The Two Bundles
While a man was working one day in the forest a little man with two bundles—one large and one small—went to him and asked: “Which of these two bundles will you have? This one” (taking up the large bundle) “contains looking-glasses, knives, beads, cloth, etc.; and this one” (taking up the little bundle) “contains lasting life.”
“I cannot choose by myself,” answered the man; “I must go and ask the other people in the town.”
While he was gone to ask the other people some women arrived, and the choice was put to them. The women tried the edges of the knives, bedecked themselves in the cloth, admired themselves in the looking-glasses, and without more ado they selected the big bundle and took it away. The little man, picking up the small bundle, vanished.
On the return of the man from the town both the little man and his bundles had disappeared. The women exhibited and shared the things, but death continued on the earth. Hence the people say: “Oh, if those women had only chosen the small bundle, we folk would not be dying like this!”
Story XIV
The Spider regrets her Marriage
There was a Spider who lived with her parents in their town. She was unmarried, and it was very difficult to find a husband for her as she was so hard to please.
One young man asked her father for her in marriage, but he said: “You must ask her yourself.” And when he said to her: “I love you. Will you be my wife?” she replied, “No,” in such a way that he went back to his house very angry.
Another young man came, and she said: “I refuse all husbands, for I am going to remain as I am.”