How the Woodpecker came to be – Cherokee As told to Marsha Tate Cowan, by her Grandfather Sherman Anderson, and told to me (Tim Meeks) by her. A long time ago at the time our people first encountered the White people, there was a cabin that set off away from their main town. A man and woman live in it by themselves. He was a wood carver, and she was a very beautiful, red-haired, fair complexioned person. By day, he would go work while she kept house and cooked. One day while she was making bread, an old Indian man from a nearby village came upon the cabin. He had been out gathering herbs for medicine and had not eaten in days. He smelled the bread and approached the cabin in hopes of whetting his appetite. He asked the pretty redheaded lady if she would feed a tired, old man. She told him to leave. She said she didn't have food to give away. The old man never said a word and left. He had never been so treated in all his life. It was the custom of our people to share even with a stranger who was in need. Now he was a very powerful man with much knowledge and respected as a great conjuror among his people. He went about his way and continued gathering herbs. The next day, the white woman baked pies. The old Indian man smelled these pies and said to himself, I am going to go see if I can get some food. He again approached the cabin, and again was sent away without food. The next day he went back to see the white woman. As he approached, she saw him coming and very angrily told him she had no food to give him…that her husband and she toiled every day for the food they ate and if he wished to eat, he must work. The old man looked at her and said, "From this day you will know hunger as I have. You and your husband will continue to work in the woods. Your days will be spent searching for food and you will always be hungry. You will know what it means to work for what you eat. As he turned to walk away, the woman slowly began to change. The black dress she wore, the white apron, her bright red hair began to change to feathers. As the old man left the clearing, a black and white bird was seen flying through the forest. This bird had a red head, just like the white woman. To this day, you will see the woodpecker flying from tree to tree, hunting, pecking, constantly looking for food, never getting enough to eat. Chikamaka Story Cherokee submitted by Gvnidigardi