M98. Who's more? AA 981.1.

.12.14.17.21.-.23.27.-.29.31.-.35.

The character counts the number of members in two huge and alternative sets (dead and alive, men and women, etc.). Usually numbers are distributed equally, and one term (or some) is endowed with the properties of both. By referring it to one of the sets, the character proves a thesis.

Hausa, Arabs and Berbers of Morocco, Arabs of Algeria, Palestinians, Tibetans, Burmese, Sindhi, Sinhales, Ancient Greece, Bosnians, Serbs, Albanians, Bulgarians, Russians (Olonetskaya, Tambov), Ukrainians, Kalmyks, Balkarians, Adygs, Abkhazians, Abazins, Ossetians, Ingush, Nogais, Georgians (Guria), Armenians, Talysh, Lithuanians, Eastern Sami, Veps, Kazan Tatars, Bashkirs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Khakas, Altaians, Chelkans, Kumandins, Shors, Tuvans, Baikal and Trans-Baikal Buryats, Oirats (Durbuts), Mongols, Mongols of Ordos, Darkhats, Mongors, Mansi, Southern Selkups.

West Africa. House [Solomon's wife sees that her neighbor's house has a smooth, beautiful floor; she explains that she kneaded clay on the blood of animals her husband had obtained; Solomon's wife asks him to bring her birds, he agrees; the king of birds learns about this from the rooster, the birds did not come in the morning, the king of birds appeared at 10 o'clock, saying that they were arguing on three issues; what is longer is day or night (if you count the day from the first screaming a rooster and until it's time to go to bed, then the day); who is more men or women (women, if you count those who listen to his wife in everything); Solomon sent the king of birds home, and the neighbor said joking with his wife, she did not add any blood to the clay]: Tremearne 1913, No. 54:302-303.

North Africa. Arabs of Morocco: Bushnaq 1987 [Suleiman's wife asked for a carpet and a bed made of bird feathers; S. told all the birds to come; the little owl was late: I lingered, comparing night and day, stone and clay, men and women; S.: and who is more? If you count moonlit nights as days, there are more days; if you count lumps of clay as stones, there are more stones; if you count men who obey women, then there are more women; S.: I mean a woman? Owl: yes; you can ask your wife for advice, but it's up to the man to decide; S. birds: fly safely wherever you want; wife: I'd rather let you pluck my beard than let you say another word]: 244-245; Thay Thay 2001, No. 66 (Taroudant, southern Morocco) [Solomon's wife asks to make a carpet out of bird feathers; the bat came first, gave all the feathers and fluff, and left; the owl was the last to come; explained that she believed who more; more days than nights if moonlit nights are days; if you count burnt clods of earth as bricks, there are more bricks than stones; if you count men listening to women for women, then women more; S. placed an owl among the wise men; and the bat has no feathers left, it only goes out at night]: 78-79; Algerian Arabs: Aceval 2005, No. 145 (Tiaret Plateau) [Suleiman's wife asked him make her a cloak from the feathers of birds of all kinds; S. called birds; feeling sorry for them, took fluff from the lower parts of her legs, and some from the neck (now these parts are devoid of feathers); the owl appeared only three days later; explained that days more nights than nights when moonlit nights are counted as days; more rocks than earth when lumps of earth count as rocks; more women than men if men who fulfill women's whims are also counted as women; S. understood everything, allowed Owl to leave, keeping all his feathers]: 182-164; Hilton-Simpson 1924, No. 2 (perhaps the influence of the Berbers Shawía, with whom there are many marriages) [Solomon's lover asks him to do it for her a house of eggs; he told all birds and fish to bring eggs; Sparrow and Hoopoe did not appear; S. called them to account; Sparrow explained that he did not dare to bring such a small egg to such a great king; Hoopoe said what I thought was longer day or night (day, because the moonlight prolongs it); more living or dead (alive, for the recently deceased and the great ones are talked about as if they were still alive); men or women (women, for a fool demanding to build a house out of eggs is not a man); S. punished Hoopoe by making him smelly]: 84-85; Moroccan Berbers (Western 1950) [Solomon's wife demanded a carpet of bird feathers from him; he objected - it was now cold and the birds would freeze; but his wife was adamant; all the birds appeared except the owl; and when she came, she explained that I tried to find out what and who is more: days or nights, men or women; if moonlit nights are counted as days, then there are more days {nights is a mistake}, and if men who obey women are women, then women more; S. thanked the owl and let the birds go]: Leguil 1988, No. 23:151-155.

Western Asia. The Palestinians [Solomon has a beloved wife; others bribed the old woman to quarrel with her S.; the old woman persuaded the favorite to ask S. for a love palace made of bird feathers floating in the air; S. told all the birds to come; the owl did not come; S. wanted to execute her, forgave her, but told her to answer questions; 1) which bird is the most beautiful? - My son; 2) Who is more alive or dead? - If sleepers are included as dead, then dead. 3) More than a day or night? - Days, because when the moon shines, night becomes daytime. 4) More men or women? - Women, if you include men who indulge wives; S. laughed and let go of the owl]: Hanauer 2009:229-230.

Tibet is the Northeast of India. Tibetans [the queen is angry at the bird singing; she asks her husband to call all the birds and cut off their beaks; the king sends messengers to appear on the third day; the bat came on the fourth; became explain that other birds are idle and have important duties: to maintain a balance between the day and the new, between the number of men and women; and if a man begins to do everything his wife tells him to do, he writes him down as a woman so that his balance is maintained; the king understood the hint, was ashamed; said that he appointed the cuckoo as king of birds, and the hoopoe as chief minister, then let the birds go; but the king all I was still offended, so I slapped him lightly]: Shelton 1925, No. 1:17-20.

Burma - Indochina. The Burmese [when asked by the king, the sage answers that there are more blind than sighted people; the king does not believe; when everyone goes swimming, the sage begins to cut bamboo with a knife; those who asked what he was doing The sage considered blind, and those who asked why he cut bamboo as sighted; the king turned out to be "blind"]: Kasevich, Osipov 1976, No. 98:262-263.

