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.
