Long ago, Raven's feathers had no sheen. So flat black were his feathers that Raven was often thought to be nothing more than a stone.

"Nightbird!" called Cardinal "Pitty you were not born like I, with beautiful scarlet feathers."

Raven, however, knew he was born as he was, and even bathing in river clay would not make his feathers as red as Cardinal's.

"Darkfeather!" called Goldfinch "What a shame it is, that you did mot grow lovely yellow feathers like mine!"

Yet in spite of Goldfinch's comment, Raven knew that he could never have feathers like Goldfinch's, even if he rolled in a thousand flowers' pollen.

"Shadowflight!" called Bluejay "How sorry I am for you, that you don't have the gift of beautiful blue feathers like I was given!"

But Raven knew that even if he was doused in blueberry juice, his feathers would be black, same as always. His feathers would never be like Bluejay's, or Goldfinch's, or Cardinal's. Yet in spite of this, Raven still stood tall. Shadowy and nightlike, he might not be beautiful, but no one could take his pride, unless he let them.

And so it was, for days upon days, nights upon nights.

Until one evening, Raven looked up, and saw above him the Northern Lights. And to his surprise, he hears faint, whispering voices:

Fly with us, Shadowed one The shimmering lights said. Join us, for you are like us, like the night. Your Darkness is comforting to us, please, play with us.

And Raven, having always been attracted to shiny things. flew up to the Aroura, and flew with the flickering lights until dawn.

Exhausted, Raven left the skies, and returned to Earth... but as the sun's first rays caught his feathers, Raven found that something had changed. While his feathers were still a shadowy black, they now shone with a ranbowy iridescence in places, making him more colorful than any one of the arrogant songbirds.

~Story and image (C) Nashoba Hostina