How Raccoon Got His Mask - A Seneca Folk Tale

A long time ago, Raccoon had no mask. It was the coldest winter ever and Raccoon had to follow people around to steal their food. One night the Ancestors lit a fire to keep them warm as it was a very cold night. The fire had gone out and Raccoon quietly crept into the longhouse. Raccoon put his nose down to sniff at the food and his nose fell on the hot ashes of the fire which had burned out only recently. It stung horribly and Raccoon went outside to put his nose in the snow to cool it down but the ashes stuck to Raccoon's face forever. The moral of the story is not to steal from people, for there are consequences.