By Katharine Berry Judson in 1913.
In the beginning, there was no fire, and the world was cold. Then the Thunders, who lived up in Galun’lati, sent their lightning and set fire to the bottom of a hollow sycamore tree that grew on an island. The animals knew it was there because they could see the smoke coming out of the top, but they could not reach it because of the water, so they held a council to decide what to do. This was a long, long time ago.
Every animal was anxious to go after the fire. Raven offered. He was large and strong, so they sent him first. He flew high and far across the water and lit on the sycamore tree. There he perched, wondering what to do next. Then he looked at himself. The heat had scorched his feathers black. Raven was so frightened that he flew back across the water without any fire.
Then, little Wa-hu-hu, the Screech Owl, offered to go. He flew high and far across the water and perched upon a hollow tree.
As he sat there, looking into the hollow tree and wondering what to do, a blast of hot air came up and hurt his eyes. Screech Owl was frightened. He flew back as best he could because he could hardly see. That is why his eyes are red even today.
Then the Hooping Owl and the Horned Owl went, but by the time they reached the hollow tree, the fire was blazing so fiercely that the smoke nearly blinded them. The ashes carried up by the breeze made white rings around their eyes. So they had to come home without fire, and they had white rings around their eyes.
None of the other birds would go to the fire. Then Uk-su-hi, the racer snake, said he would go through the water and bring back fire. He swam to the island and crawled through the grass to the tree. Then he went into the tree through a small hole at the bottom. But the heat and smoke were dreadful. The ground at the bottom of the tree was covered with hot ashes. The racer darted back and forth, trying to get off the ashes, and at last managed to escape through the same hole by which he had entered. But his body had been burned black. So he became the black racer. That is why the black racer darts around and doubles on his track, as if trying to escape.
Then, great Blacksnake, ” The Climber,” offered to go for fire. He was much larger than the black racer. Blacksnake swam to the island and climbed up the tree on the outside, as the black snake always does, but when he put his head down into the hole, the smoke choked him, and he fell into the burning stump. Before he could climb out, he, too, was burned black.
So the birds, the animals, and the snakes held another council. The world was still very cold. There was no fire. But all the birds, and the snakes, and all the four-footed animals refused to go near the fire. They were all afraid of the burning sycamore.
Then the Water Spider said she would go. This is not the water spider that looks like a mosquito, but the other one—the one with black downy hair and red stripes on her body. She could run on top of the water or dive to the bottom.
The animals said, ” How can you bring back fire? ”
But the Water Spider spun a thread from her body and wove it into a tusti bowl which she fastened on her back. Then she swam to the island and, through the grass, to the fire. Water Spider put one little coal of fire into her bowl and then swam back with it.
That is how fire came to the world. And that is why Water Spider has a tusti bowl on her back.
Compiled and edited by Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated October 2026.
Also See:
Legends, Myths & Tales of Native Americans
About the Author: Excerpted from the book Myths and Legends of the Great Plains, by Katharine Berry Judson, 1913. Katharine Berry Judson published several books on Native American myths and legends in the early 20th Century. Judson was a history professor at the University of Washington.