A23B. The first rays on mountains and trees, (ATU 120).
.15.16.21.27.29.31.33.-.36.38.
Two characters are arguing about which of them will be the first to see the rising sun. The winner is the one who first noticed not the sun itself, but its reflection or the trees and mountains illuminated by the first rays.
Spaniards, Catalans, Portuguese (?) , Sicilians, Irish, Rawang, Tibetans, Croats, Slovenes (?) , Kalmyks, Balkarians, Georgians (?) , Estonians, Karelians, Finns (?) , Swedes, Danes, Faroese (?) , Icelanders (?) , Kyrgyz, Buryats, Mongols, Telengits, Chelkans, Altaians, Tofalars, Mansi, Eastern Khanty, Western and Northeastern Yakuts, Ainu, Laguna.
Southern Europe. Spaniards: Camarena, Chevalier 1997, No. 120 (Castilla y Leon) [the fox invites the frog to compete to see the sun first in the morning; the fox looks east and the frog west is the first to see sun rays on the mountains]: 194-195; Hernández Fernández 2013, No. 120 (Murcia) [the fox and the wolf agree to give their prey to whoever sees the sun first in the morning; the wolf looks east and the fox looks west , sees the sun's rays on the mountain]: 63; the Catalans [the wolf finds cheese, the fox says she lost it; they decide to give the cheese to the first to see the sun in the morning; the wolf looks east, and the fox to the west and first sees the sun's rays on the mountains]: Oriol, Pujol 2008, No. 120:38; Portuguese (Oliveira 1900): Uther 2004 (1), No. 120:87; Sicilians: Liungman 1961 [damn arguing with a peasant] : 17; Sirese, Serafini 1975, No. 120:23
Western Europe. The Irish [The Fox and the Raven are arguing about who will see the sun first; the Fox wins by resorting to the trick {most likely looking west and seeing the first rays of sunshine on the hill}]: Jackson 1936:285.
Tibet is the Northeast of India. Rawang [all animals that collected bribes so that the Sun would agree to shine brightly looked east, waiting for sunrise; the deer (barking deer) looked west, saw the sun's rays on grief; he jumped with joy, hitting his hoof in a basket of fermented beans (they have the consistency of cottage cheese); everyone condemned him for this, since then the deer's hooves smell like fermented beans and is light find on the trail, and the deer's face wrinkled with shame]: LaPolla, Poa 2001:32; Tibetans: Lin Lin, Ustin 1959 [the cuckoo and the pigeon are arguing about who to be the king of birds; other birds suggest making king who sees the sun first in the morning; the cuckoo looks east, the dove looks to the mountain in the west; when the dove saw the sun's rays on the mountain, the cuckoo threw red pepper into his eyes, said that he was the first to see the sun; Since then, the pigeon's eyes are red, they can't see at night, and the cuckoo sits only on the tops of trees and the birds give way to it]: 167-168; Cassis 1962 [birds choose a leader, Magpie suggests the leader who will take off higher; The Bat hid under the Eagle's wing, was taller, but the birds refused to make her chief; Magpie: then whoever notices the dawn first; everyone looks east, the Bat sees the west , how the crests of the mountains lit up; the birds are dissatisfied again; Magpie: the one who sings the best; Bubu's Cuckoo's songs ("I'm the first") liked the most; Bubu trained so long that she was hoarseness the championship went to Kukushka]: 75-77.
The Balkans. Croats [old people lived for a long time, so they were killed; the young man hid his father under a tub; the elders decided to choose the first to see the sun as a judge; the father advised to look towards the mountains; on the crest of the mountains, and not in the east, the young man was the first to see the sun; then his father helps to solve problems; come barefoot or shod (put on the bootlegs), nor on foot or on horseback (sit on a goat); when rye died, the father advised to bury the sheaf from the roof; they decided not to kill the elderly]: Golenishchev-Kutuzov 1991:198-200; Slovenes: Uther 2004 (1), No. 120:87.
