Elementary Library

The Story of the Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns

A long time ago, in ancient Mesoamerica, there were gods who made the world and the sun. The world was not always like it is now. The gods created the world five times, and each time, the sun was different. The first sun was Tezcatlipoca, the god of night. He made the world dark and full of wild animals. But the people were scared, and the sun soon disappeared, leaving everything dark. The gods decided to try again. The second sun was Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent. He was wise, kind, and beautiful. Quetzalcoatl made the world full of people, animals, and plants. The sun was warm and bright, and life was good. But after a while, the people became selfish and forgot to respect the gods. The sun got angry and burned the world, making the people suffer. So, the gods had to create a new sun. The third sun was made by Tlaloc, the god of rain. The sky poured with rain, and people and animals lived in the water. But soon, the world was flooded, and the gods knew it was time to start over. The fourth sun was created by Chalchiuhtlicue, the goddess of lakes and rivers. She made the world beautiful with rivers and seas, but it was too nice, and the people became lazy. They forgot to honor the gods again, and the sun was destroyed by big storms. Finally, the gods made the Fifth Sun, the sun we have today. But to keep it shining, the gods needed to give it a special gift. Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, decided to make a great sacrifice. Quetzalcoatl climbed to the top of the big pyramid, holding fire, and jumped into the flames. His body turned into fire, and his spirit became the sun, giving light and warmth to the world. The gods and the people praised him, and the sun shone brightly again. And so, the Fifth Sun was born, and life started again. Since then, Quetzalcoatl’s spirit still watches over the world, helping life grow and keeping the sun shining.