Contents

Scientists have found out when a person started using clothes

In a cave on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, archaeologists have discovered more than 60 bone tools that ancient people used to produce clothing made of leather and fur. The age of the finds is 90—120 thousand years. This is the oldest evidence to date of the manufacture of clothing by representatives of Homo sapiens. The results of the study are published in the journal iScience.

The beginning of the use of clothing is an important milestone in the history of mankind. Its appearance not only marks the rise of man to the next step in cultural and cognitive evolution, this innovation has given people the opportunity to settle outside Africa, in colder and more unfavorable regions from the point of view of climate.

Archaeologists and anthropologists agree that Homo sapiens began using clothing in the late Pliocene, but they could not say more precisely until now: leather, furs and other organic materials used for manufacturing are poorly preserved in the archaeological record. Therefore, scientists are constantly trying to find indirect evidence of the appearance of clothing production technologies among ancient people — specialized tools for making skins.

Researchers studying the site of an ancient man in the Contrebandier cave in Morocco have found here about 12 thousand fragments of animal bones, at least 60 of which have been identified by scientists as tools for skinning and skinning. The found bone tools have a certain correct shape, they are polished and smoothed, which indicates long-term use.

Next to the bone tools, the bones of small fur — bearing animals — sand foxes, golden jackals and wild cats — were found with traces indicating that the animals were butchered to skin them. The bones of other animal species found in the cave, belonging to cattle, have marks of a different type, indicating that they were processed for meat.

«The combination of predator bones with traces of skinning and bone tools, which were probably also used for fur processing, provides very convincing indirect evidence of the production of the earliest clothing in the archaeological record,» the words of the first author of the article Emily Hallett from the German Max Planck Institute for the History of Mankind are quoted in the press release of the publishing house. «But given the level of specialization, these tools are probably part of an earlier tradition, examples of which have not yet been found.»

Experts compared the tools from the Contrebandier cave with descriptions of skin treatment tools from other studies and found that they have the same shape and the same markings. The age of the oldest of the finds is 120 thousand years. This is the earliest evidence to date of the emergence of a culture of clothing production and specialized tools for its manufacture.

In general, according to the researchers, the findings from the Contrabandier cave emphasize the emergence of a complex culture in the late Pleistocene in Africa, including the use of a wide variety of materials for the manufacture of specialized tools.

«Bone tools from the Contrebandier cave demonstrate that approximately 120 thousand years ago Homo sapiens began to actively use bones to make specialized tools for solving specific tasks, including processing leather and fur. This feature, apparently, is the basic one for our species, and did not appear after the expansion into Eurasia,» Hallett summarizes.

Learn more: https://ria.ru/20210916/odezhda-1750382673.html

Scientific comments are given in parentheses.

The Bible (Genesis): mention of clothing

Chapter 2:25 And both Adam and his wife were naked, and they were not ashamed. (Shame in the development of human self-identification appears later. Loincloths — from the point of view of religious figures, the loss of innocence led to a sense of shame, and people began to cover the genitals with loincloths (girdles), Christians covered the genitals in sculptures and paintings with fig leaves (hence to show figs — to ridicule Christian mock modesty). Man is the only animal that deliberately covers his body with foreign materials for reasons that we call «modesty», using the «belt of modesty». Other animals can cover themselves with dirt in order to cool the body, or they can use an unoccupied shell as a shelter, but, as far as we can judge, only people have modesty. A. Asimov believed that at first some kind of coverings were needed in order to protect the most sensitive places — for example, the genitals — from contact with the external environment. (When a person stood on his hind legs, the genitals were more open than before.). As people migrated to cooler areas, clothes became heavier and tighter around the body: a person needed artificial heat. The motive of modesty (or, in some cases, shamelessness: after all, sometimes garments were used to emphasize erotic places) appeared, apparently, as a side effect of this utilitarian need for clothing. On the other hand, there are still primitive cultures for which nudity is not considered shameful; there are also developed peoples with similar views — for example, the Japanese; finally, one can recall nudist (from the Latin nudo — to expose, to do naked, to discover, to be discovered) colonies and beaches. The loincloth was used by people to prevent feces from falling or urine from spilling during hunting and in general, since an enemy or a predatory animal could track down the traces of human excrement. By blood (using spears with notches that cause an abundance of blood), traces, droppings, ancient people and current hunters, as well as animals by smell, track down prey. Loincloths were also used to support the genitals, as corsets and bras were later used to support women’s breasts.)

Chapter 3:21 And the Lord God made leather garments for Adam and his wife and clothed them. (Once again proves that the Lord God is a man, or rather tailors who skin animals and use animal skins for clothing. that is, cattle breeding is developing.)

Chapter 9:20 Noah began to cultivate the land and planted a vineyard; (Noah’s occupation with agriculture and, in particular, viticulture).

21 And he drank the wine, and became drunk, and lay naked in his tent. (Description of Noah’s drunkenness, clothes by that time were not only the subject of hiding from the cold, but also became the subject of modesty).

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness, and went out and told his two brothers. (Here it is proved that by that time clothes had become a subject of modesty, it became necessary to hide their nakedness with the help of clothes).

23 Now Shem and Japheth took a garment and put it on their shoulders, went backwards and covered their father’s nakedness; their faces were turned back, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. (Once again it is proved that it was impossible for children to see their parents’ nakedness).

24 Noah overslept from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him (Noah’s actions towards his youngest son, but in ancient times the rule of the minor was applied to younger sons, that is, all property was given to him).

25 And he said, Cursed is Canaan; he will be a servant of servants to his brothers. (However, it is not Ham who is cursed, but his son, that is, Noah’s grandson Canaan! Canaan is the ancestor of the Canaanites and the writers of the Bible, who covered these events in later times, had to justify the enslavement of Canaan by the Israelites).

26 Then he said: Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; Canaan will be his servant; (Shem had his own God, most likely the god of the tribe of Shem, then there was polytheism, Canaan was proclaimed a slave to Shem. Here again the Israelites’ conquest of Canaan is justified).

Chapter 20:16 And Sarah said, Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, this is a veil for your eyes before all who are with you, and before all you are justified. (A veil to hide the eyes. Headscarves for women — all peoples at different times have a closure of the face, body. For example, the burqa is from the Arab. farajiya — upper loose clothing, veil — from Sanskrit. pata is a fabric, a light female head covering, now a wedding headdress. The face in ancient times was considered the abode of the soul, where the most important features of a woman were, so they were hidden even more carefully than the rest of the body. Nowadays, a resident of Saudi Arabia, having lived with her husband for 30 years, filed for divorce after a curious spouse looked at her face for the first time, removing the veil, thus he violated the law of his wife’s hometown, which prohibits showing her face even to her spouse).

Chapter 24:53 And the servant took out silver things, and gold things, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; and he also gave rich gifts to her brother and her mother. (Endowment).

Chapter 27:15 And Rebekah took the rich clothes of her eldest son Esau, which she had in her house, and clothed her youngest son Jacob; (Camouflage). 16 and she covered his hands and his smooth neck with the skin of the goats; (Camouflage). 27 He came up and kissed him. And [Isaac] smelled the smell of his clothes and blessed him and said, «Behold, the smell of my son is like the smell of the field that the Lord has blessed; (Deception). 28 May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fat of the earth, and plenty of bread and wine; (A blessing by deceit!).

Chapter 28:20 And Jacob made a vow, saying, If God will be with me and keep me in this way that I am going, and will give me bread to eat and clothes to put on, (A vow is a contract with a priest).

Chapter 35:2 And Jacob said to his house and to all who were with him, Cast away the strange gods that are with you, and be cleansed, and change your clothes; (There must be one god who will «guide»).

Chapter 37:3 Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age, and made him a colorful garment. (Joseph is the youngest son, that is, he fits under the right of a minor. Multicolored clothes meant wealth, a kind of being chosen for ancient times, something like the fashion of that time. Expulsion of children — in the animal world, it is often possible to observe the expulsion of their older cubs by females with newborns, this is done by them in order to save the life of a newborn cub and feed it, also a female feeding a newborn does not seek to mate, she does not produce menstruation, this is also observed in humans (often eaten or buried by animals placenta, so that predators do not come to the smell and eat the cubs, according to the ancient African custom of some peoples, including the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, their placenta was buried together with the deceased in a canopic jar). In ancient Russia, group marriage was a form of family life in which a woman and a man from the same family formed a monogamous family for a while. They lived as husband and wife for exactly as long as it took to have children and raise them up to about the age of three. From that moment on, the mother paid less attention to the child, since he was considered old enough to do a variety of work. A woman could have already given birth to a second child, so she either extended the relationship with her former spouse, or moved on to another man. The elder must arrange his own life. Such a phenomenon exists in humans — in Russian fairy tales, older brothers are always treacherous, and the younger one is «good», in Germany, the custom was preserved for a long time when older children left home and arranged their own lives. This is the right of the minor, the ancient system of inheritance of property by the youngest in the family, was replaced by the right of the major — the right of inheritance by the eldest of the heirs, was aimed at preserving and consolidating large landed property). 23 When Joseph came to his brothers, they took off Joseph’s clothes, the multicolored clothes that he was wearing (the clothes were apparently expensive).

24 And they took him and threw him into the pit; but the pit was empty; there was no water in it. (Revenge of the brothers).

25 And they sat down to eat bread, and looked, and saw, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, and their camels were carrying styrax, balm, and frankincense: they were going to take it to Egypt. (A trading caravan. In religious manipulations, aromatic effects are widely used — the establishment of influence with the help of odors and smoking (myrrh, myrrh, frankincense, etc.). It has been scientifically proven that frankincense contains incensol acetate and is a remedy for depression and acts as an antidepressant. Balms — from the Greek — aromatic resin, natural substances, which include essential oils and resins dissolved in them, aromatic and other compounds. Styrax (in Greek, in Hebrew — nataf — a tree or shrub, the brown-red resin of this tree was used in medicine and cosmetics, the ancient Israelites used this resin when smoking in tents).

26 Judah said to his brothers, «What good is it if we kill our brother and hide his blood?» (Judas is against the murder of his brother).

27 Let us go and sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let not our hands be on him, for he is our brother, our flesh. His brothers obeyed him (It is better to sell Joseph).

28 And when the merchants of Midian were passing by, they pulled Joseph out of the ditch and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver; and they took Joseph to Egypt. (Joseph was sold to Egypt. A piece of silver is a Jewish coin).

29 But Reuben came again to the ditch; and behold, Joseph was not in the ditch. And he tore his clothes, (Tearing clothes is an ancient custom of inflicting certain injuries to himself).

30 And he returned to his brothers, and said, There is no lad, but I, where am I going? (Reuben empathizes with Joseph).

31 And they took Joseph’s clothes, and slaughtered the goat, and stained the clothes with blood. (Staging).

32 And they sent a garment of many colors, and brought it to their father, and said, We have found it; see if this is your son’s garment or not. (Father’s deception).

33 He recognized her and said, «This is my son’s garment; a beast of prey has eaten him; surely Joseph has been torn to pieces.» (Jacob believed the deception).

34 And Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days. (Sackcloth or sackcloth — sackcloth, clothing made of coarse fabric).

35 And all his sons and all his daughters gathered together to comfort him; but he would not be comforted, and said, With sorrow I will go down to my son in hell. So his father mourned him. (Mourning originates in antiquity. Mourning — according to the rule of talion, grief, mourning clothes, veil, female crying (mourners) — all these are ways to cause pity for the mourner, ways to cause sadness, grief, remorse. A person in grief beats his chest, tears his hair, refuses to eat, thereby trying to punish himself and avoid the upcoming eternal punishment or weaken the punishment he is waiting for for the death of a loved one).

Chapter 38:14 And she took off the garment of her widowhood, and covered herself with a veil, and shut herself up, and sat at the gate of Enaim, which is on the road to Tamnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she was not given to him as a wife. (Special clothes existed in ancient times for mourning, different countries have different mourning colors in Europe — black, in China — white).

15 When Judas saw her, he took her for a harlot, because she had covered her face. (The woman’s closed face, apparently, meant the opening of the lower part of the body to those who wished).

16 He turned to her and said, «I will come in to you.» For he did not know that this was his daughter-in-law. She said: what will you give me if you come in to me? (Prostitution, one of the oldest professions).

17 He said: I’ll send you a kid from the herd. She said: Will you give me a deposit while you send it? (A pledge is also needed, otherwise it will deceive).

18 He said, «What pledge shall I give you?» She said, «Your seal, and your sash, and your cane, which is in your hand.» And he gave it to her and went in to her; and she conceived by him. (Pregnancy also appeared).

19 And she arose, and went, and took off her veil, and put on the garment of her widowhood. (The widow again).

20 Judah sent a kid by his friend the Adollamite to take the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. (Payment).

21 And he asked the inhabitants of the place, saying, Where is the harlot who was in Enaim by the wayside? But they said: There was no harlot here. (Clarification).

Chapter 39:12 She grabbed him by his clothes and said, «Lie down with me.» But he left his clothes in her hands, ran and ran out. (The woman is preparing a trick).

13 But when she saw that he had left his clothes in her hands and ran out (to contradict a woman like that!).

14 She called her household and said to them, «Look, he has brought a Jew to us to scold us. He came to me to lie down with me, but I screamed in a loud voice, (A woman is preparing a trick).

15 And when he heard that I raised a cry and cried out, he left his clothes with me, and ran, and ran out. (Insinuations).

16 And she kept his clothes with her until his master came to her house. (The woman is preparing a trick).

17 And she told him the same words, saying, The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came to me to abuse me. (Insinuations).

18 But when I raised my voice and cried out, he left his clothes with me and ran out. (Insinuations).

19 When his master heard the words of his wife, which she said to him, saying: your servant did this to me, then he was inflamed with anger; (The insinuation ended with the victory of the deceiver).

20 Then his master took Joseph and put him in the prison where the king’s prisoners were imprisoned. And he was there in prison. (Joseph is in prison).

Chapter 41:14 And Pharaoh sent and called Joseph. And they hurriedly brought him out of prison. He cut his hair and changed his clothes and came to Pharaoh. (Joseph was summoned to Pharaoh). 42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph’s hand; he clothed him in fine linen, and put a golden chain around his neck.; (Joseph is the most important official of the state, visson is an expensive fabric).

43 He ordered them to take him to the second of their chariots and proclaim before him: Bow down! And he set him over all the land of Egypt. (Joseph is the most important official of the state).

Chapter 44:13 And they tore their clothes, and each one laid a burden on his donkey, and returned to the city. (Tearing clothes meant showing a high degree of despair).

Chapter 45:22 To each of them he gave a change of clothes, and to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothes; (Pharaoh’s order).

Chapter 49:11 He binds his colt to the vine and his donkey’s son to the vine of the best grapes; he washes his clothes in wine and his robe in the blood of grapes; (Predictions are blessings).

Chapter 50:10 And they came to Goren-haathad by the Jordan, and there they wept with a great and very strong weeping; and [Joseph] wept for his father seven days. (In ancient times, it was necessary to show grief for the deceased. Mourning — according to the rule of talion, grief, mourning clothes, veil, female crying (mourners) — all these are ways to cause pity for the mourner, ways to cause sadness, grief, remorse. A person in grief beats his chest, tears his hair, refuses to eat, thereby trying to punish himself and avoid the upcoming eternal punishment or weaken the punishment he is waiting for for the death of a loved one).

Animal skins — initial clothing

The skins of various animals were the first forms of clothing of ancient man. The skins of various animals were cut up and served as a blanket for a person.

For example, bulls are very often found in legends and beliefs of different peoples. The «Word about Igor’s regiment» mentions «Busovo time», Bus in ancient Greek, bos in Latin — «bull, cow», aka Booz, Boos, God — king and commander of the tribal associations of Slavs (Ants), executed by the Goths in the IV century along with 70 other leaders of related tribes. In ancient Western Semitic languages, «aleph» meant «bull», and «bet» — «house» (in Hebrew, «aleph» and «bet», respectively), hence the name of the first Greek letters «alpha» and «beta» (in the Byzantine pronunciation «vita»), the Russian word «alphabet».

In ancient Egypt, there was, along with other animals, the cult of the bull, it was one of the most magnificent and solemn cults that an animal has ever been honored with, the Memphis bull Apis was considered a «servant of the god Ptah» and a symbol of fertility; he lived in a sacred stable right in the main temple, where he was cared for by special priests. After the death of the bull, it was embalmed and buried in compliance with a complex solemn ceremony and with a huge gathering of people. The priests then went to look for his receiver, and here they looked for some birthmarks — «divine» signs, only a black bull was recognized as a «newborn Apis», who had a white spot in the shape of a triangle on his forehead, a scarab–shaped growth under his tongue, a spot resembling an eagle on his spine, a two–color on his tail wool, etc.; these «divine» signs were allegedly about 30. When such a bull was finally found, which was undoubtedly not an easy task, he was solemnly escorted to a cleaned sacred stable, where he lived with a harem of specially selected cows until his death, the last bull lived to the moment when Egypt became a Christian country. The cult of the «golden calf» was borrowed by the Jews from the ancient Egyptians, who worshipped the bull Apis (hecatomb — in ancient Greece, the sacrifice of a hundred bulls to the gods).

The longest 2nd surah of the Quran is called «Cow».

The ancient Egyptian god Osiris was usually identified with the bull Apis from Memphis and with the bull Mnevis from Heliopolis. It is difficult to say whether these bulls, like red-haired oxen, were incarnations of Osiris as the spirit of bread, or whether they were originally independent deities who merged with Osiris later. These two bulls are distinguished from other sacred animals whose cult was local in nature by the fact that their cult was widespread everywhere. Whatever the original relation of Apis to Osiris, we have one fact regarding the former, which cannot be ignored in any way when discussing the custom of killing God. Although the ancient Egyptians worshipped this bull as a real god, with great solemnity and deep reverence, they did not allow Apis to live longer than the period prescribed by the ritual books. At the end of this period, the bull was drowned in a sacred spring. Apis, according to Plutarch, was allowed to live for twenty-five years. However, recent excavations of Apis graves show that this prescription was not always carried out punctually. From the inscriptions on the tombs it appears that during the reign of the twenty-second dynasty, two of the sacred bulls lived for more than twenty-six years.

The Hindus have a cult of the cow, the killing and eating of whose meat they revere for a crime as heinous as premeditated murder. Nevertheless, the brahmins transfer the sins of the people to one or more cows, which are then taken to the place indicated by the brahmin. Sacrificing a bull, the ancient Egyptians called on his head all the troubles that could fall on themselves and on their land, after which they sold the bull’s head to the Greeks or threw it into the river. The ancient Egyptians worshipped bulls in the historical era, it was their custom to kill bulls and eat their meat. A large number of facts lead us, however, to the conclusion that originally the Egyptians, along with cows, considered bulls sacred animals. They not only considered sacred and never sacrificed cows — they sacrificed only such bulls, on the body of which there were certain marks. Before sacrificing the bull, the priest carefully examined it: if the necessary markings were present, the priest branded the animal as a sign that it was suitable for sacrifice. The man who sacrificed an unbranded bull was himself to be put to death. The cult of the black bulls Apis and Mnevis (especially the first one) played an important role in Egyptian religion. The Egyptians carefully buried all bulls who died of natural causes on the outskirts of cities, after which they collected their bones from all parts of Egypt and buried them in one place. All the participants in the sacrifice of the bull at the great mysteries of Isis wept and beat their chests. So, we have the right to conclude that originally bulls, like cows, were revered by the Egyptians as sacred animals and that the slaughtered bull, on whose head all the people’s misfortunes were heaped, was once a divine redeemer.

Since the end of the XIII century BC, a new time has begun for Egypt. The Pharaohs, and above all the famous Ramses II, who ruled for 67 years, moved their residence to Lower Egypt in order to facilitate their protection from the invasions that threatened the country primarily from the Hittites, then from the «sea peoples» and the Philistines. They sought to organize the defense of Egypt not at the very remote Thebes, but at the Nile Delta, directly at the gates of Egypt. The god Amon with a ram’s head (with twisted horns) is also gradually losing its former dominant place. Ramses II creates a cemetery of sacred bulls (with horns) in Memphis. Far to the south, near the border with modern Sudan, at Abu Simbel, he builds a sanctuary deep in the rock. German author Erich Tseren in the book «Biblical Hills» writes: «There, in Susa (the capital of ancient Elam, modern southern Iran), as a result of excavations in 1901—1902, the French found… the „code of laws“ of the Babylonian king Hammurabi, written on a huge diorite stone. They also found parts of a wall bas-relief of the XII century BC, on which a bearded bull-man with a crown in the form of a horn and bull hooves is depicted next to a palm tree. It is quite obvious that the most ancient image of the bull is now becoming more and more a humanoid image of the moon god, who, in the end, preserved only as a sign of divinity the sacred horns on his forehead, the same as those of the leaders of the Semites, Indo-Europeans, Germans and other peoples.» The ancient Egyptians worshipped bulls, cats, crocodiles, sheep, etc. and considered them gods, as well as their kings.

In Hebrew mythology, cherubs are drawn as four-faced creatures (each of them has a human, bull, lion and eagle face), having four wings, under which human hands and four wheels are located. Cherubim symbolize intelligence, obedience, strength and speed. The Bible says that God sits on cherubim (1 Samuel, chapter 4, v. 4; Psalm 79, v. 2), that cherubim are the guardians of paradise (Gen., Chapter 3, v. 24) and carriers of God’s chariot through the clouds (Ezek., chapters 1 and 10). The etymology of the word «cherub» is controversial. Once this word was derived from the Aramaic root «harab» — to plow, but now it is believed that it comes from the Assyrian karibu — «blessing». «Cherub» is a singular form, in Hebrew the plural is formed by adding the suffix «im», thus the word «cherub», and this despite the fact that in the Russian translation it looks like paradise is guarded by a single being, denotes a certain number of guards.

«The Book of the Judges of Israel», scientific commentaries in parentheses. «Chapter 2. 11 Then the children of Israel began to do evil in the sight of the Lord and began to serve the Baals; (Obedience and loyalty to «their» god, this is the main thing for slaves from the point of view of the slave-owning priests. Baal, Baal, from the Phoenician «lord», «lord» — an ancient all-Semitic deity, revered in Phoenicia, Syria, Palestine. Initially, he was considered the head of the patriarchal family, the patron god of a certain territory, a city, was depicted as a man with goat horns («Azazel», more precisely «Aza-El» — from Hebrew «goat–god»). The worship of the ancient gods was preserved among the Jews even when monotheism was established among them and the church, temple organization of the cult of Yahweh was formed. According to the book of Leviticus (XVI, 5—30), God commanded Moses that on the tenth day of the seventh month the Jews celebrate the «day of purification» from all sins. Baal: A pagan deity, a symbol of human sacrifice. Some rituals included the sacrifice of children, as with other ancient peoples. The parents believed that they could earn the favor of Baal by placing their firstborn on his altar. They thought he would reward their devotion by giving them many more children. In other cases, the body of a sacrificed child was immured in the foundation or wall of a new house. By doing so, the family hoped that it would provide her with Baal’s protection and keep her out of trouble. Baals could be people, priests-lords, many of them wore horns on their heads, goat skins, hooves, mimicking totem animals — goats, rams, bull bulls).

Does Baal resemble such fabulous creatures as the devil, the devil, the devil? These were people, priests of the primitive tribal system, who wore animal skins, they became competitors of other priests, with wings on their backs.

Horned animals symbolized the sickle of the «sacred» Moon, the Moon and the Sun, as well as the sky itself, where supposedly «celestials» live, by analogy with earthly life, became sacred animals that you need to resemble, initially to get closer and catch, therefore they wore horns, hooves, tail.

Hunters, in order to catch an animal, put on its skins, made an imitation of hooves, horns, tails, masks or wings, so it was easier to catch any animal that perceived a person in the skin of this animal as its own. Hence came a variety of werewolves — people in the skin of animals, later actors (actors), priests and sorcerers who used various methods to establish their dominance over their tribesmen, including to become «human hunters», that is, to make tribesmen their slaves.

In most mammals, rods (photoreceptor cells) predominate in the retina of the eye, so, for example, a wolf or a fox do not distinguish colors, but they see even on a moonless night. Talk about the fact that the wolf is afraid of red flags or the bull rushes to the red with special fury has no basis. Humans and monkeys (as well as birds) have a lot of cones in the retina of the eyes, so they distinguish colors, but they do not see anything on a dark night.

Archaeological research shows that the homeland of the ancient Indo–Europeans is the area of the Southern Urals — the Black Sea region, where they formed as a single language group. Indo-European languages are formed in ancient times and originate from a single Proto-Indo-European language, whose native speakers lived about 5—6 thousand years ago. On the territory of the Southern Urals, the oldest beliefs are formed, which became the basis of subsequent religions: Vedism and Mazdaism, which, in turn, developed from primitive beliefs. The ancient Indo-Europeans began the culture of metallurgy development here, this was facilitated by the presence of a huge number of swamps. The Indo-Europeans learned how to extract marsh ores and melt iron from them. «Santa Claus» can be translated from Latin as «sacred, closed place» from «sanctus» — «sacred, inviolable, indestructible», «clausum» — «closed locked place, lock, bolt». This is the legendary Vara from the Zoroastrian Avesta. In ancient times, it was also in Vars: priests with horns on their heads and wings behind their backs burned dead people — that’s the prototype of hell. Indo-Europeans carried their goods for sale on sleighs in winter and became prototypes of Santa Claus.

Mention of clothing and folk customs in the epic of peoples

The Enchanted Castle

(Persian folk tale)

Was it so or not, the Padishah (Padishah — Persian. «supreme sovereign») The country of Haveran (Haveran is a small city in the south of Iran, in the province of Fars) had three sons. The elder was called Afruz (Afruz — Persian. «victorious»), the middle one is Shahruz (Shahruz — Persian. «royal, happy, lucky»), and the younger one is Behruz (Behruz — Persian. «successful»). (The «sacred» troika). One day they sat with their entourage and talked about this and that, until they talked about amazing places on earth and cities that are worth seeing. Here all the sons of the padishah really wanted to go on a long journey together, wander around the world, see the amazing and unprecedented. That’s what they decided. They went to their father, kissed the ground in front of him and asked for permission to go to distant lands. The Padishah answered them:

— Well you planned it! After all, it is not for nothing that our wise elders said: «It is better to wander than to sit at home in vain.» To go around the whole world is very good, a person sees a lot of interesting things and remembers what will be useful to him later. Go, take a walk, see different countries, talk to wise, experienced people and learn something from everyone. As the sages say: «From each hirman (Hirman — tok, threshing floor, a platform on which grain is poured), take an ear so that your hirman is larger than any other.» But if you go and in your journey you will reach

standing on the very border of the city of Nigaristan (Nigaristan is the residence of suburban shah palaces in the vicinity of Tehran), do not enter it and turn from there as soon as possible, because this is not a good city, and anyone who comes there becomes unhappy. The worst thing is that not far from the city, on a hill, behind a stone wall, there is a palace called the «Enchanted Castle». Anyone who enters it will lose everything. Dozens of young men did not listen to the advice of the elderly and went there. They lost their lives and wealth, and so far it has never happened that someone came to the city of Nigaristan and did not go to the enchanted castle. I say it again, my sons! Be on the alert, God forbid that your foot set foot in the city of Nigaristan and you went to the enchanted castle!

The sons bowed low to him, kissed the ground in front of him and said:

— We obey! With our soul and heart we heed the order of the Padishah!

The Padishah kissed everyone and said:

— Go, be healthy, may God protect you!

The next morning, the sons got up early, mounted good horses, rode out of the gates of the city and drove along the road. But every time they remembered their father’s speeches and his strict order, they began to think: «Is the city of Nigaristan and the enchanted castle such a dangerous place? Why didn’t Father tell us to go there? How does he know everything? Have you been there yourself, heard from someone or read in books? Why didn’t he tell us more, didn’t he explain what kind of city Nigaristan is and what kind of enchanted castle it is?»

Such seductive thoughts came into their heads all the time and deprived them of peace.

Days passed, months passed, they passed through towns and villages, until one day they came to a green, cheerful plain, which beckoned from afar with lush gardens. One could guess that behind the gardens there was a city, abundant with water and fertile. They drove a little further, entered the gardens and between the trees saw the battlements and towers of the city walls rising to the sky. People coming from the city began to come across them. The sons of the Padishah asked them: What kind of city is this?

They were answered:

— This is the city of Nigaristan.

Then all three remembered their father’s speeches, shuddered and froze in place… Finally Afruz said:

This is the same city standing on the border. Father strictly ordered us not to go to these places. However, as you can see, the city is worth a look. I don’t know what we should do, enter the city or not enter?

The younger brother, Behruz, answered him:

— How do you not know what to do? It is necessary to fulfill the father’s order and, without looking at this city, immediately turn back.

The middle brother said:

— Since we are already here, it would be nice to drive up to the city gate and look there, and then leave.

Then the elder brother spoke again:

— I don’t think this is the same city where our father didn’t tell us to go. That city should lie in ruins, but in this one, so beautiful and blooming, in my opinion, anyone can enter. We left home to see everything worth seeing, and this city is certainly worth seeing. I think we need to go there, and if this is the same Nigaristan that father spoke about, we will not go to the enchanted castle, we will not spend the night in the city, we will ride through this gate and, without dismounting, we will leave the other gate.

For a long time they argued like that, until suddenly they noticed that they had already arrived at the very city gate. As they saw the gates and the decorations above them, they bit their fingers in surprise. And when they looked through the gate into the city itself, they were just dumbfounded… They see: yes, this is the same city of Nigaristan, standing on the border, about which my father spoke.

Afruz, the oldest brother, said:

— Our father did not tell us to go to this city. But he either did not know what kind of city it was, or he thought that we were still helpless children and if someone attacked us, we would be defeated and captured. He doesn’t know that if someone comes face to face with us, he won’t be able to. Each of us is worth ten heroes in archery, swordsmanship and wrestling!

He said and added:

«Come what may! I’m going to the city! The middle brother said,

«I’m coming with you!»

And the youngest says:

— I have to go with you, because we are going together. If there is a road in front of us, we must go along it together, and if there is a pit in front of us, we must fall there together!

And so all three brothers entered the city. They’ve never seen anything like this before! Palaces and houses, gardens and flower beds amazed the eye, over every door, at every intersection, on every wall such pictures are painted — you can’t take your eyes off! But listen, what kind of people are there! Some are white, pink, strong, they are dressed in new beautiful clothes, they talk, laugh, are cheerful, they have a holiday from evening to morning, they do not know grief. These cheerful and beautiful people are more often found on the streets, and others, who are much more numerous than the first ones, work for them, and they, unhappy, hungry, ragged, thin, live in dilapidated houses on the outskirts, no one pays attention to them.

The brothers really liked the city, and they decided to spend a few days in it. We stayed there for two or three days and became completely different — just drunk. They didn’t care about anything, had fun, and only wanted to sing and dance.

One day, being in a cheerful mood, the elder brother Afruz said to the two younger ones:

— I keep thinking about why my father didn’t want us to go to this city. Was he jealous of our pleasures?

The middle brother replied:

— Maybe this city was destroyed earlier and the father knows about it since then, but does not know anything about today?

The younger brother said:

— Maybe he knows about something bad in this city that we haven’t met yet?

I won’t bother you with transmitting their conversation, but they talked for a long time. In the end, they got quite settled in the city.

One day Afruz says:

— Brothers! The place here is not bad and probably the enchanted castle is the same, and my father just told us not to go there in vain. We need to look into it too, and if you don’t come with me, I’ll go alone and come back soon.

Shahruz replied:

— I will not enter the castle, but I will go with you to its foot. Behrouz replied:

«If you’re both going, then I’m going with you.»

The brothers got up here, mounted their horses and went to look for the enchanted castle. But they didn’t ask anyone how to get to him, they all showed him the threshold, and then gave the same advice: «It’s better not to go there, it’s a bad place, they say; of the young men who went there, no one returned the same way they left.» And every inhabitant of the city of Nigaristan, who met them, reported something new about the enchanted castle. One said:

— In winter, instead of snow and rain, stones and lightning fall from the sky, and in summer, flames shoot out of doors and windows.

Another said:

— Padishah divov (Divas, devas — slav. «marvel» — supernatural humanoid beings, present in Turkic, Iranian, Slavic, Georgian, Armenian, mythologies, in Zoroastrianism — evil spirits) imprisoned in this castle the daughter of Shah Peri (Peri — Persian. in Persian mythology, creatures in the form of beautiful girls, a kind of analogue of European fairies) and wants to persuade her to become his wife. But the padishah is afraid that if some hero finds the way to the castle, he will take the beauty away, and therefore anyone who comes to the castle is attacked by divas.

Many said:

— The daughter of the Chinese emperor has been kidnapped and is being held there in chains. A strong guard is assigned to her so that no one can free her.

Others said:

— In that castle, in the dungeon, a girl named Chilgis is imprisoned (Chilgis is a Persian. «Forty braids», the «sacred» number 40. Science does not believe that some numbers are «bad» and others are «good», but such an opinion exists in religious and mystical thinking. Some examples. 3. The idea of the «divine trinity», being a reflection of the fact of the existence of a monogamous family. Dad, mom and child, the role of mom is downplayed due to the rule of patriarchy, instead of mom, the holy spirit borrowed from Zoroastrianism. 13. The damn dozen. The devil is a representative of the «wrong» pagan religion, who wore animal skins, horns, and a kind of hooves on his feet — initially in order to get closer to animals and catch them. 12 — «dozen», from «squeeze» — that is, «be able», the number 12 is divided into many numbers, and 13 it is not divided into anything — it turns out «a damn dozen». 40. Ancient tribes of Indo-Europeans lived for thousands of years in the Arctic Circle, where the polar day lasts 40 days, and the Sun was God. 666. Apocalypse, the number of the beast. In many ancient peoples, including the Jews, numbers were denoted by different letters of the alphabet, in Hebrew words are read from right to left: nun (50); vav (6); nes (200); nun (50); nes (200); sameh (60); kuf (100) in the sum of the numerical values and give the number 666, it turns out the emperor «Caesar Nero»). She was tied by her braids to a post so that she would not run away. She will be there until the hero Jahantig (Jahantig — Persian. «avalanche») and will not free her.

One or two people said:

— This castle belongs to the daughter of the Chinese emperor. She is very beautiful, but she does not marry anyone and will only marry someone who will answer all her questions. Until now, no one has been able to answer her questions, and those who have wooed, but have not answered the questions, are beheaded, impaled on spikes and put their heads on the battlements of the fortress walls. In addition, many young men there were bewitched, and some of them were petrified to the waist, and others — from head to toe.

The people they met told the three brothers about all this, and they wanted to see the enchanted castle more and more. It takes a long time to retell everything here, and, in short, Afruz asked those people who told about this castle:

— Have you seen everything you are talking about with your own eyes? Answered:

— No! We heard from our fathers, but none of us went there, because there is a Chinese border and a fortress behind the famous Chinese wall.

In the end, Afruz, Shahruz and Behruz left the city of Nigaristan in the direction of the enchanted castle. From a distance, they saw a castle rising to the sky on a hill behind a powerful stone wall… We reached the top of the hill. At the very wall they got off their horses and tied them to a tree. With great difficulty, they climbed the wall, descended from it and found themselves on the other side of the wall at the foot of the castle. The castle gates were closed and no one was there. For some reason, the brothers were seized with fear, they wanted to return, but Afruz thought and said:

— Since we came here, we should still look into the castle. If you’re afraid, stay here and wait for me. I’ll go there and come back quickly.

Shahruz and Behruz said:

— No, brother, let’s get out of here! We can’t go in there, this castle scares us, let’s get out of here!

Afruz replied:

— No, as the man said, that’s what he should do. Stay here, I’ll be back soon.

With the end of his sword, he lifted the bolt, opened the gate and entered the castle. Shahruz and Behruz, trembling with fear, were waiting for him at the castle gate. Two or three hours have passed, and he’s still gone. They were alarmed. Shahruz said:

— In my opinion, an accident has happened to our brother. Stay here, and I’ll go to the castle. If we come back from there with him, we’ll leave right away, and if I enter the castle and don’t come back either, don’t follow me, go straight to our city, to your father, and tell him everything.

Behrouz asked:

— Why don’t I follow you if you don’t come back?

Shahruz replied:

— Because I’m afraid you will also disappear with us, and more grief will be added to the grief of the father, he will be left completely without sons, his house will be empty, the hearth will go out. In any case, you alone should stay with him, so that in his old age he would have support!

With these words, Shahruz entered the castle gate and also disappeared… Behruz, when he saw that the middle brother also did not appear, wanted to do as he said and return to his father, but then he thought: «That would be ignoble! I’ll go to the castle, and if they are captured, I may be able to free them!»

Behruz entered the castle gate and saw: there is a huge building, there are a lot of ayvans (Ayvan is a covered terrace) and rooms, the walls are covered with paintings everywhere, the floors are made of marble and porphyry (Porphyry is a volcanic rock. Porphyry (fabric) is a purple — colored material used for the manufacture of outerwear of royal persons and other important persons). He really liked looking at all this at first, but then he suddenly thought: «After all, I came for my brothers and immediately lost my head in front of these paintings, so much so that I forgot about my brothers! I stand as if bewitched! That’s right, they called this castle enchanted!»

He moved from his place and went to look for his brothers. He moved from ivan to ivan, from room to room, until he reached a room that was larger than the others, and saw his brothers standing there confused, biting their finger in surprise, in front of some painting. He was delighted at the sight of his brothers. Looked around and sees: what beautiful paintings! He said to himself:

«We need an expert here to figure everything out! It seems that these paintings were drawn by the hand of the prophet Mani himself!» (Mani is a semi — legendary prophet, the founder of the religion of Manichaeism (III century AD). Manichean temples were decorated with wall paintings, and therefore Mani himself was considered a skilled artist).

Then he went up to the brothers and looked at the image they were looking at. Then his heart sank, and he, too, was numb with surprise. The three of them stared at the painting until it got dark. We spent the night there, in the castle, suffering from hunger and thirst. When the sun rose and it became quite light, they came up to the painting again. This time Behrouz examined her and saw next to her an inscription in Chinese, going from top to bottom: «Mei-Kui-Gul, daughter of the Chinese emperor.» As soon as I read it, I turned to my brothers and said:

— This is a portrait of the daughter of the Chinese padishah, and she herself is now in this country, and we are not sure why we were stunned here in front of her soulless image!

Afruz said this:

— That’s right you say! I fell in love with the one that is painted here, and until I come to her doorstep, the sweet drink of life will be bitter to me! Come what may, I’m getting on my horse right now and I’ll drive him day and night until I get to China. There I will go to the Chinese emperor and tell him that I am a prince and ask for the hand of his daughter and add: either take this sword and cut off my head, or give me your daughter! And both of you go back to our father from here right now and tell him everything about me.

The younger brothers themselves fell in love with that girl, but they did not dare to say it openly and therefore said nothing:

— No, we can’t let you go alone. We’re coming with you.

No matter how much he tried to persuade them not to go, they answered:

— We have to go!

In the end, the three of them headed out of the enchanted castle towards the Chinese capital. They traveled through many different cities until they reached the capital of China and stopped there in a caravanserai. The next day Afruz went to the bathhouse, washed himself thoroughly, anointed his hair and was about to go to the emperor. But then the middle brother Shahruz told him:

«You can’t do it that way. After all, the emperor probably won’t want to give his daughter to some alien. You better get to his daughter and make her love you. When you lure her and catch her in a snare, then — whether her father agrees or does not agree — she will still become your wife. Afruz replied to this:

— No, I won’t do that. I know that no one can get to this girl.

In short, he went to the palace of the Chinese emperor, introduced himself to the chief courtier and asked permission to see the emperor. And he allowed few people to come to him and the courtier replied:

— Find out, check carefully whether he is telling the truth that he is the son of the shah. Ask him if he brought me a message from his father or if his father was angry with him and he came here to ask for my mediation so that I could reconcile them. Or maybe he is seeking refuge in my palace? Anyway, if he brought any message, take it away and bring it to me.

When the courtier came out to Afruz and began to question him about everything, he was upset and said:

— It’s all wrong and wrong! I dreamed of going to China and seeing the emperor there. Of course, I have a request to him, but I can’t tell anyone but him about this request.

They negotiated for a long time. In the end, the emperor allowed Afruz to enter. He came, bowed low, laid gifts at the feet of the emperor, tried, as far as possible, to be sweet-spoken and show submission. When the emperor found out that Afruz was telling the truth, that he really was the king’s son, he began to treat him very graciously and said:

— You’re like my nephew. Since you have come to me, it is not appropriate for you to stay in a caravanserai (a caravanserai is a large public building in the Near and Middle East and Central Asia, in cities, on roads and in uninhabited places, serving as shelter and parking for travelers, as a rule — for trade caravans). I’ll have a whole house prepared for you.

Then he turned to the servant:

— Prepare for shahzade (Shahzade — Persian. «the king’s son, prince») one of my houses with a garden, slaves, maids, a gatekeeper and eunuchs, so that he does not stay in the caravanserai.

Afruz agreed, but did not say that he was not alone, but with his brothers, who also stopped at the caravanserai. For several days he lived in the house that was assigned to him. During this time, he made friends with slaves and maids and began to ask them quietly about Mei-Kui: what is she like, is she going to get married or not? Is she in love with someone or is someone in love with her? Does she have a betrothed fiance? About this, one of their maids, who knew everything about Mei-Kui well, told him:

— The princess in the whole vast Chinese country has no equal in beauty, and as beautiful as she is, she is just as reasonable. She wants to choose a groom that she would like. Many princes came to woo, but she did not want any of them, and even the son of the Indian padishah did not like her.

Afruz asked:

«What does her father say about it?»

The girl replied:

«She agreed with her father that she would question anyone who would woo her, and if he turned out to be reasonable, she would become his wife, even if he was a beggar, and if he was ignorant, she would not marry him, even if he was a padishah.

Let’s leave Afruz for now and talk about Shahruz and Behruz.

When they both saw that the elder brother did not appear for three or four days, they became worried and thought: «What if, God forbid, the emperor got angry with Afruz and killed him or threw him into prison?»

Distressed, alarmed, they sought out the palace of the Chinese emperor, came to the chief courtier and asked him about his brother:

— What happened to the man who came here a few days ago?

He answered them:

— The Emperor placed at his disposal a house with a garden, slaves and maids. He’s doing well.

The brothers asked him if they could, if possible, allow them to go to see Afruz. The courtier asked:

«Are you related to him?» Those say:

— Yes, he is our older brother.

Then the courtier led them to Afruz. Their arrival was very unpleasant for Tom. The younger brothers, as soon as they saw that the elder was alive and well, were very happy. We sat with him for two hours, talked and left. The courtier told the Chinese emperor about this visit, and he did not like Afruz’s act: why did he not say anything about the brothers, why did he leave them in the caravanserai? After that, the emperor stopped accepting Afruz with the same honor and respect, he began to treat him quite differently.

In the end, Afruz’s patience ran out, and one day he asked a courtier:

«If I ask the emperor for something, won’t he get angry?» Can I tell him everything directly, or should I tell someone else first so that they can tell him later?

The courtier replied:

— No, he won’t be angry. But you need to ask his permission first, and then make a request.

Afruz asked for permission and went to the emperor. He entered, bowed to the ground, kissed the threshold. And the emperor was in a good mood that day. Two people whom he considered thorns in his path, he managed to eliminate by cunning, two or three good news about such cases came from different parts of the country, and besides, a beautiful slave was brought from Kashmir, from India. And he was not averse to talking to someone or fulfilling someone’s request.

The prince, when he saw that the emperor was cheerful, thought: «Fate favors the fulfillment of my wish!»

Before speaking, he bowed to the ground once more and again asked for permission. The Emperor asked him:

— Why didn’t you tell me the day you came to us that you had two more brothers with you and didn’t ask me to put them in my place? After all, these brothers did not want to leave you alone, they came with you from the other end of the world, they would have been near you in a difficult moment. Why did you leave them when you were lucky? I don’t like what you did!

Afruz then realized why the emperor was not as merciful to him as before. And he also told him:

— Tell me, what do you want from me? Money? Honors? Afruz replied:

— I ask of you what is above all this, that you make me a slave of your threshold!

The emperor turned to the courtier and said:

«He’s obviously asking for Mei-Kui’s hand in marriage?» Explain to him well what my daughter Mei-Kui is like. I have a big disagreement with her. I want her to become the wife of a rich padishah or shahzada, but she does not agree, she wants her future husband to be smart and reasonable. Says: «I will become the wife of a clever beggar, but I will not become the wife of a stupid padishah.» Five years ago, when her mother died and she was in great grief, I promised her that I would give her only for someone she would love herself, and since then I have not been forced to. Tell this shahzada: if he really wants to take my daughter as a wife, let him go to her so that she looks at him and asks about something. If he can answer all her questions, his wish will be fulfilled, and if not, I will not give up my daughter for anything.

Afruz listened, bowed to the ground and left the palace. The next day, he placed a crown studded with emeralds on his head, put on gold-woven robes, girded himself with a jeweled sword and headed for the Mei-Kui house, which adjoined the imperial palace. He sees: the place is quiet and peaceful, there is only one gatekeeper at the door, no voices are heard. He entered the room where the girl was. As soon as I looked at her, I immediately lost consciousness and fell down. They brought rose water, splashed it in his face, he woke up and saw: she is a hundred times more beautiful than her image in the enchanted castle! He lost consciousness again, regained consciousness, got up and, panting, pale, approached her.

The girl gave no sign, and graciously greeted him. But when she saw that he could not answer her at all, she left the room and called the maid:

— Sister, bring this prince an orange sherbet (Sherbet is a drink, as well as an oriental sweetness in the form of a bar of fudge with nuts, peanuts or raisins) so that he comes to his senses.

That day she did not go out to Afruz again and told him to tell Shahzade to come tomorrow and that this time she would not disturb him anymore.

For several days in a row, Afruz came for an hour or two to the house of the emperor’s daughter and gradually began to get used to her, he could now control himself. Then Mei-Kui asked him:

— What do you want from me?

Afruz shyly lowered his head and began to tell about himself, how he wanted to go around the whole earth, asked his father for permission, and he told him: «Go wherever you want, but not to the city of Nigaristan and not to the enchanted castle.» Then he told how he had seen the portrait in the enchanted castle, and how his heart was cramped with love, and with what difficulties he got here. He told everything about himself and added:

— I want you to agree to become my wife. The girl replied:

— About shahzad! Know and know that I am the only one, beloved-the precious daughter of my father. When I turned eleven or twelve years old, padishahs and shahzadeh began to come to me from all over the world to woo me. My father wanted to marry me to some rich and all-powerful padishah, but my mother said, «A twelve — year-old girl should marry early,» and did not allow my father to give me away. Five years ago, she became seriously ill. When she realized that she would not live, she told me: «My daughter! I am leaving you, and this is what I have to say to you at parting: do not be deceived by the splendor and richness of the life that you lead with your father! If you want to get married, marry a reasonable person, even if he was of low origin. Do not go into the house of an unreasonable person, even if he was a padishah over all padishahs. Even though I am the emperor’s wife, I have never liked this life. I have always lived like a nightingale trapped in a golden cage decorated with precious stones. Let the cage cost ten thousand ashrafi (Ashrafi is a gold coin that was minted in the Muslim monarchies of the Middle East, Central and South Asia) — what’s the use?»

My mother finished all this and died… After her death, I cried day and night. My father asked me:

— Why are you crying? I answered:

— Because my mother, my intercessor, is gone. I am afraid now, because everyone is wooing me, you will give me to anyone you want, you will sell me for wealth, power, water and land! And I will plunge into hopeless sadness for the rest of my life!

Then the father said:

«Don’t you want to get married at all?» I said:

— I want to, but I don’t want to become the wife of an unreasonable man!

My father was upset by my words, but I cried so much that he took pity on me and said:

«Rest assured, I will not force you to marry anyone; as soon as you like someone, you will marry him.»

Then my father, so that reasonable but poor people would not find a way to me, ordered seven cities and seven castles to be built near the Chinese wall and my portrait to be hung in each castle. He hopes that among those who will ask for my hand, there will be one — reasonable and at the same time rich.

Several people come to me every year. I ask them questions, and when I see that they can’t answer them, I refuse them. Now it’s your turn. I’ll ask you a few questions. If you can answer them, I will become your wife, but if you do not answer, you will have to part with the crown and head.

Afruz told her:

— Okay, I agree: ask me what you want?! The girl asked him questions, but Afruz answered them incorrectly. Then she said:

— You’ve lost! Go the way you came! Afruz, in confusion and great grief, went to the main court emperor, told him everything and added:

— I want the emperor to talk about me with his daughter, tell her; let her, no matter what, become my wife.

The courtier replied:

«I don’t think the emperor would agree to tell her that.

And so it turned out. The next day Afruz went to the emperor and presented his request to him, and he refused him. When Afruz despaired and saw that no one could help him in any way, he could not stand it, immediately collapsed and gave his soul to God.

And other people tell everything quite differently. So they say: when Prince Afruz came to the house of the daughter of the Chinese padishah and told her: «I want to marry you,» she replied to him:

— Many people came and asked for my hand. I told them all to do three feats. If you do, well, I will become your wife, and if not, I will order you to cut off your head and put it on the castle wall.

Now I’ll tell you: you’d better regret your youth and go home. And if you don’t want to, perform three such feats: first, take this crystal bowl, fill it with water in the royal spring, to which forty steps lead, and bring it to me without spilling a single drop. Secondly, from a jug that has stood for seven years, drink seven cups of wine and do not get drunk. Thirdly, play seven games with our experts and don’t lose a single one. («Sacred» numbers).

The eldest son of the Padishah and the middle son could not do this and were killed. But the younger son, when the girl told him all this, asked for forty days of delay («Sacred» figures), left the palace and went to a certain elder. The elder asked him:

«Oh, young man! What’s bothering you?

Shahzade told him everything. And the elder owned Suleiman’s magic ring. He gave the prince a ring and said: (Suleiman is an Islamic prophet, the son of the prophet David. Identified with the biblical King Solomon. «Magic» items).

— With the help of King Suleiman’s ring, you can do all this.

The young man performed all three feats, took the girl as his wife and brought her home to his father…

And others still tell a different story.

They say that when the three sons of the padishah entered that castle and saw the image of the daughter of the Chinese emperor, they loved her with all their hearts, no, with a hundred hearts. We went to China to see her. We drove along the roads, endured hardships until we arrived in the Chinese capital. They immediately went to the padishah there, introduced themselves to him and said:

— We are the sons of such and such a padishah.

The Chinese padishah was very merciful to them, but when he guessed that the elder prince was going to woo his daughter, he sighed heavily and said:

«My daughter is imprisoned in such and such a castle, and no one can see her except a brave and desperate man. It should be written on his forehead: I am destined to free that

girl. You’d better give up this case, because otherwise you’ll all die!

The elder brother did not listen to the advice of the Chinese emperor and together with two younger brothers went to the named castle. I left them both, and I went into the castle and saw a huge building. There were many different rooms in it. He went from room to room until he came to one in which he saw a girl. The girl was sitting there alone on a throne and she had pads on her feet. When she saw Shahzade enter, she said:

— Young man! Why did you come here? Watch out, don’t come near me, you better leave! If you don’t leave, the divas will rush in here, grab you and kill you!

The young man did not listen to her and approached the girl. Then she said:

«Since you’ve come up to me, I’m going to ask you three questions. If you answer them, you will free me and save yourself, and if you don’t answer, you will be imprisoned in a dark dungeon!

I asked him three questions. («Sacred» numbers). He didn’t answer them. She had to clap her hands for people to come and take him to a dark dungeon.

When the younger brothers saw that the elder did not leave the castle for a long time, the middle one followed him and the same trouble happened to the middle one as with the elder. It was the turn of the youngest brother. When he entered the castle, he did not go to the rooms, he decided to walk around the garden first. And in the garden I saw an old woman. I went up to her, greeted her and asked her everything I needed. Then I went to the rooms, to the girl. She first told him the same thing she had told her two older brothers, and then asked him:

— Tell me, what’s in this covered cage? The young man replied:

— A parrot.

She asked again:

«What chained animal sleeps under my throne?

«he replied:

— Lev.

And she asked him again:

— Who is right, a rose or a pine? The young man answered her:

— Pine is right, because rose betrayed her.

And he told her the legend of the fairy tale about the rose and the pine tree. I, the storyteller, will tell you it later, because this is a very special story. When he answered the third question, the girl was very happy, and the pads from her feet fell off by themselves. She stretched out her hand under the throne, took a bunch of keys from the tail of the lion, gave it to the young man and said:

«Go get a sword from such and such a chest, bring it and stand with this sword beside me. Anyone who approaches me, chop off his head.

The young man did so. A shaggy diva appeared, and he finished off the diva with one blow. Here the young man took the girl by the hand, freed his brothers, and they all went together to the palace of the Chinese emperor. The emperor was delighted and gave his daughter in marriage to his younger brother. For seven days and nights the whole city was decorated, bowls were burned. Forty days later, the three brothers, together with the daughter of the Chinese shah, went to their father. («Sacred» numbers).

Now that you’ve learned all this, let’s get back to our story. Where are we staying? What were they talking about? Oh, yes! We said: Afruz became desperate, saw that no one could help him in any way, could not stand it, immediately fell down and gave his soul to God.

The Chinese emperor called the courtier and told him:

— Go, bring one of the brothers of this prince, let him see what has become of his elder brother!

The courtier went and brought the middle brother Afruz. Shahruz wept and wept for a long time, then with the help of the emperor’s servants, he took his brother’s body out of the palace and buried it.

A few days passed, and Shahruz began to gradually forget about his grief. Then the desire to see Mei-Kui and woo her sank into his soul. He got up, prepared gifts and went to the house of the daughter of the Chinese emperor.

I won’t bore you with a long story, but the same misfortune happened to him as to Afruz, and he also died before the imperial throne. Behrouz was sent for. He came and buried Shahruz’s body. Behruz was now left all alone and did not know at first what to do. To return to his native country of Transoxiana and tell his father about the death of his two eldest sons? Or stay here, do something and spend a fleeting life here? Or also ask for the hand of the princess and share the sorrowful fate of the brothers? Or try to avenge them? He thought about it for days and finally decided: «I’m also striving for this girl. I’m going to ask her to marry me. I got

up, went to the courtier and asked permission to see the emperor’s daughter. The courtier told her everything. She allowed it, and Behrouz went to Mei-Kui’s house. As soon as I saw her beauty, I was so stunned, I bit my finger in surprise. Then he gathered all his strength, bowed low to her and said:

— I am the youngest son of the Padishah of the country of Haveran, brother of Afruz and Shahruz. I came here and I hope that the emperor’s daughter will like me and she will agree to become my wife.

The girl said:

— What I’ve told others, I’ll tell you. First tell me everything about your life, then answer my questions. After that, I’ll give you a test. If you can get through all this, I will become the flower of your heart.

Behrouz told her everything about himself, did not conceal anything. When he finished, Mei-Kui began to ask him questions.

In this place, other storytellers say that when the daughter of the Chinese emperor asked him questions, Behruz asked for a forty-day delay for an answer. She allowed him, he left the palace and went to look for the bird Simurg the Wise (Simurg is a legendary bird). He was told: «Simurg the Wise lives at the edge of the world, on Mount Kaf» (Mount Kaf is a mythical mountain range that surrounds the earth according to Muslim beliefs). He had to put on iron boots, take an iron staff and go to Mount Kaf. Day and night went on. I reached Kashmir. There, in the valley, he liked a tall cypress tree, and he decided to rest under it. As soon as he laid his head on the ground, he immediately jumped up from the bird chirping and saw: there was a nest on one of the branches of the tree, and in the nest there were Simurga chicks. A huge snake crawls up a tree and wants to swallow these chicks. Behruz took pity on the chicks, drew his sword from its scabbard and cut the snake’s belly. Then he quietly fell asleep under a tree. Meanwhile, the Simurgh flew in, saw a sleeping man under a tree and immediately thought that this was the enemy of his chicks. He flew, took a large stone in his claws and wanted to throw it from a height on Behruz’s head, but the chicks screamed:

— Don’t throw it! He is not our enemy! After all, he destroyed our enemy!

Simurg was delighted and waited for Behruz to wake up. When he woke up, the Simurgh asked him:

— Tell me, what do you want for the good deed that you have done?

Behrouz replied:

— If you can, lift me up in the air and carry me to Mount Kaf. I need to see the bird Simurg the Wise there and ask her something.

Simurgh agreed, lifted Behruz into the air and lowered him to the ground, on Mount Kaf, in front of Simurgh the Wise. Behruz asked him everything Mei-Kui had asked, got answers to all the questions, boarded the Simurgh again and returned to China as soon as possible, since the forty-day delay was already expiring. He came straight from the road to Mei-Kui — let her, they say, ask what she wants.

The first question was this:

— Tell me, without what no plant, no animal, no person can live? Not enough of this — it gives life, a lot of this — it kills.

Behrouz replied:

— It’s water. Then she asked:

— What is it: no matter how much it rushes, it doesn’t come anywhere?

«It’s the wind, — Behrouz answers her. She asks again:

— What is it: every particle of it gives growth, but it does not get smaller?

— Earth.

Mei-Kui is still asking:

— What is it: no matter how much it is, it will become less, then it will disappear completely?

Satisfy:

— Fire.

She asks again:

— What kind of city is built on two pillars? There is no ruler, and the ruler has two caretakers. There are seven gates and one watchman in the upper quarter of the city, are there two more informers and two guards there?

Satisfy:

A city is a person who is created from water, earth, air and fire and stands on two legs. The soul is its ruler, — the caretakers are two eyes, the upper quarter is the head, seven gates are seven openings of eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, the watchman is the mind that protects a person from bad deeds, two informers are two ears, two guards are two hands that guard the body.

And once again she asked him:

— Who is a friend of a person who does not have a language, does not seek superiority and speaks good and bad directly to his eyes?

Behruz answers:

— Mirror.

Whatever she asked him, she got answers to everything. In the end she said:

— Well done! I answered everything well, now you have to go through two tests tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Leave now, and come back tomorrow.

Behrouz left and came back the next day. He sees: the girl is sitting on the throne and does not say anything. The maid who stood at the throne explained to him:

— About shahzad! Today you will have such a test: Mei-Kui will be silent and will not say anything until the first star rises in the sky. If you have valor, do something extraordinary so that Mei-Kui speaks of her own accord, utters at least one word.

Behrouz did not respond to this. A little time passed, and he said:

— Listen, maid, I’m telling you, I’m addressing you, I’m asking you. Listen to this story and judge with truth and justice.

At some time, three friends, a carpenter, a tailor, and a dervish, a Persian Dervish. «a poor man, a beggar» with the gift of prophecy), went on a long journey together. They wanted to visit different cities, to see something worth seeing. They walked and walked and came to a dark and terrible gorge. They were very tired and decided to spend the night. After supper the dervish said:

— Friends! I’ve seen and heard more than you in my life, and I’ll probably tell you that there are thieves here. We have to take turns guarding our belongings at night. Let’s divide the night into three guards, and in which one of us will not sleep and will guard our bags so that thieves do not steal them. (The «sacred» troika).

Those two agreed. The carpenter was supposed to be awake during the first watch, the tailor during the second, and the dervish during the third. Two friends went to bed, and the third, a carpenter, remained on guard. He sat, sat, and began to nod off. He was afraid that he would fall asleep, and began to think: «What should I do to stay awake?» He guessed, took an axe, a plane, a hammer and other tools out of his bag, cut down a branch and carved a girl’s figure out of it, even made her eyes and eyebrows. While he was doing this, the time of his guard ended. He woke up the tailor and went to bed himself. The tailor woke up with difficulty, sat sleepy. Then he began to doze off a little. He began to think what he should do to disperse the dream. He saw what the carpenter had done before him and was delighted. He took a needle, thread, thimble, scissors, cloth out of his knapsack, cut a blouse, skirt and trousers to the measure of that wooden figure, sewed it all and put it on her. While he was busy with this, his guard ran out. He woke up the dervish and went to bed himself. The dervish woke up and saw: the carpenter made a little man out of wood, and the tailor dressed the little man in gold-woven clothes. I looked closer and saw: both of them showed their skills in the best way. If someone had seen it from a distance, they would never have thought that it was a wooden figure. Then the dervish said to himself: «It would be nice if I could also give her a soul. Then, in order to better guard and not fall asleep, I could teach her useful things that would be useful to her in life.» He read a spell, blew on her, and the girl came to life. (Animating the doll). The dervish began to educate her and managed to teach her many good things until the sun rose over the mountains, looked into the gorge, and his two friends did not wake up.

How delighted they were, how surprised they were when they saw the girl alive, pure, chaste, beautiful, well-mannered and kind! But then the carpenter began to argue with the tailor. Each of them said:

— This girl exists because of me! She’s mine! And the dervish was silent for the time being.

After finishing the story, Behrouz turned to the maid:

— Listen, I ask you, if you were a dervish, how would you judge who the girl should belong to?

The maid immediately replied:

— Of course, the carpenter! After all, he was the first to think of carving it out of wood!

The maid had not finished speaking when Mei-Kui screamed:

— Don’t talk nonsense! The girl, of course, should belong to the dervish who gave her life, taught her goodness and brought her up!

— That’s right! Behrouz says. — When three friends came to the fairest judge, he decided: the girl belongs to a dervish.

Having said this, Behruz, about to leave, got up from his seat, and Mei-Kui said:

You won, you made me talk after all!

Tomorrow is the last day of trials, now leave, and tomorrow you will come again.

The next day Behruz came and saw: the girl was dressed in simple clothes, there was no gold or jewelry on her, her face was not even tinted. When she saw Behrouz, she said:

«Oh, young man! You with your strength, height and slimness can find a better girl than me. There is a girl walking in this garden who is a hundred times more beautiful than me, go, look at her from the window and take her as a wife instead of me!

Behruz did not turn his head, did not look out the window and said:

— Maybe there is a girl in the world who is a thousand times more beautiful than you. But I want to marry you. After all, the heart is not a pigeon, this pigeon can sit on another roof every day!

When Behrouz uttered these words, the daughter of the Chinese emperor stood up without fear, put her arms around his neck and said:

— Know and know that there was no girl in the garden. I only said that to test you. I told your brothers, but they turned out to be bad. What a pity that from the very first day I didn’t start testing you…

In short, it’s time for us to finish our story. They informed the emperor that his daughter had chosen Behruz as her husband. The emperor allowed them to get married. For seven days and seven nights the city was decorated, and everyone celebrated this wedding. The emperor had no sons, and he appointed Behruz as his heir, and since the padishah of the country of Transoxiana had no sons left except Behruz, he also became the heir in Transoxiana. Forty days after the wedding, Behruz and Mei-Kui went to the country of Transoxiana, to the city of Nigaristan. When they passed by the enchanted castle, they ordered to destroy its walls, destroy the paintings, and build houses for poor people. Then they entered the land of Haveran. Here all the people as one said: it is necessary to spread the good customs of love and friendship all over the world. They broke all the spears, forged the swords into sickles. Love and peace were established everywhere, people began to live in peace, everyone was doing their own thing.

The fairy tale about the enchanted castle, which has been passed from mouth to mouth for many years, has ended, until today it came to us and we recorded it for you. And we hope that just as in those days people achieved the fulfillment of desires, so you will also achieve it. (The fairy tale ends with the victory of good).

The Tale of the Tailor’s daughter and the Padishah’s Son

(Persian folk tale)

Once upon a time there was a tailor, and he had three daughters. (The «sacred» troika). One day the son of the padishah came to him and said:

— Sew me a kabu (Koba — long men’s outerwear) from flowers.

The tailor went to the eldest daughter and told her:

— Today the shah’s son came to the shop and ordered kabu from flowers. What should I do?

The girl did not understand anything and could not answer.

The night passed, the next day came. The tailor went to his shop, sat down and began to think. He sat in thought until the evening, but he did not decide anything. This evening he came to the middle daughter and told her about Shahzade’s order. But she also did not understand anything and did not find any solution.

The night passed. In the afternoon, the tailor went to his shop again, thought again until the evening, but did not guess what was the matter. And in the evening he came to his youngest daughter and told her about everything.

She answered him:

— But there’s nothing to think about. As soon as Shahzadeh arrives tomorrow, tell him: «To sew a flower kaba, you need scissors, thread and a thimble of flowers. If you give me all this, then I will sew it.»

On the fourth day Shahzade appeared. He guessed from the answer that the tailor must have three daughters. The first night he consulted with the elder, the second — with the middle, but they could not understand anything. And on the third night he talked to his youngest daughter, and she came up with the answer.

And Shahzadeh fell in love with his youngest daughter, not yet seeing her, and sent her to woo.

Listen further. The daughter of the padishah was engaged to the shah’s son. And now she heard rumors that Shahzade was sending matchmakers to the tailor’s daughter. She decided to upset this case by all means and began to inquire who should carry gifts from Shahzade to the bride. She found out that Shahzade was sending the girl a tray with all kinds of dishes. The princess went mad with jealousy, came to the servant, gave him a lot of money and asked:

— Eat a handful of rice, a chicken wing and drink some sorbet yourself!

The servant complied with her request, and then took the treat to the tailor’s daughter. She sees that someone has touched the dishes. And the girl decided that Shahzade had sent her the remains of his dinner, did not eat and replied with verses:

Sherbet is poured on the bottom,

And there is not even a handful of rice;

They sent a chicken without wings —

Such, Vladyka, is your greeting!

No matter how much Shahzade racked his head, he could not understand what this meant.

The next day he bought beautiful shoes and ordered them to be taken to the girl. The uncle’s daughter found out about it, came to the servant who was supposed to carry the shoes, gave him a lot of money and asked:

— First put on these shoes yourself, walk in them more, let them wear out. And then take them to her.

The servant did so. He brought the torn shoes to the tailor’s daughter, but the girl did not put them on, she returned them.

After the engagement, the uncle’s daughter began to send people to the groom, and they told Shahzada that the girl, they say, is no good. This continued until the wedding.

And so Shahzade and the girl were brought into the marital rest. But he didn’t even look at her and went to bed. In the morning, the bride told her mother-in-law about it. She knew that on this day her son was going to the garden of yellow flowers. And he had three gardens: yellow flowers, red flowers and white flowers. Shahzade walked in one of them every day, and this time the queue was behind the garden of yellow flowers. The mother-in — law told the girl:

— Get on the brown horse and go to the garden of yellow flowers. When you get to the garden, knock on the gate. Shahzade will open it for you, you ask him for a bouquet of yellow flowers, and he will give them to you. As soon as you receive the bouquet, immediately turn back and don’t say another word.

The girl did so. She mounted a brown horse, rode to the garden of yellow flowers and knocked. Shahzade opened the gate, and she says:

— I want flowers, I want a bouquet, hurry up, be faster! Shahzade went, picked a bouquet of yellow flowers, handed it to the girl and wanted to talk to her, but she jumped on her horse and galloped away.

The next day, the mother — in — law said:

— Today my son will be in the garden of white flowers. Get on a white horse, go to the garden of white flowers, knock on the gate, Shahzade will open it for you, and you ask for a bouquet of white flowers. He will pick the flowers and give them to you; take care not to say anything and turn back quickly.

The girl jumped on a white horse, knocked on the garden gate. Shahzade opened it and came out to meet her. The girl said again this time:

— I want flowers, I want a bouquet, hurry up, be faster! Shahzade picked white flowers, tied them into a bouquet and gave them to the girl. I wanted to talk to her, but she jumped on her horse and rode away.

On the third day, Shahzade’s mother told the girl:

— Today, get on a bay horse, go to the garden of red flowers and knock on the gate. As soon as my son comes out, you, as before, ask for a bouquet of red flowers. He will give you flowers, and you say: «My belt is too tight, I can’t untie it — cut it.» As soon as he brings the knife, you put your hand under it to cut your finger. And when you cut yourself, scream: «Oh, my finger! Oh, my finger!» Then take the bouquet, get on the horse and ride away.

The girl did so. Saddled a bay horse, galloped to the garden, knocked, Shahzade opened it for her. She said:

— I want flowers, I want a bouquet, hurry up, be faster! Shahzade picked a bouquet of flowers and gave it to the girl, and she says:

«My belt is too tight, and I can’t untie the knot. Take a knife, cut the belt.

Shahzade brought a knife and wanted to cut the knot, but the girl put her hand under the knife and injured her thumb. Here she screamed:

— Oh, my finger! Oh, my finger! Then she jumped on her horse and rode away.

When Shahzade returned home, the girl raised a cry:

— Oh, my finger! Oh, my finger!

Shahzade was amazed: he realized that it was the cry of the girl who came to the garden. But Shahzade did not sleep all these nights because of his love for the girl he saw in the garden! He came closer and looked more closely, he sees: yes, this is the same girl who came to the garden of yellow flowers, the garden of white flowers and the garden of red flowers.

Shahzadeh wept with joy and asked:

— Girl, what does all this mean?

She told him about everything, and Shahzade hugged her and kissed her. And so they decorated the city for seven days and nights and had a wedding.

Just as this girl and Shahzade achieved their desires, may the wishes of all lovers be fulfilled. (The fairy tale ends with a wedding).

Clothes that no one will wear — they will live for a hundred years

(Persian folk tale)

Whether it was so or not, in ancient times a rich merchant lived in a certain city. The merchant had only one son, with whom few people could compare in intelligence and abilities. During the day, the merchant’s son usually walked alone in the garden, and sometimes mounted a horse and went hunting. After returning from a walk or hunting, he had lunch, rested a little and went to his teacher to study.

One evening a stranger came to the merchant’s house. From the look of this man, one could assume that he had seen a lot in his lifetime and experienced all sorts of vicissitudes of fate. The merchant received him kindly and ordered a treat to be served. When dinner was eaten and the tablecloth was removed, the merchant, his son and the guest leaned on soft pillows and began to talk.

The stranger incidentally said:

— During the journey from which I am returning, I got into a dense forest on the way. The trees in this forest stretched their tops to the sky, and their branches intertwined, forming a continuous cover. Various birds have built their nests in the trees. They called to each other, each with their own voice and chant, and seemed to confide in each other the innermost secrets. In the middle of the forest I came across a beautiful green hut. I looked in there. There squatted an ancient, hunched old woman, and in front of her stood a small loom. The old woman tore her hair out of her head and wove a soft, delicate fabric out of it. The most amazing thing was that, no matter how much she pulled her hair out of her head, others, even whiter and more tender, immediately grew in their place. Dumbfounded with surprise, I looked at her work for a long time. Then I asked her:

— Listen, Grandma, why are you weaving this soft fabric?

She raised her head and answered:

— Anyone who sews clothes from this fabric and puts them on will live a hundred years. («Magic» fabric is a fetish).

The merchant listened to all this and thought. He loved life and worldly goods and immediately decided to get to that old woman in any way and buy from her at any price a few yards of magic cloth. He began to ask the stranger:

— Is that forest far from our city? The stranger replied:

«The forest is twenty days’ march from here.

The merchant said:

«Anyway, I’ll go and get the magic cloth myself.

That same night, the merchant could not sleep until morning and kept thinking about the old woman and the magic cloth. As soon as the sun rose, he mounted his horse and rode off to look for the forest. No matter how hard the merchant’s son and servants tried to dissuade him, not to let him in, nothing happened In the end, one of the servants said quietly to the others:

— Let him go. In the forest, he will be devoured by predatory animals, and then we will calmly divide his wealth among ourselves.

The merchant drove, drove, until he reached the forest. And from the time he entered the forest, there was no more news about him. A month passed, two, three from the day of the merchant’s departure, and the servants were convinced that he had been torn apart in the forest by a tiger or a leopard. They sat down in a circle, divided the merchant’s property among themselves and began to trade briskly with his money.

The merchant’s son saw that he got nothing and the servants took possession of his father’s property. He called his personal servant and told him:

«Go and get me something to eat.» The servant laughed and replied:

— I will not carry out your orders anymore. Until today, you were our master, and now we are your masters and this house belongs to us. Get up quickly and drive the sheep to the pasture! Feed them, and come back in the evening.

The merchant’s son looked at the servant and, reluctantly, did not answer him. He was afraid that if he objected, he would be killed. Involuntarily, saddened, he drove out the sheep and went with them to the pasture. And the sons of the servants went, took the clothes, things and toys of the merchant’s son and began to play and have fun.

When evening came, the merchant’s son, tired and distressed, drove the sheep home, drove them into the barn, ate a meager supper and fell asleep in the closet where the gatekeeper used to live. Days, weeks, months passed, and he, hungry, offended, had to be silent and endure everything from the servants who had become disordered. Eventually his patience ran out, and one day he decided to leave the sheep in the pasture and run into the woods in the hope of finding his father there, or at least finding his bones.

