Why The Owl Has Big Eyes
Native American - Iroquois story
retold by Oban
A long time ago, Raweno the Everything-Maker spirit made all the animals, birds,
reptiles and insects. It was a big job.
First he made each body, choosing fur, skin or feathers that looked right. Then he gave
each one a say in how their body should be completed – shape of ears, legs, tail or no
tail and so on. Raweno was very busy.
One day when he was working on Rabbit, Owl was sitting in a tree nearby, waiting his
turn.
“Whoo, whoo” cried out Owl, impatiently.
“Be quiet Owl,” said Raweno. “I will get to you next. Turn around and close your eyes.
You know that no-one is supposed to watch me work on other animals.”
Owl stamped up and down on the branch, but closed his eyes. Raweno began shaping
Rabbit’s hind legs.
“May I please have long legs and ears like Deer?” asked Rabbit. “Of course you can,”
said Raweno. “I always try to make animals how they want to be.” He made Rabbit’s
hind legs longer, and then stopped to admire them.
“Thank you,” said Rabbit, wriggling his new long legs. “And could I have sharp fangs
and claws like Panther? Some of the other animals can be mean and might try to hurt
me.”
“Certainly,” said Raweno. “I will always give animals what they want. Let me work on
your ears next, and then your front legs.”
Raweno shaped Rabbit’s ears very long, the way he wanted them.
Owl became impatient again. “Whoo, whoo” he cried. “I want a nice long neck like
Swan. And beautiful red feathers like Cardinal, and a long beak like Egret’s!”
“Be quiet, Owl” said Raweno sharply. “I have to finish making Rabbit first. Now turn
around and close your eyes.”
“Whoo, whoo” cried Owl again. “I want a beautiful crown of plumes like Heron’s and I
want you to make me into the fastest, most beautiful, most wonderful bird of all.”
“Stop that noise” said Raweno. “I can’t think properly. Turn around, close your eyes, and
keep quiet.”
“Whoo, whoo” cried Owl loudly as he stamped up and down on the branch. “You can
forbid me to watch, but I won’t turn around and I won’t close my eyes. If I want to watch,
I will!”
Raweno became very angry. Forgetting Rabbit’s front legs, he ran to the tree, grabbed
Owl from the branch and shook him.
Owl’s eyes grew big and wide from fright.
Raweno put his hand on the top of Owl’s head and pushed it down onto his shoulders.
Then he reached into his feathers and pulled out his ears until they stood up, one on
each side of his head.
“There!” said Raweno. “Now you have big ears so you can listen when someone asks
you to do something. You have a short neck that won’t let you move your head to watch
things you shouldn’t see. And you have big eyes, but you will only be able to see
properly at night, when I’m not working.”
Owl was so surprised he just stared.
Then Raweno scooped up a handful of squishy mud. “You are very rude and
disobedient” he said. “As punishment you will not have red feathers like Cardinal’s. You
will look grey, like this.” And he rubbed the mud all over Owl’s feathers.
“Whoo, whoo, whoo” cried Owl as he flow off, sulking.
Then Raweno turned back to finish Rabbit’s front legs. But Rabbit wasn’t there. He had
been so frightened by Raweno and Owl shouting at each other, that he had hopped
away unfinished.
This is why Rabbit has to hop around on uneven legs instead of running like Deer, and
he is frightened of most things because he never got the fangs and claws he wanted.
And Owl still looks the way Raweno shaped him, after he made Raweno so angry.
The End
http://www.planetozkids.com/oban/legends/why-the-owl-has-big-eyes-story_2.htm
“The Blind Man and the Elephant”
Long ago six old men lived in a village in India. Each was born blind. The other villagers
loved the old men and kept them away from harm. Since the blind men could not see
the world for themselves, they had to imagine many of its wonders. They listened
carefully to the stories told by travelers to learn what they could about life outside the
village.
The men were curious about many of the stories they heard, but they were most curious
about elephants. They were told that elephants could trample forests, carry huge
burdens, and frighten young and old with their loud trumpet calls. But they also knew
that the Rajah's daughter rode an elephant when she traveled in her father's kingdom.
Would the Rajah let his daughter get near such a dangerous creature?
The old men argued day and night about elephants. "An elephant must be a powerful
giant," claimed the first blind man. He had heard stories about elephants being used to
clear forests and build roads.
"No, you must be wrong," argued the second blind man. "An elephant must be graceful
and gentle if a princess is to ride on its back."
"You're wrong! I have heard that an elephant can pierce a man's heart with its terrible
horn," said the third blind man.
"Please," said the fourth blind man. "You are all mistaken. An elephant is nothing more
than a large sort of cow. You know how people exaggerate."
"I am sure that an elephant is something magical," said the fifth blind man. "That would
explain why the Rajah's daughter can travel safely throughout the kingdom."
"I don't believe elephants exist at all," declared the sixth blind man. "I think we are the
victims of a cruel joke."