South Asia. Sindhi [the queen asks the king to build a house out of oil; he gives the order; but when the sun rises, the oil begins to melt; queen: lead the birds to gather and cover the sun with their wings; everyone is gathered not just a mossirro bird; she comes the next day, says that their family was arguing about who was more men or women; they decided that if we count men who obey their wives for women, then women more; the king let the builders go and scolded his wife]: Schimmel 1995, No. 27:193-195; the Sinhales [the king feeds forest animals, the naked rewarded him with the ability to understand their language, but he should not talk about it tell; the queen is jealous of the animals; asks them to build a dam; everyone, led by a wild boar, works except the jackal; the jackal answers the boar that he is not just sitting, but thinks who is more men or women; if men acting at the behest of women are equated with women, then there are more women; the king laughs, the queen threatens to drown herself; the king hears the conversation of roosters who are easy to control chickens; unfastened Queen, sent birds and animals to the forest]: Volkhonsky, Solntseva 1985, No. 52:101-104.

The Balkans. Ancient Greece [about the Scythian sage Anacharsis: When asked who is more alive or dead, he asked again: "Who should we consider swimmers?"] : Diogenes Laerte 1986, Ch. 8:87; the Bosnians [Solomon's wife demanded that a tower be built for her out of bird bones; Solomon called the birds; everyone appeared, and the owl came very late; explained that I thought there were more mountains or valleys, men or women; it turned out that if the low hills were valleys, then there were more valleys, and if men commanded by women were counted as women, then women more; Solomon decided not to build a bird bone tower]: seb-hor.blogspot.ru; Serbs [the wife announced to her husband that she would recover if he built her a bird bone castle; the husband brought all the birds, but There is no owl; he sent for her; she refused to appear; the man promised to kill her; then the owl came and said that she thought: more valleys or mountains; more valleys: if there is a mountain, there are always two valleys; more men or women; if men who live according to women are considered women, then there are more women; man let the birds go; they asked the owl how she managed to avoid trouble; owl: I am bigger and my bones would go on the foundation]: Eschker 1992, No. 61:233-234; Albanians [the queen hung to dry the clothes, the magpies that flew by stained it; the queen demanded that her husband order the extermination of all birds; all birds ordered to gather, the owl appeared later than anyone else; said that he had solved two questions: why was ordered to gather and who were more men or women; if men who obey women were considered women, then there are more women; and the king is also a woman; the grateful king praises the owl for saving the birds; for this, let the owl receive two chickens a day; once he ate both at breakfast, believing that they will be in the evening yet, but no more chickens appeared themselves]: Lambertz 1952:185-189; Bulgarians [the tsar (prince) marries a Jewish woman (beautiful); she demands that he build a palace from the bones of birds (animals); the king demands from the king of birds (animals) to call his subjects; the owl (owl) comes late and explains that she thought who was more men or women; more women; that it is foolish to kill everyone for one woman birds (animals); the king of birds rewards an owl with the right to eat a sparrow every day]: Daskalova-Perkovska et al. 1994, no.*983*: 367.

