Raven (Yeil) announced that he was going to give a feast. He carried a huge salmon up from the beach and all the time he kept calling, "My dear little nephews, my dear little grandchildren, I need your help. We are going to give a feast." As he called, little birds of every color and shape began to fly to him. There were red birds, yellow, brown, blue birds, hundreds of little birds that came to help him.

He dug a shallow pit and then said to the birds, "While I am digging the pit, you get skunk cabbage leaves and sea weeds for us to wrap the salmon in. And you, red and yellow birds, go and get twigs for the fire." The little birds flew away. They were back soon and Yeil had all the things he needed.

He asked the little birds, "My little nephews and my little grandchildren,

It was beginning to get dark when the little birds returned, each with a twig and very weary from their long flight. Raven said, "You were gone for so long that someone stole our salmon and ate it up." The poor little birds, weary from their long journey, just put up their little wings, up over their heads, sat in the light of the last glow of the coals and slept.

Among the birds was Blue Jay, Yeil's favorite grandchild. Yeil said to Blue Jay, "Come here my grandchild. Sit by me so I can comb your hair." Yeil while tying up Blue Jay's hair would sneak a bit of salmon which he had saved and put it in Blue Jay's mouth. That is why today blue jays have feathers sticking up in the back of their heads.

By: Elaine Abraham