According to a more elaborate legend, a blackbird hen with her splendid, snow white plumage was regularly scolded by January, a cold and shady month, who enjoyed waiting for her to come out of the nest in search of food to throw cold and frost to the earth.
Tired of this endless persecution, one year the blackbird decided to make provisions that would last for a month, and shut herself up for the whole month of January, which was then only twenty-eight days long.
The last day of the month, thinking to have outsmarted the wicked January, she left her hideaway and started singing to mock him.
January irritated by the blackbird’s behavior, he immediately went to see his neighbor, February that was convinced to give him three days. To spite those who had made fun of him, during those three days, January took his revenge with snowstorms, wind, ice, and rain.
The blackbird decided to take refuge into an old and dirty chimney and remained there for three days. When she came out, she was safe, but the beautiful plumage had been blackened by smoke, and despite her efforts to clean herself up, she wasn’t able.