The story of fire…for young WNS readers

Long ago, when the world was young and wild, there lived a tribe of nomads who wandered the lands in search of food and shelter. They were called the Fireless, for they had no knowledge of how to create or control the flame that burned in the sky and the stars. They feared the fire, for it was unpredictable and destructive, and they avoided it whenever they could.

One day, a young man named Raku was hunting with his father and his brother in the forest. They came across a large deer that had been killed by a lightning strike. The deer’s flesh was charred and smoking, and Raku felt a strange curiosity. He touched the deer’s body and felt a warmth that he had never felt before. He tore off a piece of meat and brought it to his mouth. It was tender and juicy, and it filled his stomach with a satisfying feeling. He shared some with his father and his brother, who also enjoyed the new taste.

“Father, what is this?” Raku asked.

“This is fire-cooked meat,” his father said. “It is a rare gift from the sky god. He sometimes sends his fire to strike the animals and plants, and we can eat them if we find them before they rot.”

“Why does he do that?” Raku wondered.

“Nobody knows,” his father said. “Maybe he is angry, or maybe he is generous. We should be grateful for his blessing, but we should not seek it. The fire is dangerous, and it can burn us as easily as it can cook our food.”

Raku nodded, but he could not forget the warmth and the flavor of the fire-cooked meat. He wanted to have more of it, and he wanted to learn how to make it himself.

The next day, he went back to the forest alone. He searched for signs of lightning strikes, but he found none. He wondered if there was another way to get fire. He remembered seeing sparks fly when he hit two stones together. He collected some dry leaves and twigs and piled them on the ground. He took two stones and struck them hard against each other. He saw some sparks, but they quickly faded away. He tried again and again, but he could not make the fire.

He was about to give up when he heard a loud roar behind him. He turned around and saw a huge bear charging at him. He dropped the stones and ran for his life. The bear was faster than him, and it soon caught up with him. It knocked him down with its paw and pinned him to the ground with its weight. Raku felt its hot breath on his face and its sharp teeth on his neck. He screamed in pain and fear.

Suddenly, he heard another roar, louder than the first one. He opened his eyes and saw a bright light above him. It was fire, falling from the sky like a shooting star. It hit the bear on its back and set it on fire. The bear let go of Raku and rolled on the ground, trying to put out the flames. Raku crawled away from the burning beast and watched in awe as it died in agony.

He looked up at the sky and saw a hole in the clouds where the fire had come from. He wondered if it was the sky god who had saved him, or if it was something else.

He got up and walked towards the pile of leaves and twigs that he had left behind. He saw that some of them were smoldering from the sparks that he had made earlier. He blew on them gently and saw a small flame emerge from the ashes. He added more leaves and twigs and soon had a small fire burning on the ground.

He felt a surge of joy and excitement. He had made fire! He had done what no one else in his tribe had ever done before!

He decided to take some of the fire back to his people and show them his discovery. He looked around for something to carry it in. He saw a hollow log nearby that had been split by lightning. He put some burning twigs inside it and covered it with leaves to keep the fire alive.

He lifted the log over his shoulder and started walking back to his camp.