A Book of Tricksters Page 9

Sometimes Maui still forgets to pay attention to the fire, especially when he’s daydreaming about tricks he can play on his older brothers. But now, when the fire goes out, they don’t get angry at him. Instead, they make him cut pieces of sandalwood and hau and do the hard work of getting a new fire started.

  How RAVEN Freed the Sun

  CANADA and UNITED STATES :: The Native peoples along the coast of northern British Columbia and southeast Alaska told stories about Raven, who used his cleverness to perform both selfish and unselfish deeds. Although he often annoyed others, they appreciated how, one time, he used his wits to help them escape from cold, dampness and never-ending darkness.

  Raven cawed angrily. It was always dark and cold and damp—there was never any sunlight. A powerful old man who lived in the mountains far to the east kept it hidden in a wooden box inside his lodge.

  Every once in a long while, somebody would try to find the old man’s lodge. Most of the searchers got lost and barely managed to get home. Some never returned at all.

  “This is enough,” Raven squawked to himself. “It’s so foggy and dark that I can’t see the spruce trees. I keep running into the sharp needles. My feathers are all damp. I can’t see where the people have left fish heads and guts for me. And whenever I go to a stream for a drink, I can’t even see whether I’m handsome or not—although I’m sure I am. I’m going to try to find the lodge of the old man. I’m going to free the sun so that everyone can be warm and dry. Then I will be able to see how handsome I really am.”

  Raven launched himself into the air. He flew above the trees and headed through the darkness toward the mountains in the east. After he had been flying for a long time, the clouds broke up, and he could see the stars. And in the dim light, he saw a lodge in the distance.

  He flew toward it, landed on the roof and peered cautiously through the smoke hole. In the flames cast by the fire, he could see an old man and a young woman. And, in the corner, he could see several ornately carved storage boxes. Raven saw light coming from a crack in one of the boxes.

  It would be very difficult to get into the lodge and get the box. The old man and the young woman would instantly be on the alert as soon as they saw a bird flying through the smoke hole. Even if he got to the box, he wouldn’t be able to open it. And it was too big to grab in his beak.

  What was he to do? He could forget about his quest and fly away. But that would be admitting defeat, and Raven was too proud to do that. Besides, he’d still be cold and damp. And in the dark he would never be able to see how handsome he was.

  He was perched silently on the roof thinking about how to get into the lodge when he heard the young woman speak to the old man.

  “I am thirsty, Father. I’m going to the stream for a drink. I’ll take the cedar basket with me and bring back water for spruce tea,” she told him. “It will be good for you. You haven’t seemed quite yourself lately.”

  Now Raven knew what to do.

  He glided from the roof to the branch of a spruce tree beside the stream and waited for the young woman to arrive. Just as she was about to dip her basket into the stream, he changed himself into a spruce needle and dropped into the water. He floated into the basket, and when the girl lifted it to her lips, she swallowed the needle. Raven was inside her stomach when she returned to the lodge.

  He’d solved his first problem. He was inside the lodge, and no one knew he was there. But he had another problem. He was a spruce needle inside the girl’s stomach. He was not what he needed to be, or where he needed to be, if he were to get the sun from the large wooden box in the corner.

  He turned himself into an unborn baby. Several moons later, he came back into the lodge as a human baby boy. He was an unusual-looking child. While it wasn’t unusual that his hair was shiny black, his beady black eyes looked more like the eyes of a raven than those of a baby boy. His nose was sharp and pointed. And when he cried, it sounded more like he was squawking or cawing.

  The old man and his daughter were overjoyed to have a baby boy in their home. The grandfather thought that the child was wonderful. He spent most of his time playing with him and making little wooden toys. He didn’t even mind when the child made his terrible crying noise. In fact, whenever the boy cried, the old man worked very hard to make him happy.

  Raven was enjoying himself. He liked being the centre of attention. He was well fed, and he was warm. When the old man remarked that he was the most handsome baby that had ever been born, he felt proud. If he were that good-looking as a human being, think of what he would be like as a raven.

