Something to Find Out. — How the first fire was saved.

Long, long ago there was only one fire in all the world, and that was in the cold Northland.The freezing winter winds blew its coals about,and often the falling snow nearly smothered it.But an old man and his little boy always guarded the precious flame. They knew that if it should go out, the Northland would be cold and cheerless.

All the small animals loved the cheery, crackling fire, and they loved also the old man and the little boy who kept it burning both day and night.

There was one animal, however, who hated the fire. That was the big white bear, who wanted all the Northland for himself and his kin forever.He was always prowling quietly around, waiting for a chance to put out the flame.

“Some time,” he said, “I’ll catch the old man and his boy both sleeping, and then we shall see who owns this big, frozen Northland.”

Winters came and went, but the old man and his little boy always kept the fire burning. The white bear growled and growled, but they were not afraid of him.

At last a day came when the old man became ill, and the little boy had to tend the fire all by himself, day and night. The next morning the old man was no better, and the little boy worked hard gathering pine branches and cones to keep the fire burning.

A week went by, and still the old man was too ill to help the little boy, who bravely guarded the flame. At last he became so tired and sleepy that he hardly knew what he was doing. So he sat down by the fire, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.Poor, tired little lad!

At that moment the white bear, who was always watching, came swiftly and silently out of the forest. He scattered the fire all about; and with his big paws, wet with snow, he stamped upon it until there was no more glow. Then with a low growl of joy he ran back into the forest as quickly as he had come. Still the tired little boy slept on.

How frightened all the smaller animals were when they saw what the big white bear had done! But a gray robin, who was sitting in a tree near the fire, saw one little spark that had escaped the bear’s wet paws.

Flying down, he hovered over the little coal and fanned it with his wings. Suddenly a tiny flame sprang up. It grew brighter and brighter,until the tired little boy opened his eyes and ran to the forest for wood. The robin kept fanning the flame until the little boy returned. Then he flew back to the tree.

So the first fire was saved, but the robin’s breast had become scorched from the flame.Ever since that time, so the people of the Northland say, the robin’s breast has been red.

— A Tale from the Northland JcA+TIkQDar2WaZ7LLYQDdmJf3hlteIVToLXIbERqjQdtSvQioNUp7JNIIxpS72/