<sod>An anecdote is a tale—fact or fiction—told to demonstrate a point. "Earthly' means "not heavenly," especially for Stevens. "Earthly Anecdote," then, is a down-to-earth tale of Native-American warriors and a "firecat." We know the "bucks" existed and once rode their horses over Oklahoma. That world was real. We know that the "firecat" is imaginary. What is it about the firecat that inspires such fear in the warriors' hearts?<eod>
<sod>An anecdote is a tale—fact or fiction—told to demonstrate a point. "Earthly' means "not heavenly," especially for Stevens. "Earthly Anecdote," then, is a down-to-earth tale of Native-American warriors and a "firecat." We know the "bucks" existed and once rode their horses over Oklahoma. That world was real. We know that the "firecat" is imaginary, and as a creature of the imagination it has blazing eyes and leaps faster than galloping horses. The "bucks" belong to a large contingent of the real human race that since prehistorical days have feared imagined creatures. <eod>