NORTHERN CHEROKEE NATION
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    • WHY THE DEER’S TEETH ARE BLUNT
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    • How the Honey Bee got their Stinger
    • BOY AND THE RATTLESNAKE STORY
    • LEGEND OF THE TLANUHWA AND THE UHKTENA
    • Yahula
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    • Why the Owl has a Spotted Coat
    • Why the Trees Lose Their Leaves
    • Why Rabbit Has A Short Tail
    • Why the Opossum’s Tail is Bare
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​Why the Owl Has A Spotted Coat

​The owl had a girlfriend that he loved very much, and the time had come for him to meet her
parents. Now owl knew he was not the best-looking creature on this earth and didn't want
anyone to see his face. He thought and thought of a way to hide his face from her parents
because he was afraid they might not let him marry her if they saw how ugly he really was.


The time came when he was to meet her parents, on this very important evening he had a
plan. As he came into the house he stood in the shadows, just outside the reach of the fire's
light. As the evening progressed' he seemed to relax just a bit, but he never came out of the
shadows.


When the evening had ended, and owl left for the night, both parents began to express their
favoritism of the owl. They even remarked what a wonderful husband he would make for the
young lady. They did have one question and that was why did he not come into the firelight.


As the daughter and parents began to talk about the owl the question seemed to drift from
their minds and on to different subject. In the shadows of the room stood her two, very
mischievous, brothers. They, too, wondered why the owl stood in the shadows and came up
with a plan to find out why.


The next day both boys went to gather wood for the fire without being told. The mother was
very surprised because she usually had to tell them to do something at least three times
before they would do it. They gather enough wood to burn for three nights, this did seem
strange to the mother and she wondered what they were up to. She soon forgot her thought
as she wondered if the nice owl was coming to see her daughter tonight.


That night the owl came to court her daughter and the two brothers were waiting. The owl
moved to the shadows as he did the night before and began to eat his supper. As the mother
called for the boys to get more wood for the fire the boys rushed outside and grabbed two
arm loads of wood and began to throw them into the fire. Now this wood was not just
ordinary oak or hickory, it also had wild sumac mixed in, so when the sumac began to burn it
would pop, crackle, and throw sparks. This is just what the boys wanted the fire to do so they
could see what the owl was hiding in the shadows.


As the fire began to burn, the sparks flew, and the wood crackled. The Owl raised his wing to
shield his face and turned his back. As he did the sparks landed on his back and burned black
spots on his beautiful coat of feathers. That is why today the owl has a spotted coat.
He did marry the young lady and she was able to teach him all creatures are beautiful in the
Creators eyes.
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  • Home
  • Contact
  • Events
  • PowWow
    • Vendor Information
    • Booklet Memorials & Ads
  • Photos
    • Warsaw Heritage Days
    • Old Glory Days Parade
    • Fourth of July Weekend
    • Tribal Headquarters Improvements
    • Council Meetings
    • Ceremonies
    • Darkening of the Sun
  • History
    • Children Massacre at Ywahoo Falls
    • Wampum Belt
    • Leaving our homeland
    • Spanish Treaty
    • Natural Disasters
    • Forced Removal
    • States against Indians
    • New Hope
    • Legal Genocide
    • Federal Recognition
    • Bringing the Children Home
    • Historical Cherokee marriage
    • In Ancient Times I
    • The Early Times II
    • The Colonial Period III
    • Sequoyah IV
    • The Cherokee Removal V
    • The Cherokee Today VI
  • Stories
    • How the Deer Got His Horns
    • WHY THE DEER’S TEETH ARE BLUNT
    • What Became Of The Rabbit
    • The Legend of the Cherokee Rose
    • Origin of the Bear
    • Why The Mink Smells
    • Life Lesson for All Cherokee
    • How the Partridge Got His Whistle
    • How The Redbird Got His Color
    • The First Fire
    • The Cherokee Legend of the First Strawberry
    • The Sixth Sun Has Risen
    • Young Harold Mayo and the Witch Woman
    • ORIGIN OF DISEASE AND MEDICINE
    • THE LEGEND OF THE FIRST WOMEN
    • How the Rabbit stole the Otter's coat
    • How the Honey Bee got their Stinger
    • BOY AND THE RATTLESNAKE STORY
    • LEGEND OF THE TLANUHWA AND THE UHKTENA
    • Yahula
    • Bears Race with Turtle
    • Why the Owl has a Spotted Coat
    • Why the Trees Lose Their Leaves
    • Why Rabbit Has A Short Tail
    • Why the Opossum’s Tail is Bare
  • Culture
    • Cherokee Adoption, past and present
    • Roles of extended family
    • Cherokee Clan System
    • Sacred Colors
    • Entering the Circle
    • Fall Cultivation
    • Dances
    • Straight Dancing
    • The Stomp Dance
  • Artist Showcase
  • Council Members
  • Council Minutes