re in contact with the short days of the extreme north or south. It is
a very remarkable exposition of a fact of nature perpetuated many
centuries in lands absolutely free from such natural phenomena.

V.

MAUI FINDING FIRE.

"Grant, oh grant me thy hidden fire,
O Banyan Tree.
Perform an incantation,
Utter a prayer
To the Banyan Tree.
Kindle a fire in the dust
Of the Banyan Tree."

--Translation of ancient Polynesian chant.

Among students of mythology certain characters in the legends of the
various nations are known as "culture heroes." Mankind has from time to
time learned exceedingly useful lessons and has also usually ascribed
the new knowledge to some noted person in the national mythology. These
mythical benefactors who have brought these practical benefits to men
are placed among the "hero-gods." They have been teachers or "culture
heroes" to mankind.

Probably the fire finders of the different nations are among the best
remembered of all these benefactors. This would naturally be the case,
for no greater good has touched man's physical life than the discovery
of methods of making fire.

Prometheus, the classical fire finder, is most widely known in
literature. But of all the helpful gods of mythology, Maui, the
mischievous Polynesian, is beyond question the hero of the largest
numbers of nations scattered over the widest extent of territory.
Prometheus belonged to Rome, but Maui belonged to the length and breadth
of the Pacific Ocean. Theft or trickery, the use of deceit of some kind,
is almost inseparably connected with fire finding all over the world.
Prometheus stole fire from Jupiter and gave it to men together with the
genius to make use of it in the arts and sciences. He found the rolling
chariot of the sun, secretly filled his hollow staff with fire, carried
it to earth, put a part in the breast of man to create enthusiasm or
animation, and saved the remainder for the comfort of mankind to be used
with the artist skill of Minerva and Vulcan. In Brittany the golden or
fire-crested wren steals fire and is red-marked while so doing. The
animals of the North American Indians are represented as stealing fire
sometimes from the cuttle fish and sometimes from one another. Some
swiftly-flying bird or fleet-footed coyote would carry the stolen fire
to the home of the tribe.

The possession of fire meant to the ancients all that wealth means to
the family of today. It me