads them to the kadia; they explain how they recognized the characteristics of the camel; the kadiy also does not understand the meaning of the will; the brothers turn to the Bedouin Emir; he tells the story and The reactions of each brother understand which one is illegitimate; he is killed and two legitimate children share the inheritance]: Nowak 1969, No. 479:380-381; Socotra [the man has two sons, the wife is dead; he remarried and died after copulating with his wife; she demanded to divide the property after giving birth to a son; older brothers do not want to share with the younger; go to the chief to ask the chief to resolve their dispute; when they see the camel's tracks, the brothers determined that he was blind in one eye, without a tail, carrying lead; the camel owner asks the brothers if they describe the camel and he does not believe that the brothers did not see it; the chief ordered serve meat and rice; brothers: meat is forbidden, rice is unclean, the chief is illegitimate; the maid confessed to the chief that the lamb was fed by a female; cook: my baby wet himself and I did not wash my hands when cooking; the leader's mother: the former leader had no children and when he died, she met with the servant; as for inheritance, the chief sent the brothers to the Sultan; he tells the youngest to go to his daughter, carry the sheep and bring him; locks the sheep in one room and the young man in another; the daughter came running, the sultan asked to describe the thief; the girl: he had the girl's face and the back of the old man's head; brothers: yes, the father was old, and the mother was young; The Sultan ordered the inheritance to be divided equally between the three brothers and they agreed]: Naumkin, Kogan, vol. 1, No. 17.

South Asia. Himachali plowmen [when he died, the king gave his three sons rubin each; they put them in a box, and then it turned out that one was missing; the brothers went to the priest; the man asks if they saw him camel; brothers: blind (in one eye), without a tail and carried vinegar? they did not see; the owner came with them to the priest; the brothers explain: the grass was plucked on one side of the road; sitting, the camel did not leave a tail print; the smell of vinegar remained; the priest ordered the brothers to eat, began to listen to what they were saying; brothers: grain from the cemetery, meat not from a slaughtered animal; indeed, the grain came from the cemetery, but the meat of a goat that fell and crashed; the priest spoke of two men and a thief, asked who the brothers liked best; each named their own character; priest: the one who liked the thief took the ruby; the young man took out the ruby, returned it to the brothers, all came home together]: Dracott 1906:115-118; Punjabi (Western Punjabi) [when he died, the king of Egypt told his three sons that he had hidden three rubies for them, ordered them to hide them in case the kingdom passed into other hands; when enemies they seized the kingdom, the brothers found rubies, but one was missing; they went to the casia; met the owner of the lost camel; replied that the camel was blind in one eye, without a tail and carried vinegar; the owner I did not believe that the brothers did not see the camel himself and also went with them to the casia; the brothers explained that the leaves were plucked only on one side, the fallen drops of vinegar swollen the ground; when the camel sits down or gets up, he hits his tail, and this time there was no trace on the ground]: Grierson 1919a: 277-279; Rajastans [four brothers went on a journey, noticed camel tracks; the first is a camel ; second: blind to her left eye; third: a man and a woman were riding it; fourth: the woman is pregnant; to check their case, they jumped after a camel; the owner was frightened, came to the village and complained to the cat; he asked them and, seeing that they were respected people, led them to the ruler; the brothers explained why they chased the camel; they explained what signs they used to make their own conclusions (how she urinated, what the camel pinched, what traces were left); one of the brothers added that he would sit down so that no one would ask to change; the second knows everything about the food, the third about where and how to sleep, the fourth reconciles quarreling lovers; the ruler tests the brothers; orders to remove the carpet (the eldest sat on the edge and should not have got up); second: rice in pilaf gives cow urine (cook took refuge from the rain under a cow canopy and the cow urinated on the bag); third: a rabbit tail sewn into a blanket prevented sleep (the tail was found in the blanket); to check the last brother, the ruler agreed and his wife pretend that she is angry with him and refuses to come; the young man told her that the ruler was going to take a new wife; the old one immediately returned]: Mathur 1995:25-28; Marathi [when four wise ministers asked King Veerasena not to impose a tax in order to build a new palace, he drove them away; sitting under a banyan, they noticed traces of a camel that had passed; a driver came and asked if they had seen them camels; they described the camel: chrome on the back leg, blind in one eye, without a tail; at this time the royal procession came and the driver accused the ministers of stealing the camel; ministers: lameness is visible in the footsteps, The grass was plucked on one side, there were blood-drinking mosquitoes on the road, which the camel could not drive away with its tail; and the manure shows that the camel was sick; the king appreciated the wisdom of the ministers