Central Europe. Russians (Vyatka), Ukrainians [a palace of bird bones: at the request of his wife, the tsar wants to build a palace of bird bones; one bird does not appear, and then, when he appears, reports that it I believed who were more men or women, and there were more women, because those who obey women themselves were worse than women; the tsar cancels his order]: SUS 1979, No. 983:252; Russians (one of options for ending fairy tale No. 216, Wise Wife; the place of recording is not a decree.) [following the king's orders for samogut, the fool comes to the old woman; her son is a samoglot wolf; he tells him to play cards if the fool falls asleep, swallows him; every time the fool replies that he does not sleep, and thinks thought; 1) more crooked trees in the forest or straight (var.: dry or damp) 2) in the water of a small fish or a large one; while the Wolf runs and thinks, the fool gets enough sleep; The wolf confirms that a crooked tree, a small one there are more fish; after the bath, the fool wipes himself off, the old woman recognizes his daughter's towel, accepts the fool as a son-in-law; The wolf brings samogudes, swallows the king, the fool and his wife reign, the Wolf lives with them]: Afanasiev 1958 (2): 468-469; Russians (1926, Olonetskaya, Zaonezhye, d. Shunga-Bor) [The old man and the old woman took an orphan. They lived poorly, their son was fishing. The first, the second time I caught birds, the third time I caught goldfish. I threw it on the ground. The fish has become beautiful. The son married a beautiful woman. The wife sends her husband to the king to ask for "a place against herself or near her." The husband goes to the king. The king gathers advice, gave a seat in front of him. He fell in love with Ivan's wife, decided to get rid of him, and convened a council. He ordered Ivan to find the object: "He collects and robs net on the table." Ivan comes back, grieving. The wife sends a letter to her aunt in the woods. Ivan came to the hut and gave the letter. My aunt gives Ivan a ball. In the morning I threw a ball on the road and followed it. I got to the cave. There's a table, Ivan is hiding, 40 robbers fly into the table and shouting: "Net, go!" Food appeared on the table. The robbers leave, Ivan calls for something. It's not working. Ivan calls for something to eat with him. Something is happy and goes with Ivan to the Tsar. Ivan shows the king a magic tablecloth. The king fell in love with Ivan. Senators give Ivan the task: to bring a cat who sings songs. Ivan comes back, grieves again. The wife gives a letter to her aunt again. The aunt gives a ball and meat to lure the cat. Ivan grabs the cat and brings it to the king. The king rejoices, the senators give the third task: to bring samogudes. Ivan comes home, his wife gives him iron armor, a tin cap and a clean shirt. Ivan has been on the road for a long time, comes to Baba Yaga and gives her a letter. A wolf comes, plays cards, the condition is not to fall asleep. Ivan: I think it's more felled wood or more standing wood? The wolf flies away to count, I. slept enough. For the second time: more people alive or dead? For the third time, Ivan replies to the wolf that he is sleeping. The wolf flew for the ax, and when he returned, he saw Ivan's wife's handkerchief and recognized Ivan as his son-in-law. In the morning, the wolf gives Ivan samogudy husli, ate senators and thoughtmakers, chewed, the tsar signed the kingdom to Ivan and his wife]: Karnaukhova 2008, No. 7:63-67; Russians (Tambov) [Zakhar Beschastny has nothing It is possible that traveling tailors ask his mother, widow, to send him to study. The tailor asks the student to put on the tape. He catches a hare who, in exchange for his freedom, gives Zakhar an invisible hat, the owner wants to punish him for not catching anything, but cannot: Zakhar wears a hat. The tailor sends him for the bird, Zakhar feels sorry for it, she gives him a pipe that no one can help but dance during the game. The tailor can't punish Zakhar again. The tailor sends Zakhar to the demon wolf for a "violin from the forest", who agrees to give it back if Zakhar has not slept for three years and weaves nets. Zahara is sleepy, he tells the wolf as if he thinks about whether there are more fish in the sea, big or small, while the wolf finds out (big), Zakhar gets enough sleep (3 months), then he asks which more people are: alive or dead, the wolf finds out whether they are alive, Zakhar wonders which animals are larger or small, the wolf finds out whether they are big, while Zakhar is sleeping. He gets a violin, gives it to a tailor, who asks to catch fish, he catches, regrets it, and the pike promises that all his wishes will come true. The tailor gets angry but lets Zakhar go home. Zakhar plays the pipe, his native village is dancing, all wishes come true]: Khudyakov 1964, No. 167:248-249; Ukrainians: Sumtsov 1890a [king of birds (senior bird) Cook, at his wife's request, summoned birds make nests out of their bones; the raven was two days late; he was counting valleys and mountains at that time; considering every place where water stood as a valley, counted more valleys; the birds were temporarily released by Cook for feeding; for the second time, the Raven was late, counting dry and green trees; if we count those with at least one dry branch as dry, then more dry; the third time he counted men and women; if you count women obey women, more women; birds rebelled against K. for obeying his wife too much, Sokol killed him]: 80-81; Pankeev 1992 (Volyn) [Bird King Cook's wife ordered make a nest out of the bones of other birds; the raven arrives later than others; counted valleys and mountains, there are more valleys if you count mountains where water stands as valleys; Cook let the birds feed, called again; the Raven I was late, I counted dry and living trees, more dry if at least one branch was dry; the third time there were more women if men listening to women were considered women; the birds rebelled, the Cuckoo began to tease Cook, lured him out of the hole, Falcon killed him; became king, and the other birds incubated the Cuckoo's eggs]: 26-28.

