Vicky's Native American Indian Stories

~*~ "Indian Stories" ~*~

How Coyote brought Fire to the Cchrocs (Karuk Tribe)
In the beginning Chareya made fire
(That is,the Cahrocs say so),Housed it safe with two beldams dire,
And meant to have it stay so.But the Cahrocsdeclared that fire
should be free,Not jealously kept under lock and key.Crafty
Squire Coyote,Counselor of note,he,Just such a case he was meant
for:Forthwith his honor was sent for.Squire Coyote came.On
hearing the case,The cunningest smile passed over his face;Then,
slyly winking,In the midstof his thinking He stopt,short
An emphatic snort,And said he:"Tight spot,'Twere vain to conceal it:
Very sorry you're in it.But,though tight as a Gordian knot, What are you
'bout That you don't get out?It's only the work of a minute:
The way to get fire is to steal it."Squire Coyote was right
every Cahroc knew it,But(bless them!)how were they going to do
it? "Ah!" said Coyote,Stroking his goatee And taking his hat,
"Let me'tend to that."Then,airily bowing to left and right,He
scampered away,and was out of sight.Fire for the Cahroc nation!
Coyote made preparation.From the land of the Cahrocs afar
to the East The rogue,he knew every inch of the road Was stationed,
now here,now there,a beast,All the way to the hut where the hags
abode.The weaklings farthest off he put,The strong ones nearest
the witches'hut;And lastly,hard by the guarded den,Placed one of
the sinewy Cahroc men.Thisdone,up he trotted,and tapped,The
gentlest possible,rapped At the old crones'smoky door."Beg pardon
for being so bold;Fact is,I am numb with cold:Pray give me a bed
on your floor."The trick succeeded; they let him in And,snug at
the feet of the beldamsdire,He stretched his length to the
open fire.Not long he lay,when,oh,the din,The drubbing sudden
heard outside!Such a bumping and banging,Such a whacking and
whanging!"Itch to your skins!" the witches cried,And rushed from
the hut to see What the horrible noise could be.Now,it was only
the Cahroc man Playing his part of Coyote's plan;But the simple
old crones,you can well understand,Didn't see through it,And,
before they knew it,Coyote was off with a half-burnt brand,
Twitching and whisking it,Switching and frisking it,The best he
knew,Away he flew,The Cahrocs' laughter And the crones close
after.Over hill and dale,Like a comet's tail,Sweeps the borrowed
brand TowardCahroc-land.But the crones are fleet and strong,And
it can't be long Before Coyote is made to feel How wicked a thing
it is to steal.His spindling pegs --Mere spider legs -- Nature
never designed'em To match the big shanks behind 'em.He runs as
never wolf ran; Every muscle and nerve, All his wild-wood verve,
Is put to the strain;But,scratch it the fastes the can,The gray
hags gain.And the race must soon be over.Race over?See there --
who's that?Zounds!What a monstrous cat!It's the cougar sprung
from his cover. Ha, ha! All but from the head crone's hand His
jaws have rescued the precious brand, And he's off like shot!
"On time to a dot,"Coughs Coyote,clearing the soot From his
throat and the specks from his eyes;"Bravo,my gallant brute!
-- And still the good fire flies!"Fly it had to.You wouldn't
believe old bones Could scuttle as now did the legs of the
crones.The witches were marvelous fleet and strong,But,you see,
the line of the beasts was too long: From the cougar the
brand was passed to the bear,And so on down to the fox,to the
hare,Thence on and on,till,flat in their tracks, The crones
collapsed like empty sacks. Thus the brand was brought from the
bel-dams' den Safe to the homes of the Cahroc men.And only two
mishaps 'Mongst all the scampering chaps That,each from the
proper place,Took his turn in the fire-brand chase. The squirrel,
as sudden he whirled,Turning a corner of stumps and bowlders,
Burned his beautiful tail,so it curled Clean over his back,And
scorched a brown track,Still seen (tail also) over his shoulders.
The frog,poor thing!His was a harder fate.Small as smallest coal
in the grate Was the brand when he got it.Jump and springHe did,
till he thought it Was safe; when,pounce,like a stone,Fell the
claws of the foremost crone.At lastHe was fast; No sort of use To
try to get loose.His eyeballs bulged, his little heart thumped --
'Most broke his ribs,so hard it bumped.So frightened he was,that,
down to this day,He looks very much in the same scared way.The
frog was caught,Was squeezed Till he wheezed;But not too tight
For just a mite Of ranine thought: "Co-roak,chug,choke,Granny
Hag,good joke.Well you've followed it; So move up your hand And
take your old brand" -- Then he swallowed it!
And before the crone could wholly recover From the sight of such
a wonder,Slipping her fingers from under,He plunged into a pool
all over.He had saved the brand,But the witch's hand Still
clutched his special pride and care -- His tail,piteously
wriggling there. Henceforth -- he must grin and bear it -- The
tadpole alone was to wear it.At length,when the crones had gone,
He sought an old log, and got on:"Rather short of beauty, But I
did my duty;That's enough for a frog." Then he spat on the log,
Spat the swallowed spark Well into its bark. Fire, fire to your
heart's desire;Fire,fire for the world entire:It's free as air
to everybody,White man or Cahroc,wise man or noddy.From the
beldams' den,A gift to all men Coyote brought it.In the wettest
weather Rub two sticks together, Presto -- you've got it!

