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The Lion King Wiki
The Foolish Spider
Publication information
Publication

The Lion King: A Nature Fun and Learn Series

Published

1994–1997

Collection

Rafiki Remembers

Issue

63

Pages

2

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Don't make idle boasts, lion cubs. And take food when you can get it.
Rafiki[src]

The Foolish Spider is a story from the Rafiki Remembers magazine collection. It was published in the 1990s as part of The Lion King: A Nature Fun and Learn Series.

Synopsis[]

In order to prove to his wife that he is the best at finding food, Anansi employs Coucal the bird to help him set traps. The first animal they catch is a squirrel. After this success, Anansi wonders what they will catch next, and Coucal predicts that they will catch a bushbuck. Anansi reasons that a bushbuck is bigger than a squirrel, so he allows Coucal to take the squirrel home for dinner.

The next day, Anansi and Coucal find a bushbuck in their trap. Once more, Anansi wonders what they will catch next, and Coