Myths and Legends of British North America/18
HOW FIRE WAS SECURED
Lillooet
BEAVER and Eagle lived with their sister in the Lillooet country. They had no fire at all, so they ate all their food raw. The sister cried and complained constantly because she had no fire at which to roast her dried salmon skins. At last the brothers said, "Don't cry any more. We will get fire for you. First we will need to train ourselves for a long time; but if you cry while we are training, we shall fail."
Beaver and Eagle went into the mountains and trained for four years. Then they knew where fire was, and they returned home and told their sister that they knew how to find it.
Now they started off. They traveled five days to the house of the people who owned the fire. Eagle drew over himself an eagle's body; and Beaver drew over himself a beaver's body.
Beaver at once went to work. He dammed the creek nearby and that night made a hole under that house. The next morning Beaver swam around in the pond of water made by the dam. An old man saw him and shot him. He took Beaver into the house and laid him beside the fire. He told the people to skin him. While they were skinning Beaver, they found a clamshell under his arm, which he had hidden there.
Just then the people saw a large eagle perched in a tree nearby. Quickly they wished for his feathers. At once they all ran out and began to shoot at him, but no one could hit him. And while they were shooting, Beaver was left alone.
Then Beaver rose quickly and put fire in his clam shell. He dug into the hole he had made beneath the house, and raced away to the water. He swam away with the fire.
As soon as Eagle saw that Beaver was safe, he flew away. Then they returned home. They gave fire to their sister.