Caucasus - Asia Minor. Kalmyks: Dzhimbinov 1959 [Owl, the wife of Eagle, the king of birds, says he will give birth on the backs of birds, for this purpose they must all be tied by the nose; the Eagle drills the nostrils of the birds; the owl came later than anyone else ; said that she found out who was more alive or dead; if there were more sleepers as dead, more dead; if rotten trees were lying, there were more of them than standing ones; if men were in the power of women, for women, there are more of them than men; the tsar understood, let the birds go; the Owl still has no nostrils]: 72-73 (=1962:131-132; =Basayev 2004, No. 161:262-263; =Basangova 2002:214-216; first published. Folk art of Kalmykia 1940:162-163); Popov, Basangov 1936:45-46; Basangova 2017, No. 27 [the king of birds Khan Garudi has an owl queen; when it was time to raise the chicks, asked her husband to collect birds, tie them from by the beaks and noses, she will lead the chicks on their backs; the birds appeared, Khan Garudi tied them by their beaks, but not the owl; when she appeared, she began to explain: on her wings, with her eyes, she couldn't be faster; she spent the night where I found her day, watched; if you count sleepers as dead, then there are more dead; if rotten trees are counted as fallen, then more fell than growing ones; if cloudy days are counted as nights, then nights more than days; if a man who obeys a woman is considered a woman, then there are more women; Khan Garudi understood everything, freed the birds, and drove the owl's wife away; since then, the owl has made nests in coastal thickets]: 75-77; Balkarians [Prophet Noch's wife fell in love with his young disciple; he was afraid that some bird would carry them; his wife persuaded N. to collect all the birds and destroy them; N. sounded the trumpet, all the birds flocked, except for the owl (bikeush); he said that he counted the living and the dead, and there were more dead, because he counted them stupid husbands listening to his wives' advice; N. let go birds]: Baranov 1897, No. 5:27-28; Adygs [the husband understands the language of birds and animals; the wife demands that he build her a house from the bones of birds, covered with their feathers; having decided to do so, he convenes all birds; owl she is the last and reports that she was late because she counted how many men and women there were in the world, and there were more women, because she considered men who listen to their wives to women; the husband refuses from her intention]: Tkhamokova 2014, No. 983:193; Abkhazians [the wife of the lord of animals and birds Ajveipshaa asks him to make a house out of their bones; A. summoned everyone, Owl was late; said that she counted alive and dead, adding to the number of dead those who listened to his wife's stupid advice; there were one more dead; A. dissolves the meeting, says that every day one bird will go to Owl and fall into paradise; when they see the Owl, the birds bite it, each demanding that the Owl eat it]: Khashba, Kukba 1935:101-102 (=Bgazhba 1983:24, =2002:28); Abazins [the wife of the prince-owner of the birds wants a palace made of bird bones; the prince summons all the birds, the Owl appeared only for the fourth time; explained that the first time she counted whether there was more land or water (water), the second time she counted whether there were more plains or mountains (mountains), the third time she thought alive or dead; there were more living but if we consider dead those who happen to be stupid wives, then there are more dead; the prince let people go, drove his wife away]: Tugov 1985, No. 95:283-284; Ossetians (Georgia, Ganisi, Gudsky Ushelye) [Afsati's wife She has been ill for a long time; she is visited by zeds and other celestials, but no one is able to find a cure for the disease; she is getting worse, she does not get out of bed anymore; calls Afsati, tells her to go to the doctor Hakim, who lives for seven passes - he probably knows the means; Afsati sits on his golden deer and in the blink of an eye finds himself outside Hakim's house; Hakim guesses beans and gives advice to gather all the cattle he has That is, all forest animals except wolves, and slaughter them, then his wife will recover; Afsati comes home, orders the servants to call all the animals; at this time Uastyrji comes to see the patient, He sees a crowd of animals and asks Afsati why they are here; he talks about the recommendation of doctor Hakim; Uastyrji: "Tell me who is more alive or dead?" Before Afsati even has time to open his mouth, a hedgehog comes out from under the bush: "There are more dead!" Afsati is surprised: after all, both humans and animals give birth to more young than die; the hedgehog laughs: those who have undertaken to fulfill all women's whims can also be considered dead; Afsati lets animals go Back home, the wife is getting better; Afsati tries to listen less to his wife's advice. Uastyrji gives a hedgehog chain mail for his bold answer, which he still wears today]: Gadiev 2008, 130-131; the Ingush [came to the sage with the question of who is more dead or alive, women or men; sage : there are more dead, because some died while alive; there are more women, because not all men who wear pants]: Dakhkilgov 2012, No. 87:86; Ossetians [the tsar gathers people and animals and asks them questions: what's best in the world, what's prettier and what's richest. The flatterers say that the king is the best, and he is also richer and more beautiful. The king is pleased, but he asks the question again - what if anyone thinks differently or is there no one here to give a different answer? The king is told that all those under control are present here. But here comes a breathless hedgehog. He replies that the land that feeds people is good, spring is beautiful, which decorates the land, and autumn, which fills the bins with bread, is rich. The king is surprised by the clever answer and asks him another question: who is more alive or dead? Hedgehog: "There are more dead, because they include those alive who don't have a fur coat in winter and burkas in summer." The king says to the hedgehog: "You told the truth, but because you did not say anything good about me, you will live in a hole from now on, and that your skin is prickly." Since then, the hedgehog has been prickly]: Kaloev 1976:34-36; Nogais: Aliyeva 2013, No. 57 [as in Ganiyeva 2011a; one of Suleiman's four wives fell ill and asks for a palace to be built from the bones of all birds; the owl comes only fourth time]: 256-257; Ganiyeva 2011a, No. 71 [same in Kapaev 2012:288-289; Khan's wife of birds gave birth to a son, ordered him to make a cradle of bird bones; Khan called birds, no Owl, ordered him to be brought by force; he replied that he heard loud screams and left; Khan orders to answer what is more; 1) days or nights; if foggy days are equated with night, then nights; 2) living or dead; if slaves, slaves, equate blind people to dead, then dead; 3) men or women; if whimsical wives are equated with women, then women; Khan let Owl go, put his son in a wooden cradle]: 191-192; Georgians (Guria) [the queen asks to build a palace out of bird bones; the king tells all birds to come; the forest curl (Prunella modularis) appears only after a second order; explains that she believed who was greater; There were twice as many women as men, if we count the men under women's heels as old women; the king refuses to build a palace]: Wardrobe 1894:177; Armenians: Ganalanyan 1979, No. 297 [ Solomon, at the whim of his wife, tells the birds to throw off their feathers to build a palace out of them; the owl was the last to appear; explains that she argued whether more people are alive or dead; if those deceived by wives are counted as dead, then one more dead; S. released the birds, but the Bat had already shed its feathers, now naked]: 116-117; Melik-Oganjanyan 2004, No. 16 [Abamelik and Sanasar brothers ask Keri Toros, oh than he thinks; he replies that he thinks there are more males or females in the world; brothers assume that there are more males; CT objects: they are sitting here (like women), not fighting the enemy]: 96-97; Azerbaijanis [people asked an owl what is more in the world - ruins or entire houses; owl: ruins, because all buildings will become ruins; men or women? - Women, because men who listen to women are women]: Yemelyanov 1896 (Ganja): 193; Aisors [Solomon has a pagan wife; asked her husband to make a cradle for her son out of bird bones; S. ordered to bring all birds on the edge; the owl refused; S. sent a hoopoe; the owl told him a story; the husband and wife promised to be faithful to each other if one of them died; the husband died; the unfamiliar young the man offered the widow a marriage on the condition that she would take out her husband's corpse and cut off his head; the widow agreed; the young man said that she would cheat on him too, left; the hoopoe told a different story in response; Kings Mireille invited the merchant to play chess if the cat with a candle in its paws sat with them until morning; the cat sat, M. threw the merchant into prison, took away his wealth; the merchant's wife came to play, bringing mice; the cat rushed after them; the wife released all the prisoners; the owl came to S.; he asked questions; more ruins or houses (ruins - housing will also turn into ruins); more dead or alive ( the living will also die); men or women (women themselves who listen to their wives); S. awarded the owl three sparrows that come to her every day to feed her; the hoopoe awarded the crown; returned the rest of the birds ribs]: Eyvazov 1894, No. 6:68-71; Talyshi [the girl agreed to marry Solomon if he built a house for her out of bird bones; S. called the birds, but the owl did not come; S. sent the vulture to bring her; asks her questions; 1) there is more destruction or creation in the world (destruction if S. is ready to destroy many houses to build one); 2) living or dead (dead, once S. sacrifices thousands for one); 3) women or men (women, because those who indulge in women's whims are like women); S. rewarded an owl: three chicks will fly to her every day to eat; she eats two and lets go of one as an offering To God]: Asatryan 2005:12-13.

