"All the Indians had heard about fire and wanted very much to get it. But no one knew where it was hidden.
"The old man had two daughters who gathered his wood. He used only the driest branches, so that no smoke could be seen, and no odor from the burning of green boughs be lifted to the wind.
"But one day a tiny, curling wreath of smoke rose above the lodge opening.
"Of course the birds saw it, and flew over the lodge poles until they discovered the secret. You may be sure that they chirped the news wherever they flew.
"A woodpecker went into a hole in a tree to carry his mate some food and told her where fire was kept. He was overheard by a squirrel running up the tree trunk.
"'Chip, chip! chatter, chatter! Hear the squirrels in the tree tops,' said a rabbit. 'What are they talking about?' By listening he soon found out.
"Then Bruin heard the rabbits, and the bear teased the wolf by letting him know that the birds had a great secret.
"A flock of sparrows settled in front of the wolf's den, and the wolf soon heard all he wanted to know. He, in turn, told a dog that sometimes ran with him at night.
"Of course the dog told the boy he loved best, and so the Indians found out where fire was hidden.
"'We must have fire,' they said. 'Who will get it for us?'