Page:Myths and Legends of British North America.djvu/68

 HOW FIRE WAS SECURED

Lillooet

EAVER and Eagle lived with their sister in the Lillooet country. They had no fire at all, so they ate all their food raw. The sister cried and complained constantly because she had no fire at which to roast her dried salmon skins. At last the brothers said, "Don't cry any more. We will get fire for you. First we will need to train ourselves for a long time; but if you cry while we are training, we shall fail."

Beaver and Eagle went into the mountains and trained for four years. Then they knew where fire was, and they returned home and told their sister that they knew how to find it.

Now they started off. They traveled five days to the house of the people who owned the fire. Eagle drew over himself an eagle's body; and Beaver drew over himself a beaver's body.

Beaver at once went to work. He dammed the creek nearby and that night made a hole under that house. The next morning Beaver swam around in the pond of water made by the dam. An old man saw him and