_Carrier_
Now after the animal people had won light by shouting “Khain,” and
“light,” and had confused the old chief, they were very happy for a
time. But they had no fire. The same old chief owned all the fire in
the world. He kept it in his lodge, carefully guarded. Therefore the
people resolved to steal it, because he would not give it to them.
Now the people laid their plans. They said Young Caribou and Muskrat
must help. Then they put on their dancing aprons and their dancing
masks, and went to the lodge of the old chief. Young Caribou had a
fine headdress of pine shavings fastened to his horns. Young Muskrat
had a dancing apron made of a marmot skin.
Now they all entered the old chief’s lodge. They began singing, and
Young Caribou and Muskrat began their dancing. Each took a place at
one side of the fire, where the old chief kept close watch. Muskrat
sang,
Oh, shelte! Oh, shelte!
which are magic words. Therefore Indians say, “Oh, shelte,” even
today, when they hunt muskrats.
Young Caribou, as he danced, jerked his head from side to side until
the shavings caught fire. At once the old chief put them out with
his hands. Everybody began to dance then, and Young Caribou let the
shavings catch fire. And again the old chief put them out, though
they were quite a blaze.
Now, while the old chief was busy watching Caribou, Muskrat had been
busy. He had burrowed a tunnel through the earth. Then he quickly
stole a piece of fire and slipped into his hole with it. The old
chief was busy putting out the fire in the shavings on Caribou’s
horns. Everybody went on dancing.
Suddenly a person said, “Oh, look!” He pointed to a great mountain
far away, near the edge of the sky. A great column of smoke rose
from it. Then soon flames burst from the mountain top.
At once everybody knew that Muskrat had stolen the old chief’s fire,
and had given it to men and animals.