Long ago, before Fire had come to live among humans, a man went out to hunt in the bush. He had traveled far from his camp when suddenly he saw a thin cloud rising before him. It moved so strangely - twisting this way and that - the hunter thought he must have discovered a new kind of creature. He followed the cloud into the bush. Before long the sun began to set, and the cloud vanished from sight.
The hunter was about to return home with his game when he saw a glowing cloud on the horizon. "What can that be?" the man said to himself. He scratched his head, confused by this strange light, for the only light he knew came from the sky. He looked up. Stars twinkled above. The moon glistened. The hunter looked again at the horizon, and still a new light blazed. He decided he must see what this was.As he came closer, red tongues shot into the sky. The hunter felt his skin flush with warmth. He tiptoed closer, hesitant now, and as he approached the glowing cloud, he said, with reverence, "Great Chief, I greet you," for he believed that this must be a new sun.
Fire - for that is what the hunter had discovered - greeted the hunter with warmth. "Welcome, man. Come to my side. I am Fire and I will comfort you."
The man moved closer and Fire spoke again. "Would you feed me, please? Feed me shrubs and branches, leaves and grass."
The hunter collected these things and fed them to Fire. As Fire swallowed branches, twigs and brush, it grew, and the man stared in wonder.
"Now," Fire said in a crackling voice, "roast your hares over my flame."
Again the man did just as Fire instructed, for he dared not disobey this new chief. He placed his day's catch on the end of his spear and slowly waved it over Fire. When the meat was roasted, the man tasted it. He smiled, for he had never tasted anything so delicious.
"I want to take you home with me," the hunter said.
"Oh no," Fire sputtered. "I must stay here where I was created. Come here as often as you like and warm yourself and roast your meat, but do not tell the others about me. If I travel from this place I will bring danger to all."
The man promised. He lay down by Fire's side and slept as comfortably as he had ever slept. In the morning he bid farewell to Fire and returned to his camp.
He shared his roasted meat with his family and the others at his campsite. When the people tasted this delicacy, they asked the man many questions, but the hunter kept Fire's secret. Each day at dawn he set off into the bush. When he reached Fire, he fed his new friend dry logs and brush and reeds. Each night he returned home with his bounty, and this he shared with everyone.
One day some of his companions grew curious. They followed the hunter, creeping secretly behind him, so quietly the hunter did not know they were following him. When the hunter reached Fire, he fed it branches and twigs. The others' eyes opened wide as Fire grew and grew, blazing still more brightly. The hunter walked away to gather more wood, and when he did, the others crept up close to Fire. Reaching out, one of the men snatched a dry branch sticking out from Fire's hot bed. Holding the flaming branch, he ran away as fast as he could, the others on his heels.
As they ran, the branch flickered and grew hotter to the touch. The thief cried out in pain and dropped the branch onto the dry ground. Fire began at once to roar like a ferocious lion, and the men watched in horror as Fire licked at the dry grass and shot into the air. They screamed as Fire ate everything in sight and ran along the ground. The men ran as fast as they could away from the flames and heat.
As Fire crossed the savannah, it ate grass and shrubs and whole trees, and finally it ate the shelters at the camp. It seemed not only to grow but to multiply, creating rivers of flame, moving this way and that, from one end of the world to the other. Soon the sky was alight with tongues of fire, and though the thieves ran quickly, they could not outrun Fire. At last the men reached a river, and trembling with fear, they dashed into the water. When Fire licked at the cool water, it sputtered and died.
The thieves returned to their camp. There they found many shelters burned to the ground, but to their amazement, their clay pots had not been destroyed. Instead they had turned hard, and all the raw meat was cooked, as delicious as the meat the hunter had brought home to them each night.
As for the hunter, as soon as he heard his friend roaring across the grass, he hurried back to Fire's home. There he found Fire and bowed to his old friend.
"Your friends tried to steal me," Fire said softly. "Look there," and Fire pointed a bright finger at the horizon, flaming red and gold. "You see what happens if I leave this place. I can destroy all that grows. But I can help you, too. I can bake your pots and cook your meat. I can melt your iron to help you make many things. I will do a thousand things for you, but you must make a promise to me. Treat me always with respect and care. Teach your people they must do the same."
The hunter returned to his camp and taught his people about Fire. Ever since that day, Fire has remained with the people, treating all those who offer it respect and dignity, with respect and dignity in return.