Baltoscandia. Lithuanians [a person meets a trait, says he is going to hang himself; hell promises a bag of gold if a person survives three days without sleep; a person says he thinks which pines are more straight or curves; the devil runs through the forest - there are more curves; the person slept enough during this time; the same is more water or land; this stump is the navel of the earth; at home, a man took a measure of gold from a neighbor; he smeared it with tar the money stuck; the neighbor also went to the forest to hang himself; fell asleep and the devil twisted his head]: Lebite 1965:265-266; Lithuanians [arguing with the devil for a lot of money, a person must stay awake for three days; - Sleep ? - No, I think so. - About what? - More crooked trees or straight lines (hereinafter: hills or plains; water or land); the devil runs every time and counts three nights; a person gets money; a rich man tries to repeat everything, but meets the line that he is sleeping and he takes his soul]: Balys 1936, no.*813:94-85; the Eastern Sami [three Voronov consistently force the young man to give his older, middle, younger sisters for them; every time he agrees, it is not a swamp around, but a road again; he visits his sons-in-law, his sisters live well; he comes to Leshy's house, there is a girl crushed by a box; the young man frees her, fumigates the house Frankincense, Leshy is afraid of the smell, leaves; the girl gives a letter to her Falcon Brothers, tells her not to sleep there; the young man begins to fall asleep, says that he thinks that there are fewer trees standing than lying trees; Falcons they go to check, agree; the next evening there are more dead than alive; on the third, the young man gives the Falcons a letter from their sister; they give him wings, fly with him to their sister, pass her off as a young man get married, burn down Leshy's house, build a new one, move to live nearby themselves]: Czarnoluski 1962:278-290; the Veps [when dying, the old man tells his son to marry the one who will meet him first; the first a bird, the guy took her into the house; the neighbor's grandmother tells her to give her canvases and tells her to sew a shirt and pants; she sewed it; the grandmother tells me to take the twigs and watch under the door; the guy saw the girl, began to quilt with rods; that turned into a snake, a wolf; when she became a spindle, the guy broke it, put it under a stump, said "There is a golden mountain behind, a young wife is ahead"; Baba Yaga's maids found out about the girl, they persuade the king, he tells Vanya to bring a baby bag; his wife teaches me to go, where they plow on a gray horse, pull out three hairs; where the earth shakes, throw hairs to the ground, the earth gives a chest of sums; the king orders to cook the royal dinner ; wife has prepared; king: you know how to make live geese; the wife gives her husband a letter, tells her to take two old women with her; they come to the old woman, she replies that her sons are making geese; the old woman's sons ask to shine on them; the first old woman went, dozed off, killed her; the second one went, started dozing; replies that he did not sleep, but thought more damp or dry land, more damp; they went to measure it turned out that it was really more raw; next time the guy replies that he did not doze, but took a handkerchief from his pocket; they read it - it was their son-in-law! they said that the wife was stolen, everyone was waiting for a feast; one: I'll take it in an hour; the second in half an hour; the third in a moment; when she saw her husband, the young woman told the geese to play; they started playing, turned the tables over, killed many people, king asks to stop the geese; guy: first appoint me king; the tsar appointed]: Onegin, Zaitsev 1996, No. 14:81-85.

Volga - Perm. Tatars (western in Taishet District, Irkutsk Oblast, 1971) [The padishah of birds gathers subjects to find out if there are more dry or green trees in the forest, men or women; no one knows; there are no owls, they are sent for her; the owl explains what should have eaten, what is dry There are more trees if we consider dry those whose at least one branch has dried up; there are more women if we count men on his wife's lead; for wisdom, Padishah made an Owl a vizier]: Zamaletdinov 1992:57 (=2008a, No. 35:96-97); Bashkirs: Barag 1990, No. 48 [Malika will marry someone who guesses her 12 riddles {only 10} are given; 1) who gave birth to the first person? - The Earth is our mother, Gadam (i.e. Adam) is the father; 2) where does the raven come from? - became a crow because of laziness; 3) what is the owl screaming about? - a man overloaded a cart, an owl: oh, you can't pull it; 4) where does the bat come from? - Was a lying woman; 5) And a spider? - Was a gossip girl; 6) Gray mouse? - There was a chatty man; 7) Why is the swallow's tail split? - During Noah's time, the dragon tore out some of the feathers with his teeth; 8) Why was there a flood? - In the morning they flooded the stove, the water from it poured in all directions; 9) More dry or green trees? - If at least one branch is dry, then consider the tree dry, more dry; 10) Men or women? - If henpecked women, then women; M. married a huntsman who gave answers], 82 [the young queen is dissatisfied with the elderly king, fell in love with the soldier; he refused; she accused him of trying to rape her; senators advise not to execute a soldier, but to send him to count who is more women or men; the old woman teaches that if men who care about their wives count as women, then there are more women; the king let the soldier go to the wild, punished his wife]: 119-120, 233-235.