So he did. He left the sheep to their fate and headed for the forest. I walked day and night, ate grass, drank rainwater. His clothes were torn, his shoes were worn out, his face was blackened by the sun. In the end, after a considerable time, he reached that forest, breathed a sigh of relief, entrusted himself to God and entered the shade of the trees. He walked for a long time, and when he got tired, he looked for some tree with fruits, sat down under it and ate the fruits. A day later he reached the middle of the forest and saw there a green lawn overgrown with flowers. On the north side of the lawn, in the shade of a large oak tree, there was a beautiful green hut. Fear seized the merchant’s son, and he hid among the trees. At this time, a woman in white clothes appeared from the west side of the lawn and headed towards the hut.

The merchant’s son realized that she was the mistress here, but wondered why she was young and beautiful. He came out from behind the trees and went to meet her. He bowed and said hello. A woman in white clothes asked him:

— Who are you and how did you find your way here?

The merchant’s son told her everything about himself and about his father, and finally asked her to leave him here, because at home he could no longer tolerate the harassment of servants. The woman took him by the hand, led him into the hut and said:

— Know, son, that I have been living in this place for a hundred years. Forest animals do everything for me: grind flour, bake bread, wash clothes. I do not know grief, and thanks to this magical dress woven from my hair, I still have not aged. As you can see, I remained young, only my hair turned white.

Then the merchant’s son kissed the old woman’s hand, and she brought him dinner and fed him. Then he lay down in a corner of the hut, but could not sleep for a long time. In the middle of the night, the door of the hut opened and a dwarf, no more than a yard tall, entered. He said hello, and the old woman in white asked him:

— What’s new in the forest? What do you hear?

«There’s nothing new,» the dwarf replied.

A minute later the door opened and the hare entered. He said hello, and the woman asked him:

— What’s new in the forest? He replied: (Humanization of animals).

— There is nothing special.

After a while, a big frog entered the hut. A woman in white clothes asked her:

— What did you see today, what did you hear? The frog replied:

— I haven’t seen or heard anything new.

Then a fox came into the hut, said hello and sat down in a corner. The woman asks again:

— Where did you come from? What I heard, what I saw: The Fox answered:

— Today the elephants went berserk, fought, beat each other, killed each other.

The woman in white clothes said:

— Well, it’s not that important. Elephants are constantly fighting in this forest.

Before she could finish, a strange bird entered the room, greeted her and flew up on the back of the woman’s chair. She asked her:

— Well, what do you say? Where have you been today, what have you seen? The bird replied:

— Today I flew and heard from the birds that the forest genies seized a merchant who wanted to find you and bewitched him. (Jinns are spirits in Arabic mythology. In the pre-Islamic era, the jinn were revered by the Arabs as gods, in the Islamic era they became representatives of «wrong» religions, like demons in Christianity, the demon — from others-Greek. daimon, «spirit, deity», to bewitch — to hypnotize).

The woman asked the bird:

— How did they bewitch him? She says:

— He was riding a horse, the djinn called him, he turned around, and they poured a bowl of enchanted water on his head (Enchanted water is water with which various verbal rituals were performed). The merchant succumbed to charms (Charms — suggestion, hypnosis), lost his mind, forgot his home, past life, hometown and son. Now he does not think about anything and only serves the Shah of the jinn day and night. He cuts down the forest for him, plows the land, sows wheat, can’t think about anything else.

The woman in white clothes asked:

— Is it possible to break the spell and save him? The bird said:

— Yes, you can. If someone can approach that merchant at sunset, hit him three times with a branch torn from that oak tree that grows near your hut, and splash water on him from the spring here, the spell will fall off him, and he will be freed from the clutches of the jinn. (To un-hypnotize, it is necessary to perform various actions based on «sacred» phenomena and objects).

The merchant’s son, when he heard this, rejoiced and said to himself: «I, trusting in Allah, will free my father from the spell!»

Then, reassured, he laid his head on the pillow and fell asleep. At dawn he woke up, went to a woman in white clothes and fell at her feet with a plea:

She says,

«What’s wrong with you?» Why are you so worried? I’ll give you anything you ask for!

Then the merchant ’s son said:

«I heard the words of that bird last night. The merchant she said was a prisoner of the jinn is my father. Let me go, take the spell off him, and set him free. We will both serve you then.

A woman in white clothes answers him:

— It can all be done.

She said, went out of the hut, tore a branch from an oak tree and turned to the fox:

«Take this boy and take him to the land of the jinn. The fox came up, the merchant’s son sat on his back, and she quickly ran. By noon they arrived in the land of the jinn. The merchant’s son got off the fox and began to walk among the wheat fields. Suddenly he saw a ploughman, immediately recognized him as his father and joyfully ran to him.

He ran up and greeted him, but the merchant did not pay attention to him and continued to plow, as if he did not recognize his son at all. Then the boy told him what he had endured from the servants. But the father shrugged his shoulders and didn’t say a word. The boy grabbed him by the floor and shouted:

— Let’s go home! Why are you angry with me? What did I do? I’ve always been obedient!

And the merchant answers him:

— Go away, I don’t know you, and I don’t know the words you say either. What is a house? Who are the servants? Who are you? Go away and leave me alone. (Hypnosis works).

The merchant’s son realized that his father was bewitched and was not to blame for saying so. I began to wait for the evening. When the sun began to set, the son took a bowl of water and an oak branch, hit his father, who was about to return to the jinn, with this branch and poured water on him. Suddenly a strong wind blew, dust rose and the trees swayed. Then everything calmed down. The merchant regained his mind, looked around and, as soon as he saw his son, rushed to him, hugged him, began to kiss and question. The son told his father about everything that had happened to him, told about his grief and misfortunes. His father caressed him, took him by the hands and said: (Hypnosis has ceased to work).

«How are we going to get to the white-robed woman’s hut now?»

Then a fox came up and said:

«Get on my back, both of you, and I’ll take you.»

Both sat down, the fox quickly ran between the trees, and at midnight they were at the hut. When they entered the hut, they saw a woman in white clothes lying dead on the bed, and the animals gathered around her and were crying. The fox asked what happened, and the animals told her:

— The Padishah of the jinn came at sunset, uprooted a magic oak (Oak is a totem tree among many peoples) and strangled a woman in white clothes. He also took away all the white cloth that the woman had woven from her hair. He does not want this fabric to go to the merchant and his son. He said,

«A man shouldn’t live long. If he lives for a long time, the order of the world will be disrupted, the world will soon overflow with people and life will become difficult. People should come to earth gradually, live for some time, and then leave and give place to others.

That’s why he killed the woman in white, who by good witchcraft wove magic clothes out of her hair.

The merchant and his son listened to this story, sighed heavily, wrapped the body of the unfortunate woman in a carpet, dug a hole in the floor of the hut and buried her there. From the forest they went to their hometown. When the evil servants found out about the return of the master and his son, they seized what money and jewelry they could and ran away. And the merchant and his son returned to their house and engaged in trade. (The fairy tale tells about the use of hypnosis, totem objects and trees).

The greatest wealth

(Turkish folk tale)

Once upon a time, a young man complained about his poverty all the time.

— Oh, how nice it would be if I had a lot of wealth! I would have lived happily ever after! he was always moaning.

An old stonemason, passing by his dwelling, heard the young man’s words and asked:

— What are you complaining about? After all, you own a lot of wealth!

— Do I own wealth? — the young man was surprised.«Where is it?»

— Your eyes. What would you like to get at least for one eye? the old man asked.

— What are you? The young man answered in fright. — I won’t give up my eyes for any treasures!

«Good, — said the stonemason.«Then let me chop off your hands, and you’ll get a lot of gold for them!»

No! I won’t give up my hands for gold,» said the young man.

Now you see that you are very rich,» said the old stonemason. — So why are you complaining? Believe me, the greatest wealth of a person is strength and health. They can’t be bought for any money! — said the old man and went his way.

(A fairy tale about human values).

The green-haired beauty

(Filipino folk tale)

Once upon a time there lived two families in a distant kingdom, on the seashore. In one there was a son, whose name was Jose, and in the other a daughter Magdalene. The children were friends, and when they grew up, they got married. Jose and Magdalena had three daughters. The eldest, Ines, was very beautiful, the middle one, Angela, was very cheerful, and the youngest, Maria, was both cheerful and beautiful.

Jose and Magdalene earned a living for themselves and their daughters by weaving blankets, and then painted them in different colors and sold them to rich people. The girls willingly helped their parents. (In the 16th century, the Philippines was invaded by Spain, Catholicism was introduced there, so the names have this origin: Jose is the Spanish version of the Hebrew name Joseph, from Hebrew «God will increase my descendants»; Magdalene is of Hebrew origin — «a resident of the city of Magdala (in Palestine); Ines, Inessa is a female name originating from another ancient Greek the name Agnes, which in turn comes from the other-Greek. «pure», «immaculate», «innocent», there is also an assumption that the name comes from the name of the Greek city Inessa; Angela — from the Greek word «angelos», the meaning of the name is «messenger»; Maria — the name comes from the Hebrew name Mariam (Maryam), the meaning is «bitter, mourner»).

Years passed. And suddenly a disaster happened: the girls’ parents fell ill and died in one week. Ines, Angela and Maria themselves began to weave blankets and sell them to the rich.

One evening they were sitting at work, and Inez suddenly said to her sisters:

«Let’s talk about what lies ahead -because we are getting married soon.

«No way, — Angela said. — Night is coming soon, but the earth has ears and the blades of grass have eyes. (Humanization of the earth and grass).

But Ines continued to persuade the sisters, and finally they agreed.

You’re the first and start,» they told the older sister. And she started:

— When I get married, I will change dresses three times a day.

Angela laughed merrily and said:

— And I will laugh from morning till evening.

And they turned to their younger sister, Maria, to hear what she had to say. Maria stood up and said:

— And I will have three twins — two boys and one girl. The first boy will be called Pedro (Pedro — from Greek. Peter — «stone»), the second — Pelipe (Pelipe, a distorted Spanish version of the name Philip — Greek. «loving horses»), and the girl — Ilyurosoy (Ilyurosa is Latin from Hilarius, the meaning of the name Ilaria is «joyful», «cheerful». The English version of the name sounds like Hilary). Ilyurosa will have green hair and a star in her forehead. The moment they are born, bells will ring by themselves and cannons will start firing. («Magic» predictions).

The sisters were very amused by Maria’s words. But they did not know that when they were talking, the king happened to be near their house, and he heard everything from the first to the last word. The next day, a courtier knocked at the sisters’ house and gave the girls the king’s order to come to the palace. The girls were scared, but they did not dare to disobey.

When the sisters arrived at the palace, the king asked them:

— What were you talking about last night? Inez replied:

— I told you that when I get married, I will change dresses three times a day.

Angela replied:

— And I — that when I get married, I will laugh from morning to evening.

The King looked at Maria, but she could not utter a word from fright. The King had to repeat the question twice before she answered:

— I told you that I will have three twins: two boys, Pedro and Pelipe, and a girl named Ilyurosa. Ilyusa will have green hair and a star in her forehead. The moment they are born, bells will ring by themselves and cannons will start firing.

The King announced:

— You, Maria, will become my wife, and you, her sisters, will no longer weave blankets for sale — I will take care of you.

Three days later, the wedding was celebrated in the palace. All the king’s subjects rejoiced that they would have such a cheerful and beautiful queen.

The king and his young wife lived happily together for about a year. Unexpectedly, the king needed to leave on state business, and, getting ready for the journey, he entrusted Mary to three old nurses. The king did not know that these nurses were actually evil witches. (It turns out that there were also good witches — some sorceresses and sorceresses-enchanters).

The king left, and a few days later the queen told the nurses:

— Do not leave me — it seems to me that soon I should have children.

The nannies began to fuss: one immediately went to look for a pig that had just fallen, the second went for a basket, and the third blindfolded Queen Mary.

Suddenly, bells rang by themselves and cannons began to fire — the queen had twins, two boys and a girl. The nurse who stayed with the queen was almost blinded by the radiance emanating from the newborn princess — green-haired and with a star on her forehead. (Predictions in fairy tales must come true).

But then the other two witches returned. Each brought what she went for. They dressed the babies in clothes prepared by their mother, put them in a basket, carried it across six rivers and threw it into the seventh. After that, they returned to the queen, took off the blindfold and said: (It is necessary to do certain manipulations).

— Such a grief, Queen, but what could we do? Here are your children!

And they showed the queen three piglets. Queen Mary began to cry and said:

— Well, apparently, this is my fate!

Two months have passed, and the king has returned. What was his sadness and horror when, instead of children, he saw piglets near his wife! The king immediately ordered Maria to be expelled from the royal chambers. A pen was built for her and the piglets under the stairs, and they began to live there.

Another year has passed. People are used to the fact that, passing by the palace, they see the queen and her piglets under the stairs. The piglets have grown up and become big fat pigs during this time.

And the basket, when it was thrown into the river, was carried out by the current into the sea. The sea waves picked her up, carried her far, far away and finally threw her ashore. (There are similar plots in the fairy tales of many peoples, including the Bible).

Very close to this place lived an old woman named Popo (Possibly a female version of the name Paul — Pauline — a female name of French origin (Pauline), derived from the male name Paul (Paul); thus comes from the Latin paulus «little», «baby»). And then one day she saw: on the sand, where there was nothing the day before, there was a basket. Old Popo was collecting clams at that time. Overcoming her fear, she approached the basket, and children’s voices could be heard from there:

— And here’s Grandma Popo come!

The old woman was very surprised and rushed to open the basket. And when she opened it, two boys and a girl with green hair jumped out of it onto the sand. Popo took the children to her hut and fed them clams, which she picked up on the shore, and the children told her who they were and what happened to them.

The next morning, before going ashore, Popo told the children:

— If three old women come here with flowers and try to persuade you to smell these flowers, do not smell them, because they are poisoned. (There are similar plots in the fairy tales of other nations — «Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs»).

«Don’t worry about us, Grandma Popo,» the green-haired princess replied, «I won’t smell these flowers myself and I won’t let my brothers smell them.»

And indeed, no sooner had Grandma Popo left, than three old sorceresses appeared, who posed as nannies.

— Smell how sweet these flowers smell,» one old woman said in an insinuating voice and handed her flowers to the children.

«Get out of here,» Ilyurosa shouted, «we won’t smell your flowers!»

And taking the brothers by the hands, she led them into the hut.

When Popo’s grandmother came home, the children told her about everything. Grandma praised them for listening to her and doing what she taught. The next morning Popo said:

— The old women will come again, but today they will treat you with poisoned bread.

«We won’t touch him,» the green-haired princess promised.

And really, just as Popo left, the same three ugly old witches appeared.

— Really, dear children, aren’t you tired of clams? — they spoke affectionately and affectionately. — Better eat this delicious bread.

And they handed the children bread. But the princess replied:

— Get out of here! Popo’s grandmother told us not to take your bread — it’s poisoned.

On the third day, Popo said:

— Today, evil witches will not bring anything, but they will begin to seduce you with a seven-colored bird. This bird will bring happiness and good luck to the one who catches it, but no one has managed to catch it yet. The bird lives behind seven mountains, and anyone who manages to get there and approach her, she and other birds, her friends, begin to tickle. And if a person can’t stand the tickling and laughs, he immediately turns into stone. On those mountains, everywhere you look, there are petrified figures of people trying to catch a seven-colored bird. (The «hung» numbers are three and seven).

We won’t listen to them, Grandma Popo,» Princess Ilyuros promised.

Reassured, the old woman went to collect shellfish. And immediately three old hags appeared near the hut (Hag — herm. Karg — stingy, stingy) and began to talk about the beauty of the seven-flower bird.

— We don’t want to listen to you, go away! The green — haired princess shouted at them.

The witches left, but the evil deed was done — Prince Pedro began to ask to be released in search of the seven-colored bird. No matter how his brother and sister dissuaded him, Prince Pedro did not listen to them, mounted his horse and rode away.

When Popo returned home and found out about it, she exclaimed:

«Poor Prince, he’s already turned to stone! («Magical» transformations).

The next morning Popo didn’t go anywhere. Suddenly Prince Pelipe said:

Believe me — I will not only save my brother, but also bring a seven-flower!

And no matter how his sister and grandmother tried to persuade Popo to abandon his intention, in the end they had to let him go.

When Prince Pelipe reached the first mountain, many beautiful birds with bright wings flew to him. They began to tickle him and shout: (Humanization of animals).

— Here comes Prince Pelipe for Prince Pedro and for the seven flowers!

But no matter how much the birds tickled him, Prince Pelipe did not laugh. When he climbed the second mountain, the birds flew at him again and began to tickle him. However, even here the prince, though with difficulty, but refrained from laughing.

When Prince Pelipe reached the top of the third mountain, even more birds flew in, and they tickled him twice as much. Prince Pelipe could not stand it, laughed and immediately turned into stone.

The green-haired princess waited for the brothers for a long time, but, not waiting, she decided to go looking for them herself. No matter how Popo tried to dissuade her, no matter how she frightened her with dangers, the princess could not be dissuaded. Ilyurosa said:

— Don’t worry, Grandma Popo, my magic will help me revive all those whom the seven-flower turned into stone. May I have a horse as fast as the wind, a golden saddle, golden armor and a golden sword! («Magic» items).

And everything immediately appeared. The green-haired beauty hugged Grandma Popo tightly, kissed her, jumped on her horse and disappeared. (Echoes of matriarchy).

When the Princess of Ilyuros climbed the first mountain, a flock of beautiful birds flew at her and began to tickle her. But thanks to the golden armor, the princess did not feel tickled. So she climbed one mountain after another, and at each bird flew at her in a larger flock than before, and shouted:

— Here comes Princess Ilyurosa for Prince Pedro, Prince Pelipe and semitsvetka!

But the green-haired princess was still riding through the mountains, and the golden armor reliably protected her from birds. Finally, she reached the seventh mountain, where semitsvetka herself lived. The princess saw the bird and was almost blinded by the brilliance of its feathers. Semitsvetka sang:

— Here is the Princess of Ilyuros, she came for the seven-flower! The bird flew down to the princess and sat on her shoulder. Princess Ilyurosa grabbed semitsvetka by the tail, pulled out a golden sword from its scabbard and said:

— Give me back the two brothers and their horses and revive all those whom you turned into stone! If you don’t, I’ll cut off your head!

«Spare me, and I will give you your brothers and their horses,» semitsvetna pleaded.

«Return it now, or I won’t let you go,» the green — haired princess threatened.

Then semitsvetna said:

«Pluck a feather from my wing and stick it in the ground.

The princess did so. As soon as she stuck the feather in the ground, both her brothers appeared in front of her on horseback and many other people — all whom the birds turned into stone. (Reverse «transformations»).

The green — haired princess exclaimed:

— Let there be a golden cage for the bird and golden armor for my brothers!

And everything immediately appeared. The princess put the bird in a cage, the princes put on the golden armor that their sister had obtained for them with her magic, and they set off on their way back.

— How glad I am to see you alive and unharmed! Grandma Popo exclaimed, hugging the green — haired princess and her brothers.«I’m going to go get some clams, get some more, and we’ll celebrate your return.»

— But the princess stopped her:

— You don’t need to collect shellfish and cook food anymore — I’ll take care of that myself.

She spread out a mat and exclaimed:

— Let there be a lot of different delicious food!

And the food immediately appeared. When everyone had eaten their fill, Princess Ilyurosa said:

— It’s time for us to get ready to go. Let Pelipe turn into a rooster, and Pedro into a sailor!

And immediately Pelipe turned into a rooster, and Pedro, instead of his former clothes, turned out to be such as sailors wear. («Miraculous» transformations).

— And you, Grandma Popo, — added the green — haired princess, — take the cage, and let’s all go to the shore soon.

When they came to the shore, the Princess of Ilyuros exclaimed:

— Let a big sailing boat appear!

And the boat immediately appeared. The four of them got into it and swam.

Soon they met another boat. This boat was loaded with tobacco (the homeland of tobacco is America). As she sailed past, the rooster (Prince Pelipe) crowed loudly, and was answered by another, on an oncoming boat. Then the tobacco merchant, who was sitting in it, shouted:

— Hey, you, in the boat! It turns out that you also have a rooster? Let’s have a cockfight!

«My cock is too young to fight,» replied the Princess of Ilyorosa. — Besides, it’s much smaller than yours.

The tobacco merchant began to beg the princess, and finally she agreed to arrange a cockfight. The boats moored to the shore. Prince Pedro and the tobacco merchant took their roosters, got down on the ground and set the roosters against each other. The merchant’s cock began to peck Prince Pelipe, but he did not answer. The merchant really wanted to see how the roosters fight, but the green-haired princess said:

— I don’t have the money to bet on my cock. The tobacco merchant was sure that his cock would win, and replied:

— But you have a boat. If our rooster wins, we will take it, and you will sail with us. If yours wins, you take our boat and we will sail wherever you wish.

«All right,» said the princess, «let them fight. The cockfight began, and the princess’s cock won.

«Well,» said the tobacco merchant, — you’ve got it. We’ll have to follow you, as agreed.

Both boats sailed together and after a while they met another one. A spice merchant was sailing in this one. Prince Pelipe crowed again, and a cock answered him from this boat, too.

— Eh, yes, you also have a rooster! Let’s have a cockfight!? The owner of the oncoming boat shouted to the green — haired princess and her companions.

«My rooster is too young, and he only fought once,» the green-haired princess replied.

However, the spice merchant continued to persuade Ilyurosa, and finally she agreed to a cockfight — on the condition that the boats served as a stake. The battle began, the princess’s rooster defeated three boats. A little time passed, and the shore appeared ahead. There was a big city on the shore — it was the capital of the kingdom. When the boats entered the harbor, bells rang by themselves and cannons began firing. The king in the palace was very surprised and ordered to find out what happened. Upon returning, the royal servants reported:

— Your Majesty, three boats sailed — one with a cargo of tobacco, another with spices, and in the third arrived a green-haired beauty with a star on her forehead, a sailor, a rooster and an old woman with a golden cage in which sits a bird of unprecedented beauty.

«Invite them all to my palace,» the king ordered. The servants gave Princess Ilyurosa the king’s invitation, but the princess replied:

— If the king wants to see us, let him come himself. We don’t need anything from him — we only came here for drinking water.

The servants gave the king the answer of the green-haired beauty. The answer seemed impertinent to the king, but he really wanted to look at the newcomers, and he went ashore and began to invite strangers to the palace himself. Finally they agreed.

When they came to the stairs that led to the palace, the princess saw a pig pen under it, and in it — Queen Mary with three pigs. The princess stopped and asked:

— Why is this woman being kept in a pig pen? After all, she is a person, not an animal.

Pretending as if he hadn’t heard, the king began to call the princess upstairs, but she said:

«I’m not going up to the palace until the woman is released from the pen.

«All right, let her out,» the king ordered the servants.

— No, Your Majesty, — Princess Ilyuros stopped him, — I want to take her out of the pen myself.

The green-haired princess took the queen by the hand, and she went with her. The princess immediately took her to wash. She washed the queen, anointed her with incense, dressed her in a royal dress and led her to the hall, where everything was already prepared for a luxurious feast.

When they entered there, the three witches, seeing Princess Ilyurosa and Queen Mary, trembled with fear and immediately conspired to poison the food. Conceived — done. But when the king signaled to start eating, Princess Ilyuros shouted:

— Don’t touch the food, it’s poisoned! — And then, turning to the king, she said: — We are your own children, you are our father, and she, — Princess Ilyurosa pointed to Queen Mary, — is our own mother. This sailor is my brother, Prince Pedro, and this rooster is another brother, Prince Pelipe.

As soon as she finished these words, the rooster turned into a young man again.

The Princess continued:

— And I am the Princess of Ilyuros. When we were born, three evil witches gave our mother piglets, and we were locked in a basket and thrown into the river.

The king rushed to embrace his children and the queen, and then, remembering the witches, shouted:

«Hey, guards, grab them and execute them immediately!» The guards rushed to obey the king’s order, but the witches disappeared. They began to search for them all over the palace, but they were never found anywhere.

The witches were far away at that time. They realized that they had nothing more to do in this kingdom, the good sorceress of Ilyuros would reveal any of their machinations, and for all the evil they had done to people, they would be severely punished here.

The mother of two princes and a green-haired princess became a queen again, and she and the king lived for a long time with their children, Grandma Popo and the seven-colored bird that brings happiness. (Magic helps in fairy tales to punish bad people acting as evil witches).

The abbot and the acolyte

(Japanese folk tale)

In the temple of the village of Chitosa (Chitose is now a city located on the island of Hokkaido, Japan), there was a stingy and greedy abbot. He never gave his acolyte anything sweet, but ate everything himself. And the acolyte loved sweets very much.

