The Fire and the Spider

The Fire and the Spider

From - Myths, Legends and Old Sayings, by Hastings Shade

Many, many years ago when the earth was still cold and dark, animals, birds and insects could still communicate but there was no fire. The Indians needed fire to stay warm and to cook with.

At this time, however there was a race of giants who had fire and were called The Fire People. All the animals got together and decided that they should get some fire from the Fire People. The bear went first since he was the strongest. He came back and told the other animals that he had indeed tried his best, but that he had been unable to get any fire. Just then, the animals heard a tiny voice,

"Let me try," said the spider. They laughed and said, "You're too small."

But as each animal tried and returned with the sad news that they had failed, the spider's small voice was still heard saying, "Let me try". Finally she was the only one left, so they agreed to let her try. Spider fashioned a small clay pot with a lid on it and put it on her back as she started toward the fire. As she approached the fire, it began to grow light. When she finally reached the fire, she put a small ember into the clay pot.

Immediately the fire was missed by the Fire People. They looked all over for the missing fire. The spider would run a little ways and stop until she got right to the water's edge. The Fire People were almost on top of her, but they were afraid of the water, because they new it would put them out. Spider slipped into the water, so the Fire People figured that the fire she had stolen had been put out. So they went away thinking that their fire was safe. What they didn't know was that the ember had baked the clay pot to be water proof. So when the Fire People left, the spider came out of the water and brought the fire to the Indians. This is the Sacred Fire of the Cherokees.

God and the Spider

God and the Spider

During World War II, a US Paiute marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades.

Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction.  Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.

As he waited, he prayed, "Creator, if it be your will, please protect me.  Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you."

After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close.  He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave.

As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.

"Hah, he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."

As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while.

 

"Creator, forgive me," prayed the young Paiute Indian. "I had forgotten that in you a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."

We all face times of great trouble. When we do, it is so easy to forget the victories that God would work in our lives, sometimes in the most surprising ways. We must be reminded  that in the Creator of All Things we will have success!"

And remember: Whatever is happening in your life, in the Great Mystery, a mere spider's web becomes a brick wall of protection.
 

Written by Jennifer Whitefeather Attaway