and returned them]: Sheorey 1973, No. 8:48-52; Bengalis [sons of Raja, Vizier, Kotval and Barber are illiterate, have a fun life; they once returned home and are given only ash - they do not deserve better; they went to travel; one: a camel passed here; second: blind (in one eye); third: it was a camel; fourth: pregnant; the king, who was hunting nearby, heard it, called his friends to him, demanded explain how they found out everything; from the hoof print (she put her left leg forward), she pinched the grass only to the left of the road, the back print of her hind legs was deeper; the Raja took them to duty; when her son was standing on the watch Raji, he saw a snake crawl into the chambers of the king and queen; chopped the snake, but a drop of blood fell on the queen's chest; the young man licked a drop, the queen woke up, the king expelled all four from service; they promised to rob his palace and did it; the elder prince promised to find thieves; the brothers changed their clothes so that they would not be recognized; the barber met the prince, who envied his luxurious long hair; the barber promised that the prince would have the same; shaved him, ripped off his skin, ordered him to lower his head into the pond - the deeper, the longer his hair would grow; he disappeared himself, taking the prince's clothes; the naked prince began to make his way to the palace at night, mistaken him for a thief, but then they found out; they turned to the soothsayer; he promised to find the culprits tomorrow; at night his friends called him: he was a gift from the king; the soothsayer stuck his hand out the window, friends she was cut off, shoved through the king's window; then he thought it was a thief, hit her sword, grabbed his fallen hand; in the morning the soothsayer tries to perform the ceremony with his left hand; having found out what was going on, the king promises half the kingdom for the capture thieves; the son of the vizier dressed as a holy man (sanyasi), came to the king and promised to call Shiva and find the thieves; the barber's son dressed as Shiva and came in a bull; the king decided to ask Shiva not to catch the thieves, but so that he can ascend to heaven himself; Shiva: let the sannyashi tie the king's hands to the bull's tail, otherwise we will fly quickly and easily; all night the bull dragged the king through the bushes; the king realized that he had committed misdemeanors turned to four friends, they came, showed the remains of a snake buried under the bed; the king let them go and they returned home]: Damant 1872:285-286; the Tamils [in the city of Alakapuri ruled the just king Alakesa; four ministers were not happy with him, left; met a man looking for a missing camel; one said that the camel was limping, the other that he was blind to his left eye, the third, that it had a short tail, and the fourth, that the camel had a stomachache, but they did not see the camel itself; the owner brought them to the king; they explained: he stepped unevenly, pinched leaves on one side of the path, he could not hit flies with his tail, so blood was dripping, trying not to step on his hind legs; the king made them ministers]: Kingscote 1890, No. 13:140-143.

China - Korea. Koreans [two brothers were walking through a rice field; the grass was plucked on the left side, which means that a cow was walking blind to his right eye; a man asks if they saw a cow blind to his right eye; the brothers were glad that they had guessed, but said that they did not see the cows; the magpie seemed to call them, they approached the pine tree, under it a sword killed, in his chest; a man came up, accused them of murder, brought them to a judge; he asks what the crane is screaming; brothers: asks for the return of the eggs stolen from its nest that are in the sleeve of {assistant?} ; the judge tells the assistant to return the eggs; calls the brothers to visit, but they do not eat; younger brother: they want to feed us dead and give us blood; the elder: the judge is the son of a wandering monk; the butcher confessed that the calf fed his wife with her milk - so the human spirit; wheat for the braga grew in the cemetery; the judge's mother admitted that she had sinned with the monk; the judge became a hermit]: Park 1991:253-254.

The Balkans. Bosnians [the brothers lost their mare; the elder: the thief was tall; medium: blond; younger: mustachioed; they grabbed such a man, led him to the cadia; cadia: what's in the bag? older: round; medium: yellow; younger: lemon; cadia left the brothers to spend the night, told them to find out what kind of meat was; elder: this animal ran around the yard; medium: popped all over his nose; younger: puppy; cadium ordered that man to compensate his brothers for losses]: Golenishchev-Kutuzov 1991:364-365; Bulgarians [by traces invisible to ordinary people, three observant brothers determine what the person who passed through on the road, a camel (one-eyed, tailless, toothless); the owner of the missing camel, to whom the brothers described the animal, does not believe that they did not see it themselves and accuses them of stealing; the brothers give explanations (camel pinched grass only on one side of the trail, etc.)]: Daskalova-Perkovska et al. 1994, No. 665A: 230-231; Romanians, Macedonians, Greeks, Albanians: Uther 2004 (1), No. 655:361-362.

Central Europe. Ukrainians (Ugric Russia) [Smart brothers: by imperceptible signs they find a thief who stole their horse, say that the tsar is illegitimate, roast is made of dog meat, etc.; it turns out they are right]: SUS 1979, No. 655 = AA *654 I: 171.

Caucasus - Asia Minor. Kalmyks [when he dies, the father tells his three sons that there are three poplars in the south, and then falls silent; the younger brother found poplars, dug a precious Erdni stone; the brothers found only a hole; the youngest did not confesses; they went to court to Khan Balak; they see a camel's trail: his humps hang to the left, he has no right eye, he is a camel, she is wearing a pregnant woman; the camel owner does not believe what the brothers saw only a trace; the khan gives the brothers food and overhears: this is not kumis, but blood, not lamb, but a dog, a black bone khan himself; the woman admits that when she cooked koumiss, her nose bleed; shepherd: the lamb was fed by a dog; the khan's mother: met the commoner after her husband's death; the khan says that he has no right to resolve the brothers' dispute, sends her to a wise girl; she asks: the man has gone to the Dalai Lama, met a wolf, but he did not touch him, which of them is sinless; the youngest replies that man; girl: you took the stone; you had to return it and divide it into three parts; the khan's daughter does not talk who will talk, the khanate will also receive it; the elder and middle brothers could not get to talk, were thrown into the abyss; the youngest found the dead Toti bird, revived it with living water; hiding it in his sleeve, tells the khan's daughter stories; 1) the carpenter roughly carved the figure of a man out of the log, the second one finished it, the llama revived the girl; probably she should belong to the llama; girl: no, to the first carpenter; 2) (hiding the Toti under the pillow); why the khan's Did your daughter stop talking again? Toti from under the pillow: if he speaks, words will be heard from every place where the air comes out; girl: what is this? younger brother got a girl, freed everyone who was thrown into the abyss]: Vatagin 1964:216-222; Abkhazians [father told three sons that they once lost a cow; elder: the one who took her was low height; medium: red; younger: blue-eyed; the brothers met a peasant who fit this description, ordered the cow to be returned; he took the brothers to court; judge: what's under the bowl? if you guess right, I'll give you another cow; older: round; middle: yellow; youngest: it's an orange; brothers are back with two cows]: Khashba, Kukba 1935:75-76 (=Shakryl 1974, No. 66:311); Adygs (zap. 1870s) [a gray horse was stolen from three brothers; the eldest: stole the middle, grew up and snub; the middle: and red-bearded; the youngest: and gray-eyed; the brothers went in search; the elder: a camel was walking through the millet field, blind in one eye; middle: and lame; younger: he is wearing two wineskins, with milk and honey; a camel driver, heard the description of the brothers, thinks they stole it; the brothers explain to the khan: camel pinched millet on one side; dragged one leg; flies to the right of the road, greedy for milk, and bees on the left; khan: what's in my fist? round - solid - walnut! Khan gave food to the brothers; they say that he gives porridge dead, meat to a dog, khan a simple title; the khan's mother admitted to him that she gave birth to a daughter and exchanged children with a slave; manager: millet was mowed at the grave of the victim; shepherd: a lamb was fed by a female; the khan gathered people, the brothers recognized the horse thief, received gifts from the khan]: Aliyeva 1978, No. 40:280-283; Balkarians and/or Karachays: Aliyeva, Kholaev 1983 [the younger brother came to the elder, left the donkey, he was gone; they went to look for him, they ask the boy; he calls signs: the camel does not see in his left eye, limps on his right leg, on back is a bag of oats; brothers lead him to the judge; boy: the footprint of his right back leg is shorter, the grass is not eaten on the left, the oats are scattered where the donkey scratched against the tree; judge: be careful like this boy, then you'll find a donkey]: 15-17; Malkonduev 2017 [a bull was stolen from three twin brothers; they went looking for him; one said a mule was passing along the path in front of them; the second: he had a short tail; third: he blind in one eye; the owner of the mule is looking for him; does not believe that the mule brothers did not see, and leads x to the judge; the brothers explain: the mule's footprints are smaller than that of a horse, but larger than that of a donkey; the grass is united on one side; there was no tail mark left on the frost; the judge let the brothers go, they came to the mosque; over the bull here; the thief has blue eyes; if the eyes are blue, then the beard is red; if the blue eyes and beard are red, then the name Sosruka; S. offered not to argue here, but brought the brothers to his place; brothers: bread made from flour grown in the cemetery; meat from sheep that was kept with dogs; the owner was illegitimate; the miller, the shepherd, the owner's mother all confirmed; the last test: what's in my hand; brothers: round; tasty; S.: right, walnut; S. returned the bull]: 881-884; Ingush [dying, the prince told three sons about the buried pearls; younger secretly dug a treasure, went to the prince to identify the thief; on the way, the elder says that the horse was passing blind in one eye; middle: honey ran down on one side, oil on the other; younger: mare there was a stallion; they told the prince about the mare; convinced that everything was so, the prince was surprised: what other advice such intelligent people needed; the brothers were given food, began to eavesdrop; the prince was born of a slave, dumplings smell blood, meat with a dog; prince's mother: her husband had no children and allowed her to join the slave; when she mixed the dough, she cut her finger; shepherd: saw how the sheep met the dog; the prince's daughter asks to tell me how the brothers everyone recognized (the horse pinched the grass on one side of the path; a bee on one side, a fly on the other; the front legs were heavier than the hind legs; the prince met the guests with the gate unbuttoned; there was fat in the dog broth from below, and the broth on top); the prince's daughter talks about a girl who was not married for love; her husband allowed her to go to her ex-lover, who sent her back, the robbers she met let go; who is the nobler of them? younger brother: robbers; girl: so you stole pearls]: Malsagov 1983, No. 56:203-207 (=Sadulaev 2004, No. 58:153-157); Dargins [dying, the father told his three sons where he buried the gold, told them it split; there was no gold in place, the brothers went to the khan to find out who their thief was; they met a man looking for the missing camel; asked if the camel was lame, crooked, and loaded with honey and oil; said they did not see; the owner did not believe it, took them to the khan; the elder: identified the lameness by the footsteps; middle: the camel pinched the grass only to the left of the path; younger: on one side of the path flies gathered, and beetles on the other; the khan ordered food to be served to the brothers, began to eavesdrop; they said that the meat smelled of a dog, wine smelled of blood, and the khan the son of a baker; the shepherd said that the lamb sucked the dog; storekeeper that the vineyard was laid out at the massacre site; Khan's mother, that she gave birth to a daughter and changed with the baker's wife; Khan's sister promised to find out which brother was a thief, told the story; the girl was not given for beloved, but for the rich; the groom sent her to his beloved; he to the groom; the robber let her go; the