Once they brought fragrant fresh honey to the abbot. He put the honey in a jar, and put the jar in a secluded place. The acolyte didn’t even give it a try.

And so the abbot had to leave for the whole day. He told the acolyte:

— Be careful: here I have a jar with a terrible poison. It looks like honey, but it only seems that way. Lick that poison and you’ll die.

As soon as the abbot left, the acolyte pulled out the jar and ate all the honey. And when there was nothing left in the bank, he got scared and began to think how he could deceive the abbot.

I thought and thought and came up with it.

He took the abbot’s favorite cup, broke it and scattered the shards in the middle of the room, and he lay down, covered himself with a blanket and waited.

The abbot returned late in the evening. The room was dark.

The abbot angrily shouted:

— Hey, where are you? Why didn’t you light the lantern? And the acolyte just groans from under the blanket:

— Excuse me, Father Abbot! I’m dying! I’m finished now. Read the prayer soon!

The abbot asked fearfully:

— What’s the matter with you, acolyte, what’s the matter with you?

— I am guilty before you, Father Abbot. Today I was sitting on the floor and washing your favorite cup, but suddenly a cat ran by and pushed me by the arm. I dropped the cup and the cup broke. After that, all I had to do was die, and so I took out the poison and ate the whole jar. Oh, the poison is already spreading through my veins! Oh, I feel bad! Read the prayer soon, Father Abbot!

And the acolyte groaned even louder.

The abbot realized that the acolyte was deceiving him, but he could not say anything. So the greedy abbot remained without honey.

Another time, when the abbot was not at home again, the acolyte was sitting at the entrance and dozing. Suddenly someone knocked. The acolyte opened the door and saw an old neighbor with a bundle.

— Today is a holiday, give it to the father abbot, — said the neighbor and gave the acolyte a bundle.

As soon as she left, the acolyte brought the bundle to his nose: a warm, rich smell came from the bundle.

«I’ll give the bundle to the greedy abbot and I won’t even know what was in it,» the acolyte thought. — We need to look now.»

And untied the knot. There was a basket with warm muffins in it. The acolyte carefully took out one cake and ate it, then pulled out another and also ate it, then a third… and so he ate all the tortillas unnoticed. And when not a single cake was left, he grabbed his head:

— I’m lost! What should I do now?

He thought, thought, and came up with an idea: he wrapped the basket in a handkerchief and ran with it to the temple.

There he put a bundle at the feet of the statue of Amid (Amid is the Buddha of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, is widespread in Japan), the remaining crumbs from the cakes stuck on the lips of the statue. Then he returned home, sat down in his old place and waited as if nothing had happened.

The abbot soon returned. The first thing he did was ask the acolyte:

«Did anyone come while I was gone?»

— Yes, there was a neighbor. I brought a bundle to the father abbot for the holiday.

I took it to

the temple and laid it at Amid’s feet.

— Ah, you did it well! I’m going to take a look. The abbot went to the temple and actually found a bundle at Amid’s feet. Without thinking twice, he untied the bundle, opened the basket and saw that it was empty — only crumbs were at the bottom. Hey, acolyte, you ate it all! The abbot shouted angrily.

The acolyte came running, looked at the empty basket and pretended to be very surprised.

— What miracles! I would never have believed it! — he said and pointed to the statue of Amid. — Look, Father Abbot: apparently, Amidah decided that this bundle was brought to him, and he ate everything himself. You see, he still has crumbs on his lips.

The abbot also looked at the statue and became angry:

— Did you eat my tortillas? That’s a nasty idol!

And in anger he struck the copper statue on the head with his staff. The statue rang: bo-o-o-he, bo-o-o-he… And it seemed to the abbot that the statue was saying, «He, he.»

The abbot attacked the acolyte again:

— Do you hear Amida saying, «He, he»! So you ate it? Why are you denying it?

The acolyte shrugged his shoulders:

— So he will tell you right away! We need to scare him properly. Wait, I’ll make him talk!

The acolyte ran to get a teapot and began pouring boiling water on Amid ’s head and saying:

— Well, did I tell the truth? Was it or wasn’t it? The water flowed from the statue’s head to the floor and gurgled: bul-bul-bul.

«You see, Father Abbot,» said the acolyte, «he confessed himself: it was, it was, it was.

The abbot shook his head and went to bed hungry.

And it also happened like this. It was raining heavily, and the abbot had gone somewhere; the acolyte was left at home alone. Suddenly a peasant knocked on the door. The rain caught him on the way, and he got very wet. The peasant asked to borrow an umbrella because he had far to go.

The acolyte brought out the abbot’s new umbrella, which he had just bought in the city. The peasant thanked him, took an umbrella and left.

In the evening, the abbot returned home, and, as always, asked if anyone had come in while he was not at home.

— Yes, there was a peasant who asked me to give him an umbrella.

— And you gave?

— Yes, I gave him your umbrella.

— Why did you do that? — the stingy abbot got angry. — You shouldn’t have given it.

— How could I not give when it was raining so hard!

— And you would say that the umbrella is broken! He stood, they say, for a long time in the sun yesterday, his ribs cracked, the tightness burst, and they threw him into the closet.

«I’ll know another time,» the acolyte replied.

A few days later, another peasant came with a request. The abbot was at the temple at that time, and the acolyte was busy in the yard. So the peasant turned directly to the acolyte:

— The weather is good today. I should go to my daughter, but my horse is sick. Won’t the abbot give me his horse for a day?

«No,» the acolyte replied, «he won’t. His horse stood in the sun for a long time yesterday, its ribs cracked, the tightness burst, so they threw it into the closet.

The peasant was surprised, shook his head and left.

And the abbot, sitting in the temple, heard all this conversation. And as soon as the peasant left, he ran out into the yard and began to scold the acolyte:

«What nonsense are you talking! I should have said that the horse, they say, ate too much henbane yesterday (Henbane is a two-year-old herbaceous plant belonging to the Solanaceae family. Henbane has a specific intoxicating aroma, it is a poisonous plant containing a large number of alkaloids belonging to the atropine group. When using a poisonous henbane plant in large quantities, severe consequences occur very quickly, which often lead to death), she rode like a madwoman all day, beat off all her legs and is now sleeping in the stable.

— Good! The acolyte replied. — I’ll know next time. A few days later, a rich man died in the village. The relatives of the deceased came to call the abbot. They met an acolyte in the courtyard and said:

— We have a dead man in our house. Can’t the abbot come to us to serve the funeral service?

«No,» the acolyte replied, «it can’t. The abbot ate too much henbane yesterday, rode like a madman all day, beat off all his legs and is now sleeping in the stable.

— Well, we don’t need such an abbot! — the relatives of the deceased replied and walked away. (Such are the morals!).

Mega Grass

(Japanese folk tale)

A traveling merchant came to the village inn to spend the night. He put a bale of goods on the floor and asked the hostess to cook him dinner.

The traveling merchant had few goods — only a few pennies, but the greedy hostess thought: «It would be nice to take his bale of goods for myself!»

While she was cooking dinner in the kitchen, this thought did not leave her head. Finally she said to her husband:

— A traveling merchant came to us. It would be good for us to take his bale of goods for ourselves!

— There is nothing easier, — the husband answered.- put mega herbs in his dinner. Whoever eats it, his memory is knocked off: he will forget something! And what can a traveling merchant forget besides his goods? (Mega is a perennial plant of the ginger family. A purely Japanese, fragrant vegetable. In hot summer, its fragrance brings coolness. The first thing a Japanese person wants to eat after returning from a trip abroad is, perhaps, mega. Mega is used as a seasoning and dressing in soups. Mega is a perennial herb of the ginger family. The part of the mega that is above the surface of the earth dries up in winter, but reappears the next year. Mega likes shady and damp places, for example, thickets).

The hostess did so: she picked mega herbs and put them in the merchant’s dinner. The merchant ate dinner, thanked the hostess and went to sleep in his room.

The next day, early in the morning, the merchant left the hotel, and the hostess, waking up, first of all ran to his room to look at the bale of goods. But the room was empty.

«Oh, you fool! — she began to scold her husband. — What did you tell me about mega grass! And the merchant did not even think to forget his bale of goods!

— Well, then, he forgot something else, — the husband calmly objected.

— He didn’t forget anything! the hostess shouted.

— It can’t be! — the husband was angry. — remember well!

The hostess began to remember: what could the merchant have forgotten? Suddenly she slapped her forehead and shouted:

«I forgot! I forgot!

— You see, — the husband rejoiced. — I didn’t tell you… And what did he forget?

— I forgot to pay — that’s what, you old fool! (In fairy tales, evil and treacherous people are punished).

The Fountain of Youth

(Japanese folk tale)

Once upon a time there was an old man and an old woman. The old man went to the mountains every day to get firewood, and the old woman stayed at home to manage.

One day the old man went into the forest and did not return in the evening. The old woman waited for him all night, and the next morning a young man with a bundle on his shoulders approached her house.

The old woman took a closer look — and this is her old man, exactly the same as he was at twenty.

— What happened to you? the old woman cried.

— Yesterday, as always, I went to the mountains for brushwood, — said the husband. — Suddenly a strong wind blew, and an unprecedented beautiful bird began to circle over me. Circled and circled, then flew, and I followed her. She led me to an unknown valley where beautiful flowers bloomed and smelled. There was a stream nearby. I was thirsty, so I scooped up some water from the stream. I began to drink and felt my strength increase. And when he got drunk, he seemed to get drunk and fell asleep right there, by the spring. I woke up in the dead of night. The moon was shining, and the night birds were singing. I was terribly scared and went home. (Magic helps to find youth).

The old woman listened with envy to her husband’s story:

— I will go to this source too! I want to be young too!

— Well, you go too, — said the husband and showed her the way. The next day the old woman did not return home. A few more days passed, and she still wasn’t there. Finally, the husband went to look for the old woman.

I came to the clearing, looked around. There is no one.

«Did some animal eat my old woman?» he thought.

He walked around the stream and was about to go home, when he suddenly hears a child crying.

«Who could have brought a child into such a wilderness?» — the husband thought and went to the voice.

He saw something white in the tall grass. I looked closely — and this is his old woman’s dress! Tangled in the dress, the child lay and cried.

— Bah! Yes, it’s my old woman turned into a baby! my husband exclaimed.

The baby nodded his head and cried even louder.

— Poor, poor! So it’s you, my old lady! — said the old man. — Apparently, you have drunk too much from the fountain of youth and now you have turned into a baby! What am I going to do with you now?

He took the old woman-baby in his arms and returned home.

Since then, the old man goes to the neighbors for milk for his old woman-baby. (Everyone is looking for the source of youth).

Wonderful transformations of Bata

(ancient Egyptian fairy tale)

Many thousands of years ago, a hardworking people lived in the valley of the Nile River — the Egyptians. In summer, the Nile overflowed and flooded the entire valley, all the fields. In autumn, when the river entered its banks, the peasants cultivated the wet land and sowed wheat and barley. Skilled artists created beautiful statues, artisans made elegant clothes and elegant jewelry, magnificent furniture and beautiful dishes, builders erected huge pyramids and majestic temples. Scribes wrote down ancient legends and fairy tales on large papyrus sheets. One of these tales about two brothers, recorded by the ancient Egyptian scribe Ennana, and we will tell you now.

That’s what happened once, a long time ago. There were two brothers. The elder was called Anupu, the younger — Bata. Anupu had a house, a wife. Merit was her name. And the younger brother lived with him like a son, and helped the elder to work in the field and at home. Bata grazed cattle, plowed the land and reaped bread. He was a good worker, and there was no one like him on the whole earth. Bata got up early in the morning, baked bread and drove the herd out to pasture. The cows told him:

— Today the grass is good in the meadow, by the river. (Humanization of cows).

He listened to the cows and drove them to where there was beautiful grass. And the cows that he was tending became fat, and their calves became more and more.

In the evening Bata was returning home. He was walking, loaded with field herbs, and carrying milk with him. He put it all in front of his older brother and his wife. After that, Bata drank, ate and went to bed. He did not like to stay at home and went to spend the night in the barn. Bata never parted with his animals.

The time of plowing has come.

Anupu called Batu and told him:

— We need to prepare the bulls for work in the field. The river has already entered its banks, and the land has already come out from under the water, it is good to plow it. Go to the field and take the grain there, as we will start working early tomorrow morning.

That’s what the older brother said, and the younger brother did everything he was told.

And so, when the sun lit up the earth and the next day came, the brothers went to the field with a team of oxen and began to plow. And they were glad in their hearts that the work in the field had begun.

So a few days passed. They got up at dawn and, when it got dark, went to sleep in the field. The day came when they didn’t have enough grain. Then Anupu sent Batu for grain and said to him these words:

— Hurry up, bring grain from the village. Batu found Merit in the house, she was combing her hair. He told her:

— Get up and give me the grain. Hurry up. I need to get back to the field as soon as possible. Anupu told me not to linger.

Merit didn’t like Batu. It always seemed to her that her husband loved his brother more than her. She was always looking for an opportunity to incur her husband’s wrath on Batu.

And she replied to Bath:

— Go yourself, open the barn and take what your heart desires. And I can’t go until I finish my hairstyle. I’m afraid I might drop a single hair on the road.

Bata went to the barn, took a large clay vessel to carry a lot of grain into the field. He poured barley and wheat and left the barn with a heavy burden on his shoulder.

Merit asked him:

— How much grain do you have on your shoulder? Bata answered her:

— Three measures of barley, two measures of wheat, five in total. That’s how much I carry on my shoulder.

That’s what he told her. She spoke to him in an angry voice and said these words to him:

— You’re not carrying much. Are you afraid that your shoulders will hurt! And you spilled the grain on the ground. So I’ll tell my husband that you climbed into the barn yourself, and pushed me out of there so that I wouldn’t see how you scattered the grain and didn’t complain to my husband.

— Why are you telling a lie? You want to quarrel with my brother! After all, he’s like a father to me. And I have always revered you as a mother.

And Bata shouldered his burden and went into the field. There he and his brother continued plowing. When evening came, they finished their work and got ready to go home. Anupu went ahead, and Bata loaded himself with field herbs and drove the herd to the barn for the night.

Meanwhile, Merit took lard and rags and smeared her face and hands. She looked as if she had been beaten. She wanted to tell her husband: «Look, it’s your brother who beat me.»

Anupu came to the village in the evening. But his wife did not come out to meet him and did not pour water on his hands, as usual. She did not light a fire in front of him, and the house was plunged into darkness. She lay moaning.

Anupu asked her:

— What’s wrong with you? Who was here, who spoke to you? That ’s what she said to him:

«No one was here except your brother. When he went to the barn, I said to him, «Wait, I’ll pour the grain for you so that you don’t spill it on the ground.» But he pushed me away and said: «I’ll do it myself.» And so he scattered the grain in the barn. I said to him, «Why didn’t you listen to me? Now the grain is on the ground, and your brother will be displeased.»«That’s what I told him. Then he got scared and beat me and said, «Look, if you complain about me to your brother, I’ll beat you so hard that you won’t be able to get up!» And so, if you don’t punish him, I will die. He will come home and justify himself to you and make me guilty of everything.»

Anupu became as angry as the panther of the south. He sharpened the knife, took it in his hands and stood behind the door of the barn. He wanted to kill Batu for raising his hand against his wife. Anupu stood outside the door and waited for Bata to come home.

And so, when it became quite dark, Bata approached the house with the herd. And when the first cow entered the barn, she said to her shepherd:

— Look, your older brother is standing outside the door. He wants to kill you.

Bata heard what the cow said to him and doubted, but the second cow repeated the same thing. Then Bata looked under the door and saw the legs of his older brother. Bata folded a bundle of grass on the ground and rushed to run. Anupu chased after him.

And then Bata prayed to the god Ra (Ra (Re, Re; translated as «Sun») — the supreme Egyptian deity of the Sun, the lord and father of all gods, one of the demiurges (creators of the world) in Egyptian mythology):

— My good lord! You are the one who condemns the villain before the righteous. Save me!

Ra heard Bata’s plea. And Ra made great water between the brothers and filled it with crocodiles. (God hears and responds to requests as a person — the personification of God). And the elder brother turned out to be on one bank, and the younger one on the other.

Anupu slapped his hand in anger that he had not caught up with his brother. That’s what he did.

And Bata shouted to him:

— I won’t talk to you: you’re as angry as the panther of the south. Tomorrow I’ll tell you everything that happened. And you’ll see that I’m not to blame for anything.

And so, when dawn broke and another day came, the sun shone in the sky, and the brothers saw each other. Bata turned to his older brother with such a speech:

«Why did you run after me to kill me?» You didn’t listen to what my mouth wanted to tell you. After all, I am your younger brother, you are like a father to me. And I revered your wife as a mother. When I came for the grain and asked her to give it to me, she sent me alone to the barn. And look, now she’s blamed me for everything.

And Bata told about everything that happened.

— Why did you believe your wife when she slandered me? Would I dare to raise my hand to her and hit her? After all, I revered her as a mother!

And then Anupu sobbed and began to ask Batu to return home. He wanted to take him by the hand, but could not cross to the other side, as there were many crocodiles in the water.

But Bata said:

«You’ve forgotten all the good things I’ve done for you. Go home, guard your own herd. And I don’t want to live with you anymore. I’m going to Cedar Valley. (Expeditions for cedar were equipped by Egyptian pharaohs, kings of Sumerian and Assyrian, Persian and Jewish. This resinous tree, used in ancient times, including for the manufacture of incense, was used for the construction of temples of the gods and palaces of powerful rulers).

Bata said goodbye to his older brother:

— Remember me. Know that I will take out my heart and put it on the branches of a cedar. If someone cuts a cedar, my heart will fall to the ground, and then I will die. Then you come to the Cedar Valley, find my heart and put it in a bowl of water, and then give me a drink. Then I’ll be alive again. (Predictions that should come true).

Anupu asked his brother:

— How will I know about you?

— That’s how you find out that trouble has happened to me: they will give you beer and it will foam. Don’t stay at home then. Come to my aid immediately. (Predictions that should come true).

And the brothers parted. Anupu returned home, and Bata went to the Cedar Valley. There was no one else there with him. He had been hunting desert beasts all day. At night he went to sleep under a cedar tree, on the branches of which his heart lay. (The heart is a fetish, in this case, self–suggestion that the heart lies on cedar branches).

So many days passed. Bata built a tall house with his own hands, filled it with all sorts of things and began to live in it.

Anupu returned home to the village. He drove out the evil Merit and began to live alone. Now he was herding the cattle himself and in the evening brought to my zero grass. And all the time he remembered Batu and was sad about him.

And Merit wandered the roads and cried.

She prayed to the god of the desert Set (Set is the personification of evil in Egyptian mythology. Set or Seti is the god of the desert, chaos, rage, war, destruction and death. He personified evil in all its manifestations), evil and hating people:

«O Set, mighty lord of the desert! Help me destroy Batu. Destroy it!

Seth heard Merit’s plea, and ordered Seth to create a wife for Bata, who would cause his death. And this girl was more beautiful than any other woman in the whole earth. Her name was Shepseth. (The gods hear the requests of man and fulfill them — the personification of man).

And then one day Bata met Shepseth. He fell in love with her and brought her to his house. And Shepseth became Bata’s wife.

In the morning Bata went into the desert. He spent the whole day there hunting animals, and his wife was left alone. In the evening Bata would come home and put the dead game in front of Shepseth.

Bata told his wife:

— Don’t go to the sea. Misfortune will come from there. The sea will capture you, and you will not be able to escape.

And at first, Shepseth obeyed her husband. One day Bata told her everything that happened to him and how he got to the Cedar Valley. And Bata revealed his secret to her — his heart lies on the branches of a cedar, and if the tree is cut down, then he, Bata, will die.

And so, many days later, Bata, as usual, went hunting. And Shepseth went for a walk to the seashore, where there was a big tree. Suddenly the waves rose on the sea and chased after Shepseth. She got scared and ran. Then the sea shouted to the tree:

«I wish I could have her!» (Humanization of the sea).

The tree lowered a branch, grabbed a lock of Shepseth’s hair and threw this curl into the sea. And the waves carried this lock far, far away and washed it to the shores of Egypt. Just at this time, laundries were rinsing Pharaoh’s laundry (Pharaoh — from the ancient Egyptian «great house». Since the period of the New Kingdom (XVI — XI centuries BC), the name of the palace began to mean the ruler himself allegorically, and since the X century BC it has acquired the status of one of the official names of the ruler). And from the hair of Shepseth, the underwear began to smell very good.

— The smell of fragrant ointments in Pharaoh’s underwear, may he be alive, healthy and prosperous! — they were talking in the palace.

No one knew where the smell came from. Was there any evil sorcery here? Everyone was concerned about this and dissatisfied with the laundries.

The head of the laundries came to the seashore. His heart was heavy because they were dissatisfied with him. He went up the hill just opposite the place where the lock of hair was lying, and saw her. He ordered the servant to go into the water and get the hair. And the servant brought him the hair. They smelled really, really good. And they took them to Pharaoh, may he be alive, healthy and prosperous.

Pharaoh wanted to know whose hair it was and how they got to the shores of Egypt. He ordered the wise men to be called.

And the wise scribes were brought to the palace. They said:

— A lock of hair belongs to one of the most beautiful women. Send messengers to all corners of the world to find this woman.

Then Pharaoh said, may he be alive, healthy and prosperous:

— This is very, very good, what the sages said.

Messengers were immediately sent to various countries. A few days later, people from distant lands returned and reported to his Majesty that they had not found a woman with fragrant hair. Only the people sent to the Cedar Valley did not come. They met Batu there and fought with him. Bata defeated all of them, only one managed to escape. After many days he came to Egypt and told about everything that had happened to him. And he also said that Bata’s wife was the woman they were looking for. Then Pharaoh sent an army on foot and on horseback to the Cedar Valley and ordered Bata’s wife to be brought to him. A woman from the palace went with the warriors. She was carrying beautiful clothes and jewelry with her.

The warriors reached the Cedar Valley at a time when Bata was hunting. Shepseth was home alone. The royal maid laid out elegant clothes and beautiful jewelry in front of her. Shepseth was delighted to see them, and the maid told her:

— Come with us to Egypt, and all this will belong to you. And many more different treasures will be presented to you by his Majesty, may he be alive, healthy and prosperous.

Shepseth agreed to go to Egypt. They brought her to the palace, and rejoiced at her in all the land from its borders, and Pharaoh, may he be alive, healthy and prosperous, made her his wife.

They began to ask Shepseth about Bath, and she told the king:

— Send people to the valley and order them to cut down the cedar, and then Bata will die.

Warriors were sent to the Cedar Valley. They came to the tree and saw the heart of Bata on the branches. Then they cut down the top of the cedar, and at the same moment Bata fell dead. (Fulfillment of predictions).

Meanwhile, Anupu entered his house. He washed his hands and sat down at the table. He was served beer, and it frothed. They gave him wine, and it became cloudy. Then Anupu grabbed his staff and sandals and went to the valley of the Cedar.

He entered his brother’s house and saw that he was lying motionless on his bed. Anupu sobbed when he saw the dead Vata, and went to look for his heart.

Many days have passed since then. Every morning Anupu came to the cedar and searched for his brother’s heart until late at night. And finally he found a pea under a cedar tree — it was the heart of Bata. (The pea is a symbol of the heart, the formation of symbolism). Anupu picked him up and entered the house with him. He took out a bowl for Anup, poured fresh water into it, put a heart pea in it and sat down next to it. During the night, the heart was filled with water, and then Bata shuddered and looked at his brother. Anupu grabbed a bowl of fresh water, where Bata’s heart was, and gave him to drink. Bata drank all that was in the cup, and his heart fell into place, and Bata became the same as he was before. (Animation).

The brothers hugged joyfully.

And Bata said:

— I will turn into a bull with a beautiful coat. You sit on my back and we’ll go to where my wife is. You bring me to Pharaoh, and you will be rewarded with gold and silver for it.

And so, when the sun lit up the earth and the next day came, Bata turned into a bull, and Anupu sat on his back. (Transformation). They arrived in Egypt to Pharaoh. He looked at this bull and said:

— A great miracle — this beautiful bull!

People rejoiced at this bull all over the earth, and Pharaoh loved him. And Anupu was awarded gold and silver. Then he returned to his house and began to live there.

