Pacific Pocket Mouse

Perognathus longimembris pacificus

Status:

The Miwok have a tale of the Stealing of Fire.

Lizard was the first to catch sight of fire, in the valley below, and he took the news to the others and to Coyote. Finally it was decided that Flute-player, Mouse, would be sent to take some from that distant assembly house. Mouse set out, taking 4 flutes with him.

As he descended into the valley and into the valley assembly house, he played sweet music with his flute. The sound drifted through the air and lulled the people to sleep. When all was still, he crept into their village and to the fire, placing the stolen bit into his flutes. The ember burned steadily in that safe cache, bright in the darkness of night. He swiftly made his escape, back towards his own people.

As he left, the people woke and gave chase. Eagle, Bear, Rattlesnake, and Mountain Lion pursued, but he managed to elude them, arriving safely with his flutes filled with fire. He deposited the contents of the flutes down through the cold smoke hole of the assembly house, playing his flutes as he did so to distribute the fire among the people.

Because of an unequal distribution of the fire (caused by Coyote interrupting his song), the different people in different directions of the vast assembly house were given different languages, ways of speaking, and customs of cooking and preparing their food.

References:
de Angulo, J., & Freeland, L. S. (1928). Miwok and Pomo Myths. The Journal of American Folklore, 41(160), 232-252. https://doi.org/10.2307/534897

Gifford, Edward Winslow. "Miwok Myths" American Archaeology and Ethnology, Vol 12, No 8 pp 283-338, plate 6, University of California Publications, Dept of Anthropology, May 1917. https://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/anthpubs/ucb/text/ucp012-010.pdf