Why the Snowy Owl Is White

One day an eagle owl, which is actually an owl, was flying over the gold-and-orange tree that the Owl King lived in. The owl, whose name was Nycte, or Nye, circled the tree and landed on a branch at the very top, which had been painted a deep green. Nycte then glided down to the area where other owls could nest. He stayed for the night.

The next day, the Owl King, who was a wise great gray owl named Owliver, announced a coat-making contest. “Whoever makes the most elegant coat will be rewarded with one billion talos,” the king said. Three talos are equal to five human cents.

Nycte got to work. He collected pigeon feathers and was painting them a bright white when the Owl King said, “One minute!”

Nycte quickly painted the rest of the feathers and put them on. Other contestants put on deep black coats with silver stripes or glowing yellow-and-orange coats. As they reflected the sun, Nycte’s feathers nearly blinded the other surprised and envious contestants with their brilliance. Just to make the coat even prettier, Nycte took starts out of the sky and rays from the moon and put them on his coat.

The proud Nycte was the winner! With his prize money, Nycte migrated to the Arctic, where the color of the white-and-gray snow and ice matched his white coat. Because of that, he became the Owl King there.

Nycte married another owl who had happened to be up north. The female owl made a white coat with stars and moon rays and put it on. All the brown owls there got the idea and also donned white feathers and became snowy owls. Even until today, it is still the same with these brilliant white owls.