M198b1. A fortuneteller named Cancer .15.16.28.31.

A powerful character invites a person named Cancer to guess what is in the box (under the lid on a dish, etc.). It's cancer or crayfish. The man says that now he, Cancer, is caught, others think he guessed right.

Italians (Lombardy), Sicilians, Germans (Grimms), Slovaks, Norwegians, Swedes.

Southern Europe. Italians (Lombardy: Mantova) [Pitré, no. 167; the king lost his ring; a peasant named Gámbara ("shrimp") pretended to be an astrologer; suspects that the ring was kidnapped by servants; hides his wife under the bed; when the servant comes in, she says, "Here's the first one"; etc. The servants confessed that G. told them to feed the ring to the turkey; to test the fortuneteller, the king invites him to say what is served the table; the one: "Where did you go, Gambara"; the king thought he guessed it]: Cosquin 1887:190 (=Calvino 1980, No. 25:74-75, =Kotrelev 1991:35-36); Sicilians [the king promises a reward to whoever finds a lost ring; an illiterate peasant named Cancer said he was an astrologer; he was left in a room with a large book and writing supplies; he pretends to read and write; thought that thieves could be servants who brought food; when his wife visited him, he hid her under the bed and told the servants when he came in to say: this is the first; this is the second; etc.; the servants confessed, gave money and asked them not to give them away; Cancer told them to feed the ring to the turkey; the turkey was stabbed, the ring was found; at the feast, the king offered to answer what was served (these are crayfish); imaginary astrologer: Poor Cancer, you got into story! The audience did not know his name was Cancer and praised him]: Crane 1885:314-316.

Western Europe. Germans [Doctor Know-All; when he saw a rich doctor, a poor peasant named Cancer, asked what it took to make money with this craft; doctor: buy an alphabet with the image of a rooster, sell oxen and buy a good suit, nail a sign "I am Doctor Everyone Knows" above the door; Crab became this way to earn money; money was stolen from a noble man; they called Cancer; he asked for permission to take him wife with him; served dinner; the servant brought the first course, Cancer to his wife: here is the first (referring to food, and the servant decided he meant the first thief); the second servant brought the second course - the same; the same with the third ; the fourth brought a dish covered with a lid; the owner demanded that Cancer demonstrate his skills as a fortuneteller; he sighed: Poor Cancer! and there were crayfish; the servant reported this to his accomplices; the thieves showed Cancer where the treasures were hidden and paid for it; Cancer pretended to learn everything from his book; the fifth servant at that time hid and became eavesdrop; leafing through the book, Cancer looks for an image of a rooster and says: I know you're here, come out; the servant thought it was about him; Cancer showed the owner where the money was hidden and received a generous reward]: Grimm , Grimm 2002, No. 98:332-333 (=Grimm, Grimm 1987:271-272).

Central Europe. Slovaks [my husband bought a calendar, drank money, decided to become a fortuneteller - supposedly he proofreads everything in the calendar; the owner of the missing oxen came; the fortuneteller points to a crooked letter - the bowlegged stole it; a rumor passed through the village, the bowlegged returned the oxen, paid the fortuneteller to eat; he was getting rich; the owner of the castle lost her ring; the footman came carrying the first course; the fortuneteller: that's the first one! and the footmen were thieves; That's the second one! The third fortuneteller tells him to carry money, and feed the ring to the turkey; the lady paid generously, gave the fortuneteller's wife a dress; the pan decided to test: what's in a closed bowl; the fortuneteller's name was Cancer; he: Cancer, Cancer, bad it's your business! everyone decided that they had guessed - there was cancer in the bowl; the peasant healed very well]: Bogatyrev 1955:132-137 (=Gorbov 1949:134-139, =Shustova 1994:99-104).

Baltoscandia. Norwegians [the coal miner bought his old dress from the pastor, pretends to be a fortuneteller; the king has lost his ring, he tells the fortuneteller to find it in three days, otherwise he executes him; every day one of the servants brings dinner, and the fortuneteller says, "That's the first one!" (Second, Third); the servants thought it best to confess, asked not to give it away; the fortuneteller told them to feed the ring to the pig; to test the fortuneteller, the king goes to the seashore, puts a crab in a silver vessel and covers it with a lid, tells you to guess what's in the vessel; "Poor crab!" , exclaimed the fortuneteller, referring to himself; then accidentally predicts that the Queen will give birth to a son and daughter]: Asbjrnsen in Cosquin 1887:189; Swedes (it is not clear whether the retelling is specific to the Swedish versions, or to all; since there is Norwegian and Lingman cites Krabba, Swedes probably have a variant with cancer rather than a grasshopper) [a peasant named Grasshopper (or Cancer , Krabba) pretends to be a fortuneteller; invited to the house where the theft took place; three servants come in turn, the fortuneteller says, Here, one (etc.), the servants believe they are exposed, confess; he is paid as thieves, and the owner of the kidnapped; the latter wants to test the fortuneteller again, asks what's in his fist (under the lid of the vessel); he sighs, Poor Grasshopper, referring to himself, but others believe that he guessed it]: Liungman 1961, No. 1641:321-323.