Why Dog Sits with People by the Fire: A Katelmac Myth

(The following story is a story within a story I am writing, a novel, a work in progress.  It is a "Native American" tale I have made up for a fictional tribe I call the Katelmacs in Southern Oregon.  The basis of the story is from the Yakima people.  I have also borrowed some ideas for this tale from the Indians of Southern Oregon.  However after my changes, embellishments, and my introduction of Dog as a character, I have created a story of my own, though this is not to ignore all the beings who have come before me, whose lives and ideas I have only built upon.)

 

Why Dog Sits with People by the Fire:

A Katelmac Myth 

By

S.A. Modée

            There was a time on earth when people did not have fire, and the only place to get it was from the sky where the Sky People lived. This is when all animals were still in their human form, so Coyote the man pondered how to get fire to earth. As he still does to this day when he is confused, he defecated and asked his poop, “Oh, what should I do?” Of course, as usual, his poop wouldn’t answer him, so he decided the next step was to call for a meeting of all the Animal People, including the Earth People. Coyote told all the Animals he was going to shoot an arrow into the sky, where it would start aflame, and fall back to the earth with fire.

          All the Animals decided this was a great idea and encouraged Coyote.

          He shot the arrow, but then fell on his ass. The arrow fell short of the top of the sky and dropped back to earth without any fire. So he tried again and again. He even stopped to defecate again and ask his poop for advice, but again all to no avail. Every time he shot, he would fall on his ass, and the arrow would never reach the top of the sky, but only fall back to earth with no fire on it.

          Old man Beaver stepped up and said, “Stand back. I will do this thing, Coyote, before your ass is a flattened thing that can pound on water.”

          So Beaver shot an arrow. It also did not fall back to the earth with fire or even without fire, but instead got stuck in the sky.

          All the Animals said, “Oh no! And you lost your arrow too, Beaver.”

          Beaver confidently said, “Stand back.”

          He shot another arrow of which the tip pierced the bottom of the previous arrow. So he kept doing this, thus creating a strand of arrows like a rod to the sky. All the Animals asked, “Whoever knew that Beaver was such an expert archer?”

          When the arrow rod was all the way to the earth, Coyote, still thinking he was running the meeting because he had been the one who called the meeting, but then ended up impressing no one with his archery or his ass-falling, said, “Who now will climb to the sky and steal fire from the sky?”

          All the Animals were terrified to do it, but at last Faithful Dog said, “I shall do it. I want to warm myself by a fire when it is cold.”

          Dog gracefully climbed the strand of arrows and entered a hole in the sky, but when he saw how attractive the country was there—like paradise—and he met the Sky People, he abandoned the idea of his mission to get fire for earth and decided to stay and romp in that warmth there, staying with the Sky People.

          When Dog had not returned, the Animals became even more afraid.

          After waiting a long time for Dog’s return, Brave Beaver finally stepped up again and said, “I will go into the sky on the rod of arrows I made, figure out what evil thing they did to our friend Dog, and come back with fire.” So he climbed the long arrow rod and entered through a hole.

          The Sky People were astonished when they saw him, and they laughed gleefully about how plump he was, deciding they would prepare him as a meal, right then and there. This had been Beaver’s plan all along. He knew they would be impressed with his beauty, how smooth and fat he was. Furthermore, his plan was for all the Animals from earth to climb the rod and attack when the Sky People were distracted by preparing to dine on him, and in that confusion, Beaver would grab a live coal, hide it under his toenail and return to earth with fire, or so he had told the Animals. This had been his plan.

          Dog saw what was happening and what the Sky People were doing to Beaver, “I do not like this that my new friends would do this to Beaver.” He felt betrayed by his new friends, that they would want to eat one of his dearest old friends, Beaver, so he decided to help Beaver get the fire and save Beaver if only he could.

          While the Sky People were preparing Beaver to roast over the fire, the Animals from the earth climbed to the sky and attacked. In the excitement of the melee, Dog grabbed a burning coal and hid it under his toenail. He realized he was not going to be able to save Beaver, so he left without him or the others and was the first back to earth, where he decided he would wait for all the other Animals to return and then show them fire, the fire he had brought back He also thought he would then be forgiven for his earlier betrayal of the mission and his delay, at least that was his hope.

          In the battle that ensued, the Animals were able to save Beaver from his captivity. Realizing that Dog had successfully grabbed fire, they decided to all flee back to earth, with the Sky People in pursuit. Among all the Animals, only the Earth People had advised against everyone fleeing at once. But in the other Animals’ panic, so many Animals were climbing down the rod at once, both the Animals from earth and the Sky People, the arrow rod broke with all the beings falling together toward earth. Some fell into the water and became fish. Some stopped part way in the air and became birds. Beaver fell somewhere between land and water and flattened his ass into a flat tail for swimming and pounding out warnings. Coyote fell, mashing his face, becoming the shape of an ordinary coyote. Some Animals hit so hard, they broke into pieces, becoming mice and rats and other rodents, which coyote would then be condemned to eat because of his silly indiscretions. And although Dog was rewarded for bringing fire to the people by being allowed forevermore to sit by the fire with people, he still was changed into his dog form. The Earth People were rewarded for their goodness and sound advice, and so became people, masters of the fire.

          And this is how fire came to people on earth and why dogs sit by the fire with their people even to this day when the Katelmac children, still young and spry will gather the seeds of the grasses in the morning, while their elders on the other hand have earned the privilege of becoming fat and lazy. In this way the world will be, as long as the world goes on.