A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

The father of a raven-girl gives her generous feeder a gold puppy and a silver puppy instead of ordinary treasures. He explains that each produces the corresponding metal as excrement, which the man can sell to officials. The recipient gives them small quantities of good food, and the promised wealth gradually accumulates. The words gold and silver distinguish the pair, but the account does not explain whether their bodies consist of metal or describe any mechanical construction.

A second recipient has offered the raven a dirty fish. Although her father condemns his conduct, he still grants him a pair and says that treating them properly will bring benefit. Hoping to accelerate production, the man overfeeds them with anything available, including dirty food. Their excrement remains ordinary dung and fills his house. The ending attributes this failure to the gods’ anger at bad conduct; it does not say that the first pair lose their power or that the second man reforms. These are paired supernatural animals in one moral narrative, not four separately named beings.

Gold or silver excretionConditional benefitPaired divine gifts
01

Origins & earliest records

Ainu oral narrative in Chamberlain’s historical English collection

02

Records & interpretation

Complete numbered tale, ending, attached notes, title and collection introductions read; teller and recording method retained.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Aino Folk-Tales

    Basil Hall Chamberlain, collector and English translator; narrative by Ishanashte · 1888

    xxi, The Kind Giver and the Grudging Giver, pp.23–25; Ishanashte, 20 July1886; labelled translated literally. Folk-Lore Society XXII. Page markers from English transcription, not independent scan collation.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Primary records and illustrations

Complete English narrative and edition context read

Aino Folk-Tales

Basil Hall Chamberlain; Folk-Lore Society XXII,1888; introductionEdwardB.Tylor. xxi, The Kind Giver and the Grudging Giver, pp.23–25

Complete cache chamberlain-aino-21.txt; master chamberlain-aino.html/.txt. Ishanashte, 20 July1886; labelled translated literally. Actual Ainu original not collated. Sacred narrative scoped to named historical telling; original English prose public domain, no image reuse.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Historical English record of a named Ainu tellingChamberlain, Aino Folk-Tales — xxi, The Kind Giver and the Grudging Giver, pp.23–25Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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