Impounded water. Water is kept by monster so that mankind cannot use it. A hero defeats the monster and releases the water. (The monster is sometimes a giant frog.)
Mythological motifs. · Establishment of natural order. · Establishment of present order: waters. · view the constellation · filed as A1111
“As a last resort, they sent a messenger to him to ask him to give the people water; but he refused, and gave the messenger only a drink from the water in which he washed. But this was not enough to satisfy even the thirst of one. Then the people began complaining, some saying, “T’m as dry as a fish,” “I’m as dry as a frog,” “I’m as dry as a turtle,” “I’m as dry as a beaver,’ and the like, as they were on the verge of dying of thirst.”
— Tales of the North American Indians, Tale 22 · served from our shelf receiptuncorrected OCR — being verified against the scan
Attested across traditions
- North American IndigenousTales of the North American Indians, Tale 22 receipt