Spider Tales

In West Africa, there is a set of stories called ‘Spider Tales’ or ‘Anansi Tales’. This is the story of how that name came to be.

In the olden days, most of the stories were the stories of Nyankupon, the chief of the Gods. However, Anansi, the spider, wanted stories to be about it.

So one day, Anasi went to Nyankupon and told the chief of the Gods about his wish.

Nyankupon studied Anansi and then nodded slowly. “What you ask shall be done, if you get a jar of live bees, a boa constrictor and a tiger.”

Anansi smiled and walked away from there.

Then Anansi took an earthern pot and went near a huge bee hive in the forest.

He was studying the hive and seemingly talking to himself.

‘No! It cannot be done.’

‘The vessel is not big enough.’

‘It can be done.’

‘The bees cannot do it.’

Predictably, the bees saw the strange behaviour of the spider and came closer.

“Are you talking to yourself?” One of the bees asked Anansi.

It seemed like Anansi had not noticed the bees. He shrugged impatiently. “Nyankupon and I had a debate. Nyankupon said that bees could not get inside this jar.” Anansi shrugged nonchalantly. “I disagreed.” Anansi nodded at the bees. “I am just wondering whether Nyankupon is right or not.”

The bees chagrined at Anansi. “Nyankupon is wrong. We can fit inside.”

Saying this, all the bees flew inside the jar.

Once the jar was full, Anansi sealed the jar from the outside and took the jar with him.

The next day, Anansi took a long stick and went to the area of the boa constrictors. There he again started talking to himself.

‘Not this big.’

‘Has to be smaller.’

‘Probably this big.’

Naturally a boa constrictor saw it and was confused.

“What are you doing?”

Anansi shrugged. “Nyankupon thinks that you are not as long as this stick. I think you are longer.”

The boa constrictor swelled with pride. “I am longer than that.”

Anansi suddenly looked a little unconvinced. “Can I measure you with this stick?”

“Of course.”

The boa constrictor wrapped itself around the stick. Quickly, Anansi tied the snake around the stick.

The next day, Anansi blindfolded itself and went to the tiger’s cave.

There Anansi rumbled and hit the tiger by mistake.

“What are you doing?” The Tiger roared angrily.

Anasi did not open its eyes. “Can’t you see? I have blindfolded myself, because now with my eyes closed, I can see more, in my mind. These are the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.”

The Tiger looked at Anasi with curious interest, forgetting his annoyance. “Can you blindfold me too? I also want to see these sights.”

Reluctantly, Anansi agreed to do so.

After blindfolding the tiger, Anansi led the tiger, along with his jar and stick and went to see Nyankupon.

Nyakupon was amazed at the spider’s ingenuity. Since then the old tales were called Anansi tales.

The Story of Good Faith

 Once a Tiger had been locked in a strong house by a human.

The tiger tried to push against the wall and the door of the house, but it was successful. The tiger was sitting morosely in the house hearing the rushing stream of water, just out of the place.

Some time later, the tiger was very hungry too when it heard the sound of an animal outside the house. It peered from the window and saw a beautiful deer which had come to the place to drink water from the stream.

“Sister Deer!” The tiger pleaded. “Please open the door.”

The Deer was startled on hearing the words from a tiger and nearly ran away from there.

“Please do not run away.” The tiger said immediately. “I was put here by a human. I need to get out, so that I do not starve and die in here.”

The deer studied the strong door and the tiger. A second later, the deer shook her head. “No Tiger! I shall not let you out. You may eat me, if I let you out.”

The Tiger shook his head in a sagely manner. “If you let me out you, I will be indebted to you. How can I eat you in good faith?”

The deer was unconvinced.

But the Tiger talked some more and finally the deer was convinced.

It opened the door of the house.

The tiger came out and in hunger, it pounced on the deer.

“I am going to eat you!”

The Deer looked around for help and found no one else. “You… said… you… would… not hurt me…” The animal bleated sadly at the Tiger.

The Tiger roared. “When one is hungry, who cares about good faith?”

