A long time ago,amongthe Yaquis, there lived a bird who was poor. He was so poor, in fact, that he wore theshabbiest,drabbestcoatoffeathers. Now, being avainbird, he wasashamedto show himself before anyone, so he kept to himself and knew no one. But, he used to look at the other birds, each with colorful feathers, and he was very jealous of them.
One day he thought of something. He began topluckout his feathers,one by one,painfulthough it was. At last there he stood, a poor,nakedlittle bird, suffering from the cold weather.Owlwas passing by, and Ku Wikit called to him, "My brother, please to do me a favor, and I will help you as long as I live. Help me to dress myself by lendingme a few feathers of yours, even if only part of my body is covered. I am sufferingfrom the cold."
"Well," the owl answered him, "Worry no more about your coat of feathers. I will lend you some, and I shall ask also that the other birds lend you one feather apiece. Thus you may clotheyour entirebody." " Gracias, you are good," said Ku Wikit to the Owl. "And when I grow many more feathers, I shall returna feather to each one who has lent me one."
That is how the Owl sent a messenger all around to the birds, asking them to please come to acouncilearly the next morning. There was much talk, and then all wanted to see Ku Wikit. At theirrequest, Ku Wikitpresentedhimself, but with much shame at his nakedness.
Uponseeing him, everyone felt very sorry for him. And everyone gave him one feather, until his coat of feathers was complete.
After giving them thanks, Ku Wikit left to take a look at himself in aspringfilled with crystal-clear water. Here is where many birds with beautifulplumageoften came to visit andadmirethemselves. When Ku Wikit arrived, allsurroundedhim in admiration,exclaimingat his beautiful, unusual plumage. He had greatsplashesof colors - yellow, red, blue - the colors of therainbow, it looked like. No onerecognizedhim as the naked, poor bird. They now called him the bird of a thousand colors.
Ku Wikitrushedto look at himself, and they were right - he was more beautiful than any other! Of course, this didn't help hisvanityany. In fact, he became soconceited,constantlytalking and talking about hislooks, and admiring himself, that no one could stand him and didn't want to be near him. And to this day, Ku Wikit, theparrot, is anon-stoptalker that people want to shut up. And he's still admiring his coat of a thousand colors.
Ku Wikit
Ku Wikit
Native Indian Folk Tales (Yaqui Tribe)
A long time ago,amongthe Yaquis, there lived a bird who was poor. He was so poor, in fact, that he wore theshabbiest,drabbestcoatoffeathers. Now, being avainbird, he wasashamedto show himself before anyone, so he kept to himself and knew no one. But, he used to look at the other birds, each with colorful feathers, and he was very jealous of them.
One day he thought of something. He began topluckout his feathers,one by one,painfulthough it was. At last there he stood, a poor,nakedlittle bird, suffering from the cold weather.Owlwas passing by, and Ku Wikit called to him, "My brother, please to do me a favor, and I will help you as long as I live. Help me to dress myself by lendingme a few feathers of yours, even if only part of my body is covered. I am sufferingfrom the cold."
"Well," the owl answered him, "Worry no more about your coat of feathers. I will lend you some, and I shall ask also that the other birds lend you one feather apiece. Thus you may clotheyour entirebody." " Gracias, you are good," said Ku Wikit to the Owl. "And when I grow many more feathers, I shall returna feather to each one who has lent me one."
That is how the Owl sent a messenger all around to the birds, asking them to please come to acouncilearly the next morning. There was much talk, and then all wanted to see Ku Wikit. At theirrequest, Ku Wikitpresentedhimself, but with much shame at his nakedness.
Uponseeing him, everyone felt very sorry for him. And everyone gave him one feather, until his coat of feathers was complete.
After giving them thanks, Ku Wikit left to take a look at himself in aspringfilled with crystal-clear water. Here is where many birds with beautifulplumageoften came to visit andadmirethemselves. When Ku Wikit arrived, allsurroundedhim in admiration,exclaimingat his beautiful, unusual plumage. He had greatsplashesof colors - yellow, red, blue - the colors of therainbow, it looked like. No onerecognizedhim as the naked, poor bird. They now called him the bird of a thousand colors.
Ku Wikitrushedto look at himself, and they were right - he was more beautiful than any other! Of course, this didn't help hisvanityany. In fact, he became soconceited,constantlytalking and talking about hislooks, and admiring himself, that no one could stand him and didn't want to be near him. And to this day, Ku Wikit, theparrot, is anon-stoptalker that people want to shut up. And he's still admiring his coat of a thousand colors.