Darkness had lasted too long, and all the forest animals knew it was Turtle’s fault. Long ago, before Turtle had her hard shell, she volunteered for one of the most important and dangerous jobs in the forest to prove her bravery. Each morning, she was responsible for carrying the Sky Bowl, filled with yellow corn, up to the cliff top before the first light of the Sun turned the hillside red. She would scatter the corn across the earth, and when Sun saw it, he would rise.
However, one morning, Turtle discovered that the Sky Bowl had vanished. Instead, she found a single, long, curved, smoky gray feather—the feather of Vulture. Vulture lived in the crags far to the west, where Sun set, and he often complained about how bright the days were and how short the nights. Knowing the Sky Bowl was her responsibility, Turtle set off through the forest in search of it.
As she moved through the trees, she worried about how she would retrieve the bowl, for the crags were too high and steep for her to climb. Eventually, she entered a shadowy clearing and saw Grizzly, grumbling and rolling in her sleep.
“Grizzly!” Turtle called. “I’ve seen how fast and strong you are and how well you climb. Please help me get the Sky Bowl back from Vulture, so Sun can rise!”
“No,” Grizzly grumbled, her eyelids heavy. “I must protect my cubs in the dark.” Turtle heard the little barks and pants of the cubs behind her but knew she had to move on.
Finally, she broke through the trees into the open. Moon’s cool, hard light fell upon her, making her shiver. She looked up at the crags, their chalky faces rising from the valley floor. Just then, Eagle glided down over the foothills above her.
“Eagle! Help me!” Turtle shouted.
“What do you want?!” Eagle replied, his voice sharp as an arrow.
“You can fly!” Turtle urged. “Soar up to Vulture’s nook and retrieve the Sky Bowl so Sun can rise.”
“I’m too hungry,” Eagle responded. “I’ve been flying for hours trying to find something to eat, and I can’t see well in the dark.” Turtle turned away, realizing that the task was hers alone.
Determined, she approached the crag and looked up, up, up the chalky stone illuminated by Moon’s cold light. Vulture’s nook rested high above, where the rock met the sky. Turtle attempted to climb the steep slope, but she slipped back down. Feeling thirsty and needing to think, she sat by the cool mountain stream that flowed down from the crags.
As she drank from the stream, she gazed up at Moon, noticing her beauty. She had not observed Moon for so long, and she no longer felt afraid. Suddenly, from deep within the darkness, Moon’s voice whispered softly, “You have shown great bravery, Turtle. Now go to Vulture and demand the Sky Bowl back.”
As Moon spoke, moonbeams cascaded down like night rain, wrapping around Turtle and forming a hard shell on her back. Unsure how her new shell would aid her in retrieving the Sky Bowl, she nonetheless decided to try.
Turtle climbed to Vulture’s crag and called out, “Hey, Vulture! Give back the Sky Bowl!”
“Or what?” Vulture chuckled mockingly. “Go home before I rip you apart with my talons.” He swooped down toward Turtle, carrying the bowl in his beak and taunting her with it.
Turtle stood her ground as Vulture descended, attempting to claw at her with his sharp talons. He struck Turtle’s hard shell instead, barely making a scratch. Angered, Vulture pecked at Turtle, forgetting he still held the bowl. His beak struck the shell with such force that it bent at an angle, causing him to drop the bowl. Turtle, unharmed, quickly grabbed the bowl and retreated inside her shell.
Vulture scratched at the shell for a while but eventually gave up and flew off. That was how Turtle earned her shell, and Vulture ended up with his crooked beak. The next morning, Sun returned, but from then on, he would shine only half the day, leaving the night to Moon and darkness, ensuring that we would never again forget him.
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