Caucasus - Asia Minor. Kalmyks: Basangova 2002 [Mouse and Maral argue who will be the first to see the sun; the mouse looks up rather than east, sees sunlight on treetops; Maral tried in vain to crush it hoof]: 216; 2017, No. 20 [{east and west are clearly confused}; mouse and camel argue who will see the sun first; the camel lay down and looked west; the mouse climbed the camel and looked at east; first to see the illuminated mountains]: 63; Balkarians [animals came to Allah and began to ask that they should not have to get food in pain in winter, but to lie in holes without need; Allah promised to give this opportunity to whoever sees the sun first in the morning; everyone looks east, and the bear looks to the top of Mingi-Tau in the west; so the bear sleeps in winter and sucks its paw]: Malkonduev 2017:729; Georgians: Virsaladze 1961, No. 120.1 (in Georgian) in Uther 2004 (1), No. 120:87
Baltoscandia. Estonians (Pärnumaa, Harjumaa) [a fox and a pig are arguing about who will be the first to see the sunrise; a pig looks east and a fox looks west and sees the tree tops lit up]: Kippar 1986, No. 120:96; Karelians: Evseev 1981 [Fox and Pig argue who is smarter; Pig: Who will see the sunrise sooner; The fox ran to the mountain, the Pig lay in the hole, was the first to see the sun on the treetops, won dispute]: 228-229; Concca 1959, No. 28 (Arkhangelsk Karelia, 1885) [bear is going to eat a pig; pig: eat if you see the sunrise before me; bear looks at sunrise, pig looks west, sees the first rays on the tops of the trees; the bear pulled the fox's legs so much that it now has small bones in its legs]: 126-127; Estonians (Pärnumaa, Harjumaa) [fox and pig argue who will be the first to see the sunrise suns; a pig looks east and a fox looks west {isn't it a mistake - vice versa?} and sees how the treetops lit up]: Kippar 1986, No. 120:96; the Swedes [fox and pig argue who will be the first to see the sunrise; the fox climbs the mountain and looks east; the pig sits in the valley and looks west; first sees the mountain peaks illuminated]: Liungman 1961, No. 120:17-18; Danes [the Danes have the same option as the Swedes, but two people argue]: Liungman 196:17; Faroese, Icelanders, Finns: Uther 2004 (1), No. 120:87; (cf. Lithuanians [the hedgehog was the first to see the sunrise because he looked at his shadow (or lay down on the mountain)]: Kerbelite 2001:68).
Turkestan. The Kyrgyz [mouse and camel decide: whoever sees the rising sun first will be a year in a 12-year cycle; a mouse climbed onto a camel's head and saw the sun illuminate the mountain tops]: Ledenyov 1987:326.
Southern Siberia - Mongolia. The Buryats [Burkhan collected 13 animals to divide the year; the camel wanted to enter the year first; says the Mice that he will trample on it if he pokes; The mouse suggests starting the year with who is first will see the sun; the Camel looked east, and the Mouse climbed on his head and looked southwest; the first to see the sun gleam in the mountains; the year began with it, and Camel was completely excluded for pride]: Gomboev 1890, No. 17:77; the Mongols [Buddha gave animal names for 12 months; the Mouse and Camel agreed to give a place on the calendar to the first to see the sun; the camel looked east, and the mouse, climbing on Camel's back, into the mountains to the west, the sun lit them first; the mouse got a year, hid in a hole; when he sees a pile of ash, the Camel shovels it up as if he wanted to find a mouse; The camel did not enter 12- summer cycle, but received parts of the body from other animals: a mane from a horse, a hump from a monkey, legs from a dog, ears from a mouse, etc.]: Skorodumova 2003:53-55; telengits: Sadalova 2002, No. 8 [The mouse asks Dylchy take it a year; he sends her to Leo; gnaws through his belt to help Leo get out of the trap; invites the Camel to compete who sees the sun first; the Camel sleeps on the mountain, lets the Mouse sleep in his ear; in the morning Camel looked east, but the Mouse was the first to see the sunlit valley; she was taken a year and the camel was expelled]: 93-95; Yadanova 2013, No. 21 [mouse and camel argue who used to be will see the sun; the mouse climbed the camel's hump, looked west, saw the sunlit mountains; the camel wanted to crush the mouse, but it ran away; (so the mouse entered the year)]: 171; Chelkans [musk deer and the elk argued who would see the sunrise first; lay face to the west, and the elk to the east, saw the sunrise earlier]: Kandarakova 1978:165-166; the Altaians [mouse and camel are arguing who will get the 12th month; camel: who will be the first to see the sun; the mouse sits on the bear's hump but looks west, sees rays on the mountains; since then there has been a year of the mouse]: Garf, Kuciyak 1978:46-48 (=Tyukhteneva 2009:71); tofalars [ The camel replies to Pishchukha that it is watching the sunrise; looking east, and Pika to the west, is the first to see the sun's rays on the mountain tops; the camel kicked Pishchukha, touched his neck, so it is turned at the pika up]: Sherkhunaev 1975:234-236.
