Why the Vulture is Bald

In the beginning, the Vulture had a magnificent crown of lush, black feathers. There was a great sickness on the earth, and the Sky God, Chukwu, was the only one with the cure. Chukwu called a meeting in the sky, but the journey was long and arduous. All the beautiful birds—the Eagle, the Parrot, the Hornbill—refused to go, afraid of ruining their feathers. Only the humble Vulture volunteered. Chukwu gave the Vulture the powerful medicine to take back to Earth, but it was in a pot of boiling liquid. "You must carry this on your head," Chukwu instructed, "but do not let it spill." The Vulture carefully placed the pot on his head and flew back. The journey was long, and the pot was so hot that it burned away all the beautiful feathers on his head, leaving him permanently bald. He delivered the cure and saved the world, but he lost his beauty in the process. Chukwu, seeing his sacrifice, declared the Vulture a sacred bird. His bald head would be a mark of his selfless service, a reminder that true greatness often requires a sacrifice of vanity.