One day the bull entered where Shepseth was sitting and addressed her with these words:

— Look, I’m alive! Shepseth asked him:

— Who are you?

— Bata. You knew I was going to die when you ordered the cedar to be cut down. But, you see, I’m alive. I became a bull.

Shepseth was scared. She went to Pharaoh and told him:

— Promise me that you will fulfill my request!

And the king swore that he would do whatever she wanted. Shepseth said:

— Let them give me the liver of a bull to eat. After all, he’s good for nothing anyway.

Pharaoh was upset by his wife’s request, but he swore and had to keep his word.

And so, when the earth was illuminated by the sun and the next day came, they arranged a big celebration. The chief priest himself slaughtered the bull, and the servants carried him. As they passed through the palace gates, two drops of blood fell from the bull’s neck to the ground. And immediately two trees grew in these places — perseias (Peach trees), one is better than the other. («Magical» transformations). Let’s go tell Pharaoh about it:

— A great miracle has happened. Two beautiful Perseias have grown up at the gates of your palace.

Pharaoh wanted to look at these trees. He rode out on a golden chariot, on his head he had a diadem of lapis lazuli, on his neck was a wreath of the best flowers. Behind the Pharaoh, Shepseth rode in a chariot. His Majesty sat down under the shadow of one Perseus, and Shepseth sat under the other. And Persea bent down to her, rustling the branches, and said: (Humanization of trees).

— Oh, Shepseth! I’m alive. Woe to you. You made me cut down a cedar tree, but I turned into a bull. And you ordered me to be killed again!

Shepseth trembled with fear. Again she asked Pharaoh to fulfill her request, and the king again swore that he would do whatever she wanted.

— Order to cut down Perseus! After all, you can make a lot of good things out of them!

Pharaoh was upset by his wife’s request. But he must keep his word. And his majesty sent skilled craftsmen, and both perseias were cut down. And Shepseth stood and watched the trees being cut down. Suddenly one chip flew off and got into her mouth.

After that, many days passed, and Shepseth gave birth to a boy. It was still the same Bata.

The Pharaoh rejoiced, may he be alive, healthy and prosperous, at the birth of a boy. He loved him and made him his heir.

And so, after a long time, when the Pharaoh ended the days of his life, Bata ascended the throne and began to rule Egypt. He ordered all the nobles to be summoned to tell them what had happened to him. When all the courtiers and judges gathered, Shepseth was brought there, and Bata told the whole truth about her: how she ordered the cedar to be cut down, how she forced the bull to be killed and the perseus to be cut down. The judges found her guilty and sentenced her to death. And she died by the sword.

And Bata, when he became Pharaoh, may he be alive, healthy and prosperous, called Anupa to him and began to live with him in the palace.

Bata ruled Egypt for thirty years, and all the people loved him. (The fairy tale shows the origin of abstract thinking in ancient Egypt, which is expressed in symbolism, various «magical» personifications (humanization), transformations and revivals).

Talking Sweet Potato

(Ghanaian folk tale)

Surprisingly, all this happened, happened and happened. And those who do not believe, let them know that it was not somewhere; but near the city of Accra, near the Gulf of Guinea, in the very village where all this happened. It’s much better: you can’t say more precisely! Who doesn’t know the Gulf of Guinea? Who hasn’t heard of Accra? Both old and small, the chicken knows that the best city on earth is Accra. Well, it’s easier to find the village where it happened. Just ask, everyone will tell you how to get to her. She’s very close. (Accra is the capital of Ghana).

So, one day a peasant went to his field: he wanted to dig up a sweet potato in order to take it to the market and sell it. Just took up the hoe, and the sweet potato suddenly says: (Sweet potato is a tropical plant, the tubers of which are distinguished by a pleasant sweet taste. Humanization of the plant).

— Hey, buddy! That’s when you showed up. He hasn’t watered me once, he hasn’t watered me, and now, please, he’s right there with his hoe. Go away and leave me alone!

The peasant was stunned.

«Who could it be?» he thought.

I looked around — no one. One cow stands and chews her cud, staring at the owner.

«Did you say anything?» The peasant asked in alarm.

And the cow chews and keeps quiet. The peasant only shrugged his shoulders in perplexity.

Then suddenly the dog spoke: (Humanization of animals).

— And what not to understand? — she said. — What does the cow have to do with it? She chews and keeps quiet, but the sweet potato that you wanted to dig up, the sweet potato and told you not to touch it and leave it alone!

Well, that was too much. To think that his dog had never spoken in a human voice. Yes, not only that, it’s also so audacious! Well, is it possible to tolerate that some dog dared to argue with his master!

Therefore, without thinking for a long time, he grabbed a knife and cut a hefty branch from a palm tree to unfasten the dog. And at this time, the palm tree says: (Humanization of the palm tree).

— Well, put down my branch immediately!

The peasant was frightened.

«No,» he thinks, «it’s all for a reason.»

And just wanted to throw a branch on the ground, as she sternly said:

— Don’t leave me! Put it down carefully! (Humanization of the branch).

The peasant was frightened and carefully put the branch on the stone. And take the stone and shout:

— Take the branch off me, but hurry up! (Humanization of the stone).

In fear, the peasant rushed from the garden straight to the village as fast as he could.

While he was running, he met a fisherman on the road. He was carrying a rolled-up fishing net on his head.

— Where are you in such a hurry? the fisherman asked the out — of-breath peasant.

«Just think,» said the peasant in fright, «my sweet potato said, «Leave me alone! «My dog said: «Don’t touch the sweet potato!» I wanted to unfasten it with a branch, but the palm tree said: «Put my branch down immediately!» And the branch said: «Put it carefully!» And the stone screamed: «Take the branch off me, and hurry up!»

— And that’s all! — the fisherman said calmly. — What’s the big deal?

— Well, what happened next? The fishing net suddenly asked. — Did he remove the branch from the stone? (The humanization of the fishing net).

— Ay! — the fisherman shouted, threw the net to the ground and rushed to run along with the peasant.

They ran and ran until they met a weaver on the path. He carried on his head a bale of excellent fabric, which he had woven with his own hands.

— Where are you in such a hurry? — asked the weaver-.

— «Where, where!» the peasant shouted. — My sweet potato said: «Leave me alone!» My dog said: «Don’t touch the sweet potato!» I wanted to unfasten it with a branch, and the palm tree says: «Put my branch down immediately!» And the branch demands: «Put it carefully!» And the stone shouts: «Take the branch off me, yes hurry up!»

And the fisherman, interrupting the peasant, added:

— And my network also asked: «Well, did he remove the branch from the stone?»

— What’s so surprising about that? — said the weaver. — I would never worry about such trifles!

— That’s how to say it! — the fabric disagreed with him.«If something like that had happened to you, you would have run faster than both of them!» (Humanization of the fabric).

— Ah! The weaver exclaimed, and in his fright he threw his cloth on the ground and ran headlong along with the peasant and the fisherman on.

They were rushing so fast that they didn’t even have time to look back, as they ran to the river, where a man was swimming near the ford.

— Are you hunting wild goats? — he asked curiously.

«Oh, no,» the peasant answered him, barely catching his breath. — My sweet potato suddenly started talking to me. He said, «Leave me alone!» My dog said, «Don’t touch the sweet potato!» I wanted to unfasten it with a branch, and the palm tree says, «Put my branch down immediately!» And the branch demands, «Put it carefully!» And the stone shouts, «Take the branch off me, but hurry up!»

— And my net, — said the fisherman, — asks: «Well, how did he remove the branch from the stone?»

— And my cloth, — said the weaver, — told me: «Would you run too if this happened to you!»

— And that’s why you’re running headlong? — asked the swimmer.

— I would see how you wouldn’t run if you were in their place! — said the river. (The humanization of the river).

— Ay! — cried the swimmer and, as he was naked, jumped out of the river and started running with them.

Well, they rushed off — faster than an arrow. They burst into the village and entered the spirit — along the main street.

The elders came running to the house. Eyes bulged. They’re waving their arms. They call him for help, for trial.

But the elder was real, important, slow. He took his time. First of all, as it was supposed, the servant took out of the house a carved chair, sitting on which the elder solved all the cases, and only then he went out himself.

The elder sat down on a more comfortable chair and then only began to listen to the complaints of those who came running.

«I went out to dig sweet potatoes,» the peasant began in despair. — And the sweet potato says, «Leave me alone!» The dog said: «Don’t touch the sweet potato!» I wanted to unfasten it with a branch, but the palm tree says: «Put my branch down immediately!» And the branch demands: «Put me down carefully!» And the stone shouts: «Take the branch off me, but hurry up!»

— And my net, — said the fisherman, — asks: «Well, did he remove the branch or not?»

— And my fabric reproaches, — said the weaver. — «If this had happened to you, you would have run even faster!»

«And the river mocks,» said the swimmer.- «I wish I could see how you wouldn’t run headlong!»

So they stood and waved their arms and shouted, interrupting each other, and told about what had happened.

The elder listened to them patiently, and then said instructively:

— If you listen to you, it’s really a scary story! But I’ll tell you what: you’d better go home and get busy before I order to give you good lashes to knock the crap out of your heads!

The poor complainers left, and the elder shook his head and said to himself:

— And people will come up with such nonsense.

«Just think! — suddenly said a carved chair under him. — So that sweet potatoes can talk! (Humanization of the chair).

Then the elder himself jumped up and, as if stung, jumped off his carved chair and ran away. (In the abstract thinking of man, the humanization (personification) of all objects, beings and phenomena occurs, which is manifested in the fairy tales of all peoples).

A cunning spider and a clever turtle

(Ghanaian folk tale)

Who doesn’t know Anansi? And the spider Anansi is cunning. He’ll always come up with something, and no matter what he does — don’t worry — he won’t be left at a loss. That’s why no one wanted to deal with him. Who needs to be fooled, deceived, tricked? (Humanization of animals).

The fact that the spider was always hungry, and was always ready to eat, and every hour he was ready to chew, chew, chew — just give him something tastier, or even the simplest food, he would not refuse it — everyone in the Ashanti country knew about this. In a word, Anansi was famous for his voracity all over the neighborhood. Anyway, he wanted to have more than he was supposed to have. (The Ashanti are a people living in the central regions of Ghana).

Anansi lived on the very edge of the village. Whoever comes, he will not pass. He sees everyone, he won’t miss anyone, who can be of use.

But one day…

That’s what happened once. A stranger from a foreign country knocked on his door. Her name was Turtle. She was walking from afar and had been on the road for a long time. While she was making her way under the sun, she was very tired and really hungry. (Humanization of animals).

The spider had to invite the Turtle to his house to rest and eat. How he didn’t want to do that!

What should I do? If he did not show hospitality to the traveler, it would become known to the whole neighborhood, and then everyone would condemn him.

But no wonder the spider was the same Anansi! He’ll think of something.

Anansi looked at the Turtle with velvet eyes and said softly:

«Oh, dear! How glad I am, how happy I am to share my humble table with you! You just know, because in our country, every person from the Ashanti people, whether poor or rich, washes with hot water twice a day, morning and evening. Therefore, follow this path here, and it will lead you straight to the spring. The water in it has probably already warmed up during the day. Your legs are dusty on the way, you wash them, and in the meantime I’ll cook dinner.

The Turtle took a pumpkin bowl and crawled, waddling, down the path to the spring. There she gathered water and washed her feet as cleanly as she could, wiped them with grass and went back to the house.

But the path was untrodden, and by the time the Turtle got home, her feet were dusty again.

Meanwhile, the spider had prepared all sorts of food, set the treats on the table and, as if rejoicing, fussed around.

— Good, good! — Go, guest, go, Turtle! — he repeated, inviting her to the table.

Then Anansi’s gaze, as if by chance, fell on the Turtle’s legs, and the spider said reproachfully:

— Well, how is it possible! Your feet are in terrible dust! Don’t you think you should have washed them thoroughly before sitting down at the table!

The Turtle looked at his feet, and she felt ashamed: indeed they were in the dust. Meanwhile, she hadn’t eaten anything since the morning, and the viands smelled so appetizing that her mouth watered. But — nothing can be done! — the Turtle turned and hurried to the spring as fast as he could.

The Turtle took water, washed again and hurried to the house. No matter how hurried she was, she needed a lot of time to get down to the spring and from the spring to the hill! It’s not for nothing that they say that turtles walk at a snail’s pace!

Therefore, when she entered the house, the spider was already sitting at the table and eating food, smacking and crunching.

«Excellent food, sister, isn’t it?»«Hurry up and sit down at the table!» Anansi casually glanced at the Turtle’s legs.

«Hm! Hm!» he said with displeasure.«Aren’t you going to wash your feet, wanderer?»

In confusion, the Turtle lowered his eyes and saw that, just thought, she was in such a hurry, she was so hungry that she did not notice how on the way back, on the same path, she again dusted her legs.

— I washed them! — said the Turtle, almost crying. — I washed them twice, but the path is so dusty.

Anansi even swelled with resentment.

You’re insulting my house! — he said angrily, stuffing his mouth full of delicious food.

— No, no, — said the Turtle, enjoying the alluring smell of dinner. — I just wanted to explain to you…

«Well, all right, all right,» Anansi said conciliatingly.«Go wash up and we’ll continue our dinner.»

The Turtle looked longingly at the food, which had already been reduced by half, and hurried back to the spring.

Meanwhile, the cunning Anansi chewed, chewed, chewed and smacked his lips.

The Turtle came to the spring, scooped water into a pumpkin cup, rinsed her feet, wiped with green grass…

No, do not think that she went down the path! This time the Turtle turned aside and began to make its way to the house in a roundabout way, but on the grass, on the green, on the clean.

The Turtle came into the house and saw: Anansi spider was sitting and licking his lips.

«Ah, ah,» he says, «isn’t it true how delicious it was! The Turtle looked at the plates, and they were empty. Even the smell of food has disappeared!

No matter how hungry the Turtle was, she didn’t say anything in response. I just smiled to myself.

— Well, I have to go! — the Turtle said goodbye. — Dinner was great. I didn’t know how welcome guests are in your village. If you happen to visit my area, welcome to me.

And she left.

The Turtle left and didn’t tell anyone how her spider Anansi deceived her, how he ate everything himself, but didn’t give her a crumb. And the spider went all over the village to brag about how he had fed and watered the guest, that she could barely, barely — she could not eat a treat for a whole week. And she called me to her, begged me, if only I would come to visit!

The neighbors say Anansi:

— Now you can not refuse in any way, you will offend the Turtle!

And they laugh themselves — they know how Anansi-spider treats!

There was nothing to do, Anansi had to hit the road to visit the Turtle.

He walked, walked. Suddenly he looks at the shore, and his old familiar Turtle is sitting on the shore, basking in the sun.

— Ah, my friend Anansi! — The Turtle was delighted. — I see, I see, you’re coming to me! What a joy! That’s happiness! I’m going to have lunch soon!

— To tell the truth, I don’t mind eating at all! Anansi said, looking forward to the treat. — It was a long way, and you could get hungry!

— That’s great! — said the Turtle. — It’s easier for me than for you — the water is nearby. You sit on the shore, and I’ll go down and prepare everything.

Having said that, the Turtle slid into the water where it lived and sank to the bottom. She began to cook, and, mind you, not like on earth, she did everything here, quickly, deftly.

Soon lunch was ready. The turtle rose to the surface and said to the spider, who was scurrying and running back and forth, back and forth, from impatience.

— Everything is ready! Let’s go downstairs and eat.

And the spider was so hungry that, without hesitation, jumped into the water. The turtle went under the water and swam to the bottom — to show the guest the way. The spider wanted to dive after the Turtle, but where there: his body was so light that he remained on his thin legs on the surface. No matter how much Anansi slapped his paws, no matter how much he splashed, it was all in vain: he did not go under the water in any way.

And the Turtle surfaced and, licking his lips, asked:

«Haven’t you been hungry all the way?» Know that the snack turned out to be excellent. My advice to you is to hurry up!

And she went under the water again.

The spider tried to follow her again, but to no avail. Then — oh, then he wouldn’t be an Anansi spider if he hadn’t found a way out of a difficult situation! — he quickly gathered stones and once or twice stuffed them into his pockets. Now he was so heavy that he could barely move his legs: they even buckled from the weight. Anansi slid into the water with difficulty and finally quickly sank to the very bottom. Right where the Turtle was sitting.

Well, let’s face it, she didn’t waste any time. She’s already eaten half of lunch. The spider was almost shaking, that’s what he wanted to eat. He had just decided to pounce on the food, when suddenly the Turtle said to him in a velvety voice:

— Forgive me, my dear guest, but in our country such a custom: we never sit down at the table in outerwear. Take it off, please, and then get down to business — eat your fill! — With these words, the Turtle stuffed his mouth full and began to chew, chew, chew and smack and crunch!

Anansi looked longingly at the table, where there was less and less food left.

«A little more, and she will eat everything!» he thought, and, having made up his mind, he got out of his clothes, in the pockets of which there were heavy stones. And just as he was freed from it, as — whoosh-whoosh! — he flew up and found himself on the very surface of the water.

And the Turtle and the delicious lunch were left far away, at the bottom.

The spider Anansi got out on the shore skinny, hungry and trudged home.

Like that. No wonder people say that one treat is always worthy of another. (A fairy tale about how not to behave).

The Braggart Baramba

(Guinean folk tale)

There were three friends. Their names were all the same — Samba. Only the first was called Samba Bimbiri Baramba, the second Samba Karlakaan, and the third — Samba Dunguonotu. (The names of the main peoples of Guinea: Fula, Malinke, Susu).

They went hunting. They climbed into the thicket; each killed his dozen elephants, and all that they got on the hunt, they ate the same day.

Back in the village, let’s brag:

— We are the strongest! No one in the world can beat us! We killed twelve elephants each and we ate twelve elephants each!

Bimbiri Baramba Samba boasted the loudest of all.

— We are the strongest, and I am the strongest of us! So they boasted.

Samba Bimbiri Baramba met a young girl. Her name was Kumba Guinea because she was a Guinean girl. Baramba saw her beauty, saw that she was big, that there were never such big girls among ordinary girls, and told her:

I love you!

Kumba Guinea also fell in love with him, immediately fell in love. So we got married. They went into the forest. It was hot. Kumba says:

— I’m thirsty.

I found a Samba Bimbiri Baramba stream, grabbed it like a canary, like a simple jug by the neck, and let’s pour water into one cup, into another.

And when Kumba got drunk to her heart’s content, he threw the stream behind his back and went on as if nothing had happened.

He goes and brags to his wife:

— I, Samba Bimbiri Baramba, lord of the forest! I am the lord of the mountains! I am the master of the waters! There is no one who is bigger than me, stronger than me!

And Kumba Guinea was smart. She told her husband so:

You are strong — good, but is it worth bragging that you are the strongest? You’re talking, but you don’t know. And so that you know, let’s go to my parents, you will see with your own eyes and make sure who is right.

— Okay! Samba Bimbiri Baramba said. — Let’s go!

And they set off.

They went out — it was just getting light, and in the dead of night Baramba saw a mountain ahead.

«Look, wife, — said Samba Bimbiri Baramba. — I have been hunting near these places for a long time, I have not seen this mountain.

You look well, take a long, long look,» said Kumba Guinea. — It’s not a mountain: my father is lying on his back, his leg bent at the knee. That’s the mountain that you imagined. (Humanization of mountains).

They walked for a long time, until dawn, until they finally came to the village where Kumba’s father was sleeping.

Samba Bimbiri Baramba saw how huge his father-in-law was, and he became afraid. Kumba noticed this, realized that her husband had one desire — to leave quietly.

Said:

— My brothers are coming back from hunting there. You should have gone to meet them, helped bring the loot.

The strongest in the world, Samba Bimbiri Baramba, was glad that he could leave.

«All right, I’ll meet them halfway,» he says.

Kumba explains:

— The older brother’s name is Gammadi, the second is Deelo, and the youngest, like you, is Samba! See how good it is!

Go Baramba. Gammadi was the first to meet. There is a guy — he killed five hundred elephants, tied them in one bundle, threw them on his back, and dragged them.

Baramba doesn’t know what he’s saying:

— Let me help you carry it. And Gammadi shook his shoulder:

There’s nothing to carry. You’d better go ahead: there’s my middle brother, Deelo, he’s weaker, you can help him.

I met Baramba’s middle brother, Deelo. This one has killed four hundred elephants, tied them in one bundle, and carries them on his shoulder.

— No, I don’t need any help, — he says, — you’d better go ahead: there’s Samba, our third brother, help him. He’s small.

Baramba went further and saw: a young guy was coming towards him, this one had only killed three hundred elephants, and tied up one bundle, carrying it on one shoulder.

— I am Samba Bimbiri Baramba! Are you a Samba, Kumba’s brother?

— I am Samba, Samba of Guinea, the smallest brother of Kumba! — the guy said and looked down at Baramba.

— I went to meet you, — said Baramba, — to help you carry the burden.

«And there’s nothing to carry here,» said Samba of Guinea and moved his shoulder, on which three hundred elephants were lying in one bundle. — But you’d better take my sandal, her belt is torn, it’s falling off her foot.

And he dropped the sandal on the shoulders of the great Samba Bimbiri Baramba, and it covered him completely, so that he could not get out from under it.

And Samba of Guinea did not notice that, he followed his brothers.

The father looked at the elephants that the brothers brought, shouting:

— How! A guest has come to us, my daughter’s husband! I came from foreign lands, and this is all the meat that you brought me! There’s nothing to eat here!

— It’s good if there’s enough for soup! — He looked around. — and where is my son-in-law? — he says.

«I met him, — Gammadi said, «but I sent him to meet Deelo.

— And I met him, — said Deelo, — yes, I sent him to meet Samba.

Kumba only looked at her little brother’s leg, a huge leg, and understood everything.

«I’m going to take a look,» she said. And she went.

I was looking, looking, looking — two guys in one place are fussing, shouting. She came up and saw: a sandal was lying, and under it — the strongest in the world — Samba Bimbiri Baramba. He won’t get out. And his friends, those who boasted with him that the strongest — Samba Karlakaana and Samba Dunguono-otu — grabbed the sandal, they are trampling on the spot, not that they can lift it, they can’t move it together.

— What are you doing here? — I asked.

— We hunted close and close, we saw a Baramba, we can’t help out in any way.

Kumba grinned, took a sandal, stuck it in her apron, says:

— Come on!

— Well, let’s go! — says Samba Bimbiri Baramba.

And we’ll leave those two, Samba Karlakaan and Samba Dunguonotu, — it’s not about them, after all, — let them hunt. We will go together with Samba Bimbira Baramba. Let’s see what happened when he and his wife, Kumba, returned to the village to her father.

And there was this: the soup was cooked. They called Samba, the strongest Samba in the world, Bimbiri Baramba, for a treat.

A pumpkin pot is standing, near Kumba’s father, her brothers are sitting. And the Bimbiri Baramba Samba will fit from this side — it will not reach, from the other — it will not reach the edge: pumpkin dishes are high. Huge.

The father-in-law saw, felt sorry for the son-in-law. He lifted her up and put her on his knee.

Samba Bimbiri Baramba grabbed a spoon, but she pulled the strongest in the world, and he fell right into the pumpkin pot, into the soup.

Kumba’s older brother, Gammadi, took him for a piece of meat and sent him into his mouth.

Baramba flew into his stomach.

The second brother, Deelo, asks:

— Where is our guest Samba Bimbiri Baramba? After all, we just ate soup together, and he’s not here!

And at this time, Samba Bimbiri Baramba in Gammadi’s stomach looked around, he saw: it seemed like he was in a big house, there was a roof over his head, high, like in a palace… Spread out a mat, and let’s pray!

Gammadi heard Baramba’s voice and said:

— Hey, what are you shouting for! This is not a hut, not a house, but my stomach. Get out of there, and hurry up. (The ancient idea is that the stomach is represented in the form of a house).

Baramba began to climb. He climbed, climbed, climbed all the way to the top, behind his teeth, as if behind a high palisade, stopped. Then Gammadi’s mouth tickled, he sneezed — Samba Bimbiri Baramba, the strongest in the world, flew out like an arrow.

Kumba Guinean washed him with water, her husband, after all, began to reason with him.

— And he also boasted that he was stronger than anyone on earth! You see,“ he says, „how badly you spoke. And that’s not all. You’ll live, you’ll see cleaner.

Kumba, in addition to his brothers, had a younger sister. Her name was Sira. Even more beautiful, even more Kumba. That’s what it is. If she wanted to drink water, so she started on Monday and drank until the next Monday, that’s how big she was: she had to get drunk — she had to pour water into herself for a whole week.

