The Singing Scoutmaster: Creation of Turtle Continent, The

Long ago, before the world we know came into being, there was another world. It was a place full of people and animals, but the people did not behave as they should. They quarreled and were disrespectful to each other and the land. The Creating Power, watching from above, grew displeased with their actions. He knew it was time to begin anew, to create a new world that would be free from such disharmony.

To bring about this change, the Creating Power began to sing. As he sang the first song, rain began to fall from the sky. He sang the second song, and the rain fell harder, the wind howling across the land. By the third song, the rain became a torrential downpour, flooding rivers and valleys. When he sang the fourth song, the very earth split apart. Water gushed up through the cracks, causing a great flood that swallowed the land.

The floodwaters rose higher and higher, drowning the people and nearly all of the animals. When the rain finally stopped, only one creature remained alive—Kangi the crow. Kangi flew desperately above the endless water, crying out to the Creating Power, pleading for a place to land. The Creating Power took pity on Kangi and decided that the time had come to make a new world.

Reaching into his great pipe bag, which held all types of animals and birds, the Creating Power selected four creatures known for their ability to stay underwater for long periods. He called upon the loon first. "Loon, dive down and bring back a lump of mud from beneath the floodwaters," he commanded. Loon dove deep into the dark waters, but no matter how hard it tried, it could not reach the bottom. The Creating Power then called upon the otter. Using its strong webbed feet, otter swam down, deeper and deeper, but it too failed to bring back any mud.

Next, beaver, with its large, flat tail, was sent down into the depths. It swam strongly, but it too returned empty-handed. The Creating Power looked into his bag and chose the last creature—the turtle. "Turtle, I need you to bring me a piece of the earth from beneath the waters," he said. Turtle nodded and slipped beneath the surface. It stayed down so long that everyone thought it had drowned. But then, with a great splash, turtle broke through the surface, mud clinging to its feet and claws, and packed between the cracks of its shell.

The Creating Power smiled and gently took the mud from turtle's feet. Singing softly, he shaped the mud in his hands and spread it over the waters. At first, it was only a small patch, just big enough for the Creating Power and Kangi to stand on. But he continued to sing, shaking two long eagle wing feathers over the mud. As he did, the land began to grow. It spread wide and far, forming hills, valleys, and plains. Soon, the waters were pushed back, and dry land emerged. The Creating Power cried tears of joy and sadness, and those tears became the oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams that we see today.

In honor of turtle's great sacrifice, the Creating Power named the new land Turtle Continent. He reached into his pipe bag once more and released many animals and birds across the Earth, filling the land with life. Then, using red, white, black, and yellow earth, he fashioned the first men and women. He breathed life into them and gave them his sacred pipe, saying, "Live by this pipe and honor all that I have created. Remember the fate of those who came before you. If you treat each other and the land with respect, all will be well. But if you make this world bad and ugly, it too will be destroyed."

The people listened carefully and promised to live in harmony with the land, animals, and each other. They spread out across Turtle Continent, carrying with them the wisdom of the Creating Power and the memory of the great flood. And so, a new world was born, shaped by the hands of the Creator, with Turtle's strength beneath it, carrying the Earth on its back for all time.