Oban's Myths & Legends
How the Sky came to be
By Laura Beeston age 11
Grade 6 Grosvenor School
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada
Before the stars, when the earth was long and flat, and the moon was cold and plain, there lived a spirit named Obweji.
Obweji was very powerful because he was the Spirit of the Sky. He owned the universe and the great flat earth. He had many servants on earth, they were all afraid of him and did his bidding.
They were all happy when Obweji lifted and went up to his big dark sky again.
On earth there was a beautiful maiden named Pateka. Her hair was the colour of a ravens wing and her eyes sparkled like the fire. She was kind and respectful to her people and she loved the sun.
One day Obweji came down to Pateka's village to choose a bride.
All the people were obligated to give forth their daughters and the families who didn't were killed.
When Obweji saw Pateka he chose her right away because of her great beauty. When Pateka was given to him she cried and cried but went with him for the sake of her people.
She cried many nights after and the only thing that pleased her was staring into the sun for many hours. Obweji was sorry but very mad at Pateka for being disrespectful to him.
One night Pateka told Obweji, " I am leaving you because you are cruel to my people!!"
The words shocked Obweji and he became furious at her. He grabbed her stone necklace from her neck. But Pateka was too quick and darted away from him. He held the broken necklace as she ran away never to be seen again.
Obweji was so overcome by anger that he threw all the beads in the sky, and there they stopped and shone like diamonds in day and night.
Obweji was ashamed and scared to face his people, he felt weak and thought about his lost love all the time. A few days later Obweji started to cry.
He picked up his earth and rolled it very slowly in his big hands then he turned faster and faster until his palms hurt and his head ached. He was so sad that he went to the moon and slept for 4 days.
Then he died of a broken heart.
The servants were overjoyed because they didn't have to work for him anymore. But they would be reminded of him when they looked at his image on the moon.
And Pateka? She ran to the spirit of the sun and married him. They were very happy and had many children.
They named them, Venus, Mercury , Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus ,Pluto and Neptune. They lived happily ever after.
And that is how the sky came to be.
The End
