The Rabbit and the Saw-Whet (Owl)

In the following menominee myth, the origin
of day and night is accounted for.

On time as Wapus (the rabbit) was traveling
along through the forest, he came to a clearing
on the bank of a river, where he saw perched on a twig,
Totoba, the saw-whet owl. The light was obscure,
and the rabbit could not see very well, so he said
to the saw-whet, “Why do you wont it so dark?
I do not like it, so I will cause it to be daylight.”
Then the saw-whet said, “If you are powerful
enough, do so. Let us try our powers, and whoever
succeeds may decide as he prefers.”

Then the rabbit and the owl called together all the birds
and the beast to witness the contest, and when they had
assembled the two informed then what to occur.
Some of the birds and beasts wanted the rabbit to succeed,
so that it might be light; others wished the saw-whet to
win the contest, so that it might remain dark.

Then both rabbit and the saw-whet began, the former
repeating rapidly the words “wabon, wabon” (light, light),
while the owl kept repeating “unitipaqkot, unitipaqkot”
(dark, dark). Should owl make a mistake and repeat his
opponent’s word, the erring one would lose.
So the rabbit kept on saying, “wabon, wabon,”
and the saw-whet “unitipaqkot, unitipaqkot,”
each being watched and urged by his followers;
but finally the owl accidentally repeated after the rabbit the word
“wabon,” when he lost and surrendered the contest.

The Rabbit then decided that it should be light:
but he granted that night should have a chance for
the benefit of the conquered.

This was taken from an old manual written by a Mokahmon