Turkestan. Kazakhs: Kanbal Shal 1985 [Suleiman's wife demands to build a palace out of bird bones; Kozoda did not appear, a Berkut was sent for him; Kozoda tells him a parable; the daughter of the Crimean Khan rejects suitors, agrees to Padishah Rum's proposal; the spouses agree that if one dies, the other will remain on his grave; the wife dies, the padishah sits on the grave for 12 years; the prophet Musa persuades him not to ruin himself; then resurrects his wife, taking half of the rest of the padishah's life and giving it to his wife; the hanzada comes up, sees the beautiful woman and her pale husband by his side; the wife says that next to her is the villain in whose hands she fell into; the hanzada and the woman leave, leaving the bound padishah; M. tells the hanzad about the woman's infidelity, he leaves her; M. returns the woman to the grave, and the padishah - half of his life, he marries again; the Golden Eagle retells S. this story, but he is furious, sends a Hawk for the Nightjar, the Nightjar arrives, says he decided what was more; 1) plains, if hills, with the peaks of which are impossible to see the surroundings are considered plains; 2) deserts, if oases in which springs are not accessible to the thirsty are considered deserts; 3) the dead if those whose minds are asleep are considered dead ; 4) women, if men who obey their wives are considered women; S. lets birds go]: 167-171; Kaskabasov et al. 1979, No. 12 [Suleiman Patsh's wife asked him to build a palace out of bird bones; Hawk collected them, only Baigyz (remez oatmeal; {or with a nightjar?}) did not appear; S. sent Hawk for him again; Baigyz explained that he considered who was more alive or dead; classifying sleepers as dead, and awake, but not showing obedience to God to sleeping, it turned out that there were one more dead; there were one more women than men if men who obey women were considered women; S. ordered birds to be blossomed]: 42-43; Malyuga 1970 [Khan of the Universe Suleimen dropped into the stream a ring that gives power over animals and plants, allows them to understand their language; the fish swallowed the ring; S. went into the house, where Zhalmauyz-Kempir; her daughter Buluk liked him, they hid S. from her husband LCD; B. she cleaned the fish, one contained S.'s ring, he returned it, took B. as his wife; she demanded a palace made of bird bones; all the birds flocked, the baigyz (nightjar) hid under the stone, the falcon pulled it out and brought it; baigyz explains that he thought who was bigger; 1) mountains or plains (mountains, if you count wore piles), 2) living or dead (dead, if you count sleeping), 3) men or women (women, if you add men fulfilling the whims of women); S. let birds go]: 23-27; Potanin 1916, No. 57 [Suleimen has 40 wives, Zapuru loved the most; all the girls said how happy S.'s wives are, and the fisherman's daughter said that would control not only these wives, but also S. himself; S. bathed, took off his ring, put it on his clothes, the wind threw everything into the water, found S.'s clothes, but not the ring; he himself ordered his wives to enter the palace only whoever showed the ring; S. put on rags, went on a journey, stayed with that shepherd; each time three fish were caught in the net, according to the number of family members, but when S. began to live with them, the number of fish caught fish doubled every day; one day golden slaves got into the net, the shepherd's daughter gutted her, her face lit up with the light coming from the ring; S. married the girl, returned to the palace; learning from the magpie that S. disappeared, a dhow came to Kudus Shagher (Arab al-Quds, Jerusalem); 39 wives closed themselves in their chambers, and Z. took a dhow; when S. returned, dhow fled, 39 wives came out with exhausted faces, and cheerful Z. said what they slander; S. asked the parrot, he told everything; S. turned Zapura into an unhappy star, doomed to hang between earth and sky; made forty for idle talk out of white; much later S. promised the youngest wife (i.e. the fisherman's daughter) to fulfill her every wish; she wished a palace of bird bones; the birds gathered, there was no remez *bai-gush); the coccyx was sent for him; bai gush replies that she was busy counting; the same with the hawk; the falcon brought bai-gush; he explains that he believed who was more alive or dead (there are more people who wake up morning prayers if the dead are those who wake up morning prayers), men or women (women, if they include men who listen to wives); S. let the birds go and refused to fulfill a woman's whim]: 176-179; 1972, No. 7 [Jebrail Jalmouth Pegambar caught all the birds, made holes in their noses, imposed them on lasso, I was going to eat; Baigus (remez oatmeal) remained; suggests D. make lasso from sunlight and cow oil; D. cannot, lets birds go; Kazakhs do not catch baigus], 10 [youngest wife Suleiman wants a palace made of bird bones; there was no bai-gush (remez oatmeal) bird when collecting; she comes only from the third command, says that she counted the living and the dead (among the dead are those who are not comes to morning prayer), men and women (women who listen to women are women themselves); S. abandons his intention; (same 1883:367)]: 49-50, 161-162; Kyrgyz (Naryn Region, Ak-Talin District) -n) [the wife asks the khan to build a house for her out of bird feathers; the khan told all the birds to come to him on the appointed day; the chicken, pheasant, crow and quail arrived a little late; they were angry Khan and since then they have not been able to soar high and fly fast; the hoopoe was the last; he began to explain what he wanted to know - there are more living or dead men or women in the world; khan: and who is more? hoopoe: one more dead if you include those who sleep before sunrise; you Khan also slept before sunrise in your wife's arms; there are more women because men who obey women, I named one of the women; so you too, listening to your wife, were going to build a house out of bird feathers; the surviving birds were grateful to the hoopoe for saving them from death; they built it up for him crown on his head and chose him khan]: Sabyr uulu 2008:266-267.

