Spiders have died. See another here." They all passed, except this one, he came, he was carrying a load of salt. Then he saw the Spider, and said,—"Oh, let me go and get the other one, and come and add it to this one, and eat (them)."[1] When he had put down his load and gone, the Spider got up and took the load. When the trader returned, he did not see his load, and did not see the Spider. Of the two of them he did not see (even) one. He ran away and followed his fellow traders. The Spider got up and broke up the load (of salt) on a rock. Then he called the Elephant, and said,—"O, Elephant, see the food I have brought you," Then the Elephant came and (began to) eat. (While) she was eating the stone broke her tusk. The Spider took the tusk, and hid (it). Then he went and called the Dingo, and said,—"Now, you come in a crowd (assemble), (and) let us make fun of the Elephant (make song of). Her tusk is broken." Then they came altogether, and began singing,—"See the Great One, see the Great One, with no tusk." Then the Spider ran to the Elephant, and said,—Oh, Elephant, have you heard the Dingoes making fun of you?" Then the Elephant (she) came and said,—"Where are they?" He said,—"See them over there." He said,—"Now, if you kill (beat) them, flay them and throw (the skins) behind." Then the Elephant (began to) kill them, she killed them with her trunk (hand-of-nose), and she flayed them. The Spider took up the skins, and went and hid (them) with the Elephant's tusk. Then he returned and ground some pepper in a gourd, and went and found the Lion lying down. He said,—"I have come to make some medicine for you for soreness of the eyes. I see your eyes are sore." The Lion said,—"Very well." The Spider put some pepper in his eyes. Then the Lion felt (them) stinging and shut his eyes, and the tears ran out, and the Spider collected them in the gourd. He said,—"Now I am going home, but to-morrow, (when) I come, the pain will have gone." He took the gourd, and went off on the road to go to his house. Then he took the gourd of tears, the skin of the Dingo, and the tusk of the Elephant, and came to the old woman. He said,—"Old Woman." She said,—"Oh, Spider, have you returned?" He said,—"Yes." Then she
- ↑ If the man had not passed the spider at the first place where he lay down he could not have seen him, so the narrator is at fault here.