  But Raven never forgot why he was there. He knew he had to take his time until he could find a way to get the sun from its box and escape.

  Raven began to crawl much sooner than ordinary babies. His grandfather was delighted and would crawl beside him on the cedar planks. It hurt the old man’s knees, but it made the little boy smile and giggle.

  “I’ve never seen so strong a baby,” the grandfather proudly told visitors. “Other children can’t even sit up at this age. I know he’s the handsomest baby. Just look at his eyes. They certainly are dark, but they sparkle.”

  It wasn’t long before the little boy was able to pull himself up when he crawled to the storage boxes in the corner. He’d point at one of the boxes and squawk until the grandfather would open it and hand him something.

  Each day, Raven would point at a storage box that was closer to the one that contained the sun. Finally, he pointed at that box and squawked. He was certain that the old man would lift it down, and that once it was opened, he could grab the sun and make his escape.

  It wasn’t so easy. The old man looked sad, but he sternly told the child: “No. This box is very special to your grandfather. Maybe when you are much older, I will let you look inside.”

  Raven had been very patient. He had pretended to be a little human baby for a long time. Although he had also enjoyed all the warmth and attention, now that the object of his quest was nearly in his reach, he wanted it right away.

  He began to cry raucously, Caw, waa, caw, caw, waa.

  The old man still said, “No.”

  Raven kept crying and pointing. He stopped eating. He wouldn’t sleep. His mother began to worry. “Father, if he keeps this up, he’ll get sick. I’m afraid he’ll die.”

  Gradually, the boy’s black hair began to lose its lustre. The bright spark began to fade from his black eyes, and he stopped crawling toward the box in the corner. The only thing that didn’t change was his squawking cry. It was as strong as ever. The two adults became more and more worried.

  Finally, the little boy stopped pointing at the box, and his crying became a hoarse whisper.

  “I think he’s dying,” the old man said in alarm. “I don’t know how I could live without him. I used to think that what was inside that box was my greatest treasure. But now I know he is. If I’m going to lose him, I can at least let him look inside the box before he goes.”

  The young woman and the old man walked over to the corner of the lodge. They reached up for the box together. Their backs were to Raven, and they didn’t see a mischievous twinkle flicker in his black eyes. They concentrated so hard as they carefully lifted the box down that they didn’t hear him make a cackling noise that sounded like a little laugh.

  They carried the box across the room to where the little boy lay and opened it. A bright golden yellow light shone throughout the room. Raven smiled weakly at the old man and his daughter. He tried to raise his arms.

  “He wants to hold the sun,” the young woman told her father. “Let’s give it to him. I’ll help him sit up, Father, and then you can lift the sun into his arms.”

  As she lifted the little boy, he began to flap his arms like a young bird learning to fly. He started to caw loudly. And then he began to change. Black feathers grew along his arms. His nose turned into a beak. He stood up, all the while flapping his arms rapidly. The woman and the old man gasped as his arms became wings and his head and body turned into those o
f a raven.

  “Thank you for the gift of the sun, Grandfather,” said Raven. “Now I will be able find my food much more easily. I won’t keep running into spruce branches. And now I’ll be able to see how handsome I really am,” he said in a raspy voice.

  He seized the sun with his beak, flapped his wings harder and flew through the smoke hole of the lodge.

  Raven flew higher and higher to get far away from the old man and his daughter. As he climbed into the sky, he discovered not only that the sun was very bright, but also that it was very hot. In fact, the sun was too hot to hold in his beak. He gave a mighty flick of his head, opened his beak and sent the sun spinning upward. Gradually it stopped climbing into the sky and began to move toward the western sea.

  Raven was worried; as fast as he could fly, the sun moved faster. If it sinks into the sea, he thought to himself, it will be dark again. All my cleverness and hard work will have been wasted.

  The sun did sink into the sea. Once again the world was dark and cold and damp. Raven flew down to the branches of a spruce tree. He went to sleep feeling very tired and very sad. Much later, when he awoke, pink light shone above the mountains to the east, and soon the sun rose and brought colour and warmth to the world.

