M8B. Birds are hammering the rock: extracting water. 47.52.68.71.

Animals, and often birds, struggle to break through the rock to get water or honey hidden inside it.

Southeast USA. Man loses (it is not clear to whom) by putting all the water on the line; the water is closed inside the reed; the woodpecker finds it, hammers it; the rivers fill up again. Alabama [a reed the size of a tree; Little Woodpecker starts hammering, flies away when he hears a noise from within; a big one breaks a hole]: Martin 1977:7; Swanton 1929, No. 8:123; koasati [plenty birds are hammering, Little Woodpecker finishes]: Swanton 1929, No. 7:168; choctaw [no water, everything is frozen, birds with strong beaks are hammering ice unsuccessfully; then small birds hired biskantak (woodpecker?) ; he broke through the ice of a frozen lake]: Mould 2004:197.

Mesoamerica All the water is in the rock; rivers appear. Tepehua [woodpecker punches a hole: Williams García 1972:85; kekchi, mopan [man breaks a rock, rivers run in four directions]: Thompson 1930:144.

Southern Amazon. Bororo [all the water is in the rock; people asked the Caracar hawks to make a hole; they failed, the toucan pierced, the water poured in, washing everything away; the anaconda, crawling, formed the riverbed]: Wilbert, Simoneau 1983, No. 24:56-57

SE Brazil. Kaingang (St. Catarina) [all the honey inside the rock; the birds are hammering, breaking their beaks; the toucan almost pierces, the woodpecker reaches the goal; the hummingbird did not give honey; he hides all the water; the birds find it and are spraying around the world]: Henry 1934-1935:177.