Why the Rooster Cries

Back when the first birds had just begun to take flight, there hatched a pair of magnificent birds.
They were called Rooster and Hen.

They had wings that were as wide as palm leaves. Their tail feathers were a splendid plume that
put the peacock to shame. They were the only birds that could fly high enough to bathe in rainbows—
giving their feathers a magical colorful shine.

But Rooster and Hen were as vain as they were beautiful. Although they were already the envy
of all the birds in the Kingdom, they wanted more.

“Is there anyone more beautiful than I?” boasted Hen.

“Can anyone fly higher than I to the heavens?” boasted Rooster.

“Yes there is!” said the small and plain Maya. “The Sun is both more beautiful and higher than
any of you!”

“Not if we can help it!” exclaimed Rooster.

So that night, while the sun was asleep, Rooster and Hen flew as high as they could into the sky. They
flew all night until it was shortly before dawn. Rooster reached the sun first while Hen was still quite a
distance below.

Rooster then took a few of the sun’s rays and put it on his head—as a crown to display his magnificence.

“Yes! I am now more beautiful than the Sun!” proclaimed Rooster. “Now I will be higher than the
sun!”

Rooster then started to fly higher and higher.

But the crafty Maya saw all that happened and told the Sun about it. The Sun became angry at what
Rooster and Hen had done.

“Because you have stolen from me, I will burn the tips of your feathers so you cannot do so
anymore. Never will you reach the clouds again!”

Rooster protested “No! This cannot be!”

Hen and Rooster fell from the heavens. Gone were their once splendid plumes and magnificent
colors--in its place were dull colored feathers mixed with black ones.

All that remains is Rooster’s regret and anger that he shouts to the sun every dawn to this very day.