Quetzalcoatl

The wind whispers my name through the jungle leaves, and the sun glints off my scales of jade. I am Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, and long ago, I was a king to a wonderful people. This is the myth of how I brought great gifts to the world, and why I had to leave it behind.

I ruled in a beautiful city called Tollan, where the sun always seemed to shine brighter just for us. As king, my greatest joy was teaching my people everything they needed to live happy and peaceful lives. I showed them how to look at the stars in the night sky to understand when to plant their crops. I taught them how to grow corn that came in all the colors of the rainbow—yellow, red, blue, and even white. We were not warriors who fought in battles. We were artists, farmers, and builders. I showed my people how to polish green jade stones until they gleamed like water and how to weave the bright feathers of birds into amazing pictures. They loved me, and I loved them more than anything.

But not everyone was happy with our peaceful city. My own brother, Tezcatlipoca, the god of the dark night sky, grew jealous. He did not like how much my people loved me and the light I brought to the world. One day, he came to me with a strange gift. It was a mirror made of a black, shiny stone that swirled with smoke inside. 'Look, brother,' he said with a sly smile. 'Look and see how great you are.' But it was a trick. When I looked into the smoking mirror, I did not see myself. The mirror showed me a tired, wrinkled old face that I did not recognize. A great sadness filled my heart. For the first time, I felt ashamed and weak, just as my brother had planned.

Believing I was no longer a good and strong king for my people, I decided I must leave Tollan forever. My heart felt as heavy as a stone. The people cried and begged me to stay, but the image from the mirror haunted me. I walked away from my beautiful city and did not look back. My journey took me all the way to the edge of the great eastern sea. There, as the sun began to rise and paint the sky orange and pink, I built a magical raft made of living snakes that twisted and moved together. I stepped onto the raft and sailed away across the water, disappearing into the morning light. Before I vanished, I made a promise to my beloved people. 'One day,' I called back to the shore, 'I will return from the east. Do not forget me.'

Even though I was gone, the people of Tollan never forgot my promise. For hundreds of years, they and the great Aztec people who came after them told my story. They carved my feathered serpent face onto their tall temples and painted my image in their special books. My myth inspired them to value learning, art, and creating beautiful things instead of fighting. Even today, my story lives on. It reminds everyone how knowledge can build great things, and that even after a sad goodbye, there is always hope for a bright return. My spirit of creativity continues to inspire artists and dreamers all over the world.