K73b7. The hero kills the enemy of the fairy wife. .28.31.32.
The hero saves a magical wife from her enemy at a time when both the future wife and the enemy have zoomorphic appearance. Later, the saved one becomes a woman.
Russians (Pskov), Lithuanians, Mordvins.
Central Europe. Russians (Pskov) [a stepmother tells her husband to leave his three daughters in the forest; they cried all night, a river formed and flowed to the tsar; the tsar ordered the girls to be brought; one promises to clothe the whole world with one rake, the second promises to feed the whole world with one bread, the third to give birth to 12 sons; the tsar went to war, the wife gave birth to 12 sons, the letter was replaced and she gave birth to 12 frogs; the tsar ordered to put the wife and children in a barrel and throw it into the sea; the barrel washed up on the shore, the sons came out as adults, the eldest became the tsar; the tsar heard about a city where a squirrel cracks nuts, went there and recognized his wife; the eldest prince killed a kite that was chasing a swan, the swan became a girl, he married her]: Ploshchuk 2004, No. 34: 104-105.
Baltoscandia. Lithuanians [three sisters were weaving; one said that if she married a prince, she would be able to weave enough for the whole world; the second - to cook enough food for the whole world; the youngest - to give birth to a son who would be braver than everyone else; the young king heard this and married the youngest; a year later he went to war; in his absence, his wife gave birth to a son who immediately became as strong as a 10-year-old; when the king learned of this, he asked that the boy be sent to him; the sisters said that it was dangerous; they dressed a toad in beautiful clothes; seeing this, the king ordered that his wife be thrown into the water; the sisters put the mother and child in a barrel and threw it into the sea; she was washed up on an island, the boy smashed the barrel; he saw a fox chasing a hare; he killed the fox with a stone; after this the sea retreated and a city arose; the hare said that now he was disenchanted, but not completely; in the city the young man became king; after a while came to the place where he had met the hare and asked if there was anything new in the world; hare: the old king returned from the war; the prince's aunt had woven so much that the king wanted to marry her; next time: the aunt lied, the king told her to keep weaving; next: now the king wants to marry the one who had cooked a lot of food; then: but it turned out that there was not much at all, and not enough for a feast; the young king's mother wants him to marry only the one with golden eyes and silver hair; hare: I will help; turned over and became a similar beauty; wedding; they came to the old king and told him everything; after his death, the young king inherited his kingdom and began to rule both]: Richter 1889: 356-358.
Volga - Perm. Mordvins [an old man promises a poor young man Rav-Zholdyamo gold on the top of a mountain; tells him to climb into the carcass of a horse, a raven brings it to the top of the mountain, RZh scared him away, lets him down, lowers bags of gold on a rope, the old man burns the rope, leaves; RZh kills a kite chasing three ducks; they pick up RZh, bring them to a forest hut, turn into girls; every day they fly away as ducks; RZh hides the dress of the youngest, gets married, brings his mother's wife; the wife brought gold with her, but is sad; asks to bring the precious ring forgotten at her sisters'; when RZh left, he told the mother not to give the daughter-in-law's duck outfit; the master invites him to visit, wants to know where they got the gold; the daughter-in-law asks her mother-in-law to give her the duck outfit to show herself to the master; she gives it to her, she flies away; RZh goes off to search; the old man sends him to his older brother, who sends him to the oldest; each one points out the path of the flying duck; the eldest: the wife is in a crevice on a golden mountain; the raven picks at stones, tries to get to her; gives her a felt airplane and an invisible caftan; RZh throws stones at the raven, who rushes at him, RZh puts on the invisible caftan, takes his wife, and returns home with her]: Samorodov 1972: 122-132.
Continued in 174.doc