Two guys from another, foreign village went to woo. Go, shout:

— I am the master of the waters! — one is screaming.

— I am the master of the forests! — the other one screams.

One straddled the river: walking with one foot on one bank, the other foot on the other bank, the river under him, like a rope, twists. The guy bends down, throws his hands into the water, everything that gets into his handfuls — fish, crocodiles, and hippos — grabs everything, then straightens up, raises his hands up and roasts prey right in the sky, in the sun, as if on a bonfire.

Fry and eat.

Another guy walks through the jungle, the trees tickle his heels, that’s what he is.

He goes, he fumbles with his hands between the trees, as if on grass, he scoops up everything: game, leopards, and elephants — he will raise them to the sky right in his hands, in the sun, as if on a bonfire, he roasts and eats.

The grooms came to the village, they began to argue who would get Sira, Kumba’s sister.

Samba is silent, Deelo is silent, Gammadi is silent, and their old father is silent. What do you say? The guys are great, even they have not seen such.

The guys began to argue, they raised a fuss. They woke up an old man in another village.

The old man was sitting, guarding his field so that the birds wouldn’t peck at the crops.

Well, this old man was big too. Even more. He didn’t figure it out properly from a dream. It was the guys shouting, and he thought that birds or monkeys were making noise in his field. The old man took a good stick and threw it at the guys.

What’s the point of asking an old man? He’s old, half-blind, but sleepy, well, he didn’t hit, missed a little, didn’t hit the guys, but hit the edge of the village.

I hooked the village with a stick, it took off all together with Ba-ramba, with Kumba, Siroi, with her three brothers, with her old father, with the neighbors and those two guys.

The village is flying: bonfires are burning, who is having dinner, who is grinding grain, who is going hunting, who is telling fairy tales, and those guys are flying together with the village and everyone is arguing who will get Syrah as a wife.

The village flew, flew, and where she arrived, one young mother held her child in her arms, was going to feed her.

So this village flew right into her daughter’s eye.

The little one started crying. She began to rub her eyes with her finger.

The mother said to her daughter:

— Don’t cry, baby, let me see!

And my daughter is crying, she is still very, very small — she can’t speak. Her mother wiped her eyes, and the village fell out.

— Well, that’s it! — said the mother. — Don’t cry, my daughter, it was a speck!

And she went with her daughter.

And the village found itself on the ground again, no one noticed that it got a speck in the baby’s eye.

The guys are already grappling, let’s fight. One retreats from the other, so they got out of the mountains. Forever.

That’s when Kumba told Baramba.

— Well, that’s it! Kumba said. — Or rather, that’s not all. The world is great, great. Who knows how?

«Let’s go home from here to our village,» said Samba Bimbiri Baramba.

He said it because he understood that no one should say that there is no one on earth stronger than himself. Because in life there is a lot of power for every force. Because the world is great, great… Who knows how? (Abstract human thinking inexorably leads to a fantasy about the essence of being. However, a person wants to learn about how the world works).

Fearless Njeri

(Kenyan folk tale)

There was a drought. For many days the sun burned the earth. All the shoots in the fields withered. Rivers dried up, lakes became shallow. Hunger was waiting for people.

Then the elders gathered for a council. They summoned the most powerful sorcerers and spellcasters, and they said:

— The lakes will fill with water, and the rain will revive the earth when you sacrifice the beautiful Njeri to the water. (In Kenya, the majority of the population belongs to the Bantu peoples).

The elders went to Father Njeri and said:

— Only you can save the people. And the father took his daughter to the shore of the lake.

— Father, — Njeri asked him, — is it true that you said: «Let my Njeri perish if it is necessary for the salvation of the people?» (Sacrifices originated in the abstract thinking of mankind initially due to the fact that it was necessary to sacrifice something to catch animals — to lure animals, birds and fish, give them some of their food).

The father replied:

— It’s true. — And his face turned gray.

— Then come, rain, to save people! Njeri said.

And the water in the lake rose and soaked her feet.

«Mother,» asked Njeri, «is it true what you said: «May my Njeri perish if it is so necessary for the salvation of the people?»

The mother said:

«It’s true,» and covered her face with her hands so that no one could see her tears.

— Then come, rain! Save our people! Njeri said.

And the water rose to her knees.

«My grandfather,» asked Njeri, «is it true what you said: «May my Nyeri perish in order to save the people?»

— That’s right, — said the grandfather with a deep sigh.

Then come, rain! Revive our land! Njeri said.

And the water rose to her waist.

«My mother’s sister,» asked Njeri, «is it true that you said, «Let Njeri perish so that all our people do not perish?»

Is it true,» said the mother’s elder sister, and her voice trembled.

— Then let the life-giving rain come! Njeri said.

And the water rose to her chest.

«My father’s brother,» Njeri asked, «is it true what you said: «May our Nyeri perish in the lake in order to save people?»

— Is it true, — said the elder brother of the father, and his eyes were clouded with tears.

— Then come, welcome rain, save the people of my country! Njeri said.

And the water rose to her shoulders.

— Goodbye everyone! — said the girl. — Njeri will die in the lake. And you, rain, come so that others don’t die. Come, come, come quickly, rain!

And the water overwhelmed her. And thunder rumbled in the sky, and torrential rain poured down on the ground.

The next day a young man came to the village. It was the groom of the beautiful Njeri.

In despair and grief, he hit the water with a whip, which stole his bride from him. But the elders told him: (The humanization of water).

— Don’t hit the water like that. After all, our Njeri sleeps there.

And at this time, a girl’s voice rang out from the depths of the lake:

— My fiance! — she said. — Wouldn’t you also say: «Let my Nyeri perish, if it is so necessary that others be saved?»

And the young man answered with pain in his heart:

— Yes, and I would say so.

Then suddenly the water in the lake parted, and Nzheri rose from the bottom of it. She was even more beautiful than before.

The young man took her by the hands and led her into the house to her parents.

And then Njeri and the young man got married, and there was no one in the world happier than them. (In the cradle of humanity — Africa, abstract thinking began to form, this is what distinguishes a person from other living beings. On the basis of abstract thinking, religious thinking is created, which persists to this day, although now all the «miracles» can be explained. Religion is beneficial to «interested parties»).

Cow Tail Whip

(a Liberian folk tale)

Let me tell you a fairy tale, and you’ll find out if it’s true or false. Let me tell you a fairy tale, and you will answer yourself who deserves a reward, and who deserves only praise. I will tell you a fairy tale, and you will judge whether the wisdom of old Ogalussa is great and how he should act. You will say everything yourself, and as you decide, so it will be. So it will be in a fairy tale, and so it will be from now on. (In Liberia, the majority of the population belong to the Kru peoples, about 3% of the population are American–Liberians, descendants of Africans who returned from the United States in the 19th century).

Listen, a fairy tale begins, what happened in our country, on our land, a long time ago, begins.

On a high hill, at the very edge of a damp, dense forest, stood the village of Kundi. It was the same as our village — round clay huts stood here and there; bonfires burned in them, and the smoke of the hearths filtered through the palm leaves that covered the roofs. In Kundi, they lived as we live — men hunted, boys fished in the lake, and women near the huts pounded grain in wooden stupas (Stupas have an ancient African history).

Well, isn’t that village like ours?

And in the village of Kundi, by the Kovali River, a hunter lived with his wife and children. His name was Ogalussa.

One morning, Ogalussa took down his gun from the wall and went hunting in the forest. His wife went to the field, and his sons drove the cattle to pasture.

A day passed, Ogalussa did not return.

They began to have dinner, there is no Ogalussa.

They ate cassava tortillas, ate fish — there was still no Oglussa.

A day has passed, another has passed: there is no Ogalussa.

Where is Ogalussa? What happened to him? What’s the trouble?

The damp, dark forest is silent.

A week has passed, a month has passed. As before, the mother worked in the field, pushing grain in a wooden mortar, but now her sons not only fished, but went hunting instead of their father. And less and less often they remembered the one who left: Ogalussa.

At that time, Ogalussa’s wife had a son. It was called Bullets.

Bullets began to grow. Here he began to sit. Then he began to crawl. Finally the time came, and he spoke. Now I’m going to ask you, what words, when he started speaking, did he say for the first time? You will answer: he said «mom», he said «give».

Did he say that? No! He didn’t say that. His first words were, «Where is my father?»

«Where is my father?» — he said.

And his brothers looked at the rice fields and looked at the river and said nothing.

And then he said again, but this time he said like this:

— Where is my father?

And then the brothers looked at the damp, dark forest, looked at each other, and the elder said:

— He stayed there.

«He should have been back a long time ago,» said the second.

«Something happened to him, — said the third brother.

«He’s dead, — said the fourth.

«Otherwise he would have come home, — said the fifth.

«If only he could be found! — said the sixth.

— The forest is big, where to look? — said the seventh. Then the elder brother said:

— I saw him leave. I remember he was walking that way. Let’s try our luck, follow in his footsteps.

And the seven sons of Ogalussa took their weapons and set out on their journey. — To look for your father.

And the youngest of the sons, Puli, did not go with his brothers to look for his father, because he was young and had just begun to speak.

The brothers entered a damp, dark forest. Around them stood such tall trees that they propped up the sky with their branches, and their leaves were so thick that the sun did not break through to the ground, from which steam was coming, as from a bonfire.

The brothers walked under the branches of the trees, as if under a roof. They lost the path, and the elder found it again. They lost her again, and he found her again.

So they walked for a long, long time, not knowing how long they walked, because it was dark all around and none of them could tell how many times night replaced day and how many times day replaced night.

At last they saw a break in the distance, among the trees. They came there, and there was a clearing. There, in the clearing, the bones of Ogalussa lay scattered on the ground. And his rusty weapons were lying around.

Then the brothers gave themselves up to grief and anger. But to whom to avenge the father?

The elder of the brothers said:

— The forest is big, but I brought you here. Let everyone do what they can now!

Then the second brother said: |

— I know how to fold the bones of the deceased.

And he gathered the bones of Ogalussa and made them so that each bone fell into its place and they all gathered into one skeleton. (Collecting bones of deceased people).

The third brother said:

«I will clothe my father’s bones with flesh and muscles. — And he did so and stepped aside, giving place to the fourth.

«And I will fill his veins with hot blood,» said the fourth brother. And having said that, he poured blood into his veins.

Then the fifth brother said:

«I can make him breathe.»

And he put his breath into the lifeless body, and the brothers saw how Ogalussa’s chest rose, then fell, and he began to breathe.

«And I can make the body move,» said the sixth brother. And he gave his father the power of movement, and Ogalussa sat up and opened his eyes.

Ogalussa was sitting with his eyes open and was both alive and inanimate.

And then the seventh brother said:

Now that our father is alive and inanimate, I can give him back the gift of speech.

And he gave him back the power of speech and stepped aside.

Then Ogalussa looked around and stood up. He stood up and looked at his sons. Seven sons stood before him. His seven sons. («Sacred» numbers).

He was a real hunter, Ogalussa, and he didn’t say anything superfluous. He looked at his beloved sons and asked:

«Where’s my weapon?»

The sons picked up his rusty weapon lying on the grass and handed it to their father.

Then they started on their way back. Through the forest, through the forest, through the forest.

They passed through the rice fields and finally returned to their village.

Ogalussa entered the house. His wife made him a wash and cooked dinner.

Ogalussa stayed at home for four days. On the fifth day, he shaved his head, as did those who returned from the realm of the dead, and went outside. (Cutting hair for those «who returned from the realm of the dead» is an ancient African custom).

All the villagers rejoiced that Ogalussa had returned.

And then he slaughtered a cow for a big celebration.

Ogalussa took a cow’s tail, braided it into a pigtail and artfully decorated it with beads, shells, carvings, pieces of shiny metal. (Using a cow’s tail as a decoration).

If you only knew, if you only saw what a whip turned out! Not every leader has such a whip, not everyone who manages sacred dances could wear such a whip! (The dances are called «sacred»).

No one in the village has ever seen such a whip. It turned out great, it could belong to a great leader. So thought all the villagers, and so would you, if you had the good fortune to see this whip with your own eyes!

And now it was the morning of the holiday on the occasion of the return of Ogaloussa.

The villagers dressed in their best dresses. The musicians brought their instruments, and the dance began. The drummers beat the drums, and the women sang.

What a feast it was, what a treat!

When at last everyone calmed down, when everyone was tired of dancing and joy, Ogalussa got up and began to talk.

«A long time ago I went into the forest to hunt,» he said. «In a damp, dark forest, far, far away from here, a leopard attacked me. He bit me and scattered my bones on the ground. And my weapons were lying around. And time passed, and the weapon rusted, and my bones lay and lay. But my sons went looking for me. They brought me home from the realm of the dead. And here I am. And I will give my whip as a reward to the one who has done the most to make me come back!

There was an argument. Each of the sons of Ogalussa performed a feat, and only one whip. There are many exploits, but only one whip. That’s why the dispute arose.

What are you making a noise about? Are you arguing too? Well, tell me then, who should I give the whip to? (The whip serves as a relic and gift). The eldest? If he hadn’t found his father’s bones, then no one would have been able to bring Ogalussa back from the realm of the dead. Right. But you say that if the second son had not laid down the bones of the father, whose skeleton would the third son have clothed with flesh? Also correct. Just think, there is a dispute here and there, in the village of Kundi, where Ogalussa lived, a dispute!

— Father will give the whip to me! — said the eldest son. — I found a lost path in the forest.

— No, he’ll give it to me! — said the second son. — I collected and compiled his bones.

— All this is true!«But I clothed his skeleton with flesh and muscles.

«And I filled his veins with blood!» said the fourth son.

— I breathed breath into his chest! the fifth son said.

— But I gave him the power of movement! The sixth son said.

— I gave him back the power of speech! the seventh son said. Listening to the sons of Ogalussa, the villagers fell silent. «A good father has decent children,» they thought.

And then Ogalussa said to them, just as I say to you who are listening to a fairy tale and arguing:

— Let everyone be silent. Know this: I will give a reward to the son to whom I owe my life the most.

That’s what Ogalussa said.

He stepped forward, bent down and handed the whip from the cow’s tail to Bullet, a little boy, his youngest son.

When the villagers were surprised by his decision, the hunter reminded them that the first words of the child were: «Where is my father?»

And then everyone realized that Ogalussa had done the right thing. Because a person does not die as long as the living remember him. (Burials (funerals) are customs associated with various methods of burial of corpses and expressing the attitude of people to the dead and to death. A wide variety of funeral customs among different peoples is determined by the conditions of life, traditions, religious beliefs of people about death, etc.

Archaeological research has established that people buried the dead in pits and caves already in the Stone Age, in the Middle and Late Paleolithic. Burials in parking lots have been found all over the globe. These burials expressed an already well-known form of care for the deceased, stemming from the explanation of the phenomenon of death by primitive man as a dream, and from religious beliefs that had begun to emerge.

Over time, belief in the afterlife gave rise to an ambivalent attitude towards the deceased in primitive society: on the one hand, taking care of him, he was decorated, dressed in a special costume, left him food, tools, weapons, and sometimes means of transportation (sleigh, boat, etc.); on the other hand, fearing the deceased, they tried to neutralize him and prevent his return: the corpse was sometimes tied up in a crouched position (sitting, reclining), carried out through a specially made hole. The dead were showered with red ochre, symbolizing blood, thus striving to form his afterlife. In addition to the most common burial in the ground (burial ground, necropolis), the burning of corpses has been known since the Bronze Age. The burial ground is the place of many graves, burials, burials. The burial grounds of the Ancient East, Greece, Rome are known as necropolises. For Christian burial grounds, the term cemetery is usually used. In the broadest sense of the word, burial grounds include both burial mounds with an embankment consisting of earth or stones, and burials without preserved mounds, the so-called ground burial grounds. The term «burial ground» is more correctly applied to these latter. The oldest burial grounds, built in the Paleolithic and Neolithic, are ground burial grounds with corpses. The rite of corpse-laying persisted in later epochs. Since the Bronze Age, burial grounds consisting only of corpse burials have been known in Europe and Asia. In the Iron Age, there were burial grounds with a mixed burial rite (i.e. containing both corpse-laying and corpse-burning). This is especially noticeable in the underground burial grounds and burial mounds of the Galtstatt culture in Western Europe, in the necropolises of the Greeks and Romans (wherever these peoples lived), in burials; Ananyinsky culture of the Kama region. Among European peoples, after the burning of the deceased, the ashes were buried in the ground (burial fields, facial urns); among some peoples of Central Asia, they were placed in miniature coffins (ossuary) installed in special rooms (naus). Hindus still burn corpses at the stake, and the ashes are thrown into the water. Some peoples (for example, in Oceania) placed a corpse in a boat and launched it into the water. Australians, North American Indians, some peoples of Siberia left a corpse in the air (on trees, platforms). The Parsis still leave corpses in special towers to be eaten by birds, because they consider fire and earth to be sacred elements that cannot be «desecrated» by touching a corpse. With the collapse of the primitive communal system, burial rites sharply differentiated: for the burial of tribal leaders, princes and shamans, and later priests and kings, a complex ritual was developed, the cult of ancestors grew into the cult of deceased kings and the highest priesthood. The belief that the soul will exist as long as the body is preserved gave rise to the customs of preserving the corpse (smoking among the Australians, mummification among the ancient Egyptians and Incas), as well as creating portrait images in the form of funeral masks, tombstone figures, etc. Artificial hills (mounds) were piled on the graves in honor of the deceased, tombs, Egyptian pyramids were erected, funeral temples and chapels were built. To propitiate the spirit of the deceased ruler, sacrifices were made to him: slaves and wives were killed, cattle and horses were slaughtered (among the Scythians, among the ancient Slavs, in the African states of Benin, Uganda). Feasts and games (commemorations) were held over the grave. Among modern peoples, both burial in the ground and the burning of corpses (cremation) are common. The Church attaches great importance to religious burial rites, instilling in the minds of believers that this is necessary for «salvation» in the «afterlife». Ritual burials bring huge incomes to the ministers of worship of all religions. The civil funeral ceremony expresses love and respect for the deceased, honoring his services to society. Burials in Muslim countries and in Israel are associated with the way of life that originated in the hot climate of Arabia, where Islam and Judaism come from. Quick burial, so that the corpse does not decompose from the heat, the absence of coffins, because There are no trees in Arabia that could be used to build coffins. This is also connected with the refusal to eat pork — the pig is considered an unclean animal, there are no rivers and lakes, the pig has nowhere to cool down, it climbs into the sewage. Funeral cult, funeral rites — one of the earliest forms of religious beliefs, which includes a complex set of ideas: a person after death continues to lead the same way of life as before it; his soul (spirit) either remains among the living, or goes to a special land of the dead (the afterlife), but in both cases retains the ability to influence the affairs of his living tribesmen; there is no insurmountable boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead,

and every deceased person can return to the world of the living again, incarnated in one of the newborn members of the genus (tribe). The funeral cult exists among all peoples of the world and in all religions. It includes the destruction of a corpse (burning, burying, air or water burial, dissection, discarding, leaving for animals or birds to eat, endocannibalism — eating the entrails) or its partial preservation (mummification, storage of skulls or dried heads), the erection of tombstones (mounds, log cabins, crypts, mausoleums, etc. d.), sacrifice, memorial meal, mourning for the deceased and related prohibitions. The emergence of the funerary cult is attributed to the Upper Paleolithic era. He entered as an integral part of the later religious systems, in which traces of early beliefs are clearly visible. Such are, for example, in the Orthodox funeral rite, memorial pancakes and kutya, a meal at the grave of the deceased on Radunitsa and on other days of special commemoration of the deceased. Among a number of peoples, only certain aspects of the funeral cult have received special development. The rite of burial in Russia. A special place among pagan rituals was occupied by the burial rite. For a long period, the ratio of the two main types of funeral rites — corpse laying and burning — fluctuated greatly. The primitive burial of crouched corpses, which were artificially given the position of the embryo in the womb, was associated with the belief in a second birth after death. Therefore, the deceased was buried prepared for this second birth. The Proto-Slavs in the Bronze Age rose to a new level and abandoned the crouchiness. Soon a completely new burial rite appeared, generated by new views about the human soul, which does not reincarnate in any other creature (beast, man, bird), but moves into the airspace of the sky. The cult of the ancestors was divided: on the one hand, the weightless, invisible soul joined the heavenly forces, so important for those farmers who did not have artificial irrigation, and everything depended on heavenly water. On the other hand, benevolent ancestors, «grandfathers», had to be connected with the land that gives birth to the harvest. This was achieved by burying the burnt ashes in the ground and building a model of the house, «domoviny», over the burial. Much later, in the 9th — 10th centuries AD, when the Kievan state was already formed, a simple burial ceremony without burning appeared for the third time among some of the Russian nobility, which happened, most likely, under the influence of renewed ties with Christian Byzantium. But as soon as the long-term war with the empire began, the grand ducal entourage pointedly returned to cremation. The burial mounds of the era of Svyatoslav, who persecuted Christians, were grandiose structures on the high banks of rivers, whose funeral pyres had to be visible within a radius of about 40 km, i.e. for a space of four to five thousand square kilometers! In 2013, the oldest skeletal human remains on the African continent were found in the Panga-ya-Saidi cave in Kenya. By age, the find belongs to the Middle Stone Age and is the oldest human burial in Africa known to date, created about 78 thousand years ago. The description is given in the journal Nature. Although Africa is considered the cradle of mankind, however, early evidence of burials on this continent is very few. In Europe and Asia, burials have been found of both Neanderthals and modern people up to 120 thousand years old, but until now it remained a mystery how the inhabitants of Africa treated their dead in the Stone Age. However, only in 2017, at a depth of about 3 meters below the current floor of the cave, a rounded cavity filled with loose sediments and a cluster of fragile and severely destroyed bones was opened. Taking into account the fragility of the material, the researchers conserved the block with the remains and took it first to Nairobi, and then to Burgos in Spain, where the National Center for Research on Human Evolution (CENIEH) carried out restoration and detailed studies, including archaeometry, digital cartography, three-dimensional analysis, computer microscopy and microtomography. It took scientists more than a year to uniquely identify the remains. It turned out that they belong to a Homo sapiens child, a boy from 2.5 to 3 years old, who was named «Mtoto», which means «child» in Swahili. The body was in the grave in a bent position, on the right side, with the knees pressed to the chest. Microscopic analysis of the bones and surrounding soil confirmed that after the body was placed in the cavity, it was quickly buried, which saved it from rapid destruction. Most likely, it was an intentional burial, perhaps even some kind of funeral rite. On the same level with the burial, archaeologists found stone tools belonging to the African Mesolithic. Some researchers believe that it was Homo sapiens).

Beautiful Farimata

(Malian folk tale)

A girl lived with her father and stepmother.

The girl’s name was Farimata. She was so beautiful, so kind and friendly that it was impossible not to love her. (In Mali, the majority of the population: Bambara, Tuareg, Fulbe, Senufo, etc.).

No matter who came to her father’s house, everyone admired her beauty. Everyone wanted to talk to her, to sit around her during the evening conversation, everyone had some kind of gift for her.

Only the stepmother disliked her stepdaughter. The stepmother also had a daughter, but she was so evil and ugly that no one even looked at her. That’s why the stepmother decided to get rid of her husband’s daughter.

«Kill her,» she told her husband.«As long as she’s alive, we won’t be happy. (Suggestion, echoes of matriarchy. The Russian fairy tale «Morozko» has a similar plot).

The father did not agree for a long time, but the stepmother took such power over him that the unfortunate man had to kill his daughter.

And in the place where Farimata was buried, a green arboretum grew. (Bavolnik is a cotton bush). It was so beautiful that all travelers passing by stopped to rest near this tree. They admired every twig of it and said:

— There is no such beautiful puppet anywhere in the whole world!

And they decorated its branches with bright beads to make the tree even more beautiful, even more elegant.

Then the stepmother told her husband to cut off all the branches of the arboretum.

The husband cut off the green branches, leaving only one trunk. But this trunk was so slender and delicate that travelers who passed by stopped to admire it.

«Even though this tree has dried up, it still remains as beautiful as it was,» they said.

And they still hung their necklaces and beads on the chopped branches, so that the beauty of this tree became even more noticeable. (Decoration of trees and shrubs).

Then the stepmother told her husband to burn the tree to the ground.

The husband obeyed this time too.

Only a small handful of ashes, but so white and pure, as if it were rice flour, remained from the firebox.

