Lenape Folktale

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Retold by The Legendary Connection

TLC#00006

This is about the little raccoons and what the Lenape (Delaware) say caused them to have little marks on their eyes.

Once upon a time, there was a little raccoon who was very good at sneaking into all kinds of places. One day, some of the other animals wanted some firewood. So they told the raccoon, "Little raccoon, you should go to the camps where the people are and borrow some firewood for us!"

The little raccoon thought this was a good idea. So off he went, his paws pattering along the forest floor, all the way to the camps where the fires were crackling. He saw sticks glowing with flame and covered in black soot. Instead of asking to borrow firewood, the little raccoon reached out and grabbed a stick that had already burned at one end.

But as he was running back, he tripped and fell! The charred, smoky sticks fell right across his face, leaving black marks around his eyes. The little raccoon jumped up and tried to brush them off, but the marks wouldn’t go away.

From that day on, the little raccoon carried the marks around his eyes. And all the people would tell the young ones, “Remember the story of the little raccoon. Don’t take what isn’t yours, or you too will carry a mark of shame.”

And that’s why, even today, all raccoons have little dark marks around their eyes—to remind us all that it’s important to be honest and never steal.

Original Source: The tale was told by Told by Nora Thompson Dean and recorded by W. W. Newcomb.  

https://delawaretribe.org/wp-content/uploads/Why-the-Raccoon-Has-Marks-on-His-Face.pdf