The Deer was desperate and it realized that its end was near. “Will the others also believe the same?” The Deer asked suddenly.

The Tiger moved back in slight shock hearing the Deer’s words.

Which was when the Deer nodded earnestly. “If we find three others who also do not believe in Good Faith, then you can eat me.”

The Tiger stared and looked at the house where it had been help captive and it remembered the human who had locked it in. “Agreed.” The Tiger agreed arrogantly. The Tiger was sure that no one was going to accept the Deer’s theory.

It went exactly like that.

They first went to a tree.

“Brother Tree, the Tiger and me have come to you to seek an opinion.” The Deer sounded timid.

The tree had been gently swaying its branches in the wind and turned to the two animals. “What opinion?”

“This Tiger had been locked in a house…” The Deer told the Tree everything.

Finally, the Deer looked at the Tree. “Now, after hearing my story do you think Good Faith exists?”

The Tree firmly shook its head. “I feel sad for you Sister Deer.” But the Tree suddenly looked sullen. “In my entire experience, I have found that good faith does not exist. Look at me. I help everyone, including humans. Do any of them even think of thanking me for what I do? They even break off my tender branches to use it.” The Tree sighed eyeing the Deer. “No Sister Deer, good faith does not exist.”

The Tiger looked proud, but said nothing.

Both the animals saw many cattle grazing the field and found a buffalo all alone.

The Deer repeated its problems to the Buffalo. “Do you think Good Faith exists, Aunt Buffalo?”

The aged buffalo shook her head. “From my experience, I find that such a thing does not exist.”

The Deer paled as the buffalo continued. “Look! When I had a calf, I let the younger calf eat the juicy grass and ate old grass. After the calf has grown up, do you think, the calf is grateful to me for what I have done? No. Neither are humans any better.” So the buffalo shook her head. “I am sure that Good faith does not exist.

Sadly, the Deer was trying to accept the fact that it was going to be eaten. It realized that the opinion of the third person was going to doom it.

Which was when, they met a Hare.

The Deer told the Hare how it had found the Tiger and was about to ask its question.

But the Hare seemed confused.

“You found the Tiger in a house?” The Hare looked at the Tiger.

“Yes.” The Tiger growled angrily.

“How can a Tiger be found inside a house?” The Hare’s question came up immediately.

The Deer started explaining again. “I was going to a stream to drink water…”

“Take me to the place.” The Hare told the two impatient animals. “Then I can understand better.”

Grumbling, the Tiger led the Hare to the House near the stream. The Deer reluctantly followed the two animals.

“Was the Deer inside the house?” The Hare asked looking at the place.

The Tiger growled. “NO! I was inside the house.”

The animal walked inside the house. “Like this.”

“Was the door bolted from outside?” The Hare asked looking at the door.

“Yes!” The Tiger snarled.

“Like this?” The Hare asked bolting the door shut.

The foolish Tiger realized it a second later and uselessly threw itself on the bolted door.

“Go your way, Sister Deer.” The Hare told the Deer.

The Deer and Hare left the roaring Tiger in the house and both went their way.

The Story of Orpheus and Eurydice

 Orpheus was the son of Apollo and Orpheus belonged to the city of Thrace or Thrake.

Apollo is the Greek/Roman God of archery, music, dance, truth and prophecy. Apollo is the twin brother of Goddess Artemis, who is the Goddess of the hunt.

Orpheus’s mother is Calliope. Calliope is called as the chief of all Muses and she is the Muse of Eloquence and Poetry. Muses are inspirational Goddesses to all literature, science and art.

When Orpheus was young his father taught him to play the lyre. Orpheus learnt to play the instrument so well that it was said that nothing could resist Orpheus’s music.

Eurydice was the nymph who was found in pastures and vales.

Orpheus and Eurydice both loved each other. They got married and they had a perfect life.

Hymen was asked to bless the marriage of Orpheus and Eurydice. Hymen is the God of marriage ceremonies and it is believed that if Hymen does not attend any marriage ceremony, then the marriage would be disastrous.

