Legend
The Wheel Well
The old well on Rataskaevu street, with its big lifting wheel, was said to be home to a water spirit. When the water turned bad or the well ran low, the townsfolk believed the spirit was hungry and threw stray cats and other offerings down to it, so that it would keep their water clean. The well was eventually covered over because of the smell, and today a bronze cat on its rim remembers the unlucky sacrifices.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
Rataskaevu tänava vanas kaevus, millel oli suur tõsteratas, elas rahva arvates veevaim. Kui vesi läks halvaks või kaev jäi madalaks, arvati, et vaim on näljane, ja kaevu visati hulkuvaid kasse ja muid ohvreid, et ta hoiaks vee puhtana. Lõpuks kaeti kaev halva lõhna tõttu kinni. Täna meenutab õnnetuid ohvreid kaevu serval istuv pronkskass.
Source: A Tallinn legend of the Rataskaevu (Wheel Well).