Black Horse

The Bird That Made Milk

In short: The children ask their father’s bird for milk. With each request, the bird moves a little closer to the door.

The Bird That Made Milk · The bird that gives milk FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 51 The Bird That Made Milk The children ask their father’s bird for milk. Origin South Africa · Eastern Cape region Atlas record 1886 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF The bird that gives milk Reach¹ 1/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 1 records · 1 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

South Africa · Eastern Cape region

In Theal’s first telling, the bird asks the children to move it before giving them milk. As the children get milk, the bird gets closer to the door. Getting milk and keeping the bird become separate outcomes of the same bargain. The collection follows this telling with another version, so both can be read in the same chapter.

Dated records and sources

  1. 1886 · South Africa · Eastern Cape region
    George McCall Theal · The Story of the Bird That Made Milk · Published collection

Country pages

Origin
Black Horse. The Bird That Made Milk. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-bird-milk/