How the Lokota got their Peace Pipe (Lokota)
Long, long ago, two young and handsome Lakota were chosen by their band to find out where the buffalo were. While the men were riding in the buffalo country, they saw someone in the distance walking toward them. As always they were on the watch for any enemy. So they hid in some bushes and waited. At last the figure came up the slope. To their surprise, the figure walking toward them was a woman. When she came closer, she stopped and looked at them. They knew that she could see them, even in their hiding place. On her left arm she carried what looked like a stick in a bundle of sagebrush. Her face was beautiful. One of the men said, "She is more beautiful than anyone I have ever seen. I want her for my wife." But the other man replied, "How dare you have such a thought? She is wondrously beautiful and holy--far above ordinary people." Though still at a distance, the woman heard them talking. She laid down her bundle and spoke to them. "Come. What is it you wish?" The man who had spoken first went up to her and laid his hands on her as if to claim her. At once, from somewhere above, there came a whirlwind. Then there came a mist, which hid the man and the woman. When the mist cleared, the other man saw the woman with the bundle again on her arm. But his friend was a pile of bones at her feet. The man stood silent in wonder and awe. Then the beautiful woman spoke to him. "I am on a journey to your people. Among them is a good man whose name is Bull Walking Upright. I am coming to see him especially. "Go on ahead of me and tell your people that I am on my way. Ask them to move camp and to pitch their tents in a circle. Ask them to leave an opening in the circle, facing the north. In the centre of the circle, make a large tepee, also facing the north. There I will meet Bull Walking Upright and his people." The man saw to it that all her directions were followed. When she reached the camp, she removed the sagebrush from the gift she was carrying. The gift was a small pipe made of red stone. On it was carved the tiny outline of a buffalo calf. The pipe she gave to Bull Walking Upright, and then she taught him the prayers he should pray to the Strong One Above. "When you pray to the Strong One Above, you must use this pipe in the ceremony. When you are hungry, unwrap the pipe and lay it bare in the air. Then the buffalo will come where the men can easily hunt and kill them. So the children, the men, and the women will have food and be happy." The beautiful woman also told him how the people should behave in order to live peacefully together. She taught them the prayers they should say when praying to their Mother Earth. She told him how they should decorate themselves for ceremonies. "The earth," she said, "is your mother. So, for special ceremonies, you will decorate yourselves as your mother does--in black and red, in brown and white. These are the colours of the buffalo also. "Above all else, remember that this is a peace pipe that I have given you. You will smoke it before all ceremonies. You will smoke it before making treaties. It will bring peaceful thoughts into your minds. If you will use it when you pray to the Strong One above and to Mother Earth you will be sure to receive the blessings that you ask." When the woman had completed her message, she turned and slowly walked away. All the people watched her in awe. Outside the opening of the circle, she stopped for an instant and then lay down on the ground. She rose again in the form of a black buffalo cow. Again she lay down and then arose in the form of a red buffalo cow. A third time she lay down, and arose as a brown buffalo cow. The fourth and last time she had the form of a spotlessly white buffalo cow. Then she walked toward the north into the distance and finally disappeared over a far-off hill. Bull Walking Upright kept the peace pipe carefully wrapped most of the time. Every little while he called all his people together, untied the bundle, and repeated the lessons he had been taught by the beautiful woman. And he used it in prayers and other ceremonies until he was more than one hundred years old. When he became feeble, he held a great feast. There he gave the pipe and the lessons to Sunrise, a worthy man. In a similar way the pipe was passed down from generation to generation. "As long as the pipe is used," the beautiful woman had said, "Your people will live and will be happy. As soon as it is forgotten, the people will perish."

First Fire (Cherokee)
In the begining there was no fire, and the world was cold, until the Thunders (Ani'-Hyun'tikwala'ski), who lived up in Galun'lati, sent their lightning and put fire into the bottom of a hollow sycamore tree which grew on an island. The animals knew it was there, because they could see the smoke coming out at the top, but they could not get to it on account of the water, so they held a council to decide what to do. This was a long time ago. Every animal that could fly or swim was anxious to go after the fire. The Raven offered, and because he was so large and strong they thought he could surely do the work, so he was sent first. He flew high and far across the water and alighted on the sycamore tree, but while he was wondering what to do next, the heat had scorched all his feathers black, and he was frightened and came back without the fire. The little Screech-owl (Wa'huhu') volunteered to go, and reached the place safely, but while he was looking down into the hollow tree a blast of hot air came up and nearly burned out his eyes. He managed to fly home as best he could, but it was a long time before he could see well, and his eyes are red to this day. Then the Hooting Owl (U'guku') and the Horned Owl (Tskili') went, but by the time they got to the hollow tree the fire was burning so fiercely that the smoke nearly blinded them, and the ashes carried up by the wind made white rings about their eyes. They had to come home again without the fire, but with all their rubbing they were never able to get rid of the white rings. Now no more of the birds would venture, and so the little Uksu'hi snake, the black racer, said he would go through the water and bring back some fire. He swam across to the island and crawled through the grass to the tree, and went in by a small hole at the bottom. The heat and smoke were too much for him, too, and after dodging about blindly over the hot ashes until he was almost on fire himself he managed by good luck to get out again at the same hole, but his body had been scorched black, and he has ever since had the habit of darting and doubling on his track as if trying to escape from close quarters. He came back, and the great blacksnake, Gule'gi, "The Climber," offered to go for fire. He swam over to the island and climbed up the tree on the outside, as the blacksnake always does, but when he put his head down into the hole the smoke choked him so that he fell into the burning stump, and before he could climb out again he was as black as the Uksu'hi. Now they held another council, for still there was no fire, and the world was cold, but birds, snakes, and four-footed animals, all had some excuse for not going, because they were all afraid to venture near the burning sycamore, until at last Kanane'ski Amai'yehi (the Water Spider) said she would go. This is not the water spider that looks like a mosquito, but the other one, with downy hair and red stripes on her body. She can run on top of the water or dive to the bottom, so there would be no trouble to get over to the island, but the question was, How could she bring back the fire? "I'll manage that," said the Water Spider; so she spun a thread from her body and wove it into a tusti bowl, which she fastened on her back. Then she crossed over to the island and through the grass to where the fire was still burning. She put one little coal of fire into her bowl, and came back with it, and ever since we have had fire, and the Water Spider still keeps her tusti bowl.