Hymen looked at Orpheus and Eurydice and he became very sad, because he realized immediately that this perfect marriage was not to last.

Unknown of their fate, Eurydice and Orpheus were living happily.

Once after her marriage, Eurydice was in the forest with the other nymphs. She was laughing and running around in the woods when unknowingly she stepped on a serpent there.

The serpent bit Eurydice and she died immediately.

Eurydice’s soul left the body and went to the underworld, which was controlled by Hades.

Hades is the God of the Dead and the king of the underworld. Hades rules the underworld with his wife Persephone. (Persephone is the Goddess of food grains. She is the daughter of Goddess Demeter and Zeus, the king of the Greek Gods.)

Orpheus was heartbroken on seeing his beloved wife dead.

For days, Orpheus was in despair and he played his lyre turning his misery to music, and the music moved everyone and everything around him. The music that Orpheus created was so soulful that even stones melted.

The same thing happened in the opening of the Underworld.

The opening of the Underworld was guarded by huge boulders. But when Orpheus played his lyre, the boulders opened up, letting Orpheus enter the Underworld though he was alive.

There Orpheus continued to play his lyre and charm everyone.

Charon was the ferryman who took the souls to the Underworld through the River Styx and Charon forgot to ask for his payment of a single gold coin from Orpheus when he heard the musical notes from Orpheus’s lyre.

Similarly, Cerberus, the ferocious three headed dog which guarded the Underworld let Orpheus inside.

Orpheus played the lyre before Hades and Persephone.

Hades was mesmerized by the notes and he had the soul of Eurydice brought before Orpheus.

Hades even let Orpheus take Eurydice back to the world of the living, without letting Eurydice drink from the waters of the River Lethe. (In the Underworld, the souls drink from the river of Lethe. Any soul which drinks the water of the River Lethe forgets all about their human life and settles in the Underworld.)

However, Hades imposed a condition.

Orpheus was to lead the way for Eurydice to the land of the living and Orpheus was not supposed to turn back at any point of time until he reached the surface.

Orpheus was overjoyed that he had finally gotten his love back. He walked back to the land of the living and he did not see whether Eurydice was following him or not. He could not turn back, but he kept his faith and kept walking. However, in the Underworld, Orpheus was not able to hear the footsteps of his beloved, following him.

That was when Orpheus had a doubt of whether Hades had kept his word or whether Hades had fooled him.

Orpheus nearly reached the surface, but then he just could not get rid of his doubt of whether Eurydice was actually following him.

Just before reaching the surface, unfortunately Orpheus turned back to see whether Eurydice was following him.

Eurydice had been following Orpheus and she faded as soon as Orpheus turned back.

Orpheus was taken to the land of the living without his wife and his wife was lost to the Underworld forever.

After that, try as he might, Orpheus could not return to the Underworld.

He then played the most beautiful music on his lyre, begging Death to come and take him so that Orpheus could be reunited with his Eurydice forever.

Orpheus was killed by animals in a frenzied mood or most probably Zeus struck Orpheus dead with his lightning staff.

Orpheus’s head was kept alive by the Muses so that it could keep singing melodies and charm people. Orpheus’s lyre was supposedly thrown to the sky to make it a constellation.

The Dog and the Sparrow

 A sheep-dog did not like its master who had ill-treated the animal. Finally, unable to take it anymore, the sheep-dog ran away from home.

As it ran deep into the forest, there it saw a beautiful little sparrow.

“Why are you so sad?” The sparrow asked the sheep-dog.

The sheep-dog told the sparrow all about itself and then sighed unhappily. “I have nothing to eat now. That is why I am so sad.”

The sparrow smiled. “I can solve your problems. Come with me.”

Saying that, the sparrow led the dog to a butcher’s shop. There she sat on the top ledge where the butcher had kept all his meat. The sparrow pecked on the meat there and slowly pushed a large meat piece down without the butcher knowing about it.

The dog ravenously ate the entire piece of meat which had fallen to the ground.

