A Strange Tree
and
A Legend
(from the Lenni Lenape Tribe)

Rainbow Crow

“Shoo! Go away!” He picked up a stone and threw it, the crow cawed loudly and flew away.
“Why do you chase Crow?”
The boy turned at the sound of his mother’s voice.
“Because he is big and ugly and cannot sing and eats more than the pretty songbirds.”
“Come" she said with a smile, "sit by me as I prepare our meal and I will tell you a story.”

“Long, long ago Winter came for the first time and the world was cold, so cold. Snow and ice covered the grassland and the trees, freezing the streams and lakes. Food was scarce, small animals were being buried in the deep drifts, even the larger ones found it hard to walk. As the snow kept falling and the days grew colder, the animals became afraid that they too would freeze. They needed help.

"We must send a messenger to the Creator, he will think away the snow and the cold and make it warm again." But who could they send? Owl could not see well in daylight so he could not go. Turtle was steadfast but he was too slow, and coyote was easily distracted, it would not be wise to send him. They turned to Rainbow Crow.

“Rainbow Crow you are big and strong, and with your fine singing voice and beautiful feathers you would be the best choice to take our message to the Creator."

It was true, Rainbow Crow had to admit, when he sang his songs all who heard him stopped to listen for his voice was the most melodic of all the birds. His feathers
too were magnificent for they shone with all the colours of the rainbow. He was the
only one. But it was a long, long way to Heaven.

The animals pleaded, if we do not ask the Creator to help us we shall all freeze.

So Rainbow Crow agreed to go. He flew high into the skies, above the mountains, higher and higher above the sun and the moon, far beyond the stars. It was a hard journey with no place to rest. Finally, after three days, he reached the Holy Place, but the Creator was too busy thinking of new things to create to notice even this beautiful bird. Rainbow Crow waited and waited and then he began to sing.

The Creator stopped thinking looked up, soon Rainbow Crow had told him everything.
But the Creator told Rainbow Crow that the snow and the ice had spirits of their own and could not be destroyed.
"What shall we do then?" asked Rainbow Crow. "We will all freeze or smother under the snow."
"You will not freeze," the Creator reassured him, "For I will think of Fire, something that will warm all creatures during the cold times."

The Creator stuck a stick into the blazing hot sun. The end blazed with a bright, glowing light which burned brightly and gave off heat. "This is Fire," he told Rainbow Crow, handing him the cool end of the stick. "You must hurry to Earth as fast as you can fly before the stick burns up."

Rainbow Crow thought of the long journey home and flew fast even though he was still very tired. The Fire burned brightly and grew hot as it came closer to Rainbow Crow's feathers. As he flew passed the Sun, his tail caught fire, turning the shimmering beautiful feathers black. By the time he flew passed the Moon, his whole body was black with soot from the hot Fire. When he plunged into the Sky and flew through the clouds, the smoke got into his throat, strangling his beautiful singing voice.
At last Rainbow Crow returned to the animals and there was much rejoicing when he gave them Fire for they were warm again, but Rainbow Crow did not join in the celebrations, he was too saddened by his dull, ugly feathers and his harsh, raw voice.

as he sat alone he felt the touch of wind upon his face. He looked up and saw the Creator walking toward him.

"Do not be sad, Rainbow Crow," the Creator said. "All animals will honour you for the sacrifice you made for them. And when the people come, they will not hunt you, for I have made your flesh taste of smoke so that it is no good to eat and your black feathers and hoarse voice will prevent man from putting you into a cage to sing for him. You will be free."

Then the Creator pointed to Rainbow Crow's black feathers. Rainbow Crow saw the dull feathers change.

So, my son, look closer at Crow and you will see that his black feathers are shiny and that inside each feather you will see all the colours of the rainbow shimmering there, a reminder from the Creator to all that Crow once saved them and of the sacrifice Crow made for them."

She handed him a piece of bread. The boy grinned and ran to find Crow.