In the spring Bear woke up from his long sleep in his den in the Sky Land, the cradle of seven stars that make up the Northern Crown. He was hungry and came to The Lower World in search of food. It was a good spring and summer with lots of berries in the bush and fish in the river. But Bear eventually grew bored so in the Fall he left for the Deep Wood to meet up with the animals of The Great Council. Bear was lonely but he was mostly selfish and proud and he loved to show his strength. Soon he came upon Deer eating grass by the forest edge and Deer said to him, "Why did you come to this forest? This is land of Hawk and Deer, why did you not wait until all the animals could come to live here?" Then Bear grew angry for only Hawk, who was the wise leader of The Great Council, could ask questions like this. Bear said he would kill the deer so he raised his head, showed his terrible pointy teeth, and extended his long sharp claws for Deer to see. Deer was not afraid. He said to Bear, "You have made trouble among the animals long enough and I shall make sure you never do so again."Hawk, sensing trouble, flew in to help but Deer had already tossed his head and with it his long sharp horns. Deer's eyes were wild with fury. The struggle was long and mighty causing Hawk to fly away to shelter.Badly hurt, Bear ran back up to his den in the Sky Land. His wounds were many and as the blood ran from his chest the seven stars of the Northern crown glowed with crimson which rained down to The Lower World below in a sienna hue--falling like a haze onto all of the leaves below. Now every year the leaves of the trees turn a warm red-brown color and the forests are filled with supernatural beauty. This is when the People say that the blood of the Bear has again been thrown down from the sky den onto the trees of the land. 
