There
was a time, long, long ago when the Sun drew very near the Earth.
Soon plants began to wither and die, streams began to dry up, and
all the creatures on Kukna, our Mother Earth, began to fear death
from hunger and thirst.
The animals held a council, to decide how to put the Sun back in
the sky where it belonged. A volunteer was sought to accomplish
this task.
The opossum was the first animal to volunteer to move the Sun back
into the sky where it belonged. Now at this time, the opossum had
a bushy tail, like the fox. So it was that the opossum wrapped his
long bushy tail around the Sun and began to pull the Sun back into
the sky where it belonged. But the Sun burned all the fur off the
opossum's tail, so that he released the Sun and did not succeed
at his task. And so it is that the opossum has a long hairless tail
to this day.
The
fox was next to volunteer to move the Sun back into the sky where
it belonged. He put the Sun into his mouth and began to carry it
back into the sky where it belonged. But the Sun began to burn the
fox's mouth, so that he dropped the Sun and did not succeed at his
task. As he turned to return to the Earth, the Sun also burned the
tip of his bushy tail. And so it is that the fox has a blackened
mouth and lips and the tip of his tail is blackened to this day.
The animals did not know what to do; twice they had failed to put
the Sun back into the sky where it belonged. And so it was that
they once more began to seek a volunteer among them to accomplish
this task.
Now there was at this time a beautiful bird who was widely respected,
for he soared high above all other birds carrying messages to the
Creator. His beauty and nobility were known throughout all of Creation.
He was next to volunteer to accomplish the task of putting the Sun
back into the sky where it belonged.
And so it was that he flew up and placed his head against the Sun,
and began to flap his mighty wings to push the Sun back into the
sky where it belonged. As he pushed, the Sun burned the feathers
off his head, and charred his beautiful plumage. Yet the bird pushed
onward, soaring higher and higher into the sky, until the Sun was
returned to where it belonged.
When
the noble bird returned to the Earth, the other animals drew away
from it in horror. Now its beautiful head was featherless and red
from being burned by the Sun. Now its beautiful feathers were charred
black and ugly. The other animals could not look on their savior,
for he was now frightful to behold.
So it is that now the turkey buzzard is a solitary creature. You
will not see the turkey buzzard with any other living animal, for
they cannot look on him. But if you are fortunate enough to be gifted
a feather from this bird, you will see on the underside the beautiful
plumage that he once wore, where the Sun was not able to char.
And this is why the Lenapé regard this bird highly, for
he gave greatly of himself to save all of Creation.
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