M39a2. Misunderstood instructions: a sharp object .11.12.15.21.29.
The character does ridiculous things, understanding the instructions too literally or one episode late (i.e., doing what was relevant to the previous episode). One episode involves improper handling of a needle and other sharp objects.
Laadi, Hausa, Portuguese, Mizo, Kalmyks, Stavropol Turkmens, Kumyks, Laki, Archins.
Bantu-speaking Africa. Laadi [Malonga sends his son to buy a needle; he stuck it in a bag of flour carried by a passerby on the way; M.: the needle must be wrapped in leaves; buy butter; the son wrapped it in leaves oil, it has spilled; oil is in a closed bowl, buy a puppy; the puppy suffocated in the bowl; lead the puppy by the neck on a rope, buy meat; the son drags meat on a rope, the dogs ate everything]: Aksenova et al. 2005:105-106.
West Africa. Hausa [mother sends her son to buy a needle; he puts it in a bran basket, could not find it; the mother advised me to stick it in the sleeve of his shirt, sent it for oil; the son put oil in the sleeve, it was glass; the oil should be put in a jug, sent to bring a puppy from the neighbors; the puppy was caught in a jug; it was necessary to drag the puppy by the rope, sent for meat; while the son was dragging meat on a rope, the dogs were all ate; mother said she would not send him anywhere else]: Schön 1862, No. 5:189-192 (translated in Olderogg 1959:253-254; =Pozdnyakov 1990:304-306).
Southern Europe. The Portuguese [Pedro de Malas Artes is the son of a poor woman; she weaved paintings, said we would plug all our holes with them (in the family budget); he plugged holes in the shack; she sent to buy a pig, he drags a hog on his back, not leads it on a rope; tells you to buy a jug - he drags it on a rope, the jug has broken; she: the jug should have been put in straw, led on a cart; buy needles; he sprinkles needles in straw, you can't find them; sent to rinse his clothes, does not know if it is clean; screams and calls people in the boat, asks if they hit him, he would rather wish a fair wind; he wants wind to the reapers; those: we must wish nothing to fly; he wishes the birdsmen; those: must wish: fly and fight (in snare); he does it to the fighters; we must: one right, the other to the left; he wants it for the newlyweds; we must wish : let it be like this every day; he wishes those who brought the dead to the cemetery; he is beaten]: Shishlova 1971:183-188.
Tibet is the Northeast of India. Mizo (best) [the widow's son meets the chief's daughter; she gives him a needle, he puts needles on the roof, the mother advises him to stick it in his pocket; next time the girl gives him a pocketknife, boy sticks it in her pocket, his mother advises to fold the blade; next time, a goat (folds it, puts it in his pocket); a pig's leg (drags it by the rope, the dogs are eaten); a cow (trying to put it on a tray); the girl gives herself (ties a rope by the neck, leads her to the barn); her mother calls him a fool, the girl drives him away]: McCall 1949:82-83.
Caucasus - Asia Minor. Kalmyks [when returning home, the old man puts a needle in a bunch of firewood; the old woman says that the needle should be stuck in his hat; he puts an ax in there - he needs to the waist; puts the puppy behind the belt - it is necessary say kitsch, kitsch; says this to the clergy, they shy away, the old woman explains that they should be invited to his place; he invites wolves, is eaten]: Badmayev 1899:1 (=Basangova 2002:155); Stavropol Turkmens [the old man found a needle, put brushwood in a bunch, can't find it; his wife says he should have pinned a needle to the beshmet; then the old man performs every time wife's advice, one step behind; tries to attach an iron axis to the beshmet; drags a puppy by the rope, strangling him; tries to lure a hare; says to a passerby "dash yatyr" ("the stone lies"), so to speak, the hare will freeze); says "hairley big syn" ("let good be") to the carriers of the deceased; to the wedding train - "nesibsiz gün" ("unhappy day"); decides not to listen to anyone else, saws the branch on which he sits, falls; thinks that a passer-by is a seer, asks when he will die, he replies that when the donkey stumbles three times; after the third time, the old man lies under the bridge to die; the merchant asks for help in lifting the arba; the old man does not answer, gets up after the third blow with a whip; brings a whip to his wife, tells him to save him by the day of his death]: Bagriy 1930 (2): 99-102; Kumyks [Kulbay is the youngest of three brothers; carrying a load of firewood, finds a needle, puts it on the firewood, can't find it, dumps firewood; the brothers say that the needle should have been pinned to the clothes; K. finds an awl, works it into the clothes, hitting the body; the awl should have been wrap it, put it in his pocket; K. does it with the puppy; the puppy should have been tied to the tail of a donkey; K. ties a cauldron; K. cuts a tree in the forest, there are bees, K. says that a mountain army is coming; says to the fox, to the bear that his brothers told him not to let them take honey, so let them take it themselves; the brothers kill the bear; go to the wedding, tell K. not to leave windows and doors unattended; K. breaks down doors and windows, drags them to the wedding; the brothers decide to leave K., but he hides in the bag they take with them; the brothers rob the unattended store, K. takes the millstone; merchants come, the brothers hide in the tree, K. drops a millstone at the merchant, merchants run away, leaving their property; the brothers got married]: Aliyeva 2012, No. 83:378-383; Lucky [Yarakhmed is smart, his brother Karahmed is a fool; he takes his shadow for a man, is afraid her; shadows the cauldron of khinkal and the gold pin he found; Y. says that the pin should have been put in his pocket; K. finds a dagger, puts it in his pocket, hurts himself; he should have tied it to his belt; finds a puppy, tied it up, he dies; he should have thrown him bread, he would go; finds an ax, throws him bread; I go after the ax myself, stumbled, broke my leg; K. only at night, when there is no shadow, takes him to the doctor ; puts a hat on the tree so that the tree does not heat its head; a shirt on the stone so that the sun does not burn it; the plough creaks, K. thinks that it spoils the air, broke it; sees the shadow again, throws stones at it, there are mountains by night, there are no shadows, K. thinks he has defeated his enemies]: Aliyeva 2012, No. 84:385-387; Archins [the fool was returning from the forest , found a needle, threw it on the wood rack; said mother, she exclaimed that the needle should have been wrapped in a coat; on the second day, the fool went back to the forest; found a puppy, wrapped it in a coat; the puppy died; the mother: "You could have said "no" to him and bring him with you"; the next day, the fool met a hare; shouted to him: "Come on!" ; the hare ran away; mother: "You should have shot him with a gun"; the fool met a man in the forest, started aiming at him with a gun; the man took his gun, and then beat and drove him away; about this, the fool He did not tell his mother; when he came to the village, he began to dance and jump on the grave; people drove him away; mother: "You should have started punching yourself on the head and crying right away"; the next day the fool got to wedding; started crying, punching himself on the head; people drove him away; the mother decided not to let his fool son out of the house until he got married]: Mikayilov 1967:153-154.