How the Milky Way was created

A Tale by the Native American Navajo, to be told in winter only.

When the Holy People created the stars, they thought up a detailed pattern of their constellations as a guide for mankind. Haasch’eezhini or Black God, son of Fire and Comet, climbed up a ladder, carefully placed crystals onto the night sky, and gave each one a spark of light. Coyote wanted to help him, but grew impatient with the slowness of this process. He grabbed the buckskin with the remaining stars, and tossed them into the sky all at once. That’s how the Milky Way was created.