Now, while the old chief was busy watching Caribou, Muskrat had been busy. He had burrowed a tunnel through the earth. Then he quickly stole a piece of fire and slipped into his hole with it. The old chief was busy putting out the fire in the shavings on Caribou’s horns. Everybody went on dancing.
Suddenly a person said, “Oh, look!” He pointed to a great mountain far away, near the edge of the sky. A great column of smoke rose from it. Then soon flames burst from the mountain top.
At once everybody knew that Muskrat had stolen the old chief’s fire, and had given it to men and animals.
HOW GRIZZLY BEAR AND COYOTE MADE LIGHT AND THE SEASONS
Shuswap
One day Grizzly Bear met Coyote and said to him, “I am great in magic, greater than all of the people. When I wish a thing to be so, it has to be so. Now, I do not like having it dark so short a time. I intended to make it dark all the time.”
Coyote said, “Oh, no! That would inconvenience the people too much.”
Grizzly Bear said, “I intend to have it my way.”
Coyote said, “No, you can’t!”
At once Grizzly Bear began to dance, singing,