Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 21, 1910.djvu/244

208 Snake drank (some) water, and the Spider said,—"Oh, the bitter (stuff) is at the bottom (in the middle). Eat (some)." So he (Snake) took (some) and filled his mouth. Then all his teeth became useless (died). Then the Spider said,—"Drink to be sure." He (Snake) said he would not drink any more. Then the Spider said,—"One drink (is) no good." So he took some more. The jaws (teeth) became stiff (cold) and would not move. They were (no longer) powerful as before. Then he (Spider) stretched out (his) leg to him, and said,—"Now bite." He (Snake) said,—"No, I cannot." He (Spider) said,—"Certainly, we arranged that the time should be completed to-day. You must bite." He (Snake) said he could not. He (Spider) said,—"Very well. If you do not bite (me) to-day, I have paid for your bull. If I see you again (you will get nothing) but a beating (blows) with a stick." Then the Snake saw that the Spider was crafty, so he said,—"Very well, we fixed a time and it has come. I cannot bite you. You have (nevertheless) paid. I shall not come again."

This is about a Snake (who) was tending his bull. He asked the butchers to come and buy. So they said,—"For what?" He said,—"Whoever buys (it), when my pool has dried up I shall come and go inside him." Then the chief of the butchers said,—"No, we cannot do (that)." Then a Spider came. When he had come and had been told, he said, as for him, he would buy (it). When the pond should dry up, let him (Snake) come and enter inside him. So the Spider said he agreed. He seized the bull, the Snake returned to the water, and the Spider went off and ate his meat. Now what was he to do (when) the time was up? The Spider went off and dug a hole, some flour was ground for him, (and) he took it into the hole. His wife covered him up. Then he told the wife, if the snake came, to say to the Snake he (Spider) was dead. When the Snake had come, the female spider said to him,—