How Squire Coyote Brought Fire to the Cahrocs.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2021, 20 June 1885, Page 6 (Supplement)

How Squire Coyote Brought Fire to the Cahrocs.

In tho beginning Chnrrya made firo (That is, tho Cahrocs nay v>), Housed it safe with two beldames dire, And meant to have it stay so. But tho Cahrocs declared that tiro should bo free, Not jealously kept under lock and key. Crafty Squiro Coyote, — Counsellor of note, he, — Just such a case ho wai meant for : Forthwith hit honor was sent for. Squiro Coyoto camo. On hearing tho caso, Tho cunuwigOHt smilo paasod ovor his fn< o ; Then, slightly winking, In the midst of hii thinking He itopt, itopt short. An emphatic snort, And said ho ; " Tiger ipot, 'Twcro \ain to concoal it : Very sorry you'ro in it. But, though tight as a Gordian knot, What aro you 'bout That you don't get out ? It's only the work of a minute : The way to get fire is to — steal it." Squiro Cojoto wai right — every C»hroc knew it, But (blot ■ them 1) how were they going to do it ? 11 Ah ! " said Coyoto, Stroking his goatee And taking hii hat, " Lot mo 'tend to that." Thon, airily bowing to left and to right, lie scampered away, and was out of sight. Firo for the Cahroc nation 1 Coyote made preparation. From tho land of tho Cahrocs afar to the East —Tho rogue, ho knew every inch of tho road— Wai ttationod, now here, now there, a beast, All tho war to the hut whero the hags abode The weaklings farthest off he put, Tho strong one nearest the witchon' hut ; And lastly, hard by the guarded den, Placed one of tho sinewy Cahroc men. This done, up he trotted, and tapped, Tho gentlest possible, rapped At the old cronos' smoky door. " Bog pardon for being so bold ; 'Fact is, I am numb with cold : Pray give mo a b«d On your floor." Tho trick nucceedcd, they lot him in, And, mug at the feet of tho beldames dire, Ho itretched hii length to the open fire. Not long he lay, when, oh tho din, Tho drubbing sudden heard outside ! Such a bumping and banging, Suoh whacking and whanging I "Itch to your skins 1 " tho witches oriod, And rushed from the hut to see What the horrible noiso could be. Now, it was only the Cahroc man Playing his part of Coyote's plan ; But the simple old cronos, yon can well understand, Didn't soe through it, And, beforo they knew it, Coyoto was off with a half-burnt brand. Twitching and whisking it, Switching and frisking it, The best ho knew, Away he flow, The Cahrocs' laughter And tho crones closo after. Over hill and dale, Like a comet's tail, Sweeps the borrowed brand Toward the Cahroc-land. But tho cronos aro fleet and strong, And it can't be long Boforo Coyote is made to feel How wicked a thing it is to steal. His spindling pegs — More ipider legsNature novor designed 'em To match the big shanks behind 'em, He runs as never wolf ran ; Erery muscle and nerve, All his wild-wood verve, Ii put to tho strain : But, scratch it the fastest he can The gray hags gain, And tho race must soon be ovor. Hace over ? Sco thcro — who's that 1 Zounds I What a monstrous cat I It's tho cougar sprang from his cover. Ila, lia ! All but from the head crone'fi hand His jaws have rescued the precious brand, And he's off like shot ! " On time to a dot," Coughs Coyote, clearing the soot From his throat and the specks from his oyes J " Bravo, my gallant brute I— And still the good firo flios I " Fly it had to. You wouldn't bolievo old bones Could scuttle an now did tho legs of the cronei. Tho witches were marvellous fleet and strong, But, you sco, the lino of tho beasts was too long : From the cougar the brand was paased to the bear, And so on down to tho fox, to the hare, Thence on and on, till, flat in their tracks, Tho crones collapsed like empty sacks. Thus the brand was brought from the beldamo's den Safe to the homos of the Cahroc men. And only two mishaps 'Mongst all tho scamporing chaps That, each from the propor place, Took bin turn in the fire-brand chaso. Tho squirrel, as sudden as he whirled, Turning a corner of stamps and boulders, Burned hii beautiful tail, so it curled Clean over his back, And scorched a brown track, Still seen, (tail also) over his shoulder*. The frog, poor thing 1 His was a harder fate. Small as smallest coal in the grata Was the brand when he got it. Jump and spring He did, till ho thought it Was safe ; when, pounce hko a stono, Fell the claws of the foremost crone. At last He was fast ; No sort of use To try to got loose His oyeballs bulged, his littlo heart thumped— 'Most broke his ribs so hard it bumpod. So frightenod he was, that, down to tint) day, He looks vory much in the same scared way. Tho frog was caught, Was squeezed Till ho whoezed But not too tight For just a mite Of ranine thought : " Co-roak, chug, choke, Granny hag, good joke. Well you've followed it ; So movo up your hand And tako your old brand "— Then ho swallowed it 1 And beforo tho crone could wholly recover From the sight of such a wonder, Slipping her fingers from under, Ho plunged into a pool all ovor, Ho had savod the brand, But tho witches hand Still clutched his special prido and care— His tail, piteously wriggling there. Henceforth— ho must grin and bear it— Tho tadpole alone was to wear it. At length, when tho crones had gone, He sought an old log, and got on ; " Rather short of beauty, But I did my duty ; That's enough for a frog." Then ho spat on tho log, Spat tho swallowed spark Well into its bark. Fire, fire to your heart's dosiro ( Firo, flro for tho world entire } It's free as air to everybody, Whito man or Cahroc, wise man or noddy ( From the beldamo's don, A gift to all mm, Coyote brought it. In tho wottest weather Hub two sticks together, Presto— You've got it I JoHft Vanok Cheney, in, tho C'enfurjf,