Sacred Texts Native American California Index Previous Next
It was the Old-man-across-the-ocean. He picked up stones and struck them together. Nothing happened. Then he picked up a willow root and whittled it down to the dry part. He bored holes in it and then setting another stick in one of the holes, rolled it, between his hands. He was surprised to see smoke come out. Soon fire rolled out. That was the way it happened. They do that way now.
197:1 Told at Hupa, July 1902, by McCann to offset a story by a Redwood Indian which tells of the stealing of fire.