Cannibal Woman's Sister Eats her last Meal (Upper Skagit)
Basket Ogress spoke to her little daughter, Tree Roots. "Little Roots, I want you to build a fire and heat those rocks. We are going to have tender roasted children for our supper." Basket Ogress put her hug a clam basket on her back and hurried down to the water where the little children were playing. She grabbed them all up and stuffed them into her basket. Little Hunchback kept wriggling himself up over the children. He managed to be at the top of the basket as ogress lumbered upland thinking about her supper. Little Hunchback saw a tree branch that was hanging sideways. He grabbed ahold of it and swung himself out of the basket as ogress crawled under with her pack. Then he ran. He went home. When he got there he told how the bad Basket Ogress had stolen the children. The people immediately prepared themselves to go and rescue them. They sould kill that ogress. When Basket ogress arrived at home with her basket full of children, she took them out and seated them around the fire. As she thought about her dinner, she began to sing and dance. She sang: The children will now be roasted, The children will now be roasted, The children will now be roasted, Around the fire she went. It was a great big fire, and her daughter, little Tree Roots, had lots of rocks heating there. ogress was very happy. she was glad because now she had lots of tender little children to eati She became alightly dizzy as she danced around the fire, and she staggered just a little. oh, but she was so happy as she thought about the dinner she would have in just a little while. It was such a big, hot fire! The older boys and girls noticed how she had staggered as she danced. They whispered to each other, "She could burn! We could push the dirty thing, because she gets dizzy when she dances and staggers toward the fire. we could push her down and push her neck onto the fire with a forked stick. "We could all poke her and hold her down on the fire. We could manage to kill her. It would would be a good thing if she died, anyway!" The children discussed their plan; then one of them ran and brought back a forked stick. They said to little Tree Roots, "Little Tree Roots, go and get a forked stick so that we call get your mother out of the fire if she should get dizzy and fall there." Little Tree Roots went and returned with the good forked stick that they used when they were out hunting. Now they watched carefully as Basket Ogress happily danced around her big hot fire. As soon as she staggered just a little, they pushed her toward the fire and poked her neck onto the hot rocks with the forked sticks. She thrashed around for a little while. Then she died in the fire! They kept her pressed onto the fire. Basket ogress, the monster who liked to eat children, died. She would have eaten them if she had not been killed herself. It was little Hunchback who ran and told. Then the people came. They made certain that she was truly dead. There was still a little life left in her when the relatives of the children arrived, so they completely killed her. She died! After Basket Ogress was dead they covered her over with ashes and left her there. Her little daughter, Tree Roots, left. she walked at first, but then she went running away from the place where her mother had died. The younger sister of Basket ogress, had been hunting far away from home. Now she quietly returned. As she glanced around the area, she noticed that a big fire had died down, but there appeared to be something there covered with ashes. Then she chuckled to herself and said, "Well, well as usual, the great, powerful one has her game cleverly hidden. This is probably her game that she has roasted and hidden here." She went closer to investigate what was covered at the fire. she knew it had been roasted. She uncovered part of it. True! It was cooked and falling apart, it was so well done! This younger sister had been out hunting and hadn't had time to stop and cook herself a good meal. She was so hungry. Now she ate. She thought that this was some game that her sister had cooked and left covered at the fire. After she had eaten her fill she began to feel a little sick, and she said, "Oh, my goodness, this tastes like it might have been the dear one I -- She realized now that it was her own sister whom she had eaten. She got scared and went away from there. She walked a long way until she came to some people in a village. She asked them, "Where is your door?. They answered, "It is through the roof that people enter who come here." They already knew, however, that Basket Ogress, sister would be tling, and they had built a huge fire beneath the roof. When she came through the hole in the roof, they threw her into the fire, where she died. Now both monsters were dead, and that is why there are no monsters here on top, the way the world is now. They would still be here if they hadn't been killed in the fire, the bad Basket ogress and her younger sister. The younger sister was also bad. This story is about the way it was in the beginning. Those monsters liked to eat children. They killed them. They didn't eat old people, just the children. The daughter of Basket Ogress, little Tree Roots, lived. Coming generations will now be all right, because the monsters were killed. That is the end. HEY-hey-hey-hey! What about that daughter, when she grows up? You kids better WATCH OUT, you see some big ugly old lady with a basket on her back...

Rave finds the First Men. (Haida)
After the great flood had at long last receded, Raven had gorged himself on the delicacies left by the receding water, so for once, perhaps the first time in his life, he wasn't hungry. but his other appetites, his curiosity and the unquenchable itch to meddle and provoke things, to play tricks on the world and its creatures, these remained unsatisfied. Raven gazed up and down the beach. It was pretty, but lifeless. There was no one about to upset, or play tricks upon. Raven sighed. He crossed his wings behind him and strutted up and down the sand, his shiny head cocked, his sharp eyes and ears alert for any unusual sight or sound. The mountains and sea, the sky now ablaze with the sun by day and the moon and stars he had placed there, it was all pretty, but lifeless. Finally Raven cried out to the empty sky with a loud exasperated cry. And before the echoes of his cry faded from the shore, he heard a muffled squeak. He looked up and down the beach for its source and saw nothing. He strutted back and and forth, once, twice, three times and still saw nothing. Then he spied a flash of white in the sand. There, half buried in the sand was a giant clamshell. As his shadow fell upon it, he heard another muffled squeak. Peering down into the opening between the halves of the shell, he saw it was full of tiny creatures, cowering in fear at his shadow. Raven was delighted. Here was a break in the monotony of the day. But how was he to get the creatures to come out of their shell and play with him? Nothing would happen as long as they stayed inside the giant clamshell. They were not going to come out as long as they were so afraid of him. So Raven leaned over his head, close to the shell, and with all the cunning and skill of that smooth trickster's tongue, that had so often gotten him in and out of so many misadventures during his troubled and troublesome existence, he coaxed and cajoled and coerced the little creatures to come out and play in his wonderful shiny new world. As you know the Raven has two voices, one harsh and strident, and the other which he used now, a seductive, bell-like croon which seems to come from the depth of the sea, or out of the cave where winds are born. It is an irresistable sound, one of the loveliest in the world. It wasn't long before first one and then another of the little shell-dwellers emerged from the shell. Some scurried back when they saw the Raven, but eventually curiosity overcame their caution and all of them had crept or scrambled out. Very strange creatures they were: two legged like Raven, but otherwise very different. They had no feathers. Nor fur. They had no gret beak. Their skin was pale, and they were naked except for the dark hair upon round, flat-featured heads. Instead of strong wings like raven, they had think stick-like arms that waved and fluttered constantly. They were the first humans. For a long time Raven amused himself with these new playthings. Laughing as they explored with wonder a much expanded world. Sometimes they helped each other, sometimes they fought over something they had found. Raven even taught them some tricks, but soon he became tired of their ceaseless activity. For one thing, they were so helpless out in the world. They needed shelter from the sun and the rain. They were so fearful and seemed so small. And there were no girls among them, only boys. Raven was about to shove these tired, demanding and annoying creatures back into their shell and forget them, when, as so often happens with Raven, he had an idea for some fun. Raven began to search for the girls. For it is the way of things in the world that there are both males and females of every creature. Somewhere there must be girls. Raven searched and searched. Under logs and behind rocks, he looked. But he could not find the hiding place of the first girls. But as he searched, the tide was going out, and as it reached its lowest, the Raven spotted some giant Chitons clinging to the rocks. These giant shell fish had but one shell, fastened tightly to the rocks with huge soft lips around their edges. Raven pried one loose with his beak. And there inside was a girl. He pried off another, and another, and another in each was a girl. They were very similar to the creatures he had found in the clamshell, but more like the Chiton, softer and rounder, in contrast to the hard shell and strong muscles of the clam. And these were just as frightened of the Raven. He gathered them onto his back with difficulty, and brought them to the boys he had found in the clamshell. Raven was expecting the boy creatures to be very happy he had found the girl creatures, but to his surprise. They were frightened of them and some even ran back into the Giant clamshell to hide. The girl creatures were just as shy and huddled together watching the males with fearful and curious eyes. Both the boy and girl creatures seemed very modest and sought to cover their bodies with strips of kelp and woven sea weed from the shore. The boy creatures were astonished and embarrassed and confused by feelings they had never before had. They didn't know how to behave. But some of them overcame their fear and began to do things to attract the attention of the girl creatures Raven had brought. Some began to show off the tricks they had been taught - leaping and running and wrestling with other boy creatures. Some of the girls creatures overcame their shyness, first with quick glances then finally allowing the boy creatures to approach them, and even leaving the safety of their huddled group of girl creatures. Gradually the two groups began to mingle into one and just as gradually the boy creatures and girl creatures overcame all their fears and paired off, walking hand in hand, their eyes absorbed in each other totally. Raven watched all this with increasing interest and surprise. Among all the creatures of the world, there were few whose males and females were so very different. The males proud, agile and strong, the females gentle, soft and tender. Sometimes the males would be too rough in their play with the females and there would be tears. But those same tears seemed to have an emotional power over the males bringing out out of them protective instincts. The strengths of each balanced the weakness of each. And since that day, Raven has never been bored. In fact, at times he has almost regreted bringing the first men and women together. From the strong muscles of the clam and the soft lips of the Chiton, from the pairing of these first people came the first families. Children were born, some strong and male, some soft and female. Many generations have been born, have grown and flourished, have built and created or fought and destroyed. Many have blamed the Raven for playing a terrible joke on humanity, for often men and women just barely get along, but somehow from this strange combination of reason and intuition, of muscle and emotion arose that which was needed for the race to survive the storms of life on the shores. Raven himself felt strange protective urges for these first people. Though a glutton and trickster by nature, he would again and again provide for these creatures he found in the clamshell. In time he would bring them the Sun, Moon and Stars; Fire; Salmon and Cedar, teach them the secrets of hunting, and the world. Raven would watch these weak creatures become both strong and loving, courageous and compassionate, able to fend for themselves and survive. And their children were no timid shell-dwellers, but they continued to be children of the wild coast, of the stormy shores between the land and the sea. They challenged the strength of the stormy north Pacific wresting their livelihoods from the sea even as they made their homes on its shores.

