Let us enjoy reading this one of African Stories of Uncle Spider.
The spider is the hero of many West African tales. Nobody knows why a spider, of all creatures, should be so honored. Some say the spider represents a legendary warrior of ancient times, a man renowned for his cunning as well as for his valor. Others say the spider is a solar symbol, perhaps because its legs radiate out from a central orb, like the rays of the sun.
Here is a spider tale from northern Nigeria.
When Mother hyena was away, Anansis, the spider, went to her den and informed her cubs that he was their uncle, For-you-all. "Wake me up when your mother brings food," he said and curling up in a corner, went to sleep.
Presently Mother hyena came with meat which she gave to her cubs, saying: "This is for you all."
The cubs woke up the spider and gave him the meat which he devoured. Mother hyena brought meat twice more, on each occasion saying, "This is for you all," while handing over the food to her cubs. Each time, the cubs dutifully woke up Anansis and gave him the meat.
In the evening when Mother hyena came home the cubs started crying for food.
"Still hungry after all the meat I gave you?" she asked, surprised.
"Uncle ate it all!" they wailed. The spider, realizing that it was time to run, darted out of the cave and sprinted away.
"That's Uncle For-you-all!" shouted the cubs.
"Is he!" said their mother, grimly, and bounded after the spider. Anansis rushed into Dog's house and sat beside him.
"I've just finished eating," said the dog. "I've nothing to offer you."
"That's all right," said the spider, "I've already eaten. That's why I'm here."
The hyena came in just then.
"Which of you was the rascal I was chasing!" she demanded.
The spider pointed to the dog. "He has been running," he said. "See how he's panting with his tongue hanging out."
The hyena pounced on the dog that twisted away and jumped out of the window. The hyena followed him. The uncle spider, knowing that it would be a long time before the dog got back, stretched out on his bed for a short snooze.
让我们好好读一读蜘蛛叔叔的吧。
蜘蛛是许多西非传说中的英雄。没有人知道为什么蜘蛛，在所有生物中，都应该如此受人尊敬。有人说蜘蛛代表了古代传奇战士，一个以狡猾和英勇著称的人。其他人说蜘蛛是太阳的象征，可能是因为它的腿像太阳光一样从一个中央球体向外辐射。
这是尼日利亚北部的蜘蛛故事。
海娜妈妈不在的时候，蜘蛛阿南西来到她的窝里，告诉她的孩子们，他是他们的叔叔。”当你妈妈带来食物的时候叫醒我，”他说，蜷缩在角落里，睡着了。
不久，海娜妈妈带着她给幼崽的肉来了，说：“这是给你们所有人的。”
幼崽们叫醒了蜘蛛叔叔，把它吃的肉给了它。海娜妈妈又带了两次肉，每次都说：“这是给你们所有人的”，同时把食物递给她的幼崽。每次，幼崽都尽职尽责地叫醒阿南西，把肉给了他。
晚上，当海娜妈妈回家的时候，幼崽开始大声叫着要食物。
“我给了你这么多肉，你还饿吗？”她惊讶地问道。
“叔叔把它全吃了！”他们嚎啕大哭。蜘蛛意识到该跑了，就冲出洞跑了。
“这是我们所有人的叔叔！”幼崽们喊道。
“是他！”他们的母亲冷冷地说，跟着蜘蛛跳了起来。阿南西冲进狗屋，坐在他旁边。
“我刚吃完饭，”狗说。我没有什么可以给你的。”
“没关系，”蜘蛛说，“我已经吃了。这就是我来这里的原因。”
这时海娜妈妈进来了。
“你们中谁是我追逐的流氓！”她大声说道。
蜘蛛指着狗。“他一直在跑，”他说。看看他舌头伸出来的气喘吁吁的样子。”
海娜扑向那只扭开身子跳出窗外的狗。海娜跟着他。蜘蛛叔叔知道狗回来要很久，就躺在床上小睡了一会儿。