Raweno,
the spirit who makes everything, was busy creating animals. This
afternoon, he was working on Rabbit. "May I have nice long
legs and long ears like a deer?" Rabbit asked. " And
sharp fangs and claws like a panther?"
"Certainly," Raweno said.
But he had gotten no further than shaping Rabbit's hind legs when
he was interrupted by Owl.
"Whoo, whoo. I want a nice
long neck like Swan's," Owl demanded. And beautiful
red feathers like Cardinal's, and a long beak like Egret's, and
a royal crown of plumes like Heron's. I want you to make me into
the swiftest and the most beautiful of all birds."
"Be quiet," Raweno said.
"You know that no one is supposed to watch me at work. Turn
around, and close your eyes!"
Raweno shaped Rabbit's ears, long
and alert, just like Deer's.
"Whoo, whoo," Owl said.
"Nobody can forbid me to watch. I won't turn around and I
certainly won't close my eyes. I like watching, and watch I will." |
Then
Raweno became angry. Forgetting Rabbit's front legs,
he grabbed Owl from his branch and shook him with all his might.
Owl's eyes grew big and round with fright.
Raweno pushed down on Owl's head and pulled up on his ears until
they stood up on both sides of his head. "There!" Raweno
said. "Now you have ears that are big enough to listen when
someone tells you what to do, and a short neck that won't let
you crane your head to watch things you shouldn't watch. And your
eyes are big, but you can use them only at night
not during the day when I am working."
"And finally, as punishment
for your disobedience, your feathers won't be red like Cardinal's,
but ugly and gray, like this." And he rubbed Owl all over
with mud. Then he turned back to finish Rabbit. But where was
he? Poor Rabbit had been so frightened by Raweno's anger that
he had fled, unfinished. To this day, Rabbit must hop about on
his uneven legs, and he has remained frightened, for he never
received the fangs and claws he had
requested. As for Owl, he remained as Raweno shaped him in his
anger with big eyes, a short neck, big ears, and the ability to
see only at night, when Raweno isn't working. |
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