A segue of folktales explaining ‘How Fire Came to the Humans’ and the consequences can be read on wattpad or check out StoryRealm.com. Now the stories are posted on this site FIRE, the Hunger.
With the help of NaNoWriCamp and the Clarion Foundation’s Write-a-Thon for challenge and motivation in July of 2017, I finished the series of stories, ‘FIRE, the Hunger’. To be read as an e-book, coming soon as an ebook, Kindle, and print on demand from online stores.
For now, READ on Wattpad.com
Humans Desire FIRE.
Once the gods controlled and protected FIRE, only the humans wanted its warmth and light from the cold and dark during the night. A god Kaang warned that if the Humans used FIRE, the animals and trees would no longer talk to them. FIRE caused fear, havoc, and destruction of human harmony on Mother Earth. FIRE came with danger because FIRE eats everything; FIRE has a ferocious appetite.
FIRE is hypnotic, enchanting, and a furious eater to be controlled by confinement. These stories are compiled from folktales and segued to tell the consequences once humans had FIRE.
The Gods Controlled FIRE.
Humans knew the gods controlled FIRE and lived in the volcanoes. The gods used the glowing lava to created jewels, silver, and golden ores. These forged gifts for service to their brothers and sisters. Man craved FIRE and its vast offering of treasures and warmth.
Whenever Pele was angered, upset, scared or had any emotion like jealousy, she wrapped with fire and lava flowed from her. This scared her brothers and sisters.
Since ancient times, the gods lived in volcanoes and protected FiIRE. God Kaang warned, “When humans get FIRE there would distrust and no harmony between humans and animals.”
Humming Bird Steals FIRE.
The animals watched how the gods kept FIRE in their volcanoes. Their desire for warmth and comfort from the darkness of night was overbearing. Hummingbird Quinde decided to find out about FIRE. He wanted to know and why Humans and animals wanted FIRE. There was a man of the eastern Ecuadorian people, the great Taquea, who had FIRE.
Read Humming Bird Steals Fire.
Beaver Shares FIRE.
FIRE was stolen by Hummingbird Quinde from the hearth of the great man, Taquea, and carried to the Pine trees by his tail feathers. Only the people were warm and could see in the darkness while the animals trembled in fear of the night darkness and did not have the warmth so complained about the darkness and cold at night. Plus, the other trees wanted to be holders of FIRE. Bearer watched the Pines enjoying FIRE and wanted to give to all the trees for warmth. Beaver realized the horrors of FIRE.
Grandma Spider finds Light.
Too well the animals know the dangers of FIRE.
As FIRE burned the trees in the woods, and the animals could smell their flesh burnt by FIRE. The horrifying taunting flames of warmth and light were a threatening, teasing, terrifying killer. Through the trees, an evil villain had arrived. Still, the animals wanted to see in the darkness, they feared the wind that howled at them, and they dreaded the cold. They needed light, not fire, tiny Grandma Spider offered, “I will bring the light.”
Read Grandma Spider Finds FIRE.
Monkeys show FIRE to a Hunter.
Grandma Spider explained and showed her cousins how the Sky People contained FIRE. “Dig a hole in the earth for a pit. Sit stones around this hole for a hearth and fill with wood to feed FIRE.” She placed the spark of light on the wood. “Trees hold FIRE which will burn and make warm light. Always thank the trees that give FIRE.”
Only the Monkeys took the offering back to their jungle. The Monkeys sat around the light and heat and held sticks with yams within the reaching flickers of FIRE. A lost Hunter smelled the sweetness of the cooking yams and saw FIRE. Moving towards the Monkeys, he felt the heat, the warmth of the dancing light. Hunter desired the Fire.
Fire Eats Everything.
With each drop of juice that fell into FIRE, the hunters watched flames flare and heard the sizzling greed of FIRE’s appetite.
The children placed their emptied cooking sticks into FIRE and the ends burnt into glowing embers. They danced turning around swinging the sticks back-and-forth. The gleaming ends burst into flames. Seeing the dancing and hearing laughter, Lord Wind thought he might help with the fun.
Bertha Restores the Woods.
There are those among us that love Mother Earth and help heal hurts of FIRE. Because of a squirrel, Bertha Digby with her enthusiasm and the animals’ as her helpers, the destroyed woods grew into a forest mightier than the burnt woods.
To this day, Bertha Digby’s great, great, grandchildren guard the trees, bushes, and flowers while directing the visiting humans to walk on the paths and keep campfires in pits. I respect great, great, grandmother’s Bertha Digby’s work who saved the woods for all of us: the animals and the humans. My hope is that today we respect the wild woods and the animals and help to preserve them from human predators, who are as greedy as FIRE.
BEWARE of FIRE!
FIRE raged in our Northern California and destroyed 7,000 homes and business and ravaged thousand and thousand of areas forests and animals. Now, FIRE is ravaging the Los Angeles area; their losses are incredible.
My daughter and her family and many of our relatives lived in this area; their homes were spared many of their friend’s homes burnt. Animals were not spared as the FIRE roared and eat. About 26 years ago in the East Bay Area of San Francisco, a ravaging FIRE came four blocks from our home. Many of my friends lost years of memories and all they had.
This folktale is to honor all animals or humans who restore our FORESTS, others destroy by one means or other. FIRE is the worst of predators eating everything, humans are second.
Bertha Digby was published as ‘Saving the Woods’ pages 67 – 69, in an anthology published by the 4th Street Studio’s Saturday Salons, The Livermore Wine Country Literary Harvest, © 2006.
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