Raven & Crow's Potlatch Skagit (Salish)
Raven used to live high up in the upper Skagit River country. He was very lazy. In the summer when the other animals were busy gathering food for winter, he would be flying from rock to stump and stump to rock making fun of them. Raven just laughed when Crow (his cousin) urged him to follow squirrel's example - but Raven never prepared for the cold months, when the snow would drift over the ground and cover all the remaining food. But now Raven was in trouble. Winter had come and the snows were deep. He was hungry - and Raven loved to eat. He had to find someone who would share their food with him. Raven went to see Squirrel. He had a huge supply of pine nuts and seeds and other food hidden all over the place. Raven poked his head in squirrel's nest in a old fir tree. Squirrel had lots to eat. Raven politely begged for some food. Squirrel scolded him - that was always Squirrel's way - "You refused to work and save for winter - and you poked much fun at me - you deserve to starve!" Raven went looking for Bear. But Bear was sound asleep in his cave and could not be wakened. Raven looked around for some food, but it was all in Bear's belly - Bear had already eaten it all and was sleeping till spring. Raven was now very hungry. He thought: "Who can give me something to eat? Everyone is either stingy like Squirrel or sleeping like Bear and Marmot, or they have gone South for winter like the snowbirds." Then he thought of Crow - he would be easy to fool! Raven flew to Crow's nest. "Cousin Crow, we must talk about your coming potlatch!" Crow answered. "I have not planned a potlatch" Raven ignored his response. "Crow, everyone is talking about your potlatch - will you sing at it?" "Sing?" Crow had not known that anybody really cared for his singing voice - though in those days, Crow's song was much more like that of Wood Thrush than it is today. Raven continued to talk of Crow's potlatch. "You are very talented and possess a beautiful voice - everyone will be so disappointed if you don't sing at your potlatch!" "What potlatch? . . . You really like my singing?" "We love your singing, Crow," Raven answered. "The Winter's cold has chilled the forest and we're cold and hungry and singing will help us forget our cold feet and empty stomachs. Now you get started fixing the food - looks like you have plenty here - and I will go invite the guests to your potlatch. You can practice your songs as you cook!" Crow's hesitation now overcome, he began to prepare all the food he had collected for winter, and as he prepared it, he practiced his songs. The more he thought the feast and how everyone wanted to hear him sing, the more excited he got about it. Meanwhile Raven was offering invitations to all the animals of the forest. (Of course Marmot and Beaver were sleeping like Bear, and Robin and Goose were gone South) To each he said the same thing: "Come to My potlatch! I have worked hard to prepare it. There will be much food at Raven's potlatch and Crow is helping and will sing for us. There will be fern roots and wild potatoes, dried berries, fish and meat. Come to My potlatch! It will be a great occaision." Raven did not invite Squirrel however since he had refused to share his food with Raven. But all the rest of the animals were invited to Raven's Potlatch. When he returned to Crow - he was busy singing and cooking. Raven told him - "Everyone is coming - be sure and fix all your food - they will be hungry after their journey. And your songs are sounding so good! Crow's potlatch will be a great feast!" As the guest arrived, Raven welcomed each one to his potlatch. There was deer and mountain goat and mouse, rabbit, ptarmigan and jay. The guests were seated and the food was brought out. Crow started to sit and eat - but Raven asked him for a song first. "It's not good to sing on a full stomach, Crow". So crow began to sing. Every time he would stop to eat - Raven would insist he sing another song. "You can't sing with your mouth full, Crow!" Encouraged again and again by the guests - who were busy stuffing themselves with Crow's food - Crow sang song after song after song - all day until night - and Crow's voice became hoarser and hoarser until all he could do was "Caw - caw". As was the custom - the left over food was collected by the guests and taken by them for their homeward journey. Even Raven had taken his share and left as Crow was cleaning up. Crow had nothing left to eat. At least, Crow thought, I won't go hungry - I will be invited to their feasts." For it was the custom that having been entertained, each guest was now obliged to return the favor and invite the host for a return potlatch. But the invitations never came. Since all the guests thought it was Raven who hosted the feast, Raven was invited to enough dinners to keep his stomach full for several winters - and he never went hungry. But Crow, who had been fooled, had been reduced to starving, and never regained his singing voice either. He was destined to spend his winters begging in the camps of men for scraps of food. And that's where we find him today - squabbling over scraps in grocery store parking lots - Caw! Caw! Caw!"

