Turtle and the Sky Bowl

Darkness had lasted too long, and all the other

forest animals knew it was Turtle's fault. Long
ago, before Turtle had her hard shell, in order
to prove her bravery to the others, Turtle had
volunteered for one of the most important and
dangerous jobs of the forest.
Her duty was to bring the Sky Bowl, filled
with yellow corn, up to the cliff top each
morning before Sun's first light turned the
hillside red.
She would scatter the corn over the earth, and
Sun, knowing he was needed, would rise.
This morning, though, as Turtle discovered
when she awoke, the Sky Bowl had
disappeared.

In its place lay a single feather,

long curved, and smoky gray.
Vulture's feather.
Vulture lived in the crags far to the west where
Sun set. He always complained about how
bright the days were and how short the nights.
Vulture had taken the bowl.
Since the Sky Bowl was her responsibility,
Turtle set off through the forest toward the
west. She worried about how she would get
the bowl back because the crags were too high
and steep for her to climb.
As she emerged into a shadowy clearing,
Turtle saw Grizzly, grumbling and rolling as
she slept.
"Grizzly," she called to the bear, "I've seen
how fast and strong you are and how well you
climb. Come help me get the Sky Bowl back
from Vulture so Sun can rise."
"No," Grizzly grumbled, her eyelids heavy. "I
have to protect my cubs in the dark." Turtle
heard the little barks and pants of the cubs
behind her.
Turtle left Grizzly and continued on. Finally,
she broke through the trees.
At the edge of the wilderness, Moon's cool,
hard light fell on Turtle and she shivered. She
saw the crags now, their chalky faces rising
slowly off the valley floor.
Just then Eagle glided down over the foothills
above Turtle. "Eagle! Help me!" Turtle yelled.
Eagle turned his hard, steel-gray eyes on
Turtle. "What do you want?!" Eagle's voice
whistled down like an arrow shooting through
the air.
"You can fly. Soar up to Vulture's nook and
get the Sky Bowl back so Sun can rise."
"I'm too hungry," said Eagle. "I've been flying
for hours, trying to catch something. I can't see
well in the dark."
Turtle turned away, knowing the job was hers
alone.
She went to the crag, looking up, up, up the
chalky stone awash in Moon's cold light.
Vulture's nook sat up there, where the rock
brushed against the sky.
Turtle tried to climb the steep slope, but
slipped back down.
Turtle felt thirsty and needed to think, so she
went and sat by the cool mountain stream
flowing down out of the crags.
Moon's roundness floated above, reflected in
the water, making the stream's bubbles and
waves gleam.
As Turtle sipped the water she stared at Moon,
noticing how beautiful she was. She'd never
seen Moon for so long before, and she no
longer feared her.