Finally, the villagers grew tired of all the arguments, and they arranged for the curious
men to visit the palace of the Rajah to learn the truth about elephants. A young boy from
their village was selected to guide the blind men on their journey. The smallest man put
his hand on the boy's shoulder. The second blind man put his hand on his friend's
shoulder, and so on until all six men were ready to walk safely behind the boy who
would lead them to the Rajah's magnificent palace.
When the blind men reached the palace, they were greeted by an old friend from their
village who worked as a gardener on the palace grounds. Their friend led them to the
courtyard. There stood an elephant. The blind men stepped forward to touch the
creature that was the subject of so many arguments.
The first blind man reached out and touched the side of the huge animal. "An elephant
is smooth and solid like a wall!" he declared. "It must be very powerful."
The second blind man put his hand on the elephant's limber trunk. "An elephant is like a
giant snake," he announced.
The third blind man felt the elephant's pointed tusk. "I was right," he decided. "This
creature is as sharp and deadly as a spear."
The fourth blind man touched one of the elephant's four legs. "What we have here," he
said, "is an extremely large cow."
The fifth blind man felt the elephant's giant ear. "I believe an elephant is like a huge fan
or maybe a magic carpet that can fly over mountains and treetops," he said.
The sixth blind man gave a tug on the elephant's coarse tail. "Why, this is nothing more
than a piece of old rope. Dangerous, indeed," he scoffed.
The gardener led his friends to the shade of a tree. "Sit here and rest for the long
journey home," he said. "I will bring you some water to drink."
While they waited, the six blind men talked about the elephant.
"An elephant is like a wall," said the first blind man. "Surely we can finally agree on
that."
"A wall? An elephant is a giant snake!" answered the second blind man.
"It's a spear, I tell you,” Insisted the third blind man.
"I'm certain it's a giant cow," said the fourth blind man.
"Magic carpet. There's no doubt," said the fifth blind man.
"Don't you see?" pleaded the sixth blind man. "Someone used a rope to trick us."
Their argument continued and their shouts grew louder and louder.
"Wall!" "Snake!" "Spear!" "Cow!" "Carpet!" "Rope!"
"Stop shouting!" called a very angry voice.
It was the Rajah, awakened from his nap by the noisy argument.
"How can each of you be so certain you are right?" asked the ruler.
The six blind men considered the question. And then, knowing the Rajah to be a very
wise man, they decided to say nothing at all.
"The elephant is a very large animal," said the Rajah kindly. "Each man touched only
one part. Perhaps if you put the parts together, you will see the truth. Now, let me finish
my nap in peace."
When their friend returned to the garden with the cool water, the six men rested quietly
in the shade, thinking about the Rajah's advice.
"He is right," said the first blind man. "To learn the truth, we must put all the parts
together. Let's discuss this on the journey home."
The first blind man put his hand on the shoulder of the young boy who would guide
them home. The second blind man put a hand on his friend's shoulder, and so on until
all six men were ready to travel together.
https://www.peacecorps.gov/educators/resources/story-blind-men-and-elephant/
How Anansi Gets the Sky God’s Stories
Once there were no stories in the world. Kwanku Anansi the spider once went to NyanKopon the sky god in order to buy the sky god’s stories. The sky god said, “What makes
you think you can buy them?” The spider answered, “I know I shall be able.” Thereupon,
the sky god said, “Great and powerful towns like Kokofu, Bekwai, Asumengya have
come and they were unable to purchase them, and yet you who are but a masterless
man, you say you will be able?”
The spider said, “What is the price of the stories?” The sky god said, “They cannot be
bought for anything except Onini the python, Osebo the leopard, Mmoatia the fairy, and
Mmoboro the hornet.” The spider said, “I will bring some of all of these.”
The sky god said, “Go and bring them then!”
Anansi set about capturing these. First he went to where Python lived and debated out
loud whether Python was really longer than the palm branch or not as his wife Aso says.
Python overheard and, when Anansi explained the debate, agreed to lie along the palm
branch. Because he cannot easily make himself completely straight a true impression of
his actual length is difficult to obtain, so Python agreed to be tied to the branch. When
he was completely tied, Anansi took him to the sky god.
To catch the leopard, Anansi dug a deep hole in the ground. When the leopard fell in
the hole Anansi offered to help him out with his webs. Once the leopard was out of the
hole he was bound in Anansi’s webs and was carried away.
To catch the hornets, Anansi filled a calabash with water and poured some over a
banana leaf he held over his head and some over the nest, calling out that it was
raining. He suggested the hornets get into the empty calabash, and when they obliged,
he quickly sealed the opening.
To catch the fairy he made a doll and covered it with sticky gum. He placed the doll
under the Odum (Tree of Life) where the fairies play and put some yam in a bowl in
front of it. When the fairy came and ate the yam she thanked the doll which of course
did not reply. Annoyed at its bad manners she struck it, first with one hand then the
other. The hands stuck and Anansi captured her.
Anansi handed his captives over to Nyan the sky god. The latter said, “Kawku Anansi,
from today and going on forever, I present my sky god stories to you, kose! kose!
kose! my blessing, my blessing, my blessing! No more shall we call them the sky god
stories, but we shall call them the spider stories!
