ning stump. Before he could climb out, he,
too, was burned black.

So the birds, and 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 for
fire. They were all afraid of the burning sycamore.

Then 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 Water Spider spun a thread from her body and wove it into a
_tusti_ bowl which she fastened on her back. Then she swam over 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.

THE ANCESTORS OF PEOPLE

_Osage_

There are people who come from under the water. They lived in the
water weeds that hang down, all green, into the water. They have
leaves upon their stems. Now the water people lived in shells. The
shells were their houses and kept the water out.

There were other animals who lived under the earth. Cougar lived under
the earth, and bear, and buffalo. These creatures came up out of the
ground. Then the shell people came up to the earth also; and the sky
people came down. So all these three peoples lived together. They are
the fathers of the people who live on the earth today.

[Illustration: WOMAN'S COSTUME

(Omaha)

_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_]

[Illustration: AN ELDERLY OMAHA BEAU

_Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution_]

ORIGIN OF STRAWBERRIES

_Cherokee_

When the world was new, there was one man and one woman. They were
happy; then they quarreled. At last the woman left the man and began
to walk away toward the Sunland, the Eastland. The man followed. He
felt sorry, but the woman walked straight on. She did not look back.

Then Sun, the great Apportioner, was sorry for the man. He said,

"Are you still angry with your wife?"

The man said, "No."

Sun said, "Would you like to have her come back to you?"

"Yes," said the man.

So Sun made a great patch of huckleberries which he placed in front of
the woman's trail. She passed them without paying any attention to
them.