Southern Siberia - Mongolia. Khakas: Alexeev 1980 (Sagais) [Kudai promises to give the sun to Erlik Khan; summons animals to cunning his promise; The Bat does not come; says that she is not an animal because she flies, and not a bird, because it has fangs; explains K. that on the way to him she kept records of everything she met (more growing trees or fallen trees, pebbles or fish); it turned out to be equally divided, hers checked, it turned out that's right; when going to court, people have been sewing bat skin under their collar since then]: 52-53; Katanov 1907, No. 538 [a wolf coming out of the ground eats bulls; younger brother is a stupid guy goes down a rope, meets beauties, one lives for a year, the other has two, the third has three; the old woman teaches that the wolf will come to play cards, changes dishes with strong and weak water; a stupid guy answers the wolf , who thinks which trees are more (fallen, the wolf is counting); the same: what kind of cattle (dead), which people (dead); after drinking poison, the wolf became fire, threw himself into the sea; the old woman teaches to get out first yourself, then raise his wives]: 467-470; Chelkan people: Kandarakova 1988:159-161 [The Bat was cursed by God without appearing when all birds and animals were summoned; for the first time she referred to the fact that calculated the weight of the stones and fish; the fish were heavier because they included oblong stones; the second time God called the animals, the bat did not appear again; said that she counted men and women are more women; god: I made more men; bat: but if you add men with a female mind to women, there are more women; God wanted to grab a bat, but she said it was not a beast and flew away; when officials collect tribute from animals, the bat considers itself a bird, and when from birds, it is an animal; so it does not join anyone], 169-172 [hazel grouse was the largest; God drove into the forest, the hazel grouse took off, God's horse was frightened, God flew off his horse, hit a stone; when he returned home, decided to destroy the birds; called them, the hazel grouse did not appear; God ordered him to be brought; he explains that the first the day counted fish and stones, more fish; God: I created more stones; hazel grouse: I considered long stones to be fish; on the second day I counted stars and bumps - more hummocks; God: there must be more stars; hazel grouse: I He counted stumps as hummocks; on the third day he counted men and women, more women; God: I created more men; hazel grouse: I counted men who live according to women; God decided to kill hazel grouse for what the horse frightened is that you will be among the women; you decided to make it small, I distributed its meat to all animals; every animal and bird has white hazel grouse meat, only an owl did not take it; therefore, its wings soft, flies silently; hazel grouse is small, but considers itself smarter than God]; Sadalova 2002, No. 6 [at first Dyayasha created all the birds big; his horse was frightened by the hazel grouse that took off, D. fell on a stone; decided to exterminate all the birds, summoned them, and the hazel grouse was brought only three days later; he explains that on the first day he counted fish and stones, more fish if we count oblong stones as fish; on the second, stars and hummocks, there are more bumps if you count stumps; on the third, women and men, more women if you add men who succumb to women's persuasion; D. decided that he planned to kill Ryabchik because of his mother's persuasion, decided just make it small]: 87-91; Kumandins [God created all birds and animals big; once he was riding a horse, hazel grouse frightened the horse, God fell off it; then decided to destroy all the birds, gave it an order to gather them all; all the birds of Altai gathered, hazel grouse did not appear; God's mother convinced him that hazel grouse should be killed; hazel grouse was found and brought; God asked why he did not appear immediately; hazel grouse said that for three days I counted what was more on earth: stones or fish on the first day, stars or hummocks on the second day, men or women on the third day {no details}; God did not like the fact that hazel grouse when counting women, he included men who listen to women: this means that he, listening to his mother, will become one of the women; in the end, he decided: do not kill hazel grouse, but make it smaller; white meat He distributed hazel grouse to all animals and birds; only the owl did not take hazel grouse meat; thus, it retained its ability to fly silently, easily]: Oinotkinova et al. 2011, commentary to text No. 52:445-446; (cf. Teleuts [God called animals and birds to find out how to get fire; the Kolborko bird did not appear, they sent for it; she replies that it had no time, because she counted stars and hummocks; says, Isn't it on the birch tree lips, but on a rock? Others know how to make fire]: Tokmashev 1915:95); the Altaians [The creator summons a man named the Bat three times, but he does not appear to a single call; they deliver forcibly; he explains that he was busy counting whether there were more fish or stones in the water (there are more fish because he mistook all flat stones for fish); in the sky there are stars or bumps on the ground (there are more bumps because he took and stumps); men or women (there are more women, because he attributed all men with a female mind and character to the female half; the indignant Creator (he created more men) spat on the Bat, turning his bat (the origin of the bat)]: Katash 1987:27; the Shors [the wife tells the creator Chayachi that there is no order among the birds; he descends from the mountain; the Crane offers himself to be pashtyks (foreman), C. tells him to collect birds; Chibis is the last to arrive, says he thought there was more; 1) if you add a piece of sandstone to the stones, there are more stones than stars; 2) if you add dry trees to lying trees aspen, there are more of them than standing ones; 3) if you add C. to men, who listens to women, then there are more women; birds choose not the Crane Thief as shepherd, but the Peacock, each gives him a pen, so he is handsome and variegated]: Totysh 1959:18-22; Tuvans [khansha wants to taste all kinds of poultry meat; it is Owl's turn; then Hawk is sent, Owl appears only at the end of the third night; explains that in the first night I went to a meeting, they argued whether after the storm there were more fallen trees or standing ones; if we count the bent ones as fallen, there were more fallen ones; on the second night, more days or nights; if count cloudy days as nights, more nights; third more men or women; if you count men who obey women for women, there are more women; Khan forbade his wife to destroy birds and birds thanked the owl]: Khadahane 1984:95-97 (=Paderina, Plitchenko 1986:136-138); Baikal Buryats: Barannikova et al. 2000, No. 23 (Irkutsk Region) [Owl, the wife of the bird Khan Khurdug, asks her husband to gather his subjects, unite them by their beaks, let them fan her wings in the summer; the owl arrives last, says she listened to arguing people; they discussed more standing trees or fallen (those who bent down counted as fallen, there are more of them); alive or dead (old ones were considered dead); nights or days (cloudy days were counted as nights); men or women (caught under the influence of wives, they considered women); decided: a man who obeyed a woman was a motley beetle, and a khan who obeyed hansha was a black beetle; they began to choose a new khan, decided Crane; Chekan asks Listen to the Crane's day or night cry; the Crane broke his back; decided that the Crane could not be a khan, they left the same; the Crane would transport Chekan]: 89-91; Eliasov 1973, No. 104 [ after the death of the bird king Garudi, the Eagle was chosen as king, he married the Owl; the wife asks to gather all the birds, thread a cord into her nostrils, put them in a circle, she will hatch eggs in the middle; the owl said he was ready gather birds, but he was the last one himself; explained that he counted how many standing and lying trees (more lying if you count dry ones); women or men (there are more women if you add men with an Indian mind); the tsar drove his wife away]: 370-371; the Trans-Baikal Buryats (Khorin) [after the creation of the world, animals had a meeting at which they chose kings and decided what way of life who would have; this the meeting was not burbot; the camel came last and finished; he needed to get kibygyn (testicles); since everything was dismantled, the camel was offered what was left; the offer seemed he was small and did not match his size, so he turned back and went back; the testicles threw him after him, they stuck to his ass; the elk, on his way from the meeting, met on the riverbank with burbot; said that he was told to live in the depths, eat mud and spend days in every bend of the river; burbot asked who got the horse, gun and dog; the elk replied that man; burbot said that now neither the moose nor he is unhappy - the man will kill them; the elk is upset and cries so much that two of his four eyes burst; now he has scars below the two surviving eyes; on the same birds chose a king at the meeting; almost everyone was for the crane; dogolon khanchir (choysh) opposed it; he said that the crane screams incessantly, without analyzing day and night; the birds agreed and chose King Garaudy; the crane is angry, trampled on the leg of the chase; the crowd told the crane to wear its shoulder when it needs to move from one country to another; therefore, in the spring after arrival cranes have signs of burden on their backs, and the shoulder cannot sit upright when they descend to the ground; Garaudy, the king of birds, married a fur ball (owl); she became pregnant and before leaving out of the burden, told her husband that she wanted to give birth to his subjects on their backs; G. ordered all subjects to come to him immediately; ordered arrivals to pierce holes in their beaks and, pulling them through those holes lace, tie everyone; almost everyone came to the call; all of them had their beaks pierced and, pulling their lace through their holes, tied them to each other; later than others, the goibanga (night bird with a nightjar) appeared; G. became interrogate him; he replied with a nightjar that he compared the number of men and women in the world, days and nights, high and low forests; G. asked who was more in each case; with a nightjar: "If you attribute men under the authority of the wife are women, there are more women; if you attribute cloudy days to night, there are more nights; if you classify the bent forests as low, low forests, it turns out to be more"; G. realized that in this case he himself was a woman, and was upset; not letting the nightjar's beak be drilled, ordered all bound birds to be disbanded; then flew to another place, leaving his wife; therefore, all birds except the nightjar have beaks drilled across]: Gomboev 1890, No. 13:73-75; Oirats (durbuts) [the king of birds Khan Garide had a son; khansha proposed to make a cradle of birds; khan gathered the birds, pierced their noses to tie them; Sarisyn-Bakbagh did not appear; when he was brought in, he replied that he thought there were more days or nights, men or women; if you count the time when it was light but there was no sun, there are more nights per night; there are more men, because you can shout at an foolish wife; the khan let the birds go]: Potanin 1883:173-174; the Mongols [Owl, wife of the king of birds Khan Garudi, asked for all of him the subjects held it on themselves; HG pierced the birds' beaks, threaded the rope, the wife sat on the birds; the guibang bird was the last to appear; replied that it had been flying for 70 years, saw three feasts; the first for days fewer than nights (if cloudy days are counted as night); the second - there are fewer men than women (he considers men who do business on the advice of wives to be women); the king let the birds go; the Owl said that he would meet with her some time at night; since then Owl has been calling HG at night]: Potanin 1919a, No. 32:52; the Mongols (Ordos) [Khan Han-Garidi's wife complains to her husband that she needs a soft bed; to do this, you need a soft bed gather all the birds, take their fluff; the king gathered the birds, pierced their noses to keep them leashed; the bird Yabylyk (yabalak - Turkic. "owl"); is the last; (hereinafter referred to as the untranslated phrase); Y. replies that there is more night than day, because if you press cloudy days by night and effeminate men on wives, then there are more women and nights; (more it is not entirely clear, the Yabylyk bird has departed)]: Potanin 1893, No. 3:343-344; darkhats [(zap. Palkin); Khan Garidi married a shulmus; she proposes to make a tower out of bird noses; HG told the birds to get together, pierce their noses, and then cut everything off at once; Hottun shibo (pelican) appeared only after the third invitation; replied that on the first day she counted whether there were more days or nights (nights if cloudy days were counted as nights), dry or damp trees (if at least one branch was dry, count as dry), men or women (if a man listens to a woman, count as a woman); HG canceled the order; Shulmus told Hotun's neck to turn three times against the sun, but his neck turned only once]: Potanin 1883, No. 3:175-176; the Mongols [a sparrow named Hokh Tsogtzgii married the Bat; he said he went to work, left home every day; Sparrow asked, "What are you doing every day?" The Bat: "I fly and see how many trees are new and old, how many men and women" (a long dialogue follows); Sparrow decided to follow her husband, saw that he was hanging, stuck to the rock; said: "what are you doing here?" LM replied: "You can't see, I'm holding a rock"]: RSUH; Mongors [The King of Birds is married to Crow; she reproaches him that his subjects live better than him; he orders that all birds the day after tomorrow handed him their homes, food and clothes; Magpies came later than anyone else; said they stayed because they met debators; some said it was more than a day, others said it was night; there was more night if the days were cloudy count at night; next time more men or women; women, if you count women as husbands listening to their wives; the King of the Birds was ashamed and let the birds go]: Stuart, Limusishiden 1994:130.

