River of Blue Fire Read Online Free PDF

the skin they had taken from Long Nose was not enough to keep them warm. They went to Cave Dweller and asked her how they might keep warm
.
    â€œ
You must find a deep hole in the mountain,” said Cave Dweller, “and there you can live as I live, safe from the wind-that-bites, and raise a family of cubs
.
”
    But First Man and First Woman could not find a hole of their own, so they killed Cave Dweller and stole her hole for themselves, and for a little while they did not suffer
.
    Still the world grew colder. First Man and First Woman huddled in their cave and pulled their skins tight around them, but knew that they would soon die
.
    One day, First Woman saw tiny Naked Tail running across the cave. She caught him in her hands and was going to eat him, for she was very hungry, but Naked Tail told her that if she did not swallow him, he would tell her something important. She called over First Man to hear what Naked Tail would say
.
    â€œI will tell you of a powerful secret,” Naked Tail said. “Yellow Eyes, who lives out there in the great cold and dark, has a magical thing, a thing that bends in the softest wind and yet does not blow away, that has no teeth but can eat a hard tree branch. This magic is a warm thing that keeps the cold away, and it is what makes the eyes of old Yellow Eyes shine brightly out in the darkness
.
”
    â€œWhat does this matter to us?” said First Man. “He will never let us have this magical warm thing
.
”
    â€œWe can play a trick on him and steal it,” said First Woman. “Did we not take Long Nose’s skin and Cave Dweller’s house
?
”
    First Man did not speak. He was frightened of Yellow Eyes, who was cruel and strong, and much more clever than Long Nose or Cave Dweller. First Man
knew that the broken, gnawed bones of many of the other Animal People lay outside Yellow Eyes’ den. But he listened while First Woman told him the thoughts that were in her belly
.
    â€œI will do what you say,” he said at last. “If I do not try, we will die in any case, and the darkness will have us
.
”
    The flames wavered as a gust of cold air scythed through the room. Paul shivered and pulled his furs more tightly around him. He was becoming drowsy, and it was hard to think clearly. Everything was so strange. He had heard this story somewhere, hadn’t he? But how could that be?
    The cave grew darker, until the glow of the embers turned all the listeners into red-lit ghosts. Dark Moon’s cracked voice rose and fell as she sang the song of stolen fire.
    First Man went to the place of many bones where Yellow Eyes lived. He saw the bright eyes from a long way away, but Yellow Eyes saw him even sooner
.
    â€œWhat do you want?” he asked First Man. “If you do not tell me, I will crush you in my jaws.” Yellow Eyes showed his terrible teeth to First Man
.
    â€œI have come to make a bargain with you,” said First Man. “I wish to trade for the warm, bright thing that you have
.
”
    â€œAnd what do you have to trade?” asked Yellow Eyes. His eyes were shining a little more brightly
.
    â€œA child,” said First Man. “It is so cold that he will die anyway if we do not have some of your warm, bright thing.”
    Yellow Eyes licked his lips and clicked his terrible teeth. “You would give me your child for a little of my fire?”
    First Man nodded his head
.
    â€œ
Then put the child where I can see him,” said Yellow Eyes, “and I will give you what you ask for.”
    First Man reached into his skins and took out the child made of mud which First Woman had shaped with her clever hands. He set this child down before Yellow Eyes
.
    â€œHe is very quiet,” Yellow Eyes said
.
    â€œHe is frightened of your teeth,” First Man told him
.
    â€œThat is good,” said Yellow Eyes, and opened his jaws wide. “Reach into my mouth and you will find what you asked