Myths and Legends of British North America/22
THE GREAT FIRE
Lillooet
WHEN Tsuntia and the four Black Bear brothers had traveled over the earth and put things to rights, they met one another at the edge of the earth. Black Bear brothers said, "There is yet one country where the people are bad. They were too strong for us. You go to that country and stop the sun so they will all be burned up." Thus they spoke to Tsuntia.
Tsuntia said, "If I go there and stop the sun, all the people in the world will be burned up and everything on earth besides."
The brothers would not believe this, so Tsuntia commanded the sun to stand still. Then the earth became so hot it was scorched. The tops of the trees began to smoke. The Black Bear brothers were overcome with the heat, and they began to be afraid. They said, "We see that you know and speak the truth. Now let the sun move on."
Tsuntia said to them, "Whistle at the sun, and he will go on." They said, "Oh, no. You do it." So Tsuntia whistled and pointed his finger at the sun. The sun followed his finger as he moved it toward the west. He moved his finger down over the mountains and the sun set rapidly.
Then a breeze sprang up and soon cooled the earth and the people. The bad people of that country were never punished. They are there yet, near the edge of the earth.