ATU 1927 Cold May Night


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The Cold May Night

ATU 1927 Cold May Night. During a very cold night in May, someone tells a man that long ago there was an even colder night. He goes on a journey to learn more about it. He meets an otter that has been lying on a rock in his cave for so long that his body has worn out the rock. The otter has heard of the cold night, but it was before his time. He sends the man to an eagle who has been sitting for so long on an anvil that the anvil is worn off away from the whetting of his beak on it. The eagle sends the man to a one-eyed salmon who remembers the cold night. As he was jumping out of the water, it froze beneath him, and he landed on the ice. After a bird came and picked hiseye out, the salmon's blood thawed the ice and he was able to swim again.

motifs: B841, B124.1, X1620
Libyan: Stumme 1895.30 (German: Hathi); Iranian: Christensen 1918.16 (French: Hathi): these are not the same tale type at all, but share motifs



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