How the Cardinal Got Its Color

Once upon a time long ago, in what is Arizona today, the cardinal was just a regular white bird with an unusually strange taste for cranberries. So one day Cardinal and his friend, Blue Jay, went off to pick some cranberries for a snack. But Cardinal and Blue Jay had thought they picked clean every single berry tree.

But Cardinal and Blue Jay set off to find another berry tree. But by the time Cardinal and Blue Jay reached the last tree, two other birds beat them there. So Cardinal flew over to the other birds and asked one if he wanted to race for the berry tree. And Mr. Pigeon said, "Sure! Let the best bird win!"

The course would be around the first three trees and across the river and the first who reaches the berry tree wins. So the pigeon and the cardinal were at the starting line. Then Blue Jays shouted, "On your mark, get set, Fly!"

And Cardinal was first out of the start and around the first two trees. But Mr. Pigeon passed him like nothing and Cardinal knew for sure he lost. So Cardinal decided to cut around the last tree. But by the time Cardinal cut around the tree, Pigeon was already across the river and heading for the finish line. But when Cardinal flew over the river, a wind current made him dive down toward the berry tree and as soon as he hit the tree, all the berries splattered over Cardinal and soon Cardinal was dyed the color red.

And that's how cardinals got their dark, red color.