An Australian Aboriginal legend tells that when the world was
new, the Earth was dark because the sky lay very close to the
ground. This was a bad thing for all the animals because few of
them could see to hunt and roam about, so they gathered together in
council and discussed what to do.
It was the Crows who came up with the idea of trying to raise
the sky. With the approval of the others, they began looking about
for long forked sticks to use as tools. With these implements held
in their beaks, they pried at the edge of the sky where it touched
the Earth. Eventually, the very hem of darkness parted, and when
the first sliver of light came through the crack, the other animals
were encouraged and began working with the Crows. All labouring
together, they pushed with the forked sticks against the darkness
until it was slowly raised into its proper position and the world
was bright with sunshine. The sticks were left in place to hold the
sky forever above the world.
Even today, Crows are observed to be tool-users, a remnant of
the ability they used when they first brought light to the world,
and they are among the first to greet the morning sun from the
tallest of the Sky Forks.