The Dog Who Carried Fire

In the beginning, people did not have fire. They ate their food raw and were cold at night. They saw fire only when the thunder god, Hevioso, threw his lightning axe and it struck a tree. But they could not capture it. One day, a hunter's Dog, seeing his master shivering, felt pity. The next time a lightning bolt struck a silk-cotton tree, the Dog bravely ran towards the blaze. He snatched a burning branch in his mouth and, ignoring the pain, ran all the way back to the village without stopping. He dropped the smoldering branch at the feet of the people, who were then able to start their own fires. The Dog's mouth was badly burned, and to this day, the inside of a dog's mouth and its tongue often look black and scorched. The story elevates the Dog to a heroic, Prometheus-like figure who endured pain to bring a divine gift to humanity, explaining its status as man's most loyal companion.