24. The Theft of Fire

24. THE THEFT OF FIRE (67)

Rabbit ran away with the fire and scattered it. At that time people were forbidden to build a fire except in the busk ground. It was customary to build a fire just to have a dance.

p. 103

Rabbit knew when there was to be a dance at the busk ground and thought, "I will run away with some fire." He considered the matter and decided how he would do it. He had his head rubbed with pine tar so as to make his hair stand up. Then he set out. When he arrived at the busk ground a great number of people were gathered there. While Rabbit was sitting about and the people were dancing, they said that he must lead and he agreed. "Now, lead," they said, and he got up and danced ahead of them around the place where the fire was. As he went many people followed him and Rabbit started the song. He was dancing along, the rest following him. While they were dancing very hard Rabbit ran round near the fire and bent his head as if he were going to take hold of it. They said, "When he is leading Rabbit always acts that way." He kept on acting that way and circled about as he did so. Presently he poked his head into the fire and ran off with his head ablaze, while the people shouted, "Hulloa, catch him or throw him down."

They shouted at Rabbit as he ran away, and they chased him, but he disappeared. Then they made it rain and on the fourth day said the rain must have put the fire out. So it stopped and the sun shone and the weather was fine. But Rabbit had built a fire in a hollow tree and stayed there while it rained, and when the sun shone he came out and set out fires. Rain came on again and put the fires all out but he again built a fire inside of a hollow tree. When the sun shone he would set out fires and then rains would come and put them out, but they could not stop them entirely. People took fire and ran off with it. Rains kept on putting the fires out at intervals but when they stopped all the people distributed it again, and when the rain stopped fire was established there for good. This is the way it is told. Therefore, they say that Rabbit distributed the fire to all people.