Why Raven Is A Big Black Bird

Everyone knows that Raven is a big black trickster. It wasn’t always that way.

Raven used to be quite a bit smaller and white and still quite the trickster.

One day Raven gets it in his head to play a joke on all the animals of the land.
He hid in the snow just settled right down in it.

Along comes Bear. Everyone knows that bears have poor eyesight and good noses but Bear was so caught up in thinking about summer goodies.

“Bumbadadee Bumble ba bee. Blueberries, Cranberries, Rosehips,” Bear says thinking of berry season as all bears do, when Raven Popped up!

“Rah!” he yelled.

Bear was so scared he turned white!

Raven thought he did so good that decide to do it again.

Raven hid in the snow.

Everyone knows that eagles have fantastic eyesight but no one can see underfoot when walking on the ground.
Eagle was hunting.

“I smell something. Ooo, I smell Rabbit. Come here pretty Rabbit! Wait no…Raven. I smell Raven. Where are you Raven? I am hungry. Come out now.”

Raven stayed down until Eagle was close.

“Rah!” Out popped Raven!

Scared Eagle so bad! Eagle in those days did not have a white head but brown as all young ones do these days. Eagle was scared so bad that all his head feathers dropped out, just like that!

Raven thought to himself as he flew away: “I am so good! I think I’ll have another go! Hee, hee, hee!”

He found another place in the woods to hide in the snow. Raven was great at hiding!

About this time a day Moose comes along.

“Willow! Ho Hmm, Birch, Poplar…” He was thinking about all the tasty trees he was going to have this summer.

Back in the day, all moose had horns all the time and Moose was no different. He supported a big large rack up on his head – larger than my arms are wide!

“Rah!” Out jumps Raven again!

Moose froze…and his antlers drop right off!

Raven flew away laughing again.

The animals had had enough of Raven and his trickster ways and called a meeting with the Great Spirit.

One by one they said their piece.

Someone pushed Bear into the circle. He was still shaking. “White! I am white! All my beautiful fur is WHITE!!!” He fingered his fur, shaking his head, and mumbling under his breathe he sobbed, “White?” as he went to his seat.

The Great Spirit said: Bear you can go to the North and be away from us until you get over your shock. But Bear never did get over his shock and anger and to this day he is still up North and is called Polar Bear. All of his children are white. And that is how polar bears came to be.

Eagle sprang up!

“Well, I am BALD. No feathers! My head is COLD! WE have to do something about Raven! This cannot go ON!”

The Great Spirit calmly said to Eagle, “It will grow back.”

And it did but only in white.

Eagle told his children and his children’s children about Raven and each in turn goes white due to the great fright of the story.

Moose stepped into the circle and every one gasped! Moose had no antlers! Moose could not speak.

“Antlers… Big…fell…antlers…off…mine….”

Great Spirit gave a soft chuckle and told Moose, “It’s alright, this to shall grow back but honestly I like it better. I can see your ears.” They did but all of his descendants still lose their antlers each year in remembrance.

Great Spirit knew that Raven could not be change. He was and will always be who he is.

Great Spirit sighed and turned to Raven and decreed: “Raven since you scared all the animals you and your children shall be not white but black and grow twice as big so you can no longer hide in the snow and give others such a fright.

And that is why Raven is a big black bird...and still a trickster.