One day, tired after travelling a great distance, Jesus decided to take rest. He entered a house owned by a woman named Gertrude. She had a red tuft of hair on her head.
Jesus asked her for some food and water. Gertrude wasn’t too happy serving food to strangers at such an odd hour. Grudgingly, she took some dough to bake him a cake, but as she spread it on the table, the dough increased in size. Surprised, she took an even smaller piece, but it expanded too. This happened several times. Finally, she grew tired and told Jesus that she couldn’t serve him anything.
Jesus cursed her to become a woodpecker. The bird flew up the chimney and turned black while passing through the smoke.
That is why woodpeckers have a red patch on their head and are black in colour.