The Singing Scoutmaster: Creation of the Mountains and the Sun, The

Long, long ago, before there were any people, the world was young and covered entirely by water. The only land was a great island floating above the seas, suspended by four rawhide ropes. These ropes represented the four sacred directions and held the island high above the endless waters, hanging from the crystal sky.

There were no people yet, but the animals lived in a home far above the rainbow. As time passed, the animals grew restless in their crowded home and began to look for space below the waters. They called on Water Beetle, who volunteered to search for land beneath the sea.

Water Beetle dove deep into the dark waters, exploring the depths. He brought back a small piece of mud, which he placed on the surface of the water. The mud began to grow and spread quickly, forming a new land. However, it was flat, too soft, and too wet for the animals to live on.

The animals needed to know if the land was ready, so they sent Grandfather Buzzard to check. Grandfather Buzzard soared down from the sky and flew over the new land. As he flew lower to get a closer look, his mighty wings flapped, creating gusts of wind. Wherever his wings struck the ground, valleys formed. Where they lifted, the earth rose into mountains. By the time Grandfather Buzzard finished, the land had taken on the shape we know today, filled with valleys and high peaks, especially in the Cherokee lands.

The animals rejoiced and began to descend from their home above the rainbow to explore this new world. But it was still dark, and they could not see the beautiful land that had been shaped. They needed light. So, they decided to pull the sun out from behind the rainbow and place it in the sky. At first, the sun was too bright and too hot for them to bear.

The animals and shamans gathered and decided the sun needed to be placed higher in the sky. They made a path for it to follow, stretching from east to west, so that all creatures could share in the light. This is why the sun travels the way it does each day, bringing light and warmth to all parts of the land.

After the sun was set in its place, the Creator called upon the plants and animals and gave them a challenge. "Stay awake and keep watch for seven days and seven nights," he said. The animals and plants tried their best, but most of them fell asleep. Only a few succeeded, including the owls and mountain lions, who were rewarded with the power to see in the dark. Among the plants, only the cedar, spruce, and pine remained awake. The Creator blessed these trees, saying, "You will keep your green leaves all year round, even in the cold winter months, while the others will lose theirs when the cold arrives."

Last of all, the Creator made the first people. They were filled with wonder at the world around them. The women were able to have children every seven days, and soon, the population grew rapidly. The Creator saw this and became concerned that the world would become overcrowded. He changed the rule so that women could only have one child each year, and it has been that way ever since.

And so, the world was created—formed from a tiny piece of mud and shaped by Grandfather Buzzard's wings. The sun was set in its path, and the animals and people found their places in this new world, balanced and beautiful, as it remains to this day.