This is my story which I have related. If it be sweet, or if it be not sweet, take some
elsewhere, and let some come back to me.
Anansi the trickster is a West African God. He often takes the shape of a spider and is
considered to be the god of all knowledge of stories. He is also one of the most
important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore. Image from the cover of
Martha Warren Beckwith’s book on Anansi Tales from Jamaica.
https://wilderutopia.com/traditions/myth/ashanti-of-ghana-how-spider-obtained-the-skygods-stories/
The Brahman, the Tiger and the Jackal
Once upon a time, a tiger was caught in a trap. He tried in vain to get out through the
bars, and rolled and bit with rage and grief when he failed.
By chance a poor Brahman came by. “Let me out of this cage, oh holy one!” cried the
tiger.
“Nay, my friend,” replied the Brahman mildly, “you would probably eat me if I did.”
“Not at all!” swore the tiger with many oaths; “on the contrary, I should be for ever
grateful, and serve you as a slave!”
Now when the tiger sobbed and sighed and wept and swore, the good Brahman’s heart
softened, and at last he consented to open the door of the cage. Out popped the tiger,
and, seizing the poor man, cried, “What a fool you are! What is to prevent my eating you
now, for after being cooped up so long I am just terribly hungry!”
In vain the Brahman pleaded for his life; at last the Tiger agreed that if the Brahman
could ask three things to judge whether or not the Tiger was treating him unfairly. If one
of them would say that he should keep his life, then the Tiger would not eat him, but
would let him go.
So the Brahman first asked a pipal tree what it thought of the matter, but the pipal tree
replied coldly, “What have you to complain about? Don’t I give shade and shelter to
every one who passes by, and don’t they return my kindness by tearing down my
branches to feed their cattle? Don’t whimper–be a man!”
Then the Brahman, sad at heart, went further afield till he saw a buffalo turning a wellwheel; but he got no better result, for it answered, “You are a fool to expect gratitude!
Look at me! When I gave milk , the people fed me on cotton-seed and oil-cake, but now
I am dry they tie me here, and give me their rubbish for food!”
The Brahman, still more sad, asked the road to give him its opinion.
“My dear sir,” said the road, “how foolish you are to expect anything else! Here am I,
useful to everybody, yet all, rich and poor, great and small, trample on me as they go
past.”
At this the Brahman turned back sorrowfully, and on the way he met a jackal, who called
out, “Why, what’s the matter, Mr. Brahman? You look as miserable as a fish out of
water!”
The Brahman told him all that had happened. “How very confusing!” said the jackal,
when the recital was ended; “would you mind telling me over again, for everything has
got so mixed up?”
The Brahman told it all over again, but the jackal shook his head in a distracted sort of
way, and still could not understand.
“It’s very odd,” said he, sadly, “but it all seems to go in at one ear and out at the other! I
will go to the place where it all happened, and then perhaps I shall be able to give a
judgment.”
So they returned to the cage, by which the tiger was waiting for the Brahman, and
sharpening his teeth and claws.
“You’ve been away a long time!” growled the savage beast, “but now let us begin our
dinner.”
“Our dinner!” thought the wretched Brahman, as his knees knocked together with fright;
“what a remarkably delicate way of putting it!”
“Give me five minutes, my lord!” he pleaded, “in order that I may explain matters to the
jackal here, who is somewhat slow in his wits.”
The tiger consented, and the Brahman began the whole story over again, not missing a
single detail, and spinning as long a yarn as possible.
“Oh, my poor brain! oh, my poor brain!” cried the jackal, wringing its paws. “Let me see!
how did it all begin? You were in the cage, and the tiger came walking by–”
“Pooh!” interrupted the tiger, “what a fool you are! I was in the cage.”
“Of course!” cried the jackal, pretending to tremble with fright; “yes! I was in the cage–no
I wasn’t–dear! dear! where are my wits? Let me see–the tiger was in the Brahman, and
the cage came walking by–no, that’s not it, either! Well, don’t mind me, but begin your
dinner, for I shall never understand!”
“Yes, you shall!” returned the tiger, in a rage at the jackal’s stupidity; “I’ll make you
understand! Look here–I am the tiger–”
“Yes, my lord!”
“And that is the Brahman–”
“Yes, my lord!”
“And that is the cage–”
“Yes, my lord!”
“And I was in the cage–do you understand?”
“Yes–no–Please, my lord–”
“Well?”
“Please, my lord!–how did you get in?”
“How!–why in the usual way, of course!”
“Oh, dear me!–my head is beginning to whirl again! Please don’t be angry, my lord, but
what is the usual way?”
At this the tiger lost patience, and, jumping into the cage, cried, "This way! Now do you
understand how it was?”
“Perfectly!” grinned the jackal, as he dexterously shut the door, “and if you will permit
me to say so, I think matters will remain as they were!”
And that’s the story of how the Jackal helped the Brahman escape from the Tiger.