9-th, 2004 - 26: 1   (Posted By: Webmaster)
The Spider and the Crows    

The Spider and the Crows

This is a story about the spider and the crows. A certain year there was a famine, above and below there was no food. The crows used to go to the middle of a river and pluck figs from a tree that stood in the water and bring them home and eat them. One day the spider heard about this, and when they (the crows) came back home, then he took up a piece of broken pot, saying he was going to get some fire. He then sought for some wax and plastered his testicles with it and went off to the crows' home. He came on them eating figs, and they were throwing some down on the ground. Then he went on top of the figs, and sat down. He greeted them. He rose up. The figs stuck to his bottom. He drew some hot ashes from the fire and went home. They did not know what he had done. He took the figs home and put them aside. He put out the fire, and went back, and sat down on top of the figs; they stuck to his bottom. He drew out some fire. He took them home and put the figs aside. He put out the fire and returned again and did so three times.

A crow said: "What kind of way is that to get fire? You are going, and quenching it on purpose and coming back again." But the spider said, "No, no, I am not quenching it, it died out itself." The crow said, "It is a lie; because of these figs you keep coming back." The crow picked out a fig and gave him, and said, "If it was not for your evil nature, then we might have gone together to where the fig tree is." And the spider fell down with sobs: "E! e! e! Since my parents have died, we have not made any friends again. E! e! e! No, when my parents were about to die, they said I must make friends with people; whoever got food was to give his fellow creature." And the crow said: "Stop crying, go home. When it is dawn at the very first streak come, we will take you." The spider said, It is well." He dried his tears and went home.

When people were having their first sleep then the spider collected sraws and kindled a fire towards the east, and the east became bright.

When he came and found the crow asleep, and he said, "Early dawn has come." But the crow said: "Come now, spider, it is you who made a fire. Off with you in the meantime till the fowls have crowed, then you can come." On his going off he slept a little; then he got up and opened the fowl house, and was beating them and they were crowing Then he came and met the crow and said. You have heard the fowls are crowing." The crow said: Come now, spider, was not it you who were beating the fowls? Off you go and not until the muezzin has called to prayer must you come. He, the spider went off home. On his coming, then he began to call to prayer, Yallah is yate, yallah is yate " (Allah is great.) Then he went back, and met the crow. And she said- "Oh no it was you. I heard you doing it." And she said: "Go home. If it is dawn

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