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The Snaring of the Sun

This version of the legend comes from Diamond Jenness' 1934 collection Myths of the Carrier Indians of British Columbia.

A boy went into the woods with his bow and arrows to shoot squirrels. One of his arrows stuck in the top of a tree, and though he climbed and climbed, he could not reach it. He kept on climbing until he reached the sky, where he found a path. He took the string from his bow and made a snare across it. At midday the sun came rolling along and was caught in the noose. The boy tried to free it, but could not approach on account of the heat. Then he asked a little mouse to cut the cord, but the sun burned up the mouse. He asked another species of mouse; it too was burnt. Then he covered the big red mouse with red paint and said, "Get me that cord." The mouse cut the cord, the sun went on his way, and the boy descended the tree to earth.

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More stories to read:

 Native American nature legends
 Native legends about the sun
 Native legends about mice

Learn more about:

 Carrier stories
 Carrier language
 Carriers



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