--- title: XIII. How Light, Fire, and Water First Came to the World — Wigwam stories told by North American Indians · full text with trees description: XIII. How Light, Fire, and Water First Came to the World, «Wigwam stories told by North American Indians» by Mary Catherine Judd: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: (1894) --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/82/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Wigwam stories told by North American…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/) / XIII. How Light, Fire, and Water First… # XIII. How Light, Fire, and Water First Came to the World XIII. How Light, Fire, and Water First Came to the World of «Wigwam stories told by North American Indians» by Mary Catherine Judd: the whole text, 40 sentences and 422 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. (1894)[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") A long time ago the only place where light could be seen was in the teepee of one old chief.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") This chief had light, fire, and water.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") All the other Indians in the whole world suffered from cold and darkness and had no water.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") All the Indians came to this old chief’s teepee and begged for a little light.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") He would not give them any.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indians went away and told the wild animals, and asked their help.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") The animals and the Indians held a great dance around the old chief’s teepee.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") They chanted songs and all begged for light.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") Each one sang his own song.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") One young fox kept singing, “Khaih\![11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") Khaih!” which means “light.”[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") He believed it would bring light, and the men and the animals were helped, he was so strong.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") Their voices made a great noise.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") At last a faint color was seen in the east.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") The old chief came out and drove the little light away.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the young fox called, “Khaih\![17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Khaih!” louder than before.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") The men and the animals began again.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") They called and called for the light to come.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") At last a little color was seen in the east again.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") The old chief had not slept.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") He was tired and he said: “You may have all the light you want.”[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") Now the light comes every morning.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") Some of the animals still call for it to come before it is day.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") A young caribou said that he would get the fire from the old chief’s teepee.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indians tied a great dry branch to his big antlers.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") The young caribou put his head into the fire teepee and tried to reach the coals, but he could not do it.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") The wise chief drove him away.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") But when the old chief was driving back the young caribou, a muskrat crept into the teepee.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") He reached the precious coals of fire and caught one in his mouth.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") He ran back into the woods with it.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") Before he could reach his own burrow he had to drop the burning coal.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") It fell on the dry leaves and set the woods on fire.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") You can see now where the muskrat burned himself.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") All the world had fire now, and there has always been enough since the muskrat dropped the first coal.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") The fire melted the ice in the rivers and lakes.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") The light showed every one where to find water.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") The old chief has never been seen since that time.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") Hudson Bay Indian’s Story.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [XII. the Marten and the White Rabbit](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/81/) - next →: [XIV. How the Copper Mountain Came to Fall](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/83/) - ↑ back to [Wigwam stories told by North American Indians](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/)