A tale, a tale! Let it go and let it return.
There was once a great chief named Kurunguthe-Bad-Fish who had grown old in his kingdom. He had fathered many children, and when he felt death approaching, he summoned them all before him and asked, "If I were to die, what would you each do to observe my funeral rites?"
His eldest son declared, "When you are dead, I shall mourn for you by slaughtering a lion." Each of his children spoke in turn, declaring what sacrifice they would make. His youngest son said, "When you are dead, I shall mourn for you by killing a hyena."
Not long thereafter, the chief passed from this world, and each son attempted to fulfil his promise. Only the eldest and the youngest remained determined to complete their vows.
The youngest son went into the bush and found a large cow, which he brought back to his home. They slaughtered it and fashioned a skin bag from its hide. Then they took the cow's head and feet and pushed them into the bag. The youngest son then went to call the hyena, who came willingly.
He said to her, "We divided up the meat whilst you were absent, and we set aside your share for you." They showed her the bag and said, "There it is—go in and lift the meat." The hyena put her head into the bag and entered. Immediately the youngest son closed the mouth of the bag tightly, and they tied it shut with the hyena trapped inside. They dragged the bag to their father's grave and beat the hyena relentlessly until the skin burst. The hyena found an opening, escaped, and fled into the darkness.
The youngest son grew angry and declared, "I shall catch her again and finish what was begun."
Some days later, he found another cow, brought it back, and slaughtered it. He then took porridge and covered his eyes with it so that he could not see. He went into the forest and called out, "Where is the hyena's den? A cow has been slaughtered since yesterday, and one leg has been set aside for the hyena, yet she has not appeared to claim it!"
The hyena, hearing his voice from her den, emerged and said, "Here I am." She asked, "Where is the meat?" The youngest son held out a large piece of meat and said, "You see this sign that what I tell you is true." The hyena took it and swallowed it eagerly, then said, "Let us go at once to fetch the rest."
But as they walked, the hyena remembered the previous deception and stopped, saying, "My friend, someone of your kindred deceived me in this very way before. He took me away and wished to kill me."
The youngest son replied wisely, "Come now, hyena, how can a blind man manage to kill another person?" The hyena considered this and said, "Let us go on."
They took the road together until they reached a concealed trap that the youngest son had constructed. He said, "Hyena, look at the meat there." She saw a very fat hind quarter and, without hesitation, leaped forward to claim it. She did not realize it was a trap until it sprang shut upon her. The hyena cried out in alarm, and the youngest son ran home and called his brothers. Together they beat the hyena until she lost consciousness. They bound her and dragged her to their father's grave, where they slew her, flayed her, divided her meat, and ate it as an offering to their father's memory.
Then the brothers said to one another, "Each of us has now observed the funeral rites of our parent with honour, except for our eldest brother."
Their eldest brother, hearing this, lifted up an anvil and carried it into the bush to forge metal. As he worked, a great lion came to him and said, "Friend smith, will you permit me to come and work the bellows for you?" The smith agreed, and the lion came to assist him.
Now the smith had prepared himself cunningly. He had sought certain leaves and placed them between his legs. He lifted the tongs and placed them in the fire, commanding the lion to blow the bellows. The lion blew until the tongs glowed red hot. Then the smith bent down and said to the lion, "Friend, my anus is itching greatly," and he took the tongs and thrust them among the leaves between his legs. The leaves caught fire, but the lion believed he had thrust the hot tongs into his own body. The smith left them there until the tongs grew cold again.
After this, the lion said in amazement, "An insignificant person like you possesses such strength of mind to endure this? I shall show you my courage as well." The lion put the tongs into the fire and blew the bellows until they glowed red hot. Then he commanded the smith, "Friend, lift them and place them upon me as you did."
The smith lifted the tongs and thrust them between the lion's legs, working them back and forth until the great beast fainted from the pain and shock. The smith ran home with great speed and summoned his younger brothers. They came swiftly and carried the unconscious lion back to his house. The smith entered to fetch water to revive the beast, and the people gathered round to observe.
The lion slowly regained consciousness and said, "My friend, what are you doing to me?" The smith replied, "I saw that you were weary, so I brought you home and sought to pour water upon you to revive you." But the lion said, "You are a liar and a deceiver!"
With a terrible roar, the lion leaped upon the smith, trampling and tearing him with his claws and fangs. In that moment of violence, the smith's body was broken into many fragments and pieces, and from those pieces arose a new creature with many legs the spider. Thus was the spider born, and this marks the beginning of the spider in the world. For the eldest brother's attempt to observe his father's funeral rites resulted in his transformation. Formerly he was a skilled smith, but he became the many legged spider, condemned to wander the earth forevermore.
That is the end of the tale. Off with the rat's head!