In the earliest time, when the mountains were still young and the oceans lay in shadow, the world was wrapped in darkness. No light touched the rivers or the trees, and the people who lived below stumbled through endless night. Above the earth, in the Sky World, there lived a great chief who guarded all the light of creation. He kept the sun, the moon, and the stars locked away inside three strong boxes, hidden from everyone but his family.
The Sky Chief believed that the people below were not ready to hold such power. “If they have the light,” he said, “they will forget to live in balance with the world.” And so he kept the light for himself, allowing only the faint shimmer of reflection to touch the sky.
But Raven, the great trickster and transformer, saw differently. He flew through the dark air, his black feathers blending into the night. He heard the cries of the people who could not see to fish or hunt. He saw the beauty of the forests hidden in shadow, and he pitied the world that could not see its own reflection.
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Raven’s heart stirred with both mischief and compassion. He decided that the light must be shared, no matter what it cost him.
From the highest branch of a cedar tree, he gazed toward the Sky World. He knew the Sky Chief’s house was guarded and that no one could enter without permission. But Raven was clever. He waited and watched. Each morning, the Sky Chief’s daughter came to the river to drink from its clear water. And one morning, as the sunless world glimmered faintly, Raven formed a plan so daring that only he could imagine it.
He flew to the edge of the river, plucked a single pine needle, and dropped it into the water. Then he transformed himself into that very needle. When the Sky Chief’s daughter came to drink, she swallowed Raven without knowing.
Soon after, she found herself with child, and the Sky Chief rejoiced at the birth of his grandson. The baby, bright-eyed and curious, was none other than Raven in human form. The chief loved him deeply and gave him every comfort.
As the boy grew, he played around the house, laughing and cooing, charming everyone he met. But he was drawn again and again to a corner where three carved boxes lay stacked one atop another. When he tried to approach them, the Sky Chief would gently push him away. “Not yet, my child,” he would say. “These hold great things you are too young to understand.”
Raven waited patiently, but his longing grew. One day, he began to cry. His cries filled the house and echoed through the Sky World. He cried through the day and into the night until the Sky Chief could bear it no more.
“What is it you wish, my grandson?” the chief asked.
“I want to play with the boxes,” Raven said, pointing with small hands.
The Sky Chief sighed, then smiled softly. “Very well. Only for a moment.”
He brought out the first box and opened it just a little. The light of the stars spilled out, filling the room with shimmering dust. The boy clapped his hands with joy, and soon the Sky Chief laughed with him. When the child tired of the stars, he began to cry again.
The chief, not wishing to see his beloved grandson upset, opened the second box. The moon rose out of it, glowing silver and cool. It floated up to the ceiling, bathing the room in soft light. The Sky Chief smiled once more.
But soon the child pointed at the third box. “Please, Grandfather, just for a little while,” he begged.
The Sky Chief hesitated, for he knew what that box contained. But his heart was full of love and trust. Finally, he lifted the lid.
A golden light burst forth, so bright that it filled the Sky Chief’s house and flooded the clouds. In that moment, Raven laughed, and before anyone could stop him, he transformed back into his bird form, snatched up the sun in his beak, and flew through the smoke hole into the dark sky.
The Sky Chief shouted in fury, but Raven was gone. He soared down from the Sky World, carrying the blazing light in his mouth. The sun’s heat scorched his feathers, turning them black forever.
As he flew, pieces of light spilled from his beak and scattered across the heavens, forming the stars. When he finally reached the world below, he placed the great sun high in the sky, bringing warmth and day to all living things. He released the moon to follow, so that even night would not be without light.
The people looked up in wonder. For the first time, they saw the beauty of the earth, the rivers glistening like mirrors, the mountains rising proud, and the ocean shining like liquid glass.
Raven’s deed changed the world forever. The Sky Chief was angry, but he could not undo what had been done. He declared that though Raven had deceived him, he had also given life and balance to the earth below.
And so Raven became both trickster and hero, a bringer of light and a symbol of transformation. His laughter, it is said, still echoes across the wind on stormy days, reminding all who hear it of the moment he carried the sun into the sky.
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Moral Lesson
The tale of Raven teaches that wisdom and courage often come from unexpected places. Even through mischief and trickery, good can arise when one acts for the sake of all. It reminds us that creation and balance are gifts earned through daring and compassion.
Knowledge Check
1. Who guarded the light at the beginning of the story?
The great Sky Chief kept the sun, moon, and stars locked away in boxes in his house.
2. How did Raven reach the Sky Chief’s home?
He transformed himself into a pine needle that the Sky Chief’s daughter swallowed while drinking water.
3. Why did Raven steal the light?
He wanted to bring brightness and life to the dark world below, where people could not see.
4. What happened when Raven carried the sun away?
The light burned his feathers black, and pieces of it fell, creating the stars.
5. What does the story say about Raven’s nature?
He is both a trickster and a benefactor, showing that cleverness can serve the greater good.
6. What is the main lesson of the story?
True change often requires courage and risk, and even mischief can lead to wisdom when it helps others.
Source: Adapted from Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest by Gerald McDermott (1993) and Tales from the Tlingit collected by John Swanton (1909).
Cultural Origin: Tlingit and Haida First Nations, Pacific Northwest Coast, Canada
