Atondido Stories
Then Raven asked Mole to try, but Mole said, "Oh no, I am
better fitted for other work. My fur would all be singed like Rob-
in's breast." Raven took good care that he would not go himself,
for he was a great coward. So he said, "There is a better and easi-
er way. We will steal the baby of the Chief and hold him for ran-
som. Perhaps they will give us Fire in exchange for him," and
they all thought this was a very good idea. Raven asked, "Who
will volunteer to steal the baby?" for he always made the others
do all the work. Flea said, "I will go. In one jump I will be into
the house, and in another jump I will be out again, for I can hop
a great distance." But the others laughed and said, "You could
not carry the baby; you are too small." The Mole said, "I will go. I
can tunnel a passage very quietly under the house and right up
to the baby's cradle. I can then steal the baby and no one will
hear me or see me." So it was agreed that Mole should go. In a
few minutes Mole made his tunnel, and he was soon back with
the baby. Then they got into their carriage and hurried home
with their prize.
When the Chief of the Fire people discovered the loss of his
child he was very angry. And in all the land there was great sor-
row because the Chief's heir, the hope of the tribe, had gone.
And the child's mother and her women wept so bitterly that
their tears fell like rain on all the land. The Chief said he would
give anything he possessed to find his child. But although his
people searched far and near, they could not find the baby. After
many days a wayfarer who had come far from the Great Water
in the west brought them news that a strange child was living far
to the westward in the village by the sea. He said, "He is not of
their tribe. He looks like the children of your village," and he ad-
vised them to go to see him for themselves. So the Chief sent his
men to search for them guided by the wayfarer. When they
71