After building the huge signal fire on the mountain top Ralph realsies that he has no way to light it. He asks the other boys if anyone has any matches. Eventually however he uses Piggy spectacles as a burning glass, to concentrate the heat of the sun and light the fire.
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Ralph thinks that the beast on top of the mountain top is preventing them from the fire
for the fans
why
As "boys with sticks."
In Chapter 2: Fire on the Mountain the 'shameful knowledge' is the realisation that after they had spent much of their energy building a huge bonfire they had no way of lighting it. Ralph initially avoided making any confession by enquiring of Jack, "Will you... Will you light the fire?" To which Jack managed a mumbled reply about rubbing sticks together and then, to quote from the book... He glanced at Ralph, who blurted out the last confession of incompetence. "Has anyone got any matches?"