The First Fire
Cherokee
In the beginning of the world, there was no
fire. The animal people were often cold. Only the Thunders, who
lived in the world beyond the sky arch, had fire. At last they
sent Lightning down to an island. Lightning put fire into the
bottom of a hollow sycamore tree.
The animal people knew that the fire was there,
because they could see smoke rising from the top of the tree.
But they could not get to it on account of the water. So they
held a council to decide what to do.
Everyone that could fly or could swim was eager
to go after the fire. Raven said, "Let me go. I am large and
strong."
At that time Raven was white. He flew high and
far across the water and reached the top of the sycamore tree.
While he sat there wondering what to do, the heat scorched all
his feathers black. The frightened Raven flew home without the
fire, and his feathers have been black ever since.
Then the council sent Screech Owl. He flew to
the island. But while he was looking down into the hollow tree,
a blast of hot air came up and nearly burned out his eyes. He
flew home and to this day, Screech Owl's eyes are red.
Then Hooting Owl and Horned Owl were sent to the
island together. But the smoke nearly blinded them, and the
ashes carried up by the wind made white rings about their eyes.
They had to come home, and were never able to get rid of the
white rings.
Then Little Snake swam across to the island,
crawled through the grass to the tree, and entered it through a
small hole at the bottom. But the smoke and the heat were too
much for him, too. He escaped alive, but his body had been
scorched black. And it was so twisted that he doubled on his
track as if always trying to escape from a small space.
Big Snake, the climber, offered to go for fire,
but he fell into the burning stump and became as black as Little
Snake. He has been the great blacksnake ever since.
At last Water Spider said that she would go.
Water Spider has black downy hair and red stripes on her body.
She could run on top of water and she could dive to the bottom.
She would have no trouble in getting to the island.
"But you are so little, how will you carry
enough fire?" the council asked.
"I'll manage all right," answered Water Spider.
"I can spin a web." so she spun a thread from her body and wove
it into a little bowl and fastened the little bowl on her back.
Then she crossed over to the island and through the grass. She
put one little coal of fire into her bowl and brought it across
to the people.
Every since, we have had fire. And the Water
Spider still has her little bowl on her back.
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