The Book of Nature Myths | Page 9

get it."
"No, he cannot run swiftly."
"The deer can run."
"His antlers would not go through the door of the wigwam."
"The raven can go through the door."
"It was smoke that made the raven's feathers black, and now he always
keeps away from the fire."
"The serpent has not been in the smoke."
"No, but he is not our friend, and he will not do anything for us."

"Then I will ask the wolf," said the young man. "He can run, he has no
antlers, and he has not been in the smoke."
So the young man went to the wolf and called, "Friend wolf, if you will
get us a firebrand, I will give you some food every day."
"I will get it," said the wolf. "Go to the home of the old women and
hide behind a tree; and when you hear me cough three times, give a
loud war-cry."
Close by the village of the Indians was a pond. In the pond was a frog,
and near the pond lived a squirrel, a bat, a bear, and a deer. The wolf
cried, "Frog, hide in the rushes across the pond. Squirrel, go to the
bushes beside the path that runs from the pond to the wigwam of the
two old women. Bat, go into the shadow and sleep if you like, but do
not close both eyes. Bear, do not stir from behind this great rock till
you are told. Deer, keep still as a mountain till something happens."
The wolf then went to the wigwam of the two old women. He coughed
at the door, and at last they said, "Wolf, you may come in to the fire."
[Illustration]
The wolf went into the wigwam. He coughed three times, and the
Indian gave a war-cry. The two old women ran out quickly into the
forest to see what had happened, and the wolf ran away with a
firebrand from the fire.
PART II. THE FIREBRAND IN THE FOREST.
When the two women saw that the wolf had the firebrand, they were
very angry, and straightway they ran after him.
"Catch it and run!" cried the wolf, and he threw it to the deer. The deer
caught it and ran.
"Catch it and run!" cried the deer, and he threw it to the bear. The bear
caught it and ran.

"Catch it and fly!" cried the bear, and he threw it to the bat. The bat
caught it and flew.
"Catch it and run!" cried the bat, and he threw it to the squirrel. The
squirrel caught it and ran.
"Oh, serpent," called the two old women, "you are no friend to the
Indians. Help us. Get the firebrand away from the squirrel."
As the squirrel ran swiftly over the ground, the serpent sprang up and
tried to seize the firebrand. He did not get it, but the smoke went into
the squirrel's nostrils and made him cough. He would not let go of the
firebrand, but ran and ran till he could throw it to the frog.
When the frog was running away with it, then the squirrel for the first
time thought of himself, and he found that his beautiful bushy tail was
no longer straight, for the fire had curled it up over his back.
"Do not be sorry," called the young Indian across the pond. "Whenever
an Indian boy sees a squirrel with his tail curled up over his back, he
will throw him a nut."
PART III. THE FIREBRAND IN THE POND.
All this time the firebrand was burning, and the frog was going to the
pond as fast as he could. The old women were running after him, and
when he came to the water, one of them caught him by the tail.
"I have caught him!" she called.
"Do not let him go!" cried the other.
"No, I will not," said the first; but she did let him go, for the little frog
tore himself away and dived into the water. His tail was still in the
woman's hand, but the firebrand was safe, and he made his way swiftly
across the pond.
"Here it is," said the frog.

"Where?" asked the young Indian. Then the frog coughed, and out of
his mouth came the firebrand. It was small, for it had been burning all
this time, but it set fire to the leaves and twigs, and soon the Indians
were warm again. They sang and they danced about the flames.
At first the frog was sad, because he was sorry to lose his tail; but
before long he was as merry as the people who were dancing, for the
young Indian said, "Little frog, you have been a good friend to us, and
as long as we live on the