Mink & the Sun
Mink's mother, Sea Lion, as a young maiden, liked to sit in a rock in the sea, basking in the warm sun. When she found out she was going to have a baby, her parents questioned her about it. They asked her who the father was. "I don't know any young men," she replied, "and I stay home all the time. The only thing I can think about is that I was warming myself in the sun." So when the time came for the baby to be born, they named it Make-Like-The-Sun, The Mink. When the child was growing up, the other children used to make fun of him. "You haven't got a dad," they would say. "You're not like us." Made-like-the-Sun would come in crying to his mother. "Don't listen to them," she assured him. "You have a father." "Where is my father?" asked Made-Like-The-Sun. "See that warm sun up there?" said his mother. "That is your father. Without him nothing down here could live." When Mink told the other children that Sun was his father, they ridiculed him. Perhaps it was because everyone made fun of him that Mink became a nasty trickster. He set out to try and outsmart everyone, and one by one Mink played tricks them. He embarrassed these people, make them look foolish, played dirty jokes, cheated them, and stole from them. When he grew older, he began to wander from tribe to tribe, playing dirty tricks everywhere he went. One day he looked to the Sky world and decided that Sun and Moon were not smarter than he. "It's a pretty easy job lighting the world," he said. "I must go up and visit them for I want an easy job like lighting the world." Now you might think it was hard to get to the Sky world, but actually it was very easy. Mink waited for one of those days, that those who live in the Pacific Northwest know so well, when the clouds were brushing the treetops and the rain drips down. He climbed a tall Cedar tree, all the way to the top, and found himself in the Sky world. He walked and walked towards the east for the Sun always rises there. It was dark when he saw a great wooden lodge with Sun symbols carved upon it. He went to the small door carved out of a tall pole and knocked upon it. "Who are you?" He was asked by the woman inside. "I am Mink, son of the sunshine," he replied. "Come on in," he was told. " Your father, the Sun will be home soon. Soon he must walk again all day back to the west." When Sun came home, he told his squaw - "I know that Mink, he is very tricky. I have seen his tricks. He is not to be trusted. I will play along with him and see what he is up to." The boy was taken into the presence of the brilliant sunshine. "So you are my father," Said the Mink, Made-Like-The-Sun. "Yes, I am" replied the Sun. "I have come to help you carry the Sun across the sky." Said Mink. "You have come at the right time," the Sun said. "I am not young anymore, I am getting old and tired. Tomorrow, I will show you how to take over." Early in the morning, Mink was shaken awake. Sun was standing there wearing a beautiful shiny golden fur robe, and a great golden sun mask, and carrying a torch filled with pitch, which he lit. "I will walk from east to west, but I must not listen to the people down on earth. The people will say to me, "Give us more sunshine so we can warm up. Clear the rain and clouds away," but I must not listen. I just keep walking from east to west, across the plains, over the shining mountains all the way to the ocean." Motioning to Mink to come with him they set off across the sky. Looking down Mink saw the great open plains covered with grass rippling in the sunlight, and the Columbia River. Soon they came to the tree covered mountains, and then climbed up over their white shining peaks, reflecting the light from Sun's torch. On the West side of the mountains, clouds and fog hid the forests and rivers, and shoreline below. Mink could hear voices. "I wish Sun would burn these clouds away." "I am so tired of this rain, why doesn't Sun stop and warm us up. The Shaman promised us a nice day, but again it is raining." Finally late in the afternoon, the clouds parted and there below was the beautiful shiny sea, reflecting the ruddy light as the torch now burned low. On the way home, to Sun's lodge, they passed the Moon, pale compared to the Sun. The next day, Mink begged and begged to be allowed to carry the torch, but Sun said he was not ready for that. But Sun let him wear the shining robe and the shining golden mask as they set off on their journey. This time, great white clouds were drifting across the plains, as thunderbird flapped his wings with loud thunder and lightning flashed from his eyes when he blinked. Sun just plodded on. Over the great mountains, shining white with snow, over the cloudy coasts where the rain continued to fall. Again they heard the voices pleading for sunshine and warmth and an end to the rain. All the way again to the sea. The third day, Mink again begged to carry the torch, and this time Sun let him. However, Sun insisted he must go along. "We will walk from east to west, but we must not listen to the people down on earth. The people will say to us, "Give us more sunshine so we can warm up. Clear the rain and clouds away," but we must not listen. We just keep walking from east to west, across the plains, over the shining mountains all the way to the ocean. You must never stop in your journey." Early in the morning, Made-Like-The-Sun rose in the east with his sunshine mask on. He was the great Sun! His father accompanied him as he walked across the sky toward the west. He did very well. When the people on earth called up to him, "Give us more sun," he did not listen, he just kept walking. Across the plains, over the mountains that clapped their peaks together, causing the snow to rush down their slopes, past the fog bound and cloudy coastline, where again he heard the peoples complaining, to the vast sea and the end of the day. The next day Mink insisted he could do it all by himself. Sun gave in. He repeated strongly his instructions. "You will walk from east to west, but you must not listen to the people down on earth. The people will say to you, "Give us more sunshine so we can warm up. Clear the rain and clouds away," but you must not listen. Just keep walking from east to west, across the plains, over the shining mountains all the way to the ocean. You must never stop in your journey." Then Mink set out alone, wearing the shining golden fur robe, and the great shiny golden mask, bearing the torch filled with pitch and blazing hot and bright. Sun, not sure he could trust the Mink, followed at a distance. Across the plains, up over the mountains they journeyed. At first Mink did well, though Thunderbird flapped his wings, though the peaks clapped, he just plodded on. But when he got to the rainy coasts, he was not so strong. At first he tried to be. He heard the people down below saying, "Let the sun shine a little more to clear these clouds away and warm us up." "No" he said and kept plodding from east to west. But he kept hearing the people calling him from below. "We just want a little more sunshine - just a little more to warm up. It's Sun's fault the fogs linger. The shaman promised us a nice day." Finally Mink said, "I'm tired of their complaining. I'll show them. I'll just give them more sunshine." and he stopped and stooped down holding the torch towards the earth below. Quickly the clouds burned away. The sun heated the ground. Then the people began complaining about the blistering heat. The forests began drying out and the rocks on the shoreline cracked. Fires started in the forests. Sun heard the people screaming down on the earth. "Oh, it's too hot! We're going to burn up!" and he hurried to see what his son was doing. There Made-Like-The-Sun was, stopped and stooping down. The Sun yelled at Mink. "I knew you were not to be trusted. I told you not to stoop down. I told you to keep walking," he thundered. "I will take my job back now," and seizing the shining mask, he booted his son out of the sky world with a kick to the posterior. Mink tumbled down from the sky, and the torch went out. The pitch poured onto his robe staining it and making it smell with a strong musky aroma. But "Made-Like-The-Sun" landed in the water in a magnificent dive. Mink is a skilled diver like his mother, the sea lion. Sun quickly lit another torch, but until he did, it was dark - the first eclipse. Sometimes now the Sun makes other eclipses - to remind creatures of the earth, they can not take the place of any of the heavenly bodies. As for Mink, he was very ashamed since that day. Though he kept the beautiful fur robe, now stained by the pitch, and with a strong smell, this son of the seaworld and the skyworld, keeps to secretive places and avoids others, though sometimes you may see him basking in the sun on a rock in the river wearing that beautiful but stained fur robe - Mink, Made-Like-The-Sun. The name of the Mink in the Kwakiutl language means "Made-Like-The-Sun". Mink thought his father was the Sun. To understand these stories, you must remember that the Pacific Northwest coastal peoples had a cosmology with a water world (where the Salmon and Blackfish (orca whales) and Devilfish (octopi) assumed human form and had their lodges); and a sky world above the clouds where the Sun and Moon dwelled also in human form in their lodges. The Sun wore a great shining mask and carried his torch across the sky every day. This tale concerns the mink, with his wonderful shiny fur cloak and vain spirit and "musky" aroma. Ironically the Mink whose pelt is worn by so many as a symbol of status and pride, took a great fall because of his boasting pride. Mink, a trickster like Raven is always a rake - dashing and handsome, but also lusty, dissolute and lewd. One of Chief James Wallas' stories has him going though a sucession of wives that displeased him: Kelp, Frog, Boulder, Cloud, finally finding happiness with Lizard. Another Coast Salish story had Mink tricked by Devilfish (octopus) and held captive at the bottom of the river until he told her his Father the Sun would dry up all the devilfish unless he was released.

