🧚 How He Dislodged the Spider.

After leaving the house where he had found the turquoise, the home-bred Boy wandered along until, towards nightfall, he arrived at the same poplar-tree where he had previously stayed the night, and, lying down under its branches, he fell fast asleep, and did not wake up until towards morning.1

As day was dawning the two Ravens overhead began talking to one another as before, and the boy overheard their conversation.2

“Good-morning, Father Raven,” said the hen bird on the nest.3 “What kept you so late last night?”4

“Well,” replied Father Raven, “the fact is, I was visiting a farmhouse down yonder, where the mistress of the house, as it happens, is very ill.5 She is suffering from a severe pain in her left ear, which drives her almost distracted, and no one about the place knows what it is nor how to cure it.6 They have consulted all of the most famous doctors and lamas in the neighbourhood without, however, affording her any relief at all.7 Indeed, no one knows what is the cause of the disease except myself.8 I have ascertained that the pain in her ear is due to the fact that some days ago a large Spider effected an entrance during her sleep, and that the Spider and her young ones have now taken up their abode inside the Lady’s head.9 It is impossible to dislodge them except by a stratagem.10 As you are aware, Spiders are in the habit of sleeping all through the winter months, and only wake up and emerge from their retreat in the spring.11 If it were possible to make the Spiders believe that spring had arrived, they would come out of the ear at once; otherwise they will remain there all through the winter.”12

“Indeed,” replied Mother Raven, “that is very interesting; but how would it be possible to make the Spider believe that spring had come?”13

“There is a very simple stratagem, which I have often seen employed,” replied Father Raven, “which is as follows: a piece of green cloth must first be spread upon a table and well sprinkled with water, and the Lady must bend her ear over this so that the Spiders can see it.14 It will appear to them to be a green field, wet with the spring rains, and they will imagine it is time to come out; and then, if they still display any reluctance to emerge, it is only necessary to beat a drum to simulate thunder.15 Thunderstorms, as you know, only occur in the spring, and the Spiders on hearing this noise will feel convinced that spring has really come, and will emerge without any further hesitation.16 The moment they come out on the table they must be wrapped up in the cloth with the greatest expedition and carried away and killed, for if this is not done, they will always be ready at the slightest alarm to climb back into the ear by the threads which they have left suspended behind them.”17

Mother Raven thanked Father Raven for his information, and she then said:18

“But you yourself are not looking at all well this morning, what is the matter with you?”19

“Well,” said he, “I am sorry to say I over-ate myself yesterday.20 The people of the house kept praying to the gods, and were all day long occupied in making offerings of rice and flour.21 Most of these offerings were thrown out into the garden, and I was able to eat as much as I wanted.22 In fact, I ate a great deal too much, and I fear that I am going to die.23 If I do, you must faithfully promise to remain in mourning for me, in accordance with Tibetan custom, for three years, three months and three days.”24

Mother Raven, on hearing this, was greatly affected, and solemnly vowed to carry out the wishes of her husband, and poor old Father Raven, getting into the nest, shortly after breathed his last.25

As soon as he was dead Mother Raven remarked to herself that she had a great deal too much to do in looking after her family and household duties to think for a moment of following so absurd a custom as mourning for a dead bird for any period at all.26 So she pushed old Father Raven’s body out of the nest with her bill and let it fall to the ground below, while she herself flew off to find food for the young ravens, which had just been hatched out.27

Meanwhile the Boy, who had listened attentively to the colloquy of the Ravens overhead, went straight off to hunt for the house where the Lady was suffering from pains in her ear, and he decided in his own mind to make this another opportunity for displaying his magical powers.28 He soon arrived at the house in question, and found the whole family in great grief, and the poor mistress of the house suffering torments with the pain in her ear.29 Going to the house he asked what was the matter, and on hearing the cause of their sorrow he at once announced that he was possessed of very wonderful magic powers, and was prepared to effect a cure.30 The people of the house who had seen him on the previous day, when he had found the turquoise, were inclined to believe him, and asked him what they should do to procure relief for their mistress.31

“All that is necessary,” replied he, “is a square piece of green cloth, some clean water in a jug and a couple of drums.”32

When these things had been made ready he spread the piece of green cloth on the table and sprinkled some water over it, and he then told the Lady of the house to lean across the table so that her painful ear should come above the patch of green cloth.33 No sooner had she done so than the Spiders inside, seeing the green expanse with water still lying upon it, thought that the spring had come and began moving about, and the old Mother Spider at once let herself down by a thread to see if it was really spring.34

The people of the house were greatly astonished at seeing the Spider emerge, but the Boy ordered them not to touch her; and having satisfied herself that there was really water on the cloth, she climbed again up her thread, and went back into the Lady’s ear to impart the good news to her family.35 The Boy now ordered the drums to be beaten, and on hearing this sound the whole of the spider family, thinking that the noise was thunder, and that spring had undoubtedly arrived, hastily emerged from the Lady’s ear and let themselves down, one after another, on to the green cloth.36 As soon as they were all, to the number of seven, arrived upon the table, the Boy snatched up the piece of cloth, and wrapping up the spiders inside it, he carried them all outside and destroyed them.37

The Lady of the house was now completely cured and overwhelmed the Boy with gifts and compliments, and he left the house carrying with him a large sum of gold, in addition to that which he had received the day before.38 He now bent his steps towards his Mother’s house, and as he was going along the road to his home he suddenly came face to face with the old Beggar who had previously insulted him, and whom he had had beaten and turned out when he was looking for the turquoise.39 The old man, who was of a very jealous and vindictive temper, was very much incensed against the Boy, and had determined to avenge himself upon him.40 As the Boy came down the road the old Beggar suddenly emerged from behind a clump of bushes, holding a sword in his right hand and a fly in the hollow of his left fist.41

“Now,” said he, “I believe you to be an impostor.42 You have twice made pretence to magical powers, which in reality you do not possess, and I am about to put you to a final test.43 If you can tell me what I hold in my left hand I shall let you go free; but if you fail to do so, I shall immediately kill you with this sword.”44

The poor Boy was greatly alarmed at hearing these words, and having no weapon himself he was completely at the old man’s mercy.45 So at a loss to know what to say, he replied:46

“Well, then, you can kill me if you like, for I am as much in your power as though I were a fly which you hold in your left hand and which you can crush at your pleasure.”47

The old man was so much astonished at hearing this reply, which he looked upon as a proof of the Boy’s supernatural powers, that he forthwith became one of his most ardent admirers; and as he had seen where the Boy’s horse, dog, and other belongings had disappeared to on the occasion when they had all followed the fox, he was able to lead the boy to a distant valley, where he found his horse and dog together.48 Here having recovered his sword and his gun, his clothing and other possessions, he mounted upon his horse and followed by his dog he returned to his Mother’s house a very much richer Boy than when he had left it.49