Long ago in Sky World, Bear lumbered out of his den, and at the same time, the birds awoke, too.

"Time to hunt," Chickadee called to Robin.

"I'm ready to hunt Bear," Robin answered. He called to the others, to Owl, Heron and Hawk.

All that season they followed Bear as he fattened himself on summer's abundant food, and when autumn came, Robin shot an arrow at Bear's chest, which killed Bear.

"We will prepare a marvelous feast," Robin said, and Chickadee agreed, but suddenly Robin looked down at his feathers, which were covered with Bear's blood.

Frantic, he began to fly around, shaking his feathers. A few drops of blood fell to the Earth, making the leaves on the trees turn dazzling red.

"Look at your breast," Chickadee cried, and Robin looked down. Sure enough, his breast was as red as the maple leaves. ιたwWW.faＩRy-ＴaｌE．Ｉｎｆoο#へソ8へ

"I believe your breast will always be that color," Heron cried, and Hawk, Chickadee, and Owl agreed. And, as everyone knows, they were right.

"Time to cook our feast," the birds declared, and they began to work together, for in the Sky World, as on Earth, everyone helps everyone else.

While Chickadee prepared the food, the others began to dance a dance of thanksgiving. They danced and thanked Bear for making this feast possible, and thanked each other for helping to prepare the feast. When they had given thanks, they ate.

But this was not the end of Bear, as some might think. While the birds danced, Bear's spirit rose and entered another Bear who lay in his den, preparing for a long winter's sleep.

When spring came again, this Bear too left his den, and the others again hunted him, and when he was killed, his spirit moved to the next bear sleeping in his den.

So, in this way, the cycle of life continued forever.