This story is in the old time when people and animals lived together. At that time, people did not have fire. They ate their food raw. Only Lion had fire.

The people and animals wanted fire. The people and the animals had a meeting. "We want to cook our food'" they said. "How can we get the fire from Lion?"

In the evening they started singing and dancing. They called to all the animals, "come dance with us, come dance with us!" Many animals came to join them.

Lion came too. He brought his fire sticks. He rubbed his sticks together. He rubbed and rubbed until at last there was a little smoke. Lion blew on the sticks, and then there was a little fire. Everyone brought a stick for that fire. Then there was a big fire.

The people and the animals were so happy! They sang and danced around the fire.

The people and the animals wanted to take Lion's fire sticks. They thought of a good plan. They called rabbit. "We all know that you are very clever and very fast." When Lion is dancing and singing, you must take his fire sticks and run!

So Rabbit took Lion's fire sticks and ran as fast as he could. But Lion saw rabbit, and ran after him. He caught rabbit and brought the fire sticks back.

Then lion sang his song: "I have no problem. I can eat you all. I can eat you with hair. I can eat you without hair. All of you are food for me!"

The people still wanted Lion's fire sticks. They thought of another plan. They called springbok. "We all know that you can jump very high and run very fast," they said. When Lion is dancing and singing, you must take his fire sticks and run!

So springbok took Lion's fire sticks and ran as fast as he could. But Lion said, "I don't hear springbok's feet dancing." He turned and saw springbok running away into the veld. He caught springbok and brought the fire sticks back.

Again lion sang his song: "I have no problem. I can eat you all. I can eat you with hair. I can eat you without hair. All of you are food for me!"

The people still wanted Lion's fire sticks. They thought of another plan. They called ostrich. "We all know that you have the longest and strongest legs of all of us," they said. When Lion is dancing and singing, you must take his fire sticks and run!

So ostrich took Lion's fire sticks and ran as fast as he could. But Lion said, "I don't hear ostrich's sweet singing voice anymore." He turned and saw ostrich running away into the veld.

After a long, long time, Lion came back. He was very, very tired. He was very, very angry. He did not have his fire sticks. Ostrich was too fast for him.

Then Lion spoke to all the people and all the animals. "From this day on," he said, "you must all be very, very careful. I will hunt you, and chase you, and when I catch you I will eat you."

And so this is how people came to have fire. And this how Lion came to be the enemy of all animals and all people.