The merlin (asalon or aesalon) is a small bird that breaks the eggs of ravens. The merlin is in turn preyed on by the fox, so it pecks the fox cubs and the vixen. When the raven sees this, it comes to the defense of the foxes as the merlin is a common enemy.

In modern taxonomy, Falco columbarius aesalon is a Eurasian subspecies of merlin, formerly called Falco aesalon.