Owl, Dove, & Raven

Jackfish Crow had heard these stories, and others very much like them, and he knew that he must be brave and clever and true in finding his sister. Thus the very next thing he did was call out in the language of the owls, “Come and find me, my cousin. We have not spoken for some time, yet I ask for the aid you would give my father if he asked.” Upon these words, it was not so very long before a great horned owl appeared overhead, landing on a branch with silent wings. The Jackfish made appropriate greetings to an owl of such stature, bowing before him.

“I remember well teaching you the whole of our songs,” the owl said to the Jackfish. “And I remember such stories as you taught us, and am still grateful for these. What favor have you to ask?”

The Jackfish showed the owl his mutilated hand and said, “If you could find a new finger for me, I would be in your debt. I need only one, and for a finger you shall always be welcome in my home, for all the years I have on this earth.” The owl seemed to find this acceptable, and flew soundlessly into the forest.

With nothing else to do but wait, the Jackfish unbound his hand, and gazed upon at the bloodless lips of flesh puckered around pearls of bone. He had not even the time to count all his remaining fingers, before the owl returned bearing a jackrabbit in his talons. “Soon,” said the owl, “I will have your finger.” So speaking, the owl proceeded to make a meal of the jackrabbit, and had stripped it to nothing but polished bone as the sand strips the flesh from its own victims. The owl picked out the bones of the jackrabbit’s legs and carried them to the Jackfish. “Give me your hand, and I shall give you a finger.” The Jackfish did as the owl requested, and the owl placed the bones of the jackrabbit where the Jackfish’s second finger once was, then tied them in place with scraps of skin.

No sooner was this done, then the Jackfish found he had a second finger again. He thanked the owl, saying, “Wherever I may make my home, you and all owls are welcome.” This pleased the owl, who thus went on his way, glad to have seen the Jackfish again.

Jackfish Crow next spoke in the language of the doves, saying, “Where are you hiding, my cousin? We have not spoken for these many years, but my father has done much for you, and thus I ask you aid his son with only the smallest of favors.” And with these words, it was not so very long before he heard the soft cooing of his cousin the dove. The Jackfish followed the sounds of her voice until he found her in the bough of a bush, and made the appropriate greetings for such a lady as she was.

“I remember how your face was lit with joy to hear our songs,” said the dove to the Jackfish. “and I remember as well such wonderful stories as you had told us in return. Such memories are a treasure for all doves. What favor would you ask?”

He showed the dove his mutilated hand and said, “If you would find a new finger for me, I shall be thereafter in your debt. I need only one, and for such a small task you shall be welcome in my home for however long I live.” The dove considered this for a moment and then instructed the Jackfish to fetch for her a catfish from the river. “Do this for me,” she said,” and you shall have your new finger soon enough.”

He remembered well all the pike had taught him, even over the long past years, thus it did not take long for the Jackfish to find the eddies in the river where the catfish dwelt, and bring back one for the dove. She told him how he must dress the fish, and how he must cook the fish. She told him to eat all the fish himself, save a few tiny morsels he fed to the dove. At last, when only bones were left, the dove carefully picked out all the fine, clear bones of the catfish’s ribs. “Give me your hand,” she told the Jackfish, “and I shall give you a finger.” He did as the dove requested, and she placed the bones of the catfish where his third finger once had been. She bound them around together with fine green leaves from the blackthorn bush and bound them all to his hand with a green twig.

As soon as she was finished, the Jackfish found he had a third finger again. “Wherever I make my home, you and all other doves shall be welcome.” This made the dove quite happy, and she consented to give the Jackfish a feather before he went on his way, leaving his cousin pleased to have seen him again.

When he was far from the dove, the Jackfish spoke again, in the language of the ravens, very much like the language of crows. “Come, my sister. I have returned to the forest after all these seasons past. Should we not find each other again? I have a favor I would ask of you.” Upon these words, it was not so very long before he heard the raven’s cry. He followed the sound, and soon enough he came upon a tree where he met a raven. He greeted her as if she were his sister, as all ravens were sisters to all crows.

“I remember when you did not know the first song, and how eager you were to learn every song thereafter,” said the raven to the Jackfish. “I remember all the stories I told you ’til there none were left, but you had new stories to tell me. What favor may I do for you?”

He showed the raven his hand, with but a single finger missing, and said, “If you could find a new finger for me, I would be once more in your debt. I have one finger yet missing, and for such a small thing, I would always make you welcome in my home for however long I have the sky above my head and the earth below my feet.” The raven appeared very amused, but bowed her head and simply told the Jackfish to follow her.

She flew from tree to tree until she came to her nest, and there she stopped to pull a few twigs and bits of dried grass from her home. She said, “You know as well as I that there is no need to offer your home to me, for I would do any favor for my brother’s own son. Now, give me your hand and you shall be whole again soon enough.” Jackfish Crow offered his hand to the raven, and she bound the twigs and straw from her nest to the place where his finger once had been. No sooner were they in place, then the Jackfish found he had a fourth finger again. “Your home will always be where your hand is,” said the raven. “And you will always be able to find your home.”

“My thanks to you, sister raven,” said the Jackfish. “Please tell my father I am well, and that I shall soon find my sister.” And so the Jackfish and the raven said their farewells, and he was ready at last to find his twin.