A Day at Home When Everything Went Wrong
A tale from Nigeria
Two men called “Good- is-never-lost” and “Evil-is-never lost” went to make a farm. They chose a good place and began to cut the tree. But did not clear the bush. When this was done they waited at home till the dry season should come. This would allow them to burn the bush before they dug the ground.
It happened that spider, ignorant of the danger, began to spin his web there, and he married and had a large family. Antelope also came and said that it was good place to live, cool and fertile, with plenty of fresh leaves.
Both Antelope and spider lived there in peace and contentment without fearing anything in the future. But soon “Good- is-never-lost” and “Evil-is-never lost” came to burn the bush. They brought confusion where there was peace before.
Antelop jumped up hurriedly to leave the bush, but Spider said, “stop.”
He said to him, “Alas! Antelope, if you do not help me and my children, how shall we escape from this danger?” But Antelope did not chose to listen for he wanted to repay the debt. Then Antelope asked him, saying, “How can you, who are only a spider, help me? I am strong and can run swiftly.”
Spider continued to beg him , and eventually Antelope agreed. He lowered his head to the ground and Spider and all his children on his back. Antelope then rushed away. When he had again. Then Spider and all his children climbed down and they thanked him.
The place where they went to live was near a path leading to a village. The law to the animals was that they should not plant there feet in the middle of the path and leave footprints because of the hunter who used to hunt there. But Antelope forgot and crossed that path one day when the rain that had fallen had not dried up.
Antelope had not long passed when a hunter came by. He looked on the ground and saw the prints that Antelope had made. The hunter ran home quickly to fetch his gun. He also told all his friends that he was
Two men called “Good- is-never-lost” and “Evil-is-never lost” went to make a farm. They chose a good place and began to cut the tree. But did not clear the bush. When this was done they waited at home till the dry season should come. This would allow them to burn the bush before they dug the ground.
It happened that spider, ignorant of the danger, began to spin his web there, and he married and had a large family. Antelope also came and said that it was good place to live, cool and fertile, with plenty of fresh leaves.
Both Antelope and spider lived there in peace and contentment without fearing anything in the future. But soon “Good- is-never-lost” and “Evil-is-never lost” came to burn the bush. They brought confusion where there was peace before.
Antelop jumped up hurriedly to leave the bush, but Spider said, “stop.”
He said to him, “Alas! Antelope, if you do not help me and my children, how shall we escape from this danger?” But Antelope did not chose to listen for he wanted to repay the debt. Then Antelope asked him, saying, “How can you, who are only a spider, help me? I am strong and can run swiftly.”
Spider continued to beg him , and eventually Antelope agreed. He lowered his head to the ground and Spider and all his children on his back. Antelope then rushed away. When he had again. Then Spider and all his children climbed down and they thanked him.
The place where they went to live was near a path leading to a village. The law to the animals was that they should not plant there feet in the middle of the path and leave footprints because of the hunter who used to hunt there. But Antelope forgot and crossed that path one day when the rain that had fallen had not dried up.
Antelope had not long passed when a hunter came by. He looked on the ground and saw the prints that Antelope had made. The hunter ran home quickly to fetch his gun. He also told all his friends that he was