MintiLime

  Hello! I’m the author of Divine Puppets, based on African folklore and the Akan people (located in modern day Ghana). Here is my (shortened) retelling of Brother Spider and Brother Death!

  One day, Brother Spider, the famous trickster by the name Anansi, was thirsty from traveling the roads in search of food for his family. He was hungry. His wife was hungry. His daughters and sons were hungry.

  In his thirst-driven haze, he came across the hut of an old man.

  “Brother, come and let me in! Please give me a cup of water and perhaps a piece of bread!” He called to the man.

  The thin, tired old man said nothing.

  “Brother, but a bit of something to eat and drink for this weary traveler!”

  The man once again said nothing.

  He called out the final time: “Please Brother! Allow me to share of your food and drink, for I am tired and in need!”

  For a devious trickster like Anansi, no answer three times was as good as an invitation.

  So Brother Spider entered the man’s hut. Within he found more than water and rations to prevent starvation. He found a huge bck pot, such an impressive one that you might call it a cauldron. Within this cauldron boiled the most delicious stew you could imagine.

  Oh, but Anansi could not resist but a sip! The pot was full to the brim and scooping a bit from the top would not make the old man starve.

  The stew was as delicious as it appeared. So satisfied was Anansi, that the next day he came back with his daughter.

  “Brother, I have brought you my daughter as your wife to repay you for your kindness. Not only that, but I have even included the marriage ring in the deal!”

  The man once again stayed silent. Once again, Anansi took his silent as acquiescence.

  Leaving his daughter with the mute old man, Anansi rushed home to inform his wife of the great news.

  He then rushed back to his daughter, as he called out to his joyous family “I will check with our daughter when we can join her for the wedding feast!”

  As he came upon the hut, he saw the old man sitting as always. “Hello, father-in-w! I come to visit my daughter” he greets the man, no longer bothering to wait for a response.

  Within the hut, no voice welcomed him back or praised his wisdom and trickery. His daughter was gone, but the pot was full to the brim.

  Gncing into the bubbling stew, Anansi was filled with horror. Floating to the top was the ring he had sent off with his daughter.

  He rushed out to confront the old man. “Brother! You have killed my daughter who ought to have been your wife! What is the meaning of this! Stay silent no longer!”

  The thin old man stood to his full height. “Do you know who I am? I am Brother Death! You have eaten from my pot and insulted me with your false marriage talks with your daughter.”

  Anansi was struck with fear. Brother Death had come collecting.

  Brother Death chased Anansi into the hut, but Brother Spider had been chased before. He took to the ceiling, climbing high where Brother Death could not reach. He swung onto the trees and traveled back to his home without setting a single foot of his eight on the ground.

  Brother Death was not about to leave this how it stood, so he walked the road to Anansi’s house, arriving just afterwards.

  Brother Spider had already warned his family- keep to the ceiling and the heights! Brother Death will not catch you so long as you do not fall.

  And that is why to this day all the spiders stay high in dusty corners, hiding from Brother Death.