103. The Spider and the Cobweb

Spider wanted to go to the feast in the sky.
“I’ll carry you,” Cobweb said, so Spider rode up on Cobweb.
There they ate kola-nuts and honey.
“Who brought you?” the Sky-People asked Spider.
“That dirty old Cobweb,” Spider replied.
This made Cobweb angry, so he left, abandoning Spider there.
“Help!” said Spider. “I’ll pay with gold for a ride down.”
Dove carried Spider down. “Now give me my gold!” she said.
“It’s in there.” Spider pointed to a hut.
When Dove went in, Spider shut the door, burned the hut down, and ate her.
“What a feast!” he said.

[a Hausa story from northern Nigeria] 



Inspired by: "The Spider and the Cobweb" in Magana Hausa; Hausa stories and fables collected by J. F. Schon, 1885.
Notes: You can read the original story online.

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