In the beginning of time, when the earth was young, there was no fire. The nights were bitter cold, and the animals huddled together under leaves and stones. Only the Fire People, who lived atop a sacred mountain, had fire, and they guarded it fiercely.
The animals held a council deep in the forest. Bear roared, “We need fire, or we will perish.”
“Let us steal it,” said Mountain Lion. “We will fight!”
But Coyote, sly and silver-tongued, wagged his tail. “Let me try first. What we cannot take by force, I may take by wit.”
That night, Coyote climbed the sacred mountain. He crept close to the fire circle, where the Fire People danced. They wore cloaks of smoke and sparks, and the fire burned in the center, bright and untouchable.
Coyote hid in the shadows and waited until the Fire People fell into deep sleep. Then, with a quick leap, he snatched a burning stick and darted down the mountain.
The Fire People awoke, shrieking. “Thief!” They summoned wind and storm to chase him.
Coyote ran like the wind. But fire was hot, and the stick began to burn his paw. Just as he stumbled, Squirrel leapt from the trees and grabbed the stick. She ran across the branches until her tail caught fire.
Next, Frog grabbed the ember and dove into a stream, letting only the flame tip touch the air. Beaver took it next, swimming through creeks and tunnels. Finally, the fire was passed to Woodpecker, who hid it inside a tree.
The Fire People could no longer find it. Fire now lived in wood, waiting to be freed by the hands of those who respected it.
And so, thanks to Coyote and his friends, the animals had fire. From that day, fire could be made by striking stone or rubbing sticks. But the tip of Squirrel’s tail stayed forever singed.
Moral: Cleverness and teamwork can bring warmth to all.