elder brother: the husband is the noblest, the middle is the lover, the youngest is the robber; the Khan's sister: here you are took gold]: Osmanov 1963:139-145; taty [the hat is old, the wife is dead, three sons and wives do not care about him; he tells everyone where the pot of gold is hidden, tells them not to tell brothers; after that, the sons treated him well; when the father died, the brothers met at the hiding place, but the pot was gone; they went to the padishah, let him judge; when they arrived, the owner of the missing person appeared camel; older brother said that the camel was crooked in one eye, the middle brother said that there was a wineskin with honey on one side and butter on the other; younger: a pregnant woman was riding it; explained why they think so ( the grass is plucked on one side of the road; flies on one side by the road, bees on the other; getting off the camel, the woman leaned her hands on the ground); the padishah ordered them to serve them the best dishes; older brother: gives meat dog; medium: rice has a cadaveric smell; younger: padishah is not the son of a padishah; cook: the lambs were fed by a dog; rice grew up in the cemetery; the young man advises the padishah to ask his mother to bake a cake and press it against the hot flatbread her hand, then the mother confesses; the mother of the padishah: her husband did not have a child, gave birth to one of her close associates; to resolve the dispute between the brothers, the padishah called the daughter of the vizier; she tells the story; Khan's daughter loved the poor shepherd, she was married to another; on her wedding night she threatened to kill herself and her husband; he let her go; the shepherd ordered her to return to her husband; she went wherever she looked, got to the robbers; to whom she was should belong? older brother: husband, middle brother: shepherd, younger: robber; Khan's daughter: you took gold; younger brother gave brothers their share]: Aliyeva 2013, No. 35:160-164; Georgians: Kurdovanidze 1988 (2), No. 90 [tsar bequeaths the state and the magic stone to the sons; the youngest secretly took it; the brothers went to the judge; on the way the elder: a one-eyed camel was walking (pinching the grass on one side), the middle one: on one side there was a vessel with kerosene, honey on the other (where the fly's honey, where the kerosene grass withered), the youngest: it was wearing a pregnant woman without a middle finger (where she was sitting, there was an imprint left); the camel owner took them to the king's trial, they all easy to explain; the king served dinner, ordered to eavesdrop; the elder: the king is the son of a miller, middle: there is human blood in bread, the youngest: the lamb is fed by a dog; the king grabbed the mother by the nipple with his teeth, she admitted that after the death of her husband she met with a miller; baker: henchmen got into a fight, someone injured her arm, blood fell into the bread; shepherd: the lamb was fed by a dog; to identify the thief's wife among the thief's brothers, the king's wife tells a story; the youngest says he could not resist stealing if he were a hero; queen: you have a stone; brothers: we knew it, but did not dare to tell him]: 120-125; Leonidze, Gvakharia 1971 [merchants three young men were brought to the cadia: their camel was missing, the young men described it accurately, but they themselves say that they did not see it, which means they stole it; young men: in the footsteps on the grass, they realized that the camel did not have one eye and one tooth was loaded with oil on one side and honey on the other, and a pregnant woman was sitting on it; the young man was invited to the King of Khazar; the elder brother said that the lamb was fed by a dog, the middle brother - that the wine is made from grapes grown on the grave, the youngest is that the king is the son of a cook; the king called his mother, the cook and the viticulturist, they confirmed everything]: 329-336; Armenians [three wise men went to see Caliph of Baghdad; one: a crooked camel without front teeth walked along the road; second: loaded with wheat and honey; third: a pregnant woman was riding it; the man asks if they saw him camels; they indicate signs; he thinks they are thieves, leads to the Caliph; the wise men explain: the camel pinched the grass on one side, the middle of the stem is intact; there are flies by the road on one side, on the other birds; only pregnant women lean on their hands when they get off the camel; the Caliph overhears their conversation; meat was given to the dog, rice to dead, wine to blood; they found out that there was a cemetery in the rice field, the lamb sucked the female, the grape cracker cut his leg; the caliph awarded the wise men]: Harutyunyan 1986:179-180; Turks [the owner of the stolen camel asks three brothers; they say that the camel was chrome, blind in one eye, missing a tooth, carried a pregnant woman and luggage - oil on one side and honey on the other; the owner accuses the brothers of theft and leads them to a judge; they explain: prints only three legs, pinched grass on one side of the road, some blades of grass remained uncut, bees flew off at the roadside on one side, ants slipped on the other; sitting down to urinate, left the corresponding traces; the judge asks to guess what is in his hand, the brothers guess; the camel is found; the judge orders the brothers to be fed; they say that the dough is dead, the meat is carrion, and the judge illegitimate; their conclusions were confirmed]: Eberhard, Boratav 1953, No. 348:378-379; Kurds [padishah visited the female half once a year; the vizier came in the third year, the wife thought it was husband; soon the padishah came, the wife was surprised, the husband understood everything; three sons were born, each Ahmad; the padishah bequeathed: A. inherits, A. inherits, A. does not inherit; the brothers went to judge them to the neighboring padishah countries; elder: a lame, crooked camel without two front teeth passed here; middle: loaded with oil and honey; younger: a pregnant woman was riding it; the camel owner met him; the brothers described the camel, the owner does not believe that they did not see him, took him to the kazi; brothers: the camel dragged his leg, pinched the grass on one side of the road, where there were no teeth, blades of grass remained; where oil spilled, there were ants, where honey was flies; when the woman sat down on the ground, got up with both hands; Kazi told the brothers to cook dinner; brothers: kebab stinks of dog, pilaf smells like iron, wine smells like blood; shepherd: lamb sucked female; at the bottom the cauldron turned out to be a nail; a winemaker: a thorn pierced my leg, a drop of blood fell into the grapes; in the morning, Kazi's daughter tells a story: a girl went to the shepherd for the missing sheep, he let her go on condition to come to him on his wedding night before he gets together with her husband; the padishah's son is predicted to die as soon as he marries; he saw this poor girl, decided to take her, let her at least become rich; let her go to the shepherd; the shepherd called her sister, let her go to her husband; the archangel Jebrail came for the soul of the padishah's son; the father and mother did not want to give their soul in return, the wife gave her; J. gave her 140 years of life, she divided them - to herself and her husband; who is nobler? younger brother: shepherd, I would not let the girl go; daughter kazi: here you are illegitimate]: Rudenko 1970, No. 30:68-73.

