Northern dialect and missing, probably obscene, words in skazka

[Robert Chandler]

Dear all,

Several people have written to say that they have found the following quote
on-line: “Дам тебе поушину, будет в спине отдушина; дам в висок - посыплется
песок.”  The speaker here is Ilya Muromets.

But I am asking about something different: a version of “Tsar’-devitsa”
recorded in the late 1890s.  The hero is Ivan Tsarevich, the third of three
brothers. Here he has just entered Baba Yaga’s hut and is cross with her for
asking him questions instead of feeding him.

The passage actually occurs three tines.  Here is the first.
Тут добрый молодец как прискочет к старухе:
“Дам тебе поушину – будет от .... отдушина! а там как песок посыпется –
будет с .... песок.  Ты бы, старушка, неучилась-то много богатыря спрашивать
- училась бы кормить да поить!

And here is how it occurs the second and third times: прискочет к старухе и
замахается:
“Я тебе так дам поушину – будет из .... отдушина! дам в висок – из ....
посыпется песок.

Тhe ellipses are clearly intended, and the folktale collector would have had
no reason to  omit в спине.  So I repeat my question: am I likely to be
right in thinking he is going to hit her so hard on the ears that she will
be farting out of her arse?

All the best,

Robert

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------