Jennifer Parks - The Raven Who Stole the Sun

Ink and watercolor on paper // 19.7"5x24.75" (framed 22"x28")

​The Raven Who Stole the Sun
This giant Raven, who has been around since the beginning of time, was living amongst all the other animals in the darkness. He got tired of bumping around in the dark and the animals were tired of being so cold. 
He decided he had to do something and went on a search to find help. He came upon a little house with an old man and his daughter. Inside the house, there were boxes upon boxes stacked from floor to ceiling. From one of those boxes buried deep, the Raven noticed a light peeking out. 
He watched through the window for days until he witnessed the old man opening the box. The most beautiful brightest fiery orb was inside. He knew it wasn’t right to selfishly keep such a thing to yourself, especially when the rest of the world was suffering. 
He thought and thought, and finally came up with a plan. He waited until the old man's daughter came to the river to gather water. Then the Raven changed himself into a single hemlock needle and dropped himself into the river, just as the girl was dipping her water-basket into the river. 
As she drank from the basket, she swallowed the needle. It slipped and slithered down into her warm belly, where the Raven transformed himself again, this time into a tiny human. After sleeping and growing there for a very long time, at last the Raven emerged into the world once more, this time as a human infant. 
Even though he had a rather strange appearance, the Raven's grandfather loved him. But the old man threatened dire punishment if he ever touched the precious treasure box. Nonetheless the Ravenchild begged and begged to be allowed to hold the light just for a moment. 
In time the old man yielded, and lifted from the box a warm and glowing sphere, which he threw to his grandson. 
As the light was moving toward him, the human child transformed into a gigantic black shadowy bird-form, wings spread ready for flight, and beak open in anticipation. As the beautiful ball of light reached him, the Raven captured it in his beak! 
Moving his powerful wings, he burst through the smokehole in the roof of the house, and escaped into the darkness with his stolen treasure. 
​And that is how light came into the universe.