Iran - Central Asia. Turkmens [padishah decided that the worst of people is a padishah, of animals is a mule, of birds is forty; whoever answers these three questions correctly (i.e. as he decided) promised to make a vizier; three people found a camel with smallpox, a red beardless man and a crow with a broken wing, thought these three were the worst; the shepherd they met teaches how to answer correctly; they respond to the padishah as they were taught shepherd, but they cannot explain why; they admit that they were taught by the shepherd Ayaz; the padishah makes him a vizier and calls him Ayazkhan; after the death of Padishah A. took his place; when old, he gives three sons money and tells you to go on a journey; seeing a camel trail, the elder says that the camel is male, the middle one says that its tail is cut off, the youngest says that he is blind in one eye; then they see a man's footprint; older: this is a woman; middle: she ran; younger: pregnant; the camel owner and two people looking for a woman took the brothers to the padishah's trial; the brothers explain: the male has more leg spacing , he dropped manure in the middle of the road, not on the sides, ate thorns on one side; about the woman, the padishah tells me to guess what is in the chest; the brothers are round - red - pomegranate; the padishah sent the complainants , ordered to serve pilaf to the brothers and let the Yasaul eavesdrop on them; the elder: the padishah is a slave, the meat of cattle fed with filthy milk, rice grew up in the cemetery; Padishah's mother: I exchanged children with a concubine, for gave birth to a girl; butcher: a lamb was fed by a dog; a rice seller: sowed rice near the cemetery; the padishah made three brothers advisers]: Stebleva 1969, No. 56:312-318; Tajiks: Amonov 1972 [people asks the three brothers if they saw his camel; blind in one eye, a woman sitting on it, the load on one side is halva, and the other is oil? the man took the brothers to the padishah; brothers: the camel pinched the grass on one side; where he knelt down, ants gathered to one side of the road, wasps to the other; the one who sat down, and when she got up, she leaned her hands; the padishah invited her brothers, began to eavesdrop on what they were saying; the meat smells like a dog, the wine smells like human blood, the padishah himself was not royal; the padishah threatened his mother; she explained that she was barren and bought the baby from a butcher; a lamb fed a female; there was a cemetery under the garden; the younger brother killed a snake that crawled to the sleeping padishah; he thought he wanted to kill him; first brother: Simurg predicted the future to one padishah; pretended to be dead, he ordered her to be buried in a manure heap; the bird flew to another ruler, and this was defeated by enemies; second brother: the padishah's falcon he stirred up the spring, hacked it down; then saw that water was flowing out of the dragon's mouth; the padishah swore to obey his brothers]: 225-229 (=1980:220-223); Ulug-zade 1967 [dying, father to each of his three sons tells the brothers not to tell them; he was upset to learn that they had done so; while they were burying his father, the younger brother hid the gold; the brothers went to the judge; the elder sees the camel's trail: the camel is blind in one eye, the thorns are combined on one side of the road; middle: on the left side of the camel there is a jug of honey (wasps are flying on the left), and on the right side with vinegar (midges are flying); younger: there was also a rider, here is crumpled grass, where he cried to rest; the camel owner met, did not believe the brothers that they knew the signs of the lost animal without seeing it; the judge asks to guess what was under the handkerchief; the older brother: it is round; medium: sweet; younger: apple; brothers are cleared of kidnapping a camel; the judge brought them to the padishah; they guard his sleep; the elder, the middle did not notice anything, the youngest killed the snake, hid it under bed, the padishah woke up, saw a man with a sword, ordered to be executed; the elder brother tells the story of a parrot that brought a seed to the padishah; an apple tree grew, an envious vizier poisoned an apple, offered to give the dog died; the padishah killed a parrot; the gardener's parents tasted the apple, were younger; the padishah also ate, younger, repented of his haste; the middle brother talks about a falcon that spilled water; the owner killed a falcon, and then saw the venom of a killed snake dripping into the spring; the youngest talks about the snake he killed; the brothers came to the girl; she tells the story of a girl with whom a merchant is a padishah and the robber treated nobly; younger: better than others, a robber; girl: so you hid your father's gold; the youngest shared it equally with his brothers]: 235-243; Sistan's Tajiks [dying, king tells three sons to share the wealth fairly, and if they argue, contact their uncle (i.e. the king's brother), who is king in another city; the brothers went to their uncle; the person they meet is looking for the missing camel; the older brother says that the camel was blind in one eye, the middle brother was carrying honey and molasses, the younger brother said that it was driven by a pregnant woman; the camel owner goes with them to the local king; the king served pilaf and began to listen to what the brothers were saying; elder: the meat in pilaf is filthy; medium: wheat for bread grew on bones; youngest: the king is the son of a shepherd; the king's mother admits that she gave birth to girls and exchanged children with a shepherd's daughter; shepherd: a dog fed a sheep for pilaf; stolnik: the wheat field was plowed in the cemetery; the king asks the brothers to protect it for three nights; the younger brother guards the third night , kills a dragon, the king sees a sword, wants to execute a young man; the elder talks about a talking parrot: he warned about thieves, the king did not listen, killed a parrot, thieves looted the treasury; middle brother: king got lost hunting, the falcon did not allow him to drink water, the king killed him, and then noticed that the blood and poison of the killed dragon were dripping into the water; the king apologized, the brothers went on to their uncle; he told to judge an argument between her daughter's nephews; she tells the story of a young man letting a girl go in exchange for a promise to come to him the night after her wedding; her fiance let her go, her lover too; the elder and the middle brothers said they would do the same, and the younger brother would take the girl; girl: you want a larger share in the inheritance, marry me better; wedding; older brother became king, middle and the youngest by viziers]: Grunberg, Steblin-Kamensky 1981, No. 11:141-149; Shugnans [a man asks three brothers if they saw his camel blind in his left eye; the brothers indicate where he went a camel, but they refuse to find it; a man leads them to a judge: if they have not seen the camel, how can they know where it went? answer: someone ate grass on the right side of the road but not on the left; the brothers came to the king: rice in pilaf smells like dead, meat smells like dog, and the king is illegitimate; seller: I sowed rice where there was a cemetery; a butcher: a female fed the lamb; the king poured hot barley into the mother's palm; she admitted that her husband ordered to congratulate him if a son was born, but to kill his wife and baby if he had a daughter; people they said that a rich man with only sons promised to kill his wife if she did not give birth to a daughter; both women exchanged babies; brothers went in search of the beauty they saw in a dream; the elder buys an all-seeing mirror, the middle one is a camel moving at lightning speed, the youngest is a bowl that revives the dead; they see a dying princess in the mirror, instantly get to her, revive her; the girl chooses to be her husband the one who revived her]: Grunberg, Steblin-Kamensky 1976, No. 34:327-330; Yazgulyam [the king keeps three sons locked up; one day a ray of sunlight made its way to them, they tried to catch him; teacher tells them about the world outside the walls; neither brother wants to inherit the throne, their father kicked them out; they determine that a woman pregnant with her son was riding the same road on a camel who was blind to one eye and devoid of one tooth; the camel owner takes them to the judge; the brothers explain: the camel pinched the grass on one side of the road, some blades of grass remained uncut; the woman went to urinate and did not she was able to get up without surgery on her arms; she leaned more on her right hand, which means that there was a boy in her stomach; the king sent food to the brothers; they say that the king is illegitimate, cakes on human blood, and meat dog; king's mother: on the night of conception, she stole a neighbor's head and fried food on this fire; lozenge: flour cakes made from wheat that grew up in the cemetery; butcher: lamb fed a female; (more brothers helped a man marry a royal daughter); the elder became tsar, middle mufti, junior judge]: Grunberg, Steblin-Kamensky 1976, No. 35:331-336; Uzbeks [after the death of a wise father, brothers went to see the world; elder: camel passed; middle: crooked; younger: a woman was sitting on it; the owner is looking for a camel, does not believe that the brothers described him without seeing him, leads to the Shah; he orders to bring the chest ; elder: there is a thing in the chest; middle: round; younger: this is a pomegranate; the shah gave the brothers bread, let go, followed quietly; older brother: Shah is the son of a baker; the shah asked the mother, she replied that the wife the baker died and they adopted a baby; the Shah returned the brothers, asked how they found out the camel's signs; the grass was united only on one side of the path; the trail showed where from the camel a woman came down; the chest was light, something was probably valuable rolling in it; for the baker's son, the bread he gave was the most valuable; the Shah appointed the brothers as viziers]: Afzalov et al. 1972 (2): 315-319 (=Rogov 1980:260-265); Pashtuns [when he died, the father buried three pots of money, put a ruby on each; the youngest son secretly took one ruby; the brothers went to the Shah's clever daughters - let them decide which one of them took a ruby; on the way they noticed: a woman was sitting under this tree; pregnant; ran away from her husband; a crooked camel was walking along the way without one tooth; on one side there was a pack of butter, on the other hand with honey; described the woman's signs to her husband, who was looking for her; he accused them of kidnapping; the same is the owner of the missing camel; the brothers explain to the Shah: a woman was sitting, leaning her hands, which means she was pregnant, and when she went, she went to the other side, so the fugitive; the camel ate grass on one side of the road, some blades of grass remained intact; where there were flies, there was oil, where there were bees, there was honey; the first princess undertook to find the ruby thief; served pilaf; meat was human (the lamb was fed by a woman); princess: these people are too smart; another princess sent a maid to carry food and pass on: seven heavens, the sky is in the clouds, but there are many stars; brothers: the sky is five, the sky is clear, there are no stars; the princess to the maid: how dare she eat two loaves and meat? disguised as a man, the princess tells a story; the vizier's daughter agrees to the gardener's request to come to him on her wedding night when she marries; told her husband about it and he let her go; on the way ran into a tiger, then a robber, asked her to eat it or pick it up when she returned; the gardener released the woman, the robber and the tiger too; the Shah's daughter asks the brothers which of the participants to whom liked it; older: husband, middle: tiger, younger: thief; princess: younger and took the ruby; go home, your business is resolved, return the ruby]: Lebedev 1972, No. 22:192-198.

Baltoscandia. Finns, Estonians, Danes: Uther 2004 (1), No. 655:361-362.

Volga - Perm. Bashkirs [bai woke up, but the horse is gone; towards Erense: the horse is limping on the back leg, blind in the left eye, oats in the bag, the bag across the saddle; bai led him to biya; E.: lameness is visible on the trail, she pinched the grass only on one side of the path, rubbed against the tree and a piece of burlap on it, oats fell out of the bag]: Barag 1992, No. 66 (82): 163-164.

Turkestan. Kazakhs: Malyuga 1962 [three brothers are wandering; see camel tracks; elder: the camel is tired; medium: blind in the left eye; younger: carried honey; the owner does not understand how the brothers could determine this , leads them to the khan; they give explanations (he dragged his legs, pinched the grass only on the right, flies flew to the honey); the khan made them his viziers; they do a fair trial; the former viziers want to lime them; they threw a snake into the Khan's rest; the younger brother hacked it, threw the body under the bed; the khan woke up, accused the young man of trying to kill him; the older brothers tell parables; the elder: Khan's favorite parrot brought a seed; the khan planted an apple, an apple tree grew; the servant carried an apple to the khan; the vizier told him to run away for a golden dish, smeared the apple with poison, the dog died; the khan killed the parrot; he did not recognize the gardener: he was younger, after eating an apple; the khan also ate and is also younger; but the parrot cannot be resurrected; the middle brother talks about a man who hunted with his favorite golden eagle; leaned over the stream, the golden eagle prevented drinking, the owner killed him ; then saw water flowing out of the snake's mouth; the brothers asked them to let them go, the khan reluctantly agreed]: 15-17; Ethnographic materials 1898 (Turgay) [the owner is looking for the missing camel, three towards him brothers; was the camel crooked, chrome on the right hind leg, short-tailed? the owner does not believe that it was not the brothers who stole the camel and led them to the khan; they explain that the camel pinched the grass on one side of the road; that when he lay down, he kept one foot in the air (no fingerprint); that the litter is not scattered as if it were a tail; the khan let the brothers go, punished the informer]: 79-80; Radlov 1989 [a brief retelling of this story as a "joke" illustrating the observation of the Kazakhs] : 252-253; Sidelnikov 1952 (Zmeinogorsky District, Tomsk Gubernia) [=1958:294-303; dying, Nurzhan tells his three sons that he left gold; let them take it if necessary; the brothers buried gold in cave; in winter they went broke and dug money, but the third part disappeared; the brothers went to the wise bay Baltekey; on the way, Akyt sees the trail of a tired camel, Sabit says that the camel was crooked in his right eye, It is rude that he was carrying a bucket of honey; the owner was looking for a camel; when he learned that the brothers knew the signs of a camel, he went with them to B.; after serving pilaf, B. began to eavesdrop; S.: rice grew in the cemetery; A.: the ram sucked the female; H.: the owner is illegitimate; B. found out from the shepherd, the field owner and his mother that everything was so; the brothers explained how they guessed it (the illegitimate speaks with his eyes down); told how they learned about camel's signs; then B. talks about a girl who was passed off as an unloved one; the groom allowed her to go say goodbye to her lover; he let her go back; thieves attacked her, their chieftain let her go; B. asks: who is nobler? H. says he is a thief; B. tells him to return the money, which he did]: 191-198; Kyrgyz: Brudny, Eshmambetov 1977 [the poor man dozed off by the river; the rider asks if he saw his camel; poor man describes a camel: blind in his right eye, loaded with a yurt; a pregnant woman is limping on it; the poor man explains to the rider how he found out all this, where his wife went; advises not to let her go alone next time]: 159- 162; Ledenev 1987:24-29 [about the same as in Brudny, Eshmambetov], 141-144 [=Sulaimanov 1998:117-123; three brothers lost an ox; elder: yellow-faced, stunted; middle: blue-eyed; younger: his the name is Kurmangaly; the brothers came to the khan, saw the thief; the khan threatened K. and he confessed, but did not understand how he was found; Khan to the brothers: what is under the bowl? elder: round; medium: red; younger: pomegranate; khan treated brothers; elder: desecrated meat, medium: dead, younger: dog; shepherd: lamb mother fed by dog; khan appointed brothers to rule instead].

