In the old days, they say, the raven and the owl were white. One day they met in the tundra, a raven said:
- We're both white. Let's paint each other! The owl answered the raven:
- Well, let's try what comes of this. The raven was delighted and shouted:
- That’s great, let’s start!
Then the raven said to the owl:
- First you paint me, and then I’ll paint you. The owl replied:
- After all, you were the first to suggest painting, so be the first to start too. Decorate me first, and then I will decorate you properly.
Raven replied:
- Well, let it be your way: first I’ll decorate you.
The raven took the remains of the black fat that had burned in the lamp and began to carefully decorate each owl feather with a large feather from its tail. I painted gray spots on each feather: larger ones on the wings, smaller ones on the chest and back. Having finished, he said:
- Wow! How beautiful I made you. Now look at yourself! The owl looked at itself from all sides and answered:
- True, I have become beautiful, with spots! Then the crow said:
“And now I’ll make you as handsome as you’ve ever been.” Get ready!
The raven turned towards the sun, squinted his eyes and froze so that the owl could paint him well.
The owl just as diligently decorated the crow, but he didn’t even move with pleasure. When the owl finished decorating the raven, she examined it from all sides, and then looked carefully at herself; It turned out that the raven became more beautiful than her. The owl became angry with envy, approached the raven and doused him from head to toe with the remains of burnt fat. The raven turned completely black. The owl immediately flew away. The raven rubbed his eyes and began to shout:
- Clawed, big-eyed, what have you done? Made me black, made me noticeable!
Since then, the crows have become black and are saturated with the remains of grease from the lamp forever. That's my whole fairy tale.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru