До Адама

           Wesquatteddownbythefire,andwithheadsbentforwardonourknees,madebelievetosleep.Thenwemimickedtheirspeech,talkingtoeachotherintheirfashionandmakingagreatgibberish.Irememberedseeingthewizenedoldhunterpokethefirewithastick.Ipokedthefirewithastick,turningupmassesoflivecoalsandcloudsofwhiteashes.Thiswasgreatsport,andsoonwewerecoatedwhitewiththeashes.

           ItwasinevitablethatweshouldimitatetheFire-Meninreplenishingthefire.Wetrieditfirstwithsmallpiecesofwood.Itwasasuccess.Thewoodflamedupandcrackled,andwedancedandgibberedwithdelight.Thenwebegantothrowonlargerpiecesofwood.Weputonmoreandmore,untilwehadamightyfire.Wedashedexcitedlybackandforth,draggingdeadlimbsandbranchesfromouttheforest.Theflamessoaredhigherandhigher,andthesmoke-columnout-toweredthetrees.Therewasatremendoussnappingandcracklingandroaring.Itwasthemostmonumentalworkwehadevereffectedwithourhands,andwewereproudofit.We,too,wereFire-Men,wethought,aswedancedthere,whitegnomesintheconflagration.

           Thedriedgrassandunderbrushcaughtfire,butwedidnotnoticeit.Suddenlyagreattreeontheedgeoftheopenspaceburstintoflames.

           Welookedatitwithstartledeyes.Theheatofitdroveusback.Anothertreecaught,andanother,andthenhalfadozen.Wewerefrightened.Themonsterhadbrokenloose.Wecroucheddowninfear,whilethefireatearoundthecircleandhemmedusin.