Southern Siberia - Mongolia. The Shors [the old man took his three sons to bury the gold, ordered him to divide him equally after his death; when the brothers decided to dig, there was no gold; they went to Almas Kaan; the eldest: a horse was walking along the road tired; medium: there was honey in the bag; younger: it was a white mare blind in one eye; they told the khan, who asked how they found out; the tired horse lacks its front legs; along the road there were dead flies, husbands smelled of honey; the horse pinched the grass only on the left side, white hair fell from the tail - the mare's hair does not hold well, the urine decays; the kaan ordered to feed brothers; younger: barley grew in the cemetery; meat from a ram that sucked the dog; the youngest refused to drink surazov wine, because kaan is suraz; Kaan's mother confirmed everything, including that she gave birth to him from Suraza after the death of your first husband; kaan to him: you stole gold, why did you come? younger brother: to announce that Kaan is suraz; out of shame, the Kaan ran away from home]: Chudoyakov 2002:97-99; Tuvans: Taube 1978, No. 63 (Mongun-Taiga) [=Samdan 1994, No. 10:321-325; seeing the old camp, the smart guy determined that among the sheep was a white goat with a black head, and one camel was crooked; the woman living in the yurt was pregnant; explained to the Khan that there was a white stone and a goat lay on it; the camel pinched only on the side where the eye was healthy; when the woman urinated, leaned her hands on the ground; the khan told me to slaughter a ram for the guy, serve araks; boy: I don't eat dogs, I don't drink cowhide, Khan himself is an illegitimate child; Khan's mother: the lamb was fed by a dog; when cooking, the Araks put ice in the bowl with a frozen hair ring for the ox's nostrils; Khan gave birth to a commoner; Khan did not execute the boy, and praised him]: 296-298; Vatagin 1971 [three brothers had their horse taken away; the eldest: on the other side of the river; middle: a man from a white yurt; younger: his name is Oodezhik; O. hides something - guess; elder: under the rug; middle: with long legs; younger: spider; O. says that they spied, tells them to leave the yurt; brothers returned: in the chest - berry - rose hips; O. returned the horse; trail in the steppe; elder: the wheel of the cart is broken; middle: the camel is blind, the horse with a short tail; the youngest: the owner has a daughter and a pregnant wife; the brothers caught up with the nomads, the khan placed them in a yurt, began to eavesdrop; brothers: this is not a khan, not an araka, and water is not lamb, but a dog; Khanu's mother: the khan was leaving for a long time, your father was a simple man; the lamb was allowed to see the dog; ice fell into the cup with arak; the khan escorted the brothers with honors]: 165-167; Mongols: Lörincz 1979, No. 655 [testing the abilities of smart brothers, the khan hides various objects; the man asks if the young man has seen his donkey; he describes a donkey, and the owner does not believes that he did not see the donkey himself; the young man says that the khan is of low origin; impressed by his intelligence, the khan brings him closer to him; the young man explains to the judge what signs he identified donkey features; released]: 275-276; Inner Mongolia Mongols: Potanin 1892 (Ordos; parallel in a Buryat fairy tale) [{p. 143 missing in pdf}; three brothers accused a man of stealing the bull; he first confessed and then complained to the khan; the brothers replied that they had not seen the bull, but were sure that it had been stolen; the khan went to the field three times, clenched something in his fist and offered to determine what it was; each once the eldest starts, the middle one adds, the youngest gives the final answer; 1) red; red and tenacious; juyuba fruit; 2) alive; multi-legged; black smelly worm; 3) brown; concave; sandalwood bucket trees; the khan sent Tyumlyash (nobles) to overhear the brothers' conversation; they say that the khan is not of royal blood; the khan was killed, the elder brother was made khan, his brothers were Tyumlyush]: 143-144; Todayeva 1981 (Arukhorchins, Khoshun Ar Khorchin) [the old man lost his loaded camel, went looking for him; met a young man, asked about a camel; man: "Was your camel blind in his left eye?" ; old man: "Right, he doesn't have a left eye"; man: "Did your camel limp on your right leg?" ; old man: "Right, he was limping"; man: "Did you carry sugar on the right side of the camel and wheat on the left side?" ; old man: "Tell me where my camel is soon?" ; the man replied that he had never met that camel; the old man got angry, brought the man to the official; the official: "If you did not find this old man's camel, how did you guess that the camel was blind to left eye?" ; person: "When I was driving, I noticed a camel trail. When I looked closely, I realized that the camel was pinching and eating grass on the right side of the road, but not eating on the left. So I thought he was blind in his left eye"; the official asked how he found out that the camel was limping on his right leg; man: "When I looked closely at the camel's tracks, I noticed that the marks were not the same; on the right leg, he said that the camel dragged his right leg from time to time. And I concluded that he was limping on this leg"; the official asked how he found out that the camel was loaded; man: "When I followed the camel, I noticed that there was a lot on the right side of the road ants. When I looked closely, I realized that sugar was scattered on the right side of the road. This is how I found out that sugar was carried on the right side of the camel. And there were lots of birds on the left side of the road. When I looked closely, I saw grain falling on the left side of the road. This is how I found out that grain was loaded on the left side of the camel"; the official told this man to find a camel, he did it]: 97-98.

Volga - Perm. Bashkirs [bai woke up, but the horse is gone; towards Erense: the horse is limping on the back leg, blind in the left eye, oats in the bag, the bag across the saddle; bai led him to biya; E.: lameness is visible on the trail, she pinched the grass only on one side of the path, rubbed against the tree and a piece of burlap on it, oats fell out of the bag]: Barag 1992, No. 66 (82): 163-164.