Squamish Nation The Legend of Wountie
A long time ago, even before the time of the flood, the Cheakamus River provided food for the Squamish people. Each year, at the end of summer, when the salmon came home to spawn, the people would cast their cedar root nets into the water and get enough fish for the winter to come. One day, a man came to fish for food for his family for the winter. He looked into the river and found that many fish were coming home this year. He said thanks to the spirit of the fish, for giving themselves as food for his family, and cast his net into the river and waited. In time, he drew his nets in, and they were full of fish, enough for his family for the whole year. He packed these away into cedar bark baskets, and prepared to go home. But he looked into the river, and saw all those fish, and decided to cast his net again. And he did so, and it again filled with fish, which he threw onto the shore. A third time, he cast his net into the water and waited. This time, when he pulled his net in, it was torn beyond repair by sticks, stumps and branches which filled the net. To his dismay, the fish on the shore and the fish in the cedar bark baskets were also sticks and branches. He had no fish, his nets were ruined. It was then he looked up at the mountain, and saw Wountie, the spirit protecting the Cheakamus, who told him that he had broken the faith with the river and with nature, by taking more than he needed for himself and his family. And this was the consequence. And to this day, high on the mountain overlooking the Cheakamus and Paradise Valley, is the image of Wountie, protecting the Cheakamus. The fisherman? Well, his family went hungry and starved, a lesson for all the people in his family.

The Origin of Light an Alaskan Myth from the Inuit
The Origin of Light In the early times, there was only darkness; there was no light at all. At the edge of the sea a woman lived with her father. One time she went out to get some water. As she was scraping the snow, she saw a feather floating toward her. She opened her mouth and the feather floated in and she swallowed it. From that time she was pregnant. Then she had a baby. It's mouth was a raven's bill. The woman tried hard to find toys for her child. In her father's house was hanging a bladder that was blown up. This belonged to the woman's father. Now the baby, whose name was tulugaak (Raven), pointed at it and cried for it. The woman did not wish to give it to him but he cried and cried. At last she gave in and took the bladder down from the wall and let the baby play with it. But in playing with it, he broke it. Immediately, it began to get light. Now there was light in the world, and darkness, too. When the woman's father came home, he scolded his daughter for taking the bladder down from the wall and giving it to the child. And when it was light, tulugaak had disappeared.

The Tohno O'odhan Creation Story (Papago)
Long ago, they say, when the earth was not yet finished, darkness lay upon the water and they rubbed each other. The sound they made was like the sound at the edge of a pond. There, on the water, in the darkness, in the noise, and in a very strong wind, a child was born. One day he got up and found something stuck to him. It was algae. So he took some of the algae and from it made the termites. The termites gathered a lot of algae and First Born tried to decide how to make a seat so the wind could not blow it anywhere. This is the song he sang: Earth Medicine Man finished the earth. Come near and see it and do something to it. He made it round. Come near and see it and do something to it. In this way, First Born finished the earth. Then he made all animal life and plant life. There was neither sun nor moon then, and it was always dark. The living things didn't like the darkness, so they got together and told First Born to make something so that the earth would have light. Then the people would be able to see each other and live contentedly with each other. So First Born said, "All right. You name what will come up in the sky to give you light." They discussed it thoroughly and finally agreed that it would be named "sun". Next First Born made the moon and stars, and the paths that they always follow. He said, "There will be plenty of prickly pears and the people will always be happy." That's the way First Born prepared the earth for us. Then he went away. Then the sky came down and met the earth, and the first one to come forth was I'itoi, our Elder Brother. The sky met the earth again, and Coyote came forth. The sky met the earth again, and Buzzard came forth. Elder Brother, Earth Magician, and Coyote began their work of creation, each creating things different from the other. Elder Brother created people out of clay and gave then the "crimson evening," which is regarded by the Tohono O'odham as one of the most beautiful sights in the region. The sunset light is reflected on the mountains with a peculiar radiance. Elder Brother told the Tohono O'odham to remain where they were in that land which is the center of all things. And there the desert people have always lived. They are living there this very day. And from his home among the towering cliffs and crags of Baboquivari, the lonely, cloud-veiled peak, their Elder Brother, I'itoi, spirit of goodness, who must dwell in the center of all things, watches over them.