Western Siberia. Mansi [the wife of the Upper Spirit says he must live in a house made of the bones of all animals and birds; he gathers animals and birds to kill them; the owl asks who is more men or women; she replies that women, for a man living in a woman's mind is a woman himself; the Upper Spirit spreads animals, throws his wife from heaven to earth; the sister of the Upper Spirit (Kaltas-ekva) finds her inside the mountain where she gave birth to Ekva-Pyris; his aunt takes him to her bank of the Ob River, he grows up; the boy's mother remains in the mountain, she is Sakvtalyah-ner-Ekva - Upper Lyapin Gornaya River Woman]: Lukina 1990, No. 133:342-346; the southern Selkups [six brothers Eren Kytay Yi ("the youngest son of an old man"; E.) disappear; returning from hunting, E. hears the sound of an ax from different sides, loses his way; after the whirlwind, he enters the house, where the Headless Crane cooks, putting a cauldron around his neck; Bearhead Smut and Wolf Head Smut move themselves in the hearth; the cups fill themselves, frogs in them and lizards; E. refuses, he is cooked lard without veins; at night he is asked three times if he is sleeping; E. replies that he "noticed" that there are more dead people (then trees, fish) than living people; two girls say that lured him into a husband; here is also his brothers with their wives who lured them; E. returns home with his brothers and all women]: Tuchkova 2004:326.