As the dog was still hungry, the sparrow took the dog to another butcher’s shop and repeated the same process.

The dog ate some more meat and it was very happy.

However, now the dog wanted some bread.

The sparrow went to the baker’s shop and pecked two rolls of bread off the ledge in the shop. Finally, the dog was able to eat the bread which had fallen down from the ledge of the baker’s shop.

The sparrow had to repeat it in another baker’s shop and soon the dog was well fed.

Naturally, after that the sheep dog was tired and wanted to sleep.

“I shall sleep here.” The sheep-dog told the sparrow pointing at the centre of the street. “I am very tired.”

“I shall keep a watch, while you sleep, brother.” The Sparrow told the dog.

The dog was asleep in no time.

However, that was when a cartman was driving at full speed across the road. He was carrying two barrels in his carriage which was driven by three horses.

The Sparrow saw this and she yelled. “Carter! Be careful. My Brother Dog is asleep on the road.”

The cartman heard the Sparrow, but he looked contemptuously at the little sparrow. He was sure that the Sparrow could do nothing to him and he drove over the dog who had been sleeping on the streets.

The dog died and the Sparrow was livid with rage.

“I shall make you suffer for this, Carter!” The Sparrow yelled angrily.

The cartman laughed maniacally and drove on, unmindful of anything.

The Sparrow flew to the back of the cartman’s wagon and slowly she pecked at the cork of the barrels holding the wine.

After some time, the Sparrow was able to peck the cork off completely and the wine started leaking from the barrels in the cart.

The cartman had not noticed it and he just drove on.

After driving some more, he saw that his cart was wet and he stopped the cart. He got down and he was shocked to see that the cork had been broken and all the wine had leaked through it.

“It is not yet over, Carter!” The Sparrow called as she sat on the top of the cart.

Angrily, the cartman pulled out his axe and tried to hit the sparrow with his axe.

The bird flew away and the axe hit the cart.

The wily Sparrow sat on the head of one of the horses pulling the carriage and she taunted the cartman further.

Furiously, the cartman aimed his axe at the bird.

Again the cartman missed and he hit his own horse. The horse fell dead immediately.

The bird did the same thing again and soon the cartman lost all his horses.

Unhappily, the cartman went home and told his wife all that had happened.

But his wife had bigger problems.

“There is a tiny sparrow and it has brought many other birds along with it. The birds are all in the barn and eating all our grains!” The wife told the cartman unhappily.

The cartman ran to the barn and he was shocked to see that the birds had already eaten most of his stored grains. He tried shooing them away, but it was too late by then.

A little time later, the sparrow sat inside the house of the cartman.

“It is not over yet, Carter.” The Sparrow told the cartman.

A second later the bird flew as the cartman yelled furiously and an axe landed beside the Sparrow.

The window pane from the house of cartman was broken but nothing happened to the bird.

The Sparrow continued taunting the man and soon the man had broken all his furniture with his own axe.

But finally, the cartman managed to catch the Sparrow.

“Are you going to wring the neck of the bird?” The wife asked the cartman with anxious eyes.

“No.” The cartman said with glee. “I am going to swallow the bird alive, so that it is very painful for it.”

Saying that the cartman swallowed the bird whole.

But the sparrow fought back and came to the mouth of the cartman.

Annoyed, the cartman turns to his wife. “Hit this wretched bird with the axe and kill it.”

The wife tried to hit the bird, but it flew away.

The axe hit the cartman, killing him immediately.

From the Grey Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

The Midas Touch

In Greek Mythology, Silenus, was the teacher and the companion of Dionysus (Dionysus was also known as Bacchus in Roman Mythology). Bacchus was considered to be the God of grape harvest, wine and fertility.

Once Silenus went missing and was not to be seen at all.

Bacchus was worried. He was looking around, waiting for Silenus. But Silenus was nowhere to be found.

******

The old man was walking tiredly half due to his old age and half because he was drunk. He was barely able to focus on anything, when he collapsed on the fields that he was walking through.

