Creation Myth - The Raccoon And The Blacksmith

The Raccoon and the Blacksmith

Many years ago there was an amazing blacksmith who made the most beautiful rings anywhere. The rings were very rare and very valuable. The blacksmith only gave them to the most deserving of animals, that is to say, the noblest. For instance, the lions were given a ring to wear around they're neck, but we call it their mane.

This story, though, has to do with the mischievous raccoon. The raccoon desperately wanted a ring but was clearly undeserving due to his solitude and lack of general helpfulness. The raccoon was thinking about how to get a ring, but he kept having one reoccurring idea: steal it, for this is the way the raccoon thought, not nobly but dishonestly.

On the decided night, the raccoon ventured out to find the blacksmith's forge. He searched it all over and finally found five rings in a drawer. The raccoon instinctively threw his hand out to snatch the rings, but he dropped one. Because of the thickness of the ring it made a loud thud when it hit the ground.

 The blacksmith immediately ran into the room. He found the raccoon holding four rings and picking up the fifth. The blacksmith had an extremely short temper. He then told the raccoon, "If you desire a ring so greatly you're willing to steal from me then you can have them!"

To the raccoon's surprise, there was much more to the blacksmith than appeared; apparently the blacksmith wielded supernatural powers which he used on the raccoon. "You and your kin shall remember this mistake forever. You'll get the rings, but they won't be the beautiful gold before you," said the blacksmith, "instead you'll have an everlasting mark placed upon you." The blacksmith placed five rings on the raccoon's tail, the mark of the thief.