go to the
bushes beside the path that runs from the pond to the wigwam of the two
old women. Bat, go into the shadow and sleep if you like, but do not
close both eyes. Bear, do not stir from behind this great rock till you
are told. Deer, keep still as a mountain till something happens."

The wolf then went to the wigwam of the two old women. He coughed at the
door, and at last they said, "Wolf, you may come in to the fire."

[Illustration]

The wolf went into the wigwam. He coughed three times, and the Indian
gave a war-cry. The two old women ran out quickly into the forest to
see what had happened, and the wolf ran away with a firebrand from the
fire.

PART II. THE FIREBRAND IN THE FOREST.

When the two women saw that the wolf had the firebrand, they were very
angry, and straightway they ran after him.

"Catch it and run!" cried the wolf, and he threw it to the deer. The
deer caught it and ran.

"Catch it and run!" cried the deer, and he threw it to the bear. The
bear caught it and ran.

"Catch it and fly!" cried the bear, and he threw it to the bat. The bat
caught it and flew.

"Catch it and run!" cried the bat, and he threw it to the squirrel. The
squirrel caught it and ran.

"Oh, serpent," called the two old women, "you are no friend to the
Indians. Help us. Get the firebrand away from the squirrel."

As the squirrel ran swiftly over the ground, the serpent sprang up and
tried to seize the firebrand. He did not get it, but the smoke went into
the squirrel's nostrils and made him cough. He would not let go of the
firebrand, but ran and ran till he could throw it to the frog.

When the frog was running away with it, then the squirrel for the first
time thought of himself, and he found that his beautiful bushy tail was
no longer straight, for the fire had curled it up over his back.

"Do not be sorry," called the young Indian across the pond. "Whenever an
Indian boy sees a squirrel with his tail curled up over his back, he
will throw him a nut."

PART III. THE FIREBRAND IN THE POND.

All this time the firebrand was burning, and the frog was going to the
pond as fast as he could. The old women were running after him, and when
he came to the water, one of them caught him by the tail.

"I have caught him!" she called.

"Do not let him go!" cried the other.

"No, I will not," said the first; but she did let him go, for the little
frog tore himself away and dived into the water. His tail was sti