A long time ago it is said that half the world had the sun, but the other side of the world was very dark. It was so dark that all the animals were always bumping into each other and getting lost.

Wolf lived on this side of the world. He was tired of everybody bumping into him and asking him for directions, for you see, Wolf could see in the nighttime. Wolf gathered all the animals together in a big cave. He got up

in front of them and crossed his arms, and he said, “I am tired of everybody bumping into me and asking me for directions.” “I have an idea,” he said. “I think we should go to the other side of the world and ask them for a piece of their sun. I think if we’re nice,

they’ll give us a piece.” Another animal jumped up. This was Coyote, known as the

trickster because he lies and cheats and steals.

Coyote said, “No, no, no, no, nol I don’t think we should be so nice! If they’re so nice, how come they haven’t offered us a piece of their sun?”

The other animals nodded in agreement. “I have a better idea,” Coyote said. “I think we should sneak over

there and just steal a piece.”

“Steal a piece!” said Wolf. “What are you talking about, Coyote?” “Calm down, calm down, calm down,” Coyote said. “We’re not going to steal a big piece. We’ll only take a little piece. They’ll never even miss it.”

And that is what they decided to do. Then all the animals began asking, “Who is going to go to the other side of the world? How will they get there?” Everybody had an idea, but none seemed quite right.

Then from the back of the room came a small voice. “Hey, I’ll go!

I’ll go!”

Wolf said, “Who is that? Come down here. I can’t see you.” Down to the front of the room came a little round animal with chubby cheeks. He was shy and quiet. He stood up in front of all the animals, and as he looked at all those hundreds of eyes looking back at him, he got kind of scared.

He looked out over the crowd of animals and he said in his timid voice, “Hi. M-m-m-my name is Possum. I think I can go to the other side of the world. You see, I’ve got these long, sharp claws, and I think I can dig a tunnel. And when I go all the way to the other side of the world, I’ll take a piece of the sun and I’ll hide it in my big, bushy tail.”

And Wolf said, “Oh, a tunnel! That’s the best idea yet!” So Possum went to the big wall of dirt at the back of the cave, stuck in his sharp claws, and began to dig and dig and dig and dig, faster and faster and faster and faster. Possum disappeared inside the tunnel, and soon he had gone all the way to the other side of the world.