SCHWARZWALD: STORIES FROM THE BLACK FOREST

The Owl

The owl is a large mysterious creature. It is a watcher of the night and gazed down from the treetops peering down into the dark with its large glowing eyes. It is one of the only birds that hunt only at night. You may have heard it call in the woods late at night, "hoo, hoo, hoo."

You see, the owl was not always so. The owl was once a day bird with a sweet song and small round eyes. Something happened long ago that changed the bird into the owl you know today. It all started when two great brothers from the sky world came down to the earth. They came to visit the woman they were both in love with. The brothers were the powerful Sun and the wisest Moon. The woman they loved was the ancient goddess of the Earth. They wanted to ask her for her hand in marriage, so they flew to her home, deep in the dark forest's heart.

As the Sun and the Moon flew toward the home of the goddess, they argued among themselves about whom she loved most. When they arrived at her home, they found her in her garden. They decided to ask her to settle their dispute.

"Goddess, we both love and wish to marry you. But which of us will you love?" asked the Sun.

"The one who pleases me," replied the goddess.

"The one who pleases you?" said the Moon "which one of us is that?"

"Why don't we find out? " asked the goddess, "I will grant you both the power to create just one thing. And then each of you must make me a companion. And whichever makes the companion that pleases me the most, he will I love and marry."

They both agreed and thought they would easily win the goddess's heart. The goddess taught them each to create a creature and gave them the power to create just one. She then explained that they must make her a companion that can fly and sing beautifully. The brothers went to opposite sides of her garden and began to work on their creatures.

They created what you know as the owl and the rooster.

The Sun was the first to finish. His creature, on the other hand, was made of beautiful feathers. Its voice was loud and strong. And it could soar quickly into the sky. He named his creature "rooster" because it would fly up into the trees and roost on the branches.

His brother, the Moon, finished shortly after. His bird, the owl, was made of white feathers. Its eyes were small, round, and shining. It had a large hooked beak. The owl had a beautiful song that was soft and quiet. Before presenting his creature to the goddess, the Moon came to see his brother's creature. He walked over to the garden where his brother had been working.

"Brother, how is your creature? Does it fly and sing?" asked the Moon as he walked over to his brother.

"Oh, yes! It sings a loud song and can fly fast and high! I am so sorry, brother, but I have won the goddess's love!" exclaimed the Sun. The Moon became jealous at how well his brother's creature could fly. His own creature, the owl, could fly as well, but not as fast or as high as his brother's creature.

"Well, my creature is a magnificent creation! It sings the most beautiful song, and it too can fly high and fast," said the Moon as he tried to look unimpressed with his brother's creature.

"Can I see for myself, brother?" said the Sun. He could not imagine a better flying creature than his own.

"Yes, go and have a look. I will stay here and look at your creature's colorful feathers," said the Moon as he walked toward the rooster. But as soon as his brother was out of sight, the Moon had an idea to help him win. He thought perhaps if he took away his brother's bird's ability to fly, he would surely win. So he walked over to the rooster and set his plan in motion.

Meanwhile, the Sun approached his brother's creature. The creature did not impress him very much, but he decided he could tip the odds in his favor if he made minor changes to his brother's creature. So first, he decided to take away the bird's beautiful song and replace it with just one sound that would repeat repeatedly. Then, to make it look less attractive, he made its eyes unusually large. After doing this, the Sun thought he would win for sure.

The goddess came into the garden after both brothers finished making their creature. She asked them both to stand back as she looked upon both creatures to see which pleased her more. First, she approached the owl, and as it turned its head around, she was surprised at its large eyes. It into a nearby tree and began to cry out "Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!"

She did not look pleased.

Next, she examined the rooster. It fanned out its feathers and let out its loud song. "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" Then it flapped and flapped its wings but could not fly.

"What have you done, villain?" yelled the Moon. "You have changed my creature's song and made his eyes too large!"

"You are the villain!" screamed the Sun. "You took away my bird's flight!"

Both brothers continued to argue and began to fight. Finally, the goddess became angry when she saw what each had done.

"Silence! Both of you! You have taken the beautiful art of creation and made it a mockery! You have revealed the true nature of your hearts, and I will love nor marry either of you!" shouted the goddess. She summoned her sister, the Sky, and asked her sister to remove them from her garden.

"You both are no longer welcome in my home. I will keep your companions, and they will warn me of your approach. They will sing out when they see you, and I will hide my face from you. Sun, when you approach, your creature will call out. Moon, when you enter the sky, your creature will sing its one-word song. And you will see my face no more forever!" the goddess said as the Sky lifted the brothers out of the garden.

The brothers left the garden and heard their creature's song each time they passed by the goddess Earth.

END