Western Siberia. Mansi [The Chipmunk and the Bear argue which of them will be the first to see the sunrise; the Bear looks east, the Chipmunk looks west, the first to notice the sun's ray on the mountain; the Bear slashed it with its paw, five the stripes have remained on the skin; since then, the Chipmunk has been immediately hiding in the hole]: Rombandeeva 2005, No. 38:283-285; the Eastern Khanty (Trom-Agan) [the frog and the crane were arguing about who would see the sunrise sooner; the crane did not sleep, stretched its neck and "looked on both sides", waiting for the sun to appear; the frog sat by the swamp puddle and watched the clouds reflect in the water; as soon as it saw that the reflection turned pink, announced the appearance of the sun and thus won the dispute]: Isaeva 2015:242.
Eastern Siberia. Western (Vilyui) Yakuts: Ergis 1964, No. 17 (2nd Bordeaux Nasleg of Suntar Ulus, 1941) [The elk and the mouse argue about who will see the sun first; the elk looks east; the mouse looks west, is the first to see the sunlit treetops, and triumphs; the elk tries to trample it unsuccessfully]: 71 (~ Sivtsev-Omolloon 1976:18-19; Sivtsev, Efremov 1990:13); Illarionov et al. 2008, No. 5 (p. Suntar, Suntar district, 1986) [The mouse offers Moose a dispute: who will be the first to see the sun; the elk looks east, where the high bank obscures the sky; the mouse looks west and is the first to notice the rays on the treetops; says to Elk that the sun has already risen]; [from the commentary to text No. 5: one of the options was recorded in 1965 in Verkhnekolymsky District (Archive of the YSC SB RAS)]: 131-133, 376; (cf. Verkhoyansky Yakuts [mouse and elk ( the ancestors of today's mice and elks) argued among themselves; elk: "Our sun will rise from the east!" ; mouse: "No, our sun will rise from the west!" ; the elk lay with its face to the east and the mouse to the west; before the sun shows, its rays illuminate the peaks of the mountains to the west; at the first rays, the mouse cried out: "Broad! Your colorful sun has turned its ass!" ; the elk became angry with this trick and has been an enemy of the mouse ever since]: Khudyakov 1890:1 (note).
Japan. Ainu (Hokkaido) [the good and evil gods argued which of them would rule the world; decided that there would be the one who would see the sun first in the morning; the Fox imagined the good; looked west, saw The first rays of sunlight on the mountains, the gathered gods to confirm this; therefore, those deities who are associated with light (not darkness) began to rule]: Brauns 1883:250; Ainu (Hokkaido, West 1886) [when The creator created the world, the good and evil gods were all together; they decided that those who were the first to see the rising sun would rule; everyone looked east, and the fox looked west and the first to see sun rays {on mountains}; therefore good gods rule]: Chamnerlain 1888, No. 17:.