And travelers who went from country to country stopped to admire this wonderful ashes and put their jewelry on it.

Even a handful of ashes can be beautiful! — they said.

Then the stepmother told her husband to throw the ashes into the spring.

So he did. The ashes disappeared into the water, and the water became sweet, like fresh milk.

And when the tired travelers passed through the village, they refused to drink, which was brought out to meet them, and went to this wonderful spring. They rested here, quenched their thirst, and everyone said: («Wonderful» transformations).

— Is there anything more beautiful than this pure water?

Then the stepmother told her husband to fill up the spring.

And in the place where it flowed, a dense forest grew. Funny gazelles lived in this forest.

Every day they gathered together and called one another with a ringing song: (Humanization of animals).

Let’s go, gazelles, dance,

Funny gazelles,

We will sing and dance,

Funny gazelles.

And later than everyone else, the smallest and most beautiful gazelle came out of the thicket. She also danced in a green clearing and sang such a song:

I was a girl once,

Funny gazelles.

My father killed the girl,

Funny gazelles.

Bavolnik green became,

Funny gazelles.

My father cut off the branches.

Funny gazelles.

A withered tree stood,

Funny gazelles.

My father burned down a tree,

Funny gazelles.

I turned into white ashes,

Funny gazelles.

My father sank the ashes,

Funny gazelles.

She purred like a cool stream,

Funny gazelles.

The father turned off the source,

Funny gazelles.

I live now among gazelles,

Cheerful, young gazelles.

Now she has become a gazelle herself,

She became a forest gazelle.

Let’s go, gazelles, dance,

Funny gazelles.

We will sing and dance,

Funny gazelles.

One day a hunter was making his way through the forest thickets and heard the song of a small gazelle. He came to the village and told everyone about what he had seen and heard.

The father of the deceased Farimata immediately realized that the little gazelle was his daughter.

The next day he himself went into the thicket and hid in the bushes near the clearing.

At noon, gazelles came to the clearing.

They sang, jumped and frolicked, and later than all the little gazelle came and sang her sad song again:

I was a girl once,

Funny gazelles.

When she sang the whole song, the father came out of the bushes and rushed to his poor daughter to hug her and hug her to his chest.

But the gazelles surrounded their sister in a tight circle.

— No, we won’t give it to you! — they said.«If you touch her, you won’t leave here alive!» You killed her when she was a kind, funny girl. You didn’t spare her when she was a green slave. You didn’t feel sorry for her even when she was a dry, thin tree.

You destroyed her when she was lying in a handful of white ashes. You covered it with earth when it became a cool stream. Now we won’t let you ruin her again! She will stay with us forever, and you go away from here!

The father listened to them in silence. Out of shame, he didn’t even dare to look at them. Only tears were pouring down his cheeks.

He cried so bitterly that the gazelles finally took pity on him. They parted and when the father looked up, his girl was standing in front of him, as beautiful, as friendly as she had been before.

My father couldn’t utter a word for joy.

And gazelles danced around them, circled around the clearing, sang and one by one went deep into the forest.

For a long time their song was heard:

Let’s go, gazelles, dance,

Funny gazelles!

We will sing and dance,

Funny gazelles!

The happy father returned home with his daughter and did not let anyone else offend her. And the evil stepmother and her evil daughter were kicked out of the house. (Matriarchy is overcome by patriarchy).

About the girl who became Thunder’s wife

(Indian fairy tale of the peoples of North America)

It happened a long time ago. The leader of the Dakota tribe had a beautiful daughter, and her name was Long Braid. (Dakota is the name of a group of American Indian tribes and their Siouan family languages). Somehow she went with her friends to the forest to pick raspberries. The girls went into the thicket, began to pick fragrant berries. We went far, so we didn’t notice how the sky was covered with thunderclouds. Suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, foreshadowing an imminent thunderstorm.

— Let’s run faster, — one of the girls, the one whose name was Slender Birch, was frightened. — Run! Otherwise the Thunder will catch up with us and kill us with its sharp arrows.

— And why did we get so far? Long Braid sighed. — Now we will not have time to reach our tipi (Tipi is the name for the traditional portable dwelling of the nomadic Indians of the Great Plains). Let’s better ask the Thunder for mercy, propitiate the formidable gentleman. (The names of people bear the names of natural phenomena, plants, animals, distinctive signs of a person).

— And how? — exclaimed the girl named Prairie Bird and sadly spread her hands. — We don’t have anything! Except that tueski (Tueski — vessels made of cylindrical birch bark, used in everyday life for storing various foods and liquids) with raspberries and my embroidered moccasins (Moccasins are woven and leather shoes of North American Indians).

Then the Long Braid smiled and said:

«If Thunder has mercy on us, I will willingly marry him.» (Humanization of thunder and lightning).

She had just uttered the last word when the wind blew in the other direction, and Thunder, shrouded in a large black cloud, flew to the south to throw its fiery spears at the rocky, deserted peaks there.

Three days have passed. And again the three friends went to the forest for brushwood. They gathered firewood, tied it with thongs and went home. Here is their village. And suddenly the strap of the Long Braid broke.

«Go, go,» she said to the girls, «I’ll tie the strap and catch up with you.»

The friends left, and the Long Braid began to collect firewood scattered on the grass. She gathered firewood, raised her head and saw a beautiful young man with hair the color of gold standing next to her. He raised both hands in greeting, and said:

— I visit the north and the south, the west and the east. All peoples know me: both those who live on the prairies and those who live in the mountains. They know me both in the dense forests and on the coast of the great salt waters. Many girls of various tribes have seen my eyes, but no one can compare with you. How glad I am that you will become my wife!

The Long Braid was surprised and answered proudly:

«You’re overconfident, stranger. Why did you decide that I would give my hand to the first person I met?

«Wasn’t it you, the daughter of the Dakota people, who promised to marry me if I spared you?» the young man smiled. And the Long Braid understood everything.

«So you are the Thunder Man?» she exclaimed.

«Yes, I am,» the golden — haired man replied. — I have come for you and I want to show you to my father and my mother as soon as possible.

With these words, he gently hugged his bride, and they easily flew up into the blue sky. («Flights»).

And the alarm was raised in the village. The best trackers went in search of the chief’s daughter. They searched for a Long Braid until sunset, but they never found it. And then the chief called White Beaver, a young sorcerer of the Dakota tribe. The White Beaver went to the place where the bundle was lying and asked the squirrels if they had seen a beautiful girl here. And the squirrels told him everything. (Humanization of animals). And the White Beaver returned to the chief and said:

«Your daughter was carried off by a Thunder Man. Many things are subject to me, but even I cannot compete with thunder. And yet I will try, O great leader! But if I return your daughter to you, promise that you will give her to me as a wife. I love a Long Braid and have long dreamed of seeing it at the hearth of my tepee.

And the Long Braid lived in the house of the Thunder Man. Everyone loved her and pampered her, everyone looked after her and fulfilled her every wish. She ate juicy buffalo meat and tender antelope meat, her thirst was quenched by fruits, spring, summer and autumn, and even sweet maple juice was in abundance.

But most importantly, the Thunder Man loved her. He caressed her and pitied her and brought handfuls of wonderful multicolored stones from his travels. All day long, the Long Braid admired the shiny stones, she played with them and made necklaces so beautiful that any woman from the tribe of blackfeet would die of envy.

So, in peace and joy, several moons have passed. But the time came when the Long Braid got tired of idleness, and together with other women she went to collect roots. Thunder’s mother gave her a stone shovel and said:

— Dig carefully, daughter. And don’t touch the Mother Root: it gives life to all edible roots. You will easily recognize him — he is the thickest and whitest of all the roots.

And so the women dug up roots and began to get ready to go home. (Humanization of plant roots)

«Show me the Mother Root,» Thunder’s wife asked, and the women led her to a huge root.

«Here he is, look,» they said, and the Long Braid froze with delight and amazement: is he really so mighty underground?

Thunder’s wife did not sleep all night, and the next morning she took a stone shovel and left the house. She came to the root and began to dig it up. She’ll find out what he’s like, she’ll find out! Above her head, the trees were angrily rustling, they bent their heavy crowns, trying to tear the woman away from the unworthy business, but the Long Braid did not notice this. She dug and dug and finally dug a huge hole. A long Scythe looked into the pit and saw clouds, and through the clouds the Earth. Here it is, the Land, and here is the native village.

And as soon as the Thunder’s wife saw her village, her smile disappeared from her face, and tears poured out of her eyes. She returned home sad, met her husband sadly, and, without even looking at the gifts, silently went to her room.

— What’s wrong with you, my love? What should I do to make you happy again?

«Let me see my father,» Long Braid asked her husband. — Let me stay at home for a month, at least a month.

And the Thunder Man agreed.

The next day he ordered the maids to weave a large box out of birch bark, and the spider to make a long rope. Then they came with a Long Scythe to the pit that she dug around the Mother Root. The chief’s daughter sat down in a box, and Thunder lowered her to the Ground, right to her father’s tepee.

The joy of the father cannot be expressed in words! But the White Beaver, the sorcerer of the tribe, was even more delighted. He was delighted and immediately reminded the leader about his promise.

«But she’s another man’s wife, The chief replied.«What am I going to tell Thunder when he comes for her?»

_«Don’t be afraid,» White Beaver reassured the chief. — I know ancient spells, they will help us keep the Thunder away. I will teach them to you, great leader, and the people of our tribe will remember you for a long time.

The chief hesitated, but did not allow himself to be persuaded, although he loved the sorcerer and long conversations with him around the campfire.

But then the appointed hour came, and Thunder flew after his wife. Even from afar, the White Beaver heard his approach. He put on a ceremonial dress, took a long black pipe decorated with four crow feathers, and left the tepee. Then he turned his face to the north, inhaled the smoke of fragrant herbs and exhaled smoke to the north. And immediately a cold wind blew and there was a smell of frost.

Everyone knows that there is no thunder in winter. Thunder only thunders when it’s warm on earth. Here and here: a cold wind reached the Thunder Man, and he turned back — he decided that he had mixed up the seasons.

Since then, Thunder has not approached the village where the Long Spit lives. And the Black Pipe decorated with four crow feathers was given by the White Beaver to the chief, the chief, when he grew old to his son, his son to his son, and so it passes from generation to generation. The Dakota people revere her very much and call her the «Thunder Pipe». (A fabulous explanation of natural phenomena).

The big journey of the little mouse

(Indian fairy tale of the peoples of North America)

One day a little mouse went traveling. Grandma mouse baked him cakes for the road and escorted him to the exit of the burrow. (Humanization of animals).

The mouse went out early in the morning, and returned in the evening.

— Oh, Grandma! — shouted the mouse. — After all, it turns out that I am the strongest, the most agile, the bravest in the whole tundra! And I didn’t know that until now.

«How did you know?» Grandma asked.

— And here’s how, — the mouse began to tell. — I came out of the mink, walked, walked and came to the sea. The sea is big, very big, the waves are walking on it! But I was not afraid, I threw myself into the water and swam across the sea. I was even surprised how well I swim.

— Where is your sea? Grandma asked.

«East of our burrow, — the mouse replied.

«I know, I know this sea,» Grandma said. — A deer passed there recently, stamped his foot, and the water stagnated in the trail.

— Well, then listen to what happened next, — said the mouse. — I dried myself in the sun and went. I see — there is a mountain, high-deep. The trees at its top cling to the clouds. Don’t go around the mountain, I think. I ran up and jumped. And jumped the mountain. I was even surprised how high I was jumping.

«I know your mountain, too,» Grandma said. — There is a hummock behind the hole with water, and grass grows on it.

The mouse sighed, but continued to tell.

— I go further, I look — two bears are fighting. White and brown. Bears roar, one breaks another’s bones. But I was not afraid, I rushed between them and scattered them in different directions. I was even surprised that one coped with two bears.

Grandma thought about it, and then said:

— That’s who your bears are — a white moth and a fly. Then the mouse began to cry bitterly.

— It turns out that I am not the strongest, not agile and not brave. I swam across the hoof trail, jumped over a hummock, scattered a moth and a fly. That’s all!

But Grandma laughed and said:

— For such a silly little mouse, a hoof trail is the sea, and a hummock is a mountain, and a moth and a fly are bears. If you are not afraid of all this, then you really are the strongest, bravest and most agile in the whole tundra. (A tale of bravery, strength and agility).

Why does a turtle have a shell made of pieces

(an Indian fairy tale of the peoples of North America)

Once upon a time there was a turtle, an ordinary turtle, only very curious. There was a turtle lying on the sand and looking at the stars. (Humanization of animals).

«What are they like up close? — thought the turtle.«It would be interesting to see.»

And the turtle decided to visit the sky. But she was clumsy and crawled so slowly that the next night, when she looked up, the stars were still far away.

For three days and three nights there was a curious turtle, and still there was no end in sight.

At this time, a heron flew by. It was gray. The turtle begged:

— Heron, heron! Take me to heaven! I want to look at the stars up close, but I can’t get there myself.

— Well, get on my back, let’s fly! The turtle climbed onto the bird, and they flew.

Higher and higher rose the heron. Finally she asked the turtle if the earth was visible.

— Yes, it is visible. Only very far away! A heron rose even higher.

— Well, is it visible now?

The turtle replied that the earth is no longer visible. Then the heron — and in fact it was an evil sorceress — laughed, turned over in the air and threw off the turtle.

The poor turtle flew down like a stone. Out of fear, she only closed her eyes and whispered:

If I escape now,

Hebo, hebo, hebo,

If I save myself now,

I’ll never ask

Above the ground, the turtle opened his eyes and saw the forest and mountains.

— Make way, rocks and trees! she screamed in horror. «Make way, or I’ll crush you!»

The rocks and trees parted, and the turtle flopped to the ground. (Magic and a breakthrough into heaven).

The Best and the Worst

(Cuban folk tale)

There was a time when everything in the world was commanded by the powerful master of Obatala. No matter how wise or great you are, you can’t do without an assistant: can you keep an eye on everything? So Obatala decided to find a support for himself, to find someone who could rule the earth instead of him.

As soon as I decided so, I immediately remembered Orula. Perhaps you can trust him. But Orula is young, and if he is young, it means that he does not have enough experience for such a thing: to own the land, to rule the people. (Obatala, Orula — Afro-Cuban gods).

«We must test his wisdom,» Obatala thought.- And then we’ll see!»

Sent Obatala for Orula and, when he appeared, said:

— I want to test you. Fulfill my wish: feed me whatever food you want — boiled or fried, but only it should be made from what is the best in the world.

Orula went to the market. Walked, walked, walked through all the rows. And I saw wonderful fruits. I didn’t buy it. And I looked at the sweets. I didn’t buy it. And I looked at the vegetables. I didn’t buy it. And I admired all kinds of fish. I didn’t buy it. And he marveled at the birds, at all kinds of game. I didn’t buy it. There was meat, carcasses hung whole: bovine, mutton. I didn’t buy it.

I bought a yelling tongue. Ordinary, beef. I brought it home, seasoned it with herbs, pepper, bay leaf — I cooked such a dish, I’m not ashamed to carry it.

He tasted the beef tongue and said:

— Delicious!

And I ate everything to the last bite. And Orula is standing, keeping quiet.

«It’s delicious, — says Obatala, «but there’s nothing here to make it the best in the world?» Maybe it’s you, Orula, the best cook in the world, so did I ask you about that?

And Orula keeps quiet.

— Did you go to the market? Obatala said. — What-what is just not there: and spices, and sweets, foreign curiosities. Is simple language really the best of what was there, of what is in the world?

— Wise Obatala! Orula replied. — I see that I have pleased you. He treated me to a delicious, satisfying meal. And your mind is dormant. Haven’t you remembered that there is nothing in the world that can compare with language? The tongue can thank you for good work, praise you for great deeds, advise you in trouble, comfort you in grief. Who brings news to people? Language. Who teaches, points the way? Language. With his help, you can elevate an ordinary person,» Orula added, smiling.

— Everything you said is true! Obatala replied.

And I thought to myself: «Although young, Orula is full of wisdom.»

However, Obatala decided to test Orula again.

You have prepared food for me from the best that there is in the world,“ Obatala said.„It’s probably not that hard for you. Now I’m going to give you a really difficult task.

Feed me whatever food you want — even boiled, even fried — but only so that it is cooked from the worst that exists in the world. Go look for it. And don’t be embarrassed if you search for a long time: there are a lot of bad things in the world.

Orula went to the market. No, he didn’t walk the aisles. I didn’t look at the fruits: neither bitter, nor poisonous, nor local, nor overseas. He just went and bought beef tongue again.

I returned home and cooked it with herbs, pepper, bay leaf, and various spices, and went to Obatala and put everything in front of him.

Obatala was surprised. Said:

— The first time you brought this food, you announced that it was made from the best in the world. And I said you were right. Now you bring beef tongue again and declare that there is nothing worse in the world than a tongue. How to explain it?

Orula replied:

— Wise Obatala! There is nothing surprising in what I am saying. After all, as sad as it may be, it is easier to discredit a person’s good name with nothing else than language. In a word, it is possible to deprive people of their last means of livelihood. Language can slander and can execute. But that’s not all. With the help of language, you can betray a country and condemn its people to slavery. What could be worse?

Orula said so and, having said so, waited.

When Obatala heard these words, he announced:

— Everything you said is the truth. And the first time your words were true, and now you have told the truth. I marveled at your youth, and now I bow before your mind. You will be the one who will be in my place. (Philosophical reflections).

How a man argued with the earth

(Cuban folk tale)

It was when the very first man lived on earth. He lived all alone. His name was Yakara. And the earth was called Antoto. There was also the sea, his name was Kalunga, and there was a mountain — Cheche. And there was only one person. (Afro-Cuban names of various concepts that acquire a human character).

When the sun rose, the man woke up. He walked on the earth, her name was Someone, he walked along the seashore, his name was Kalunga, and sang songs like a bird.

Yakara walked on the ground, plucked sweet fruits from trees, picked berries.

Once the mountain, her name was Cheche, asked the land of Entoto:

— Who is that walking at my foot there? I don’t let him in, so he grazes downstairs and even sings in the morning:

«I am the king! I am the king!» Would you drive him away, the land of Entoto!

«It’s a man, — the earth said. — His name is Yakara. Then the sea entered into the conversation:

— The mountain Cheche speaks correctly. Don’t let Yakara deceive you, the land of Entoto. What kind of king is he? He will never be able to cope with you, me, or the mountain.

The Yakara man heard the conversation of the earth, the mountain and the sea. He went to the sea and said:

«I am a man, and I am a master.

And the sea, his name was Kalunga, was angry:

— I didn’t care about kings and lords. I don’t recognize anyone.

Then the mountain Cheche said:

— The land of Entoto! Why do you allow a person, even if his name is Yakara, to take and eat your fruits? And berries! Then the land of Entoto asked the man Yakara:

«Why are you taking what belongs to me?»

«I am a man, — Yakara said. — And I have to take to live.

The earth of Entoto grinned.

«You said it wrong,» she said. — What do I care what you want to take, you want to live!

Then the Yakara man said to himself:

— The Earth does not want to give me anything from its reserves, what should I do?

And the Kalunga Sea and the Cheche Mountain were silent. Then the man Yakara asked the earth:

— Give me the fruits without which I cannot live. And the land of Entoto answered him:

— OK. I’ll give you the fruits. They’ll feed you. And what will you give in return?

«I don’t know, — Yakara replied. — I don’t have anything. And then you’re so great, what can I give you?

— Myself! earth said.

Yakara was very hungry. He said:

— I agree to everything. Then the land of Entoto said:

— Take a stick and loosen the soil. Take the grain and plant it in it. From morning to night, from dawn to dusk, you will work: loosen the soil and sow. Then I will give you fruits, and you will be full. And the rest of the time you can walk along the shore and sing and shout: «I am the king! I am the king!» That’s your business.

So they agreed.

Then the man agreed with the Fire. He was very scary, Fire, until the man agreed with him. He was destroying everything around him. And then, later it turned out that it wasn’t so difficult to negotiate with him.

Of course: if you didn’t support him, he disappeared himself!

And only the Kalungu Sea and the Cheche Mountain could not be defeated by the Yakara man. Do you remember when he lived alone, in those days he said: «I am a man, and I am a ruler!»

He said so, and what did the sea of Kalunga answer him? It replied: «I didn’t care about kings and lords! I don’t recognize anyone!»

But it was a long time ago when the first man lived on earth. He lived all alone. His name was Yakara. And the earth was called Antoto. There was also the sea, his name was Kalunga, and there was a mountain — Cheche. And there was only one person.

We know that many years have passed since then. And it is impossible to count how many years have passed.

Do you think that since then a person has agreed with the Kalunga Sea and the Cheche Mountain? After all, now he does not live alone on earth. Have you made an agreement?

Before you answer, think about it. And don’t forget, since Yakara argued with the earth, he has become smarter. Now a person knows that in order to live, it is necessary not only to take, but also to give. (The fairy tale deals with environmental problems).

How a Coyote and a Skunk Outsmarted Each Other

(Mexican folk tale)

A coyote lived in his hole on the hillside.

One day, returning home after an unsuccessful hunt, he said to himself: (Humanization of animals. Coyote is an American prairie wolf; skunk is a small predatory animal from the marten family, characterized by an unpleasant smell).

— All night I’ve been tracking chickens near the chicken coop, I haven’t caught a single one, and now I’m dying to sleep!

And, curled up in a ball, he began to snore loudly.

I woke up a few hours later terribly hungry.

— How hungry I am!«What should I do — go hunting again?» he exclaimed. I’m lazy, but I’ll have to.

And with that, the Coyote ran out of the hole. He ran until he saw a cornfield. There he met a Skunk.

«Hey, you!» he shouted to the Skunk. — Where are you in a hurry? Not for the loot? Let’s go together.

«Good, — the Skunk replied and, thinking that it would be nice to profit at the expense of the Coyote, added: — Do you want to run a race? If I lose, I’ll give you my lunch. If you lose, you will give me yours. Okay?

— It’s coming! — said the Coyote and shouted: «One, two, three!» — rushed forward.

The skunk didn’t even think to run after him. He knew that the Coyote ran much faster, so he took his time and purposely lagged behind the Coyote. He knew another, shorter way and was on the spot much earlier than the Coyote.

The coyote was running very fast when he suddenly smelled a suspicious smell. Soon he saw that the Skunk was waiting for him.

He had to admit himself defeated.

You’ve won! Coyote said, running up to the Skunk. — I didn’t think skunks could run so well!

«Ha-ha! — the Skunk laughed. — serve dinner more quickly!

— Wait… I haven’t managed to get anything yet!

— Don’t keep me waiting! Serve dinner!

«I’m telling you, I don’t have anything.

— There’s nothing? Shame on you! We agreed that the winner dines at the expense of the defeated.

«Yes, but I have to hunt for that. Wait for me here.

And the Coyote started running. When he was out of sight, he laughed out loud:

— Let the Skunk wait for his lunch until tomorrow! He won’t get anything! I had a great time of it!

It did not occur to the Coyote that the Skunk had also deceived him. So the two cunning men outwitted each other. (A tale of cunning).

Bibliography

Tikhomirov A. E., The origin of words and signs. The Science of Superstition, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2017.

Tikhomirov A. E., Smetanin S. E., Fairy tales, legends, myths. Scientific research, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2018

Tikhomirov A. E., Migration of peoples. Genesis as a historical source. The Science of the Old Testament, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2017.

Tikhomirov A. E., Science confirms, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2021.

Tikhomirov A. E., Science confirms — 2, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2021.

Tikhomirov A. E., Science confirms — 3, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2021.

Tikhomirova M. A., Tikhomirov A. E., Science of Fairy tales, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2021.

Tikhomirova M. A., Tikhomirov A. E., Science of Fairy tales -2, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2021.

Tikhomirova M. A., Tikhomirov A. E., Science of Fairy tales -3, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2021.

Tikhomirova M. A., Tikhomirov A. E., Science of Fairy tales -4, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2021.

Tikhomirova M. A., Tikhomirov A. E., Science of Fairy tales -5, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2021.

Tikhomirova M. A., Tikhomirov A. E., Science of Fairy tales -6, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2021.

Tikhomirova M. A., Tikhomirov A. E., Science of Fairy Tales -7, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2021.

Tikhomirova M. A., Tikhomirov A. E., Science of Fairy tales -8, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2021.

Tikhomirova M. A., Tikhomirov A. E., Science of Fairy Tales -9, Ridero, Yekaterinburg, 2021.