This tale was told to me in my childhood. Since I could not find any reference to it online, I will write it as I remember it.
In the beginning, all animals were colorless and had no voices. They had to be painted and taught their language by the Old One.
The Old One gathered all the birds together in a line in order to teach them their songs and to paint their patterns and colors so that they could recognize the birds of their own species. The line included all the birds of the Southwest. It was a long line, and some of the birds were impatient, especially the Raven. Since he was a large bird, he was able to push and bully his way to the front. Suddenly he tripped and fell into the pot of black paint. As punishment for his rudeness, the Old One made him remain black with no pattern and only taught him how to squawk in a rough voice. That is why he looks and sounds like he does.
At the very end of the line was the Mockingbird who had been very patient. By time he got to the Old One, the only paint left was black; so the old one used black to paint a pretty pattern of black and gray. As a special reward for the Mockingbird’s patience, the Old One said, “You have been listening to me teach all the other birds their songs; now they all belong to you.” So, you have probably heard that patience is its own reward; I guess that’s all the proof you need.
Mockingbirds are important birds in the mythology of many Native American cultures. In the creation myths of the Hopi and other Pueblo tribes, it was the mockingbird that first taught the people to speak. In Shasta Indian mythology, the mockingbird is the guardian of the dead. To Southeast Indian tribes, the mockingbird is a symbol of intelligence; the Cherokees gave children mockingbird heads to eat, out of the belief that it would make them clever. The Maricopa considered the mockingbird a medicine animal; dreaming of a mockingbird was a sign that a person had been given special powers. In O'odham (Papago and Pima) folklore, the mockingbird plays the role of a mediator.
In the mythology of many Northwest Indian tribes, the raven is honored as a cultural hero. He is a revered and benevolent transformer figure, who helps the people and shapes their world for them. But, at the same time, he is also a trickster and many raven stories have to do with his frivolous or poorly thought-out behavior, causing trouble for him and the people around him. The raven is also noted for negative traits such as gluttony, greed and impatience in contrast to his heroism and great deeds.
I appreciate all your emails and calls with questions about wildlife and information about nestings and sightings of our wildlife neighbors. My email address is jecloer@aol.com (put “wildlife” in subject area).
Take a sneak peek at Tucson's new casino
