How Spider Got A Skinny Waist

Long ago, back when animals could talk, the spider looked very different to how we see spider’s today. Today the spider has a big fat head and a big fat body body joined together by a skinny little waist. But back in the days when animals could talk the spider had no waist, but was big and fat all over. Here is the tale of how spider got a waist.

One day spider was walking through the forest when Rabbit came hopping down the path. “Where are you off to in such a hurry Rabbit” inquired Spider.

“Why I’m off to the wedding feast at Upstream Town” said the Rabbit. “You should come along too. Everyone’s invited and I hear it’s going to be the feast to end all feasts!”

As Rabbit hopped off Spider decided that this indeed would be a wonderful feast and that he would attend. But just as he was setting off he met Fox coming in the opposite direction. “And where are you off to Mr Fox?” asked Spider.

“Why, I’m off to the Anniversary celebrations at Downstream Town.” replied the fox. “You should come along too. Everyone’s invited and I hear it’s going to be the feast to end all feasts!” And off ran Mr Fox.

Now Spider was delirious with joy! “Two feasts! How wonderful! I’ll rush off to the Upstream Town feats and eat my fill and then I’ll race down to the Downstream Town feast and eat all the delicacies on offer there. And off Spider went. But he had not gone far when a terrible thought struck him. “What if Downstream Town serve their feast before Upstream Town. Then I will miss the delicacies on offer Downstream. But if I go there first and Upstream Town starts earlier I’ll miss out on the Upstream Feast!”

Spider’s joy turned to great consternation. What was he to do. He did not want to miss out on either of the feasts. It was then that he had a brilliant idea. He raced home and found two very long ropes. He tied the end of each rope to his body and then instructed his two children to take the other. His daughter was to head off to the Downstream feast and his son to the Upstream feast. When the food was served they were to pull on the rope. He would know which feast began first and could then make his way there.

Unfortunately for Spider the two feasts began at exactly the same time. Each of his children began pulling on their rope at exactly the same time, harder and harder when they got no response, til finally, they realised something was wrong and rushed back to find their father lying on the ground almost spit in two gasping for breath. They untied the ropes but from that day on Spider had a skinny little waist separating his big fat head from his big fat body.
Source: Based upon a folk tale from Africa found in The Moral Compass.