How the Owl came to have such large eyes

(Iroquois Tribe)

To the Iroquois, the Great Spirit and maker of all things was called Raweno. He was the ultimate source of life, and each and every creature he made was shaped according to its own character.

One day Raweno was working hard, making lots of animals. At that moment he was making Rabbit.

"What do you want, Rabbit?" asked Raweno.

"I would like sharp fangs and claws like Leopard, and large ears and longs legs like Antelope," asked Rabbit.

"You may have whatever you wish," replied Raweno, stretching the legs as Rabbit had asked.

Just then Owl, who was next to be made, was perched on a branch waiting his turn.

"I am going to have a very long beak, just like Egret," he hooted, "and a really long neck the same as Swan. I am going to have bright red feathers like Cardinal. I shall be faster than anyone, more beautiful than anyone, in fact the most beautiful bird in the world."

The Great Spirit, Raweno, was getting annoyed with Owl. He didn’t allow other creatures to watch him working, and he liked to do his job in peace and quiet. "Don’t you know you are not allowed to watch!" he shouted. "Turn away or close your eyes, and wait your turn quietly!" He turned back and continued making the long ears Rabbit had asked for.

But Owl was not quiet, and he did not close his eyes. "You can’t make me be quiet," Owl hooted again, "and you can’t make me close my eyes. I shall watch if I choose."

That made Raweno very angry. "I shall only tell you once more," he shouted. "Close your eyes and wait quietly!"

"I will watch. I will watch, and you can’t stop me!" Owl answered angrily.

That was more than Raweno could take. Suddenly he pulled Owl from the tree where he was perched. Leaving Rabbit aside, he pushed Owls head far into his body. Angrily, he shook him and shook him. Owl was so scared that his eyes grew larger and larger. Finally Raweno pulled at Owls ears until they were sticking up from his head, before placing him roughly back onto his branch.

"Perhaps now you will learn your lesson," he said, still angry from Owls rudeness. "Now you will not be able to bend your neck to look at things you have been told not to. Now, with your big ears, you will hear when you are told not to do something. Now your eyes are large, but you will not be able to watch me working, because I will only let you be awake when it is dark, and I do not work at night."

Owl was still shaking with fear.

"And as for your feathers," Raweno continued. "You will not be the red you wanted, but brown as the earth." Raweno rubbed the earth all over Owl’s feathers until he was completely brown. "That is for not doing as you were told."

Owl hooted loudly, before flying off unhappily.

Slowly Raweno turned to continue his work on Rabbit, but Rabbit was nowhere to be seen. He had been so scared when he saw the Great Spirit so annoyed that he ran off without waiting to be finished. That is why Rabbit’s back legs are long and his front legs are not, making him hop instead of run. Because Rabbit had been so scared when Raweno was angry, he will always be afraid of everything. He never waited long enough for Raweno to give him the fangs and claws of Leopard. Just imagine, if Rabbit had not run away just then - he would have looked completely different

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