|
很久以前，火神是唯一拥有火种的人。 他们严密地守护着火种，不与其他部落和动物们分享。 这在春季和夏季没什么关系，但在冬天，许多孩子和老人都死于严寒。 就在下一个冬季来临之前，一些动物召集了一次会议。“今年我们不能让我们的子女、长辈们冻死了。"松鼠说道，“我们必须从火神那里获得火种来御寒。” “可我们怎样才能做到呢？”花栗鼠问道，“火神是不会把火分给我们的。" “我们请郊狼帮忙。”青蛙说道，“他机智聪明，他会知道如何得到火的”。 郊狼听后想了想这个问题，露出一丝狡黠的微笑。 "有个办法可以从自私的火神那里得到火种。"他说。 “怎样？我们该怎么做？”花栗鼠问。 "我们去拿火种！”郊狼狡猾地说，“我有个计划，跟我来！” 郊狼带领动物们来到火神位于山顶的营地。其他人藏在灌木丛中，郊狼则进了营地。 ‘‘谁在那儿？"一个火神尖叫道，“有人要偷火种。" “没事，”另一个嘘道，“只是一只吃飞蛾的老郊狼。"“哼！好一个吃飞蛾的老郊狼。"郊狼心想，但他什么也没说。郊狼在火堆旁躺下来，假装睡着了，一只眼睛却半睁着。 三个火神坐在不远处，一个巨大而丑陋——长着小光头，肚子上有一圈圈的肥肉， 鼻涕像长长的黏糊糊的绳子一样从鼻子上滴下来。另外两个是老巫婆，眼睛就像红石头，手像秃鹰的爪子。 几分钟后，灌木丛中传来了重击声，那是郊狼的朋友们干的。 “那可怕的声音是什么？"那个肥胖而丑陋的火神叫道："谁在那儿？"他们三个便前去查看。 郊狼看到机会来了，便抓起一片炽热发光的火种，以最快的速度向山下跑去。两个女巫意识到自己被耍了，尖叫着追了过去；大个光头胖子只是站在那里，鼻涕滴了一地。 女巫虽然老了，但她们还是能像风一样奔跑，她们几乎就要抓住郊狼了，其中一个伸出爪子碰到了他的尾巴尖，那热度很快就把郊狼尾巴尖上的毛烧白了。 郊狼把火种朝松鼠扔去，松鼠用尾巴接住，在山岗和岩石间奔跑。松鼠都快被火烧焦了，疼得他尾巴卷到了背上。就在她几乎被抓住时，花栗鼠跳到了她身旁。 “给我！给我！把火扔给我！"花栗鼠接到火种，转身就跑。一个女巫抓到了她的背，留下了三道纹。花栗鼠把火种扔给青蛙，但其中一个火神抓住了青蛙的尾巴。 “放开我！”青蛙大叫。青蛙剧烈地扭动着身子，挣扎着，眼球都凸出来了，他觉得他的心快要爆裂了。 青蛙用力一跃，终于挣脱出来了，但他美丽的长尾巴却被扯断了，还在女巫的爪子里扭动着。 青蛙把火扔给了木头，木头把火吞了下去。火神狠狠地抽打木头，用脚踢，用刀子割，但木头就是不吐出火种。 最后女巫们不得不放弃，她们边往家走，边喃喃地说着：“哦，亲爱的，我想我划破了一个指甲。"“没关系，今晚我们有青蛙尾巴汤喝。” “这听起来倒不错。” 郊狼把所有的动物叫到一起，教他们怎样从木头中取火。 "火是赐给每个人的礼物，只要你把两根干木头放在一起快速摩擦，木头就会觉得痒，就会吐给你一些火了。从现在开始，你们在冬天也会是温暖的。" ‘‘我告诉过你郊狼是非常聪明的吧。”青娃说道。 “是啊，但我很想知道青蛙尾巴汤的味道如何。"松鼠问道。 这就是为什么今天郊狼的尾巴上有白尖，松鼠的尾巴总是卷在背上，花栗鼠的身上有白色的条纹，而青蛙却没有尾巴。 但是，每个人在冬天都很温暖。 Long ago, the Fire Beings were the only people who had fire. They guarded it closely and wouldn't share it with other tribes or animals. This didn’t matter so much in spring and summer, but in winter many young children and old people died from the icy cold. Just before the next winter, some of the animals called a meeting. “We can’t let our children and grandparents die from the cold this year” said Squirrel. “We have to get fire from the Fire Beings to keep warm.” “How can we do that?” asked Chipmunk. “The Fire Beings won’t share it with us”. “Let’s ask Coyote for help.” said Frog. “He’s crafty and cunning, and he'll know how to get fire”. Coyote listened and thought about the problem. Then he smiled a cunning smile. “There is a way to get fire from the selfish Fire Beings.” he said. “How? How can we do that?” asked Chipmunk. “We’ll take it!” answered Coyote slyly. “I have a plan. Follow me!” Coyote lead the animals to the Fire Beings’ camp on top of the mountain. The others hid in the bushes while Coyote walked into the camp. “Who’s there?” screeched one of the Beings. “Someone’s trying to steal our fire.” “It’s all right.” hissed another. “It’s only an old moth eaten coyote.” “Huummph! Moth eaten indeed.” thought Coyote, but he didn’t say anything. He lay down by the fire and pretended to go to sleep, keeping one eye half open. Three Fire Beings sat nearby. One was huge and ugly—with a small bald head and big rolls of fat around his stomach. Snot1 dripped in long slimy strands from his nose. The other two were old hags2, with eyes like red stones and clawed hands like a vulture. After a few minutes, a banging noise started in the bushes. It was Coyote’s friends. “What’s that horrible noise?” cried the fat ugly Fire Being. “Who’s there?” The three of them went to investigate. Seeing his chance, Coyote snatched up a glowing piece of fire and ran off down the mountain as fast as he could. Realising they had been tricked, the two hags screamed and chased after him. The big fat bald Fire Being just stood there, with more snot dripping from his nose. The hags were old, but they could run like the wind. They nearly caught Coyote. One of them stretched out her claws and touched the tip of his tail. The heat turned the hairs white. Coyote threw the fire into the air towards Squirrel. She caught it in her tail and scampered off4 over stumps and boulders5. The fire scorched her so badly, that her tail curled up over her back. She was almost caught, until Chipmunk bounded up beside her. “Me! Me! Throw it to me!” Catching the fire, Chipmunk turned to run. One of the hags clawed her back leaving three stripes down it. Chipmunk threw the fire to Frog, but one of the Beings grabbed his tail. “Let me go!” yelled Frog. He squirmed6 and struggled so much that his eyeballs bulged and he thought his heart would burst. With one last mighty leap he tore himself free, leaving his beautiful long tail behind, still wriggling in the hag’s claw. Frog threw the fire to Wood and Wood swallowed it. The Fire Beings hit Wood and kicked him and cut him with their knives, but still Wood didn’t spit out the fire. At last the hags gave up and went home, mumbling to themselves: “Oh dear, I think I broke a nail.” Never mind. We’ll have frog’s tail soup tonight.” “Mmm! That sounds nice.” Coyote called all the animals together to teach them how to get the fire from Wood. “Fire is a gift for everyone. If you rub two dry sticks of Wood together very fast, Wood will get itchy and give you some fire. From now on you will be warm in winter”. “I told you Coyote was cunning.” said Frog. “Yes, but I wonder what frog's tail soup tastes like?” asked Squirrel. And that is why today, Coyote’s tail has a white tip, squirrel’s tail curls around over her back, chipmunk’s coat has white stripes and frog has no tail. But everyone is warm in winter. |
