I read this cute fable about how the raccoon got it's stripes the other day and since I've got a real story telling bug, i thought I'd write it down here as adapted by me biggrin
So here it goes!
How the Raccoon Got His Markings
a fable adapted by Hana Williams
Like so many animals, Raccoon didn't always have the distinctive markings we know him for today; long, long ago his coat was silky grey all over. He has however always been rather crafty, which is why on this particular morning, we find him just leaving his work shed where he had been fiddling with one of his many projects all throughout the night.
This wasn't the first time Raccoon had gotten caught up in what he was doing and stayed up all night. He was actually becoming quit accustomed to this lifestyle, but now the sun was rising and it was time to go home and sleep the day away.
Now Raccoon's neighbor happened to be Mr. Crow. Raccoon and Crow are both terribly fond of shiny things, so it's no surprise that Raccoon's eye was caught by the morning sun glinting off the chest of lovely clockworks Crow was displaying in his front window.
Crow had found a discarded clock the day before and found it's mechanism's so lovely that he decided to bring them home for his collection. That's not the important part though, what matters is that Raccoon decided right then and there that he would steal those clockworks from Crow to use in his project. He didn't quite know what he would use them for, but he knew they were beautiful and beautiful things make very project better, right?
Raccoon went into his house then and slept until dusk. He then woke up and put together a thief's disguise: a black mask over his eyes, black gloves for his hands and black boots for his feet. He then took his lamp and snuck over to crows house.
Raccoon had it all planned out. He would stand outside and rattle Crows door and make noises like a ghost until Crow became frightened and fled out his back door! Then he would sneak in and take those beautiful clockworks for himself!
Crow, meanwhile was sitting in his front room reading and was of course startled when he heard the racket at the door. Crow was a lot braver than Raccoon took him for though, and thinking it was a thief at his door Crow took up a bat and went bursting out the front door and into the forest after the supposed thief.
Raccoon was shocked into stillness for just a moment before slipping inside.
"Either way, he's out of the house!" Raccoon snickered to himself as he leisurely walked up to the chest and opened the lid, admiring the treasure inside for...just a moment too long! He could hear Crow returning already!
No need to panic though! Raccoon was a sly fellow, and since he couldn't hold both the lantern and his treasure in his arms and run at the same time, he quickly slid several of the gears over his tail, held the handle of the lamp in his mouth and ran on all fours out the back door just before Crow returned home to discover the burglary.
Raccoon tumbled through his own back door, exhilarated by what he had just done!
He was also exhausted, so he shed his thief's disguise and left it on the floor, stashed the clockworks under his bed and fell right to sleep, despite having slept though the day.
The next morning Raccoon was startled awake by none other that Crow knocking at his door. Crow asked if he had seen anything suspicious last night and Raccon said he hadn't, which is mostly true. He hadn't seen anything suspicious because he had been Doing something suspicious.
Raccoon claimed that he had gone to bed early last night and hadn't seen another living soul until this moment, which was also mostly true, and Crow was inclined to believe his neighbor.
The exchanged good mornings and Raccoon was just turning to go back into his home when he heard Crow gasp,
"Raccoon! I know you did it! You stole my clockworks last night!!"
Raccoon froze! How could Crow possibly know it was him?
He looked over his shoulder at the bird, ready to defend himself, when he noticed for the first time the stripes of black grease left behind be the gears ringing his tail.
Raccoon was caught.
He returned the clockworks and apologized, but Crow wasn't angry. He appreciated a good trick as much as Raccoon did!
He did not however think it right for Raccoon to completely unpunished, so Crow cursed him to forever wear the marks of the thief on his fur, which he does to this day.
Raccoon even grew to love his new coat, but he never did learn his lesson.
The End
^____^
DeepDarkHana Community Member 
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