Cannibal Basket Woman defeated by Clever Children.(Upper Skagit)
A group of children knew a woman who lived all alone near the river. The children knew that she was lonely, and they wanted to go visit with her. When they asked their parents for permission to go, their parents said, "No. You can't go, because it is too far away: the Giant Woman might get you when you are away from home. The Giant woman is powerful. She would put you in her huge clam basket." The children ignored their parents. They got into a canoe and went on their way to visit the lonely woman. When night came, they made themselves a camp on the other side of the river. They built a fire and cooked their supper. One of the children was a liunchback. When the children divided their supper, Hunchback was given the tail part. They traveled for several days. Each evening they would stop to camp overnight and eat their supper. Every time, they would give Hunchback the tail part for his share. Hunchback finally said, "If you folks are always going to be giving me the tail part when I woulet really rather have the tips, I will call the Giant Woman!" When night came again and they stopped to camp and eat their supper, it was still the tail part which he was given. Now Hunchback hollered! He hollered: "Come downhill, Giant Woman, Come downhill, Giant Woman. It is just the tail part that I am given by my playmates ! " The Giant woman heard right away. "Oh, there is someone hollering at me!" She put her basket on her back and she walked. She was a huge person, this Giant Woman. She chewed on everything as she traveled. She arrived where the children were. Right away she began to pick up the children one by one and put them into her basket. She grabbed Hunchback first and put him there. When all of the childran were in the basket, the Giant Woman walked. she carried these children upland. suddenly she could feel something catch at her basket. She thought, "Oh, it must be Hunchback who has caught onto something." Hunchback had squirmed and squirmed until he managed to get himself up on top of the other children. Each time he came to a leaning tree he tried to grab ahold of it. No. He couldn' t do it. On the fourth try, he did it. Giant Woman went on walking. When she arrived at her home with the children she immediately gathered rocks and placed them on her fire to heat. When they were good and hot she began to take the children out of her basket. Then she found that Hunchback was missing. "Oh, Hunchback isn't here ! Where is he? Maybe he managed to run away." Giant Woman ran! Hunchback was in the canoe, shoving off from shore. He had a paddle with holes in it. This paddle had holes. When Giant Woman threw rocks at him, he held up his paddle and the rocks just went through. Hunchback paddled hard. Each time she threw a rock at him, he raised his paddle and the rock just went through a hole. Giant Woman gave up. she went home and put more rocks on her fire. She wanted the rocks to be very hot to cook her supper fast. The children huddled together and began talking to each other. They watched the Giant Woman heating all of those rocks on the fire. Giant Woman noticed and said to them, "What are you children saying?" The children carefully answred, "Oh, it is just that we are so happy for you that you are heating rocks. We would like for you to sing and dance before you cook us there." Giant Woman was so flattered at the request that she said, "All right!" The children said, "You will dance!" She proudly said, "Yes, I will." Now Giant Woman danced. She sang this as she danced: The children will be roasted on the rocks. The children will be roasted on the rocks. The children will be roasted on the rocks. The children will be roasted on the rocks. The children said, "Oh my, but your song is so nice. Sing more. " And again Giant Woman sang and danced. The oldest and strongest of the children were making plans: "We had better push her onto the hot rocks." Giant Woman asked, "What. are you children saying?" They cautiously answered,, "Oh, we are just so happy for you." They whispered to each other, "When she comes near us, let's all push her." Ohl Giant Woman was coming closer, singing: The children will be roasted on the rocks The children will be roasted on the rocks The children will be roasted on the rocks The children will be roasted on the rocks As she came close to them, all of the oldest, strongest children pushed her. Right onto the hot rocks she fell. She screamed, "Remove me, children. Remove me from the fire and I will return you to your home. " One of the children said, "Get a forked stick, and we shall remove your grandmother from the fire. We shall remove her. Get a forked stick." However, the children took the forked stick, and everyone pressed her down onto the hot rocks until she was just stuck there, roasting. That is the end of the story.

Cannibal Woman Chases Coyote (Upper Skagit)
This Coyote was traveling, and he saw some children playing. Coyote asked them, "Whose children are you? What are your mother's and father's names?" The children couldn't understand him. They couldn't speak. Their mouths just went mmmmmmmmm, mmmmmmmmm, mmmmmmmm.He couldn't understand these children, so he killed them and he went on away. Yeah. Qeshadus. There were two sisters; they followed the tracks that were Coyote's. Pretty soon Coyote saw the Qeshadus coming. He ran. Then he came to a place. It was a rock by the beach, and there was a hole in it, way, way inside. The hole wasn't big enough for a big person to go in, but it was big enough for Coyote to crawl through. well, he stayed there. He would peek out, and there were those two Qeshadus right there, sitting on each side of the entry. He stayed inside. Well, he didn't know what to do now. He was hungry, and there was no water to drink. He was getting so bony. Just skin and bone now. Well, he thought to himself, "I'll make believe that there are lots of people who live here. I'm going to holler to my neighbors across the river." He hollered to his neighbors, "Oh, you, my friends, tomorrow we move down the river." After that he hollered and pretended that his friends were answering him from across the river. He kind of said, low, "Oh, all right. Yes." Yeah. Well, those Qeshadus gave up waiting for that coyote to come out. They found out that there are lots of people in there who are going to move down the river tomorrow. Well, when coyote would move, all of his bones rattled. It sounded like dry poles (used for shades inside the house), and that's what the Qeshadus thought. But it was Coyote's bones rattling. Coyote went to the opening and peeked out. He saw that the Qeshadus were gone now. They had given up. He was in there all by himself. He went out. Oh, when he got out, he wished for a drink of water, He ran down to the water and Put his face down to drink. He saw something coming from under the water. It was a real tough-looking animal coming to bite him. He got scared and stepped back. He was so thirsty. After a while he tried again. He went slow, slow, so he could get a drink of water. He put his face close to that water, and he saw the animal coming from under the water, ready to bite him. He ran back again, he was so scared. Four times he did that; then he thought to himself, "I wonder if it is my shadow that I see under the water?" He went and drank, and he found out. "It's my shadow that looks so tough--just bones with teeth sticking out!" He had gone without food for such a long time. He drank that water. That is the end of the story

Raven and the Man that sits on the tides.(Salish & Haida)
Long ago the oceans had no tides and the shores no shallows. Raven knew there was lots of food in the sea - oysters and clams, mussels and crabs. But how to get to it? He was lazy and preferred getting into mischief.. Raven wondered, "If only there was a way to move the water out of the way, so I could gather food from the sea!" Raven, he knew nothing about the sea, but knew the Fog Man did. He would find the Fog man and ask him. Raven started asking around. He asked the sandpipers, and like a single bird, the flock darted and swooped this way and that, but Raven could not figure out which way they wanted him to go. Raven asked the gulls, but they seemed to be lost souls endlessly searching themselves. Raven asked the Cormorants, perched like lonely sentinels on the offshore rocks but they didn't know where The Fog Man was to be found either. Finally Raven decided to look far to the north, where the fogs came from. He searched until one day he saw a island bouncing from wave to wave, like a raft free of its moorings. On it was a wrinkled old man with a long straggly beard. When he saw the Raven coming, he snatched up his hat and pulled it down on his head. Fog began to pour out from under it's brim, hiding the fog man and his island. Raven swooped down and snatched off his hat. "What, do you throw a fog in a friend's face." "Hey, Raven! Give me my hat, I've fog to make." He cried. Raven asked: "Why do you make fog anyway." "It's my job. It's what I do, I'm the Fog Man." "Well do you know how the sea can be moved away from the shore?" "I don't know, please give me my hat, the sun is getting too warm." "Do you know someone I could ask? "Go ask the Man who sits on the Tide." "What is the tide? And why does he sit on it? Where do I find him?" The Fog Man pleaded: "Please leave me my hat, and go to where the sun sleeps." Raven laughed "I'll just take your hat. It's time we had a sunny day" Leaving the Fog Man cursing on the shore, Raven flew towards the setting sun. For many days, he pursued the sun and was just about to give up his search when he spotted a solitary Rock crag, with sea birds swooping around its head and shoulders. Raven was about to ask the birds, when the crag yawned, then it blinked. What looked like a rock, was a giant man, sitting in the water. Three times Raven asked him: "Have you seen the man who sits on the Tide?" with no answer, but the fourth the Giant roared "I AM THE MAN WHO SITS ON THE TIDE!!" His breath blew Raven back several miles. Avoiding his mouth, Raven shouted in his ear. "Do you know the secret of how to move the sea aside?" "I KNOW MANY SECRETS, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER THEM" "Well maybe if you told me one, it would jog your memory." "GO AWAY I CAN'T REMEMBER ANY?" "Well what is the tide, and why do you sit on it?";IT'S MY JOB, IT'S WHAT I DO. I AM THE MAN WHO SITS ON THE TIDE." Curious, Raven tried to see what he was sitting on. "Maybe if you stood on it." NO, I HAVE ALWAYS SAT ON THE TIDE - IT'S WHAT I DO!" "Come on, get up." GO AWAY, YOU BOTHER ME." Raven began circling him. Raven spotted an exposed portion of his "backside" and got an idea. Flying up high in the sky, he pointed his sharp beak right at it and dropped like hawk, jabbing the giant real good. With a mighty roar, the giant rose up and started howling in pain, jumping around and holding his "backside". But his wail was drown out by the sound of a hundred waterfalls, as the sea poured into a large hole where he had sat. The giant danced around in pain. The sea was almost all gone, leaving sand and floundering fish as far as the eye could see. Finally, rubbing the "tender spot" the giant sat down. As he did the sea spurted up and refilled to its former water line. Raven knew the giant's secret. "So that's what the tide is, now if we can just teach him some new habits." Raven perched on his shoulder and with his most persuasive trickster voice suggested: "From now on, how about taking a little stretch twice a day - just a short one, so the people can gather food from the sea." "NO, SITTING IS WHAT I DO, I AM THE MAN WHO SITS ON THE TIDE. I HAVE ALWAYS DONE THIS AND ALWAYS WILL. IT'S MY JOB." "Come on, everybody needs a break now and then, just a short stretch twice a day?" GO AWAY, YOU'RE UPSETTING ME." "I know, it's my job. It's what I do. I am the Raven. I upset things. I upset the darkness when I stole the sun and put it in the sky. I upset the cold when I stole fire from Owl and gave it to the people, and now I will upset you twice a day." As Raven began circling for another jab, the giant roared "WHY I CAN SWAT YOU LIKE A MOSQUITO! YOU ARE NO BIGGER TO ME THAN A MINNOW TO A WHALE." He began to swing his arms wildly at the circling Raven. Giant waves were formed. As the two struggled, Raven trying to jab the giant, the giant trying to crush the Raven, a great storm struck the shores, and they say that this was when Mountain Goat first tasted salt and why sea shells are found in the mountains. Trying as hard as he could Raven could not get near a tender spot on the Giant. Then Raven remembered Fog Man's hat. Raven pulled the hat down on his head. Fog began pouring out, thicker and thicker. A fog bank enveloped the Giant. He looked around, trying to spot Raven, but all he could see was Fog. Then, "YEOWWW!" Raven jabbed him good. For a little while, he jumped and danced around, then settled back on his spot. Meanwhile as the waters receded, Raven was able to gather food from the sea shore. The waters were shallow enough to fish, and there were oysters and clams and mussels and crabs. The Sandpipers and gulls and cormorants found plenty to eat. Then as the giant had settled down, the waters returned to their former level. Raven began to visit the giant twice a day at different times to catch him by surprise, upsetting him each time. Sometimes he used Fog Man's hat, or came in the dark of the moon. And as the tide went out and came in, there was plenty of food to eat. Finally, one day, as the Raven was about to pull on the fog man's hat, he saw a surprising sight. All by himself, without Raven's reminder, the Giant stood up, stretched, looked around and after a bit, sat down. Raven was puzzled. He disguised himself as a sea bird and flew to the giant's shoulder. "Why did you just stand up and sit down?" "IT'S MY JOB. IT'S WHAT I DO. AS LONG AS I REMEMBER IT'S WHAT I HAVE DONE. I AM THE MAN WHO MAKES THE TIDE GO OUT AND COME IN." And as Raven flew off, relieved he would have to upset the Giant no longer, he laughed. "I am the Raven. I upset things. It's my job. It's what I do!"

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