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How Fox stole the fireRead this Native American folk tale about fire.

Long, long ago, all the animals and trees talked with each other, but fire belonged to the fireflies. They guarded it carefully night and day, and wouldn’t share it with anyone. In the bitter winter, the animals and the people needed to find a way to keep themselves warm. Fox was clever and wily. He decided to come up with a plan to steal the fire from the fireflies.

Fox knew he needed to fly in order to reach the firefly village, so one day he paid a visit to the geese. They promised to teach him and they found a way to attach wings to Fox’s body, but they warned him never to open his eyes while flying or he would fall.

The next time the geese set off in flight, Fox flew along with them. Darkness fell and they continued their journey. Eventually they reached the village of the fireflies. Feeling the warmth and brightness of the fire on his face, Fox opened his eyes. Instantly his wings collapsed and he fell to earth, landing just within the walls of the firefly village.

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Two fireflies came to see fallen Fox, and tried to help him. Fox explained he needed to find a way over the wall to the outside. The fireflies led him to a cedar tree, which they said would bend down when he asked it and would catapult him over the wall. However, they told him he needed to rest. Some hours passed, and the fireflies returned to check if Fox had recovered from his fall.

Fox told the fireflies he was feeling much better. “Let’s have a festival to celebrate,” he said. “We can dance and I will make the music.”

They agreed that would be fun and helped to gather wood to build the fire even bigger. Secretly, Fox tied a piece of cedar bark to his tail. Then he made a drum, and beat it with a stick for the dancing fireflies. Gradually, he moved closer and closer to the fire.

Fox pretended to get tired from beating the drum so long. He gave it to some fireflies who wanted to help make the music. Then Fox quickly thrust his tail into the fire, lighting the bark. As soon as the Fireflies saw Fox with the firebrand they chased him. Fox ran straight to the cedar tree, calling, “Bend down to me, my cedar tree, bend down!”

The cedar tree bent down for Fox to catch hold, then it moved upwards and carried him far over the wall. On and on he ran, with the angry fireflies in pursuit.

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As Fox ran along, brush and wood on either side of his path were ignited from the sparks dropping from

the burning bark tied to his tail. Just as he was starting

to tire, Fox saw Hawk. “Catch it and fly!” he shouted, as he threw the burning bark. Hawk

carried it to brown Crane, who flew far southward, scattering fire sparks everywhere. This is how fire first spread over the Earth. He dropped all that was left of the firebrand, just a few bright flames, into a tree. The tree caught the fire and hid it.

The fireflies continued chasing Fox all the way to his burrow and declared, “Wily Fox, your punishment for stealing our fire will be that you can never make use of it for yourself.”

But Fox, who was wise, knew how to get fire out of the tree. He knew how to rub two dry sticks together to make a spark that could be fed with kindling to grow into a fire. It was Fox who taught the people to do this, so that they need not be cold ever again in winter. And even today, fire lies hidden in every tree.