Once Raven was very white like the snow on the tundra and so was Owl. One day, while sitting on a rock looking for rabbbits, Raven flew down and landed beside the white owl.

They had known each other for a very long time and were always challenging one another to see which was the strongest. Raven sat down on the rock next to his old friend.

"Let's wrestle," said Raven.

"I do not want to fight you today," answered Owl.

But the white raven did not listen.

"Let's wrestle," he repeated.

"I do not want to wrestle. I do not feel like it today" replied the white owl.

But Raven still would not listen and started to wrestle with the unwilling Owl.

They rolled around the ground and when Owl saw a mud puddle, he pushed Raven into it. The black mud covered his entire body. No white remained at all! Raven was very mad because he was so muddy and because Owl had pushed him in.

"Friend Owl," said the mischievous bird, "give me a hand so that I can get out of this mud hole."

But the white owl was wise to Raven's tricks and deceits.

"No." he said. "You are the one who started the fight. I said that I didn't want to wrestle today."

Raven thought for a minute and then said, "Friend, if you help me out I will give you half of my possessions."

So Owl reached down and pulled Raven out of the thick, black mud. Raven was still covered from head to foot and he was no longer white like the snow.

As soon as he was out, the black bird shook his feathers and mud flew all over the place. Some of it splattered on Owl's white feathers, leaving him spotted with small black specks.

To this day ravens are entirely black and owls are spotted.