Page:Myths and Legends of British North America.djvu/66

 smoke. It was far away to the south, on the shore of the sea.

Raven had four servants. They all at once entered a small canoe, but it was swamped. Then he tried another. Then he said to his wife, "Go to Sea Gull's house and tell him I need to borrow his canoe." So he started off in Sea Gull's canoe.

Now they paddled downstream until they were close to the house of the people who owned the fire. They planned very quietly. That night they bored a hole under where the baby board hung and stole the baby. Then they ran away.

Now early in the morning the people missed the baby. They knew what had happened. But Raven was too far ahead. They sent out men. Sturgeon, Whale, and Seal searched for Raven's boat, but they could not find him. Other men searched, but only one small fish found Raven's canoe. He tried to stop the runaways by sticking to the paddle, but after a while he got tired and went home. Now Raven reached his own country.

Then the Fire People visited Raven with presents. Four times they came; Raven refused all their gifts. Then they said, "What do you wish?" Raven said, "Fire." Then they said, "Well, why didn't you say that before?" And they were glad, because they had