In the Reign of Coyote/How the Animals secured Fire
HOW THE ANIMALS SECURED FIRE
T the smithy Antonio and Juanita found Wantasson hard at work. As he saw them, he dropped his tools and sat down in the doorway. He was evidently glad of an excuse to rest, so Antonio made good use of the opportunity.
"Wantasson, do you know a good story about a frog?"
"A good story about a frog?" The words came slowly. "Well, I know a story about a good frog. Would you like to hear it?"
"Yes; that 's why we came," explained Juanita, as she and her brother settled themselves on the stones in front of the door.
Wantasson grunted a moment, found a comfortable position for his shoulders, and then began his tale.
A long, long time ago all the fire on the earth was owned by two old women. They kept it in a little mat house and would not let a spark escape. The animal people were shivering with cold and were sick from their raw food, so they journeyed two moons to the little mat house and begged the old women to give them a firebrand.
But the old women only muttered, "No, no," and crouched closer to their fire.
Then the animals begged earnestly: "Oh, lend us a brand just for a few minutes. Our teeth are chattering, and our stomachs refuse the uncooked meat. We pray you, Old Women, lend us a firebrand."
But the old women still muttered, "No, no," and hugged their fire closer.
Then the animals piled all their treasures together,—shells from the seashore, cones from the mountains, bows from the oak tree, and arrows from the volcanic region. They carried them to the old women's door. "Old Women," they cried, "here are all our treasures. Take them and give us one burning fagot."
Still the old women muttered, "No, no," and covered their fire with their stooping bodies.
The animals went shivering home. They found Coyote and besought him to think of some way to get them fire.
Coyote thought and thought. Then he said: "It will be a hard struggle to get it safe to our own country. Summon every animal and then station yourselves along the route to the old women's house, each one a half sun's distance from the other. The strongest and swiftest must stand nearest the little mat house. Let each one be ready to run swiftly in his turn with the firebrand. Bear will hide himself outside the old women's home. I will go in. When I signal to him, he will make a rush and frighten them."
Coyote went to the little mat house and knocked at the door. The old women opened it. "Good morning," said Coyote in his politest voice. "May I come in and warm my feet? They are very cold."
The old women muttered, "Yes, yes."
When Coyote's toes were all flexible again, he coughed. Bear rushed in with a growl and dashed toward the old women. As they tried to protect themselves, Coyote snatched a blazing brand and fled.
But the old women were swift of foot, and as Coyote ran on with lolling tongue and panting breath, they sped after him. Just as he was beginning to slacken his pace, he reached Panther.
Panther seized the brand and bounded onward. The old women followed close. As Panther began 
"Bear will hide himself outside the old women's home"
to get weary, he arrived at Elk's station. Elk speeded like the wind, but still the old women followed close behind. Then Fox carried the stolen fire on a space, and so in turn the animals kept up their flight, with the old women always close behind.
At last the firebrand had been carried from one animal to another across the cold country until bushy-tailed Squirrel was reached, and he was the next-to-the-last animal. As he seized the brand, the old women made a dash at him. He was so frightened that he almost dropped it, and in catching it firmly again, his tail caught fire. He did not stop, but ran on with the brand in his mouth. He curled his tail over his back, and it burned a black place between his shoulders. Down to this very day the squirrel has a black spot between his shoulders.
When Squirrel could run no more, he tossed the brand to the last animal in the line. This was poor little squatty Frog. He never was much of a runner, but he did his best, hopping frantically along. The rough stones cut all his tail away; yet he managed to reach the bank of the river, on the other side of which lay the animals' country. Here the old women overtook him and tried to snatch both the brand and poor Frog. The brand had dwindled down to a tiny spark during this long race, so Frog just swallowed it and dived into the river. He swam under water to the other side and there spat out the fire on pieces of wood.
Poor Frog! He suffered in the struggle. Never since that day has his tail grown again. Then, too, the brand burned away one of his vocal chords, so that he no longer rivals the birds as he once did. That is why he dislikes fire and even to this day keeps far away from it.
From that time fire has dwelt in wood, and by rubbing two twigs together the animals can always get enough to make themselves comfortable.
"Oh, what a good frog!" exclaimed Juanita.
"Yes, he 's a brave fellow," assented Antonio. "But can you always get fire out of wood by rubbing two sticks together, Wantasson? If I should rub these two pieces of wood, would I get fire?" and he picked up two pieces of firewood.
"You probably would not. But my people start all their fires by twirling wood. Some day I may show you how. But now I see your Señor Padre coming, and I must ask him about this work. You go to that woman Tecla."
As they went off, Juanita exclaimed: "I don't care if frogs don't have tails. And I don't think their voices are so bad. Pobrecito, to have his vocal chord burned away! How it must have hurt!"
"I know it hurt. I remember when I drank the boiling coffee at old Santo's. It just made my mouth open, it burned so. Perhaps that 's why my voice is not so high as yours, Nita. You never drank boiling coffee."