The Sun and the Moon

In the beginning when the ancient ones were making all the creatures that would live on earth, the sun asked for a bird that would fly in the sky and keep him company. The ancient ones respected the sun so much they decided to make him a bird that would equal the sun in radiance. They gave his bird the gift of courage so that it could fly highest and closest to the sun without fear of being burned with sight that traveled as far as sunlight, and on the bird's chest were laid feathers the color of a sunset. And so it was, the hawk was born.

When the moon saw the bird that was given to the sun, she sighed and asked the ancient ones for a bird of her own. The ancient ones loved the moon so much they decided to make her a bird that would rival the bird given to the sun, but her bird would fly only at night so that it would not anger the sun. They gave her bird the gift of silent flight and sight to see in the darkness, they shaped her bird's face like a full moon and on the bird's chest were laid feathers the color of moonlight. And so it was, the owl was born.

At the moment in the beginning when each bird was made, they chanced to glance at each other. The hawk saw the owl and thought nothing could be more beautiful, and the owl saw the hawk and thought nothing could be more magnificent. But fate had it that one would fly during the light of day and the other would fly during the dark of night, and both birds were sad at the thought that they would not fly together.

The sun took his hawk and the hawk lived in the sunlight sky, a free and beautiful life. And the moon took her owl and the owl lived in the dark of the night sky, a free and beautiful life. But both birds were sad and longed for each other.

One night the owl thought that she could leave a feather below the Tree of Life, a sign for the hawk to find the next day. She hoped that the hawk would see the feather and remember her. Her plan was to wait there in the tree until night slips into the light of day to see if the hawk would come and fly in the first rays of sunlight in the sky above her, and so she left a feather and then she waited for the hawk.

As she sat there, the moment the sun started to come up, the hawk flew over in the sky above her and cried out to her. She opened her wings and flew up silently and followed the hawk and they flew together in the dawn sky. It was just for those moments when darkness slips into light, and then she left the hawk to fly in the light of day and to be with the sun.

When she came out that night, the hawk sat in the tree waiting for her. He flew up and followed her and they flew together in the dusk sky. It was just for those moments when light slips into darkness, and then he left the owl to fly in the dark of night and to be with the moon.

And so it is, through all time that the hawk and the owl fly together at dawn and dusk, in those moments between day and night, the magic hour.