The old man did not know it but he had reached the kingdom of Phrygia. The peasants working in the fields were shocked to the old man. The man was old, but he exuded a kind of power.

Not knowing what to do, the peasants took the man to their king – Midas.

Midas watched the old man and realized that whoever the man was he was powerful man.

He turned to his people. “We have a distinguished guest with us. Let us have a grand festival for his honour.”

And so there was a lavish party in the kingdom of Phrygia. The old man was an excellent story teller and for the ten days that the party went on, the old man told the people of Phrygia many wonderful stories.

As the man spoke, Midas realized that he had been right in treating the man well. He now knew who the man was.

On the eleventh day, Midas took the man to Lydia with great honours.

There Midas found Bacchus who was worried.

“My Lord!” Midas said bowing low and pointing behind him. “I have brought Silenus with me.”

Bacchus was overjoyed as he saw Silenus. He embraced Silenus tightly and realized that Midas had treated his really well. After Silenus had told Bacchus what had happened, Bacchus happily turned to Midas. “You have done me a great favour. Ask for anything that you wish for.”

Midas was overjoyed. “I wish that anything I touch should change into gold,” he said immediately before the God could change his mind.

There was an extra silence on the side of the God as Midas watched the God with worried eyes.

“Out of so many things that you could have asked, you want this?” the God asked looking half sorry and half incredulously.

Midas was surprised. “Why, my Lord?” he asked surprised.

“Is that what you want?” Bacchus repeated, making no move to elaborate his sentence.

“Yes,” Midas said frowning, because he did not understand the import of the question.

“Your wish has been granted,” Bacchus said listlessly.

*********

Midas watched his hands as his eyes sparkled with happiness as he walked back to his kingdom. He could scarcely believe that the God had said yes and he could not wait to try out his gift.

On a sudden impulse, Midas pulled down the twig of a tree. He was shocked as he saw the entire branch became gold.

Letting out a shout of joy, Midas just could not describe his happiness. With trembling hands he picked up the stone from the ground. The stone turned to gold. The wheat corns, apples, the door knobs. Midas touched them all.

Midas saw the flowing water and watched with almost greedy eyes. Midas touched it. There were no words to describe Midas's happiness as the water flowed like it was molten gold.

“I want to eat,” Midas said as he turned curtly to his servant, barely able to take his eyes off the gold in front of him.

The meal was served and it was delicious to look at and Midas wanted nothing more than to have his full as he was living his life's dream. And that was when the man was in for a shock. The food that he touched all turned to gold. He picked up the food and was about to eat it when his teeth almost broke as it bit into the hard gold. Hastily Midas picked up the goblet of water. Midas could not drink that too, as it became molten gold.

********

Midas was walking across the road, staggering out of sheer exhaustion. To any eye it was obvious that Midas was rich, but his eyes conveyed great pain. The man picked up the fruit from the tree ravenously and was dejected as it turned into gold. Angrily he threw it away.

He hated this so much. This cursed gold. Because of which, he had not eaten or drank anything for days.

He sobbed in exhaustion and finally looked in the heavens. “I made a mistake. Please I do not wish the gift. Take it back,” he shouted.

*********

Bacchus appeared almost immediately before him looking sadly at Midas.

“This is no gift. Please take it back,” Midas almost cried.

Bacchus nodded his head. “Go to the city of Sardis, which is the capital of Lydia. There would will find the river Pactolus. The river flows from a huge mountain onto a stream. You will find a spring. Dip yourself in the spring and this....gift...” Bacchus said with a slight smile. “...would go away.”

Midas was thrilled as he went to Sardis.

He found the spring and as he touched the spring, he could find a sudden swirling in his hands. He felt something leave his body as it joined the powerful waters of the stream. (It is believed that this is the reason that the river Pactolus is such a rich source of gold.)

The first thing that Midas did was pick up some food and almost sobbed in relief as the foods remained as it was.

Now sick and tired of his wealth and riches, Midas gave it all up and became a follower of Pan, the God of fields and satyrs.