The Bushbaby and the Stolen Fire

When the world was new, the nights were cold and dark because only the spirits had fire. A small Bushbaby, with its huge eyes, could see the spirits' fire in their forest clearings. Seeing the humans shivering, the Bushbaby felt pity. It was a tiny, shy creature, but it was also very nimble. One night, it crept silently into the spirits' clearing while they were sleeping. It snatched a single, glowing coal from their fire, and leaped back into the high branches. It leaped from tree to tree, carrying the precious coal, until it reached the human village, where it dropped the coal onto a pile of dry leaves. This was how humans first received the gift of fire. But the spirits were angry, and they cursed the Bushbaby, saying, "Because you have stolen the light, you will now be a creature of the dark, and your voice will forever sound like the cry of a frightened child!" This is why the Bushbaby is nocturnal and has its strange, wailing cry—it is the mark of its ancient, heroic theft.