為什麼答應別人時會勾手指尾

為什麼人總是要以勾手指尾作為承諾的象徵？

從前，
有一個公主，
她到了結婚的年齡。
她挑選了五位王子作為最後夫婿的候選人，
她把手放在背後，
要五位王子猜想她舉著那隻手指。

第一位王子選了拇指，
那當然是錯；
第二位王子舉了食指，
當然也是錯；
第三位王子舉了中指，
換來公主的一巴掌；
第四位王子舉了無名指，
當然也錯了；
最後，
第五位王子舉起了尾指，
公主把自己的手伸出來，
和王子的尾指緊緊勾著。

婚後，
王子要出征，
和公主勾手指尾，
承諾一定會回來。
可是十年來王子一直杳無音訊。
不少王子勸她改嫁，
公主要求誰能為她戴上適合她尾指的戒指，
便和那人結婚。

可是一直以來，
都沒有人做到，
直到有一天，
一個乞丐來到，
公主一視同仁給予他機會。
乞丐把尾指伸出來，
和公主的尾指緊勾著，
原來他就是失蹤多年的王子。
他們終於相逢，
可是第二天王子卻消失了。
原來王子已經死了，
他是為了實踐承諾，
所以化為鬼魂回來，
七七四十九天他便要走，
和公主重逢的那一天，
就是最後一天。

公主最後找到了王子的屍骨，
在他身旁自殺恂情。

A pinky promise (also known as a pinky swear) is made when a person wraps one of their pinky fingers around the other person's pinky and makes a promise. Traditionally, it's considered binding, and the idea was originally that the person who breaks the promise must cut off his pinky finger. In a similar vein, among members of the Japanese yakuza (gangsters), the penalty for various offenses is removal of parts of the little finger (known as yubitsume).

Also in Japan, a little finger symbolizes the one's best girl, whereas a thumb symbolizes the one's best man. Thus a little finger held up and referred to as "this(コレ)" during a conversation paraphrases that the addressed woman is in relationship with somebody. This pinky substitution is considered vulgar and old-fashoned, however, in some anime scenes is intentionally used to enhance its silliness.

In China, if one holds up a little finger at another, it is usually considered vulgar, just as holding up a middle finger in the United States and other countries is generally regarded as offensive. In addition, in the United States, wearing a ring on the pinky finger has some symbolic meaning. The pinky finger is the relationship finger. If you wear a ring on the pinky finger, you are open and loving.

In Korea, The story goes: A princess chooses her prince to be wed, when asked what finger she was holding out. She must find a Prince to unite Pinkys for their matrimony. After the Princess had gotten married with this prince, he later parted ways for war and he'd made a pinky promise for his return. On the 49th day after his disappearance, he came back, but only to realize he came back as a ghost. As the prince kept his promise, he after death.

In India, holding up the little finger is also a signal of "katti" or a broken friendship, a sign that someone is angry, or a playful suggestion that the person flashing the pinky is not going to speak to you.

In India, holding up the pinky is a signal that the person has to urinate.

Similarly, in Indonesia, when a man points his pinky finger downward it is a signal that he needs to urinate.

In Turkey, it's tradition to link pinky fingers when two people are making a bet.

In Judaism, it is customary to extend one's arm and pinky finger to the Torah as it is lifted following its reading in the Synagogue.

The Iron Ring is a symbolic ring worn by some Canadian engineers. The Ring is a symbol of both pride and humility for the engineering profession, and is always worn on the little finger of the dominant hand. (A similar ritual is performed in the United States called the Order of the Engineer).

In the Balkans, a solitary long fingernail on the pinky finger of a man signifies that he is single.

The Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority holds their pinky finger in the air as a (Greek) greeting to their fellow sisters.

In Russia, when two people are French-kissing, it is customary to often link pinky fingers together.

In the United Kingdom, it used to be considered a social requirement to raise one's little finger whilst drinking a beverage out of a cup or mug.