In the beginning, water covered everything. Living things existed, but above the rainbow, and it was very crowded. "We're all jammed together," exclaimed the animals.

They wondered what was under the water so they sent Water Beetle to skim the surface. There was no dry land on the surface so he dove down and got some soft mud. This mud magically spread to form the earth we live on. Someone Powerful then fastened it to the sky with rawhide ropes. It was still moist and the animals were sending down birds to see if it was dry. They then sent Grandfather Buzzard down. He noticed that the land was much harder than before. However Grandfather Buzzard was worn out. Wherever his wings touched down a valley was formed; whenever he swept them up a mountain was made.

"If he keeps on there will be only mountains."

So they made him return. That's why there are so many mountains in the Cherokee areas. Now the earth was dry enough, they needed light. So they pulled Sun from the other side of the rainbow. But, he was too close. Crawfish stuck its back out of the stream and the sun turned it red. They asked the shamans to push it further away, yet it was still too hot. When the sun was the height of four men the animals were satisfied. Before making humans, Someone Powerful had created plants and animals and had told them to stay awake at night. Most of them fell asleep before time was up. But, the Owl and the Mountain Lion stayed awake. So they received the ability to hunt in the night. Among the plants, only Cedar, Pine, Holly, Laurel stayed awake. So they didn't shed their leaves in the winter. Next Someone Powerful created man and his sister. Then he poked her with a fish and told her to give birth. After seven days, she gave birth. On every seventh day she would give birth. Someone Powerful decided that the world would become too overcrowded with humans. He arranged things to where a woman could only have one child every year.