  Raven didn’t understand what had happened. But when the sun again travelled across the sky, sank into the sea and then rose over the eastern mountains, he realized that the sphere he had stolen from the old man’s lodge would only shine over the mountains, forests, rivers and seas for half of the time.

  At first, when the people saw the sun travel across the sky, they were frightened. It seemed so hot and bright. Then they were alarmed when it disappeared and darkness returned. Raven told them that, at great danger to himself, he had found the sun for them. But to make them appreciate it and him more fully, he said that they would have to do without it for a while after it had disappeared into the sea.

  The people, who sometimes used to think of Raven as a noisy nuisance, thanked him. “What can we do for you?” they asked.

  He replied that now that they had more light when they went fishing and could catch more fish, they must make sure they left him plenty of fish heads and fish guts.

  It still gets damp and cold sometimes, and, of course, it’s dark at night. But when it is bright and warm, Raven is very happy. He loves to eat what the people leave him. He especially enjoys spending time by any pool he can find, admiring his reflection in the water. Now he can see that he really is handsome.

  Glossary

  alae hen :: A member of the mud hen family, with a black body and bright red forehead. It is found in Hawaii.

  banyan tree :: A very large shade tree, considered sacred because when the Buddha sat under it, he gained enlightenment. It is often used to stand for unity.

  bufflehead :: A 33- to 38-centimetre-long duck with a white body, black back and large head.

  cadi :: A judge in a Muslim court.

  calabash :: A large hardwood bowl in which food is served.

  catalpa tree :: A tree that often grows to 15 metres in height. The long branches and large leaves provide a great deal of shade.

  chital deer :: A spotted deer with large antlers. It lives in Indian jungles and is often killed by tigers and Asian lions.

  collard greens :: A cabbage-like plant that is steam-cooked, often with salted pork.

  coolamon :: A vessel carved out of wood, often used by Australian Aboriginals for carrying food and water.

  coot :: A 33- to 36-centimetre-long duck-like bird with black feathers, red eyes and large feet.

  dingo :: A wild Australian dog that is approximately 1.2 metres long and weighs up to 20 kilograms.

  eagle-hawk :: Australia’s largest bird of prey, it has a wingspan of close to three metres and a length of nearly 1.5 metres.

  effendi :: A gentleman, or master; a term of respect in Turkey.

  eucalyptus tree :: One of the most common trees found in Australia. It can grow to more than 80 metres in height.

  goral :: A long-tailed, goat-like animal found in India.

  gourd :: The hard, dried and hollowed-out shell of a member of the pumpkin family. It is often used to hold water.

  griddle cake :: A pancake fried on a flat, heavy metal pan.

  hau :: A softwood tree that grows in Hawaii.

  hispid hare :: A short-eared, bristly-haired rabbit weighing about 2.5 kilograms, found in northern India.

  kite-hawk :: A medium-sized Australian bird of prey that weighs just over one kilogram, has a wingspan of close to 1.5 metres, and very weak legs.

  latex :: A kind of sticky tree sap.

  longan tree :: A fruit-bearing tree that grows in regions of southwest Asia and Malaysia. The sweet, juicy fruit, sometimes called “cat’s eyes,” hangs from branches that are close to the ground.

  mallard :: A 50- to 72-centimetre-long duck. The male has a green head, white neck ring and brownish crest. The female is a mottled brown. It is one of the tamest of wild ducks.

  marquis :: In earlier days, a French nobleman who lived near the borders of a kingdom.

  merganser :: A 50- to 80-centimetre-long, narrow-bodied, sharp-billed duck. The male has a white body, a black neck and a green-black head. The female is grey and has a crest on the head.

  mouse deer :: Called a mouse deer because of its size and appearance, it is 45 centimetres long, stands 20 to 25 centimetres at the shoulder and weighs just over two kilograms.

  Norway maple tree :: Grows to a height of over 20 metres. Because its branches can reach lengths of 20 metres, they create a great deal of shade on sunny days.

  odum tree :: A tree found in western Africa that was believed to be the gathering place of spirit beings.

  ogre :: A man-eating giant.

  piastre :: A silver coin used in Turkey.

  plantain tree :: A tree that produces a banana-type fruit that is eaten cooked.

  pygmy hog :: A small, wild Indian pig, weighing around seven kilograms.

  quandong tree :: An Australian tree noted for its ability to stand very dry conditions. The fruit was used by Aboriginal Australians as food and medicine.

  sambar :: A large brown deer found in the woodlands of India.

  sandalwood :: A hardwood tree that grows in Hawaii. Its wood was often used in the construction of traditional canoe paddles.

  sheriff :: In England in the Middle Ages, an official who acted as a judge, tax collector and law-enforcement officer.

  spruce :: A sharp-needled evergreen tree. Traditionally, Native peoples used the gum and a tea brewed from the needles as medicine.

  string-creeper :: A strong, flexible vine used as rope by many traditional African tribes.

  tael :: Until the 20th century, a Chinese coin worth 37 grams of silver.

  tapa cloth :: A cloth woven from the soft inner bark of certain trees in the South Pacific Islands.

  taro :: A bush with very large leaves. Its roots are used as food.

  tenant farmer :: Someone who pays a fee to farm on land owned by another person.

  trolls :: Imaginary characters in stories from northern Europe who were very large, ate people and animals, and turned into stone if hit by direct sunlight.

  willy wagtail :: A 20-centimetre-long bird named for its habit of moving its tail back and forth horizontally. It will aggressively defend its territory against larger animals and birds.

  wombat :: An Australian marsupial that is one metre in length and weighs up to 25 kilograms.

  The Trail of the Tales

  Each of the stories retold in this collection has a long history extending back to a time when stories were passed on orally from place to place and from generation to generation. With each retelling, storytellers added, deleted or changed the emphasis of details. Many stories from lesser-known cultures became known to larger audiences after they had been collected by anthropologists.

  Once stories appeared in print, they continued to change, particularly when they were retold for children. Retelling
s often reflected the tellers’ own beliefs, values and attitudes about what kinds of stories were suitable for children.

  I have listed below the various sources I have consulted in retelling these traditional trickster tales from many lands.

  “How Anansi Brought Stories to the People”

  I have used Captain R.S. Rattray’s “How it Came About that the Sky-God’s Stories Came to be Known as ‘Spider-Stories,’” in his Akan-Ashanti Folk-Tales (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1930) as the basis of my retelling. I have also consulted Gail E. Haley’s award-winning A Story, a Story (New York: Atheneum, 1970), an excellent illustrated children’s version, and Philip M. Sherlock’s “From Tiger to Anansi,” Anansi: the Spider Man (New York: T.Y. Crowell), a Jamaican version of the story.

  “How Brer Rabbit Got Out of Big Trouble”

  Although the Brer Rabbit stories are known to many people from the 1946 Walt Disney animated feature Song of the South, the stories were first published in the 1880s by Joel Chandler Harris, a white journalist who claimed that, when he was a child, he heard the stories from a former slave. I have drawn my retelling from Harris’s version as well as from “The Tar Baby Tricks Brer Rabbit,” a 1977 version published by African-American writer William Faulkner in his collection The Days When the Animals Talked (Chicago: Follett, 1977) and “The Tar Baby,” in Richard M. Dorson’s American Negro Folktales (Greenwich, CT: Fawcett, 1967).

  “How Nanabozho Lost His Big Feast”

  Versions of this story are found in Native cultures from the western Great Lakes to the Rocky Mountains. One of the early English versions of the Ojibway (Chippewa) tales of Nanabozho was Henry Rowe Schoolcraft’s Algic Researches, which was published in 1839 and influenced the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow when he wrote “The Song of Hiawatha.” I have drawn from Schoolcraft’s brief summary of the tale and Emerson Coatsworth’s “Nanabush and the Ducks” in The Adventures of Nanabush (Toronto: Doubleday, 1979), as well as incidents from similar stories (such as the trickster being out-tricked by another trickster) from other cultures.