Week 10 Story: Raven Meets the Young Boy

Raven Meet the Young Boy

One day, after Raven had shaped many animals out of the clay and made hills and trees for the earth plain, he chose to take a rest. He walked slowly along the shore near Man’s home and came upon Man’s young son playing in the grass outside the house. The young boy skipped and spun around playing by himself. Raven watched as the young boy picked up a stick from brandished it at the air, mimicking the hunters like his father. And Raven smiled at the boy.

On and on the boy played an Raven delighted in watching his games. Raven decided he would make the boy laugh. As Raven approached, the young boy was startled from his imaginary game. In fear he shrunk away from Raven’s massive black form.

Raven was surprised at the boy’s fear. He raised his beak, like a mask, and shed his Raven form so that we would look like the boy and his father. Then the boy was no afraid. But he did not smile. Raven wanted to make the boy laugh and he did not want his Raven form to scare the boy.

He reached down and collected a lump of clay. He fashioned something that looked like himself in Raven form. He held it out to the boy, but the young one would not take it. He was afraid. So Raven took the clay back and began to change it.

He made it shorted and fatter. Then he webbed it’s toes and made them grow. He made the beak large and wide and grasped a bright orange flower to add the garish color. Then with a flourish, he drew back feathers from the top of its head and elongated them like a great silly hat. Finally, he put drops of water on the animal’s body but let the face dry until it was white like the great white bear.

When at last this new animal was finished, Raven laid the puffin at the boy feet. The young boy immediately smiled at the animal. The puffin waddled to the water at the shore and began to swim. Raven and the young boy delighted at the small, funny, new animal. And the puffin always lived along the shore, eating under water, but coming on to land to be seen with his bright orange beak. 

The Tufted Puffin. Source

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I really enjoyed the stories of how the Raven made the animals. I enjoyed most that he seemed to have an innocent, curious demeanor with his creations. Like he was learning as he went. Unlike a lot of other mythologies, especially western religions, the Raven did not seem to judge man's ways. if he felt that man was hunting too much or getting to cocky, he just made a Grizzly to remind man of the pecking order. I liked that.

This story does not reflect one particular story from the collection of Raven's myths. I wanted to make a additional story. And come on...we've all wondered about how some of the animals on the earth came to look like they do. The blue footed booby?? Babboons?? This tufted puffin is indigenous to Alaska and I thought it would be fun to explore why he looks like he does.

Source: Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson (1911).