Native American Creation Story:

Why humming birds do not sing

Before hummingbirds used to do more than hum, they were singing-birds that sang. They sang even better than the ancient Sky Spirits. All the other bird that lived in the Sky world were jealous and therefore did not like these birds.

But the singing-birds had a flaw too, they could not fly like the rest of the birds. They sang all day to entertain themselves and get flying off their minds.

As days passed the birds wished to fly too, hearing tales from the other birds and all the land they saw and traveled through.

The singing-birds finally couldn't stand it and decided to pay a visit to the majestic swan spirit. They had to walk us a mountain to reach him. They couldn't fly there like the rest.

Finally at the top the singing-birds found the swan spirit sleeping. They began to sing, in an attempt to wake the spirit up. But the spirit only fell into deeper sleep for the birds voices were to sweet. The Swan Spirit was a perfectly white bright bird with no stains markings

They had a problem here and didn't know how to wake up the swan. They spotted a small rock and decided to wake the spirit up with it. They threw the rock in attempt to wake the swan. The rock flew at a great speed striking the swan’s eye. It began to bleed an ugly black liquid.

The Swan arose in a crying alarm and screamed in pain, the black blood now covered its eye and around. That is why swans have black covered eyes and are not fully white.

The spirit in anger cursed the singing birds down to the human realm. He took away their singing abilities and cast them down.

In the free falling even the birds went down and down for a very long way. In an attempt to lessen the fall the pack of singing birds fluttered their wings to lose speed.

For a long time the birds did this, finally being able to glide and eventually fly, they reached earth later after learning.

The birds in joy began to sing in happiness, but nothing came out, only hymns that were hummed.

They realized what the swan had also done as well and quietly hummed a sad song. This is why hummingbirds hum and not sing.

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