| | Creator, the everthing-maker was busy creating various animals. He was working on Rabbit, and was saying, I want nice long legs and nice long ears like a deer,and sharp fangs and claws like a pather.
I do them up the way they want to be. I give them what they want, said Creator. He was working on rabbits hind legs, making them long way Rabbit had ordered.
Owl, still unformed, was sitting on a tree nearby and waiting his turn. He was saying, "whoo", "whoo", I want a nice long neck like a swan's, and beautiful red feathers like a Cardinal's, and a nice long beak like Egret's, and a nice crown of plumes like Heron's. I want you to make me into the most beautiful, the fastest, the most wonderful of all the birds.
Creator said, Be quiet, turn around and look in the other direction. Even better, close your eyes. Don't you know that no one is allowed to watch me work! Creator was just then making Rabbit's ears very long, the way Rabbit wanted them.
Owl refused to do what Creator said, "whoo", "whoo," he replied, nobody can order me to close my eyes. I like watching you, and watch I will.
Then Creator became angry. He grabbed owl, pulling him down from the branch, stuffing his head deep into his body, shaking him until his eyes grew big with fright, puling at his ears until they were stiking up at both sides of his head.
There, said Creator, that'll teach you. Now you won't be able to turn your your neck to watch things you shouldn't watch. Now you have big ears to listen when someone tells you what not to do. Now you have big eyes but not so big that you can watch me, because you'll be awake only at night, and I work by day. And your feathers won't be red like cardinal's, but gray like this and Creator rubbed the owl all over with mud as a punishment for your disobedience. So Owl flew off, pouting: "Whoo", "whoo", "whoo."
Then Creator turned back to finish Rabbit, but Rabbit had been so terrified by Creator's anger, even though it was not directed at him that he ran off half done. As a consquence only rabbit's hind legs are long and he has to hoop about instead of walking and running. Also because he took fright then Rabbit has remained afriad of most everything, and never got the claws or fangs he as for in order to defend himself. Had he not ran away then, Rabbit would have been an altogether different animal.
As for Owl, he remained as Creator had shaped him in anger,with big eyes, and short neck and ears that stick out of the top of his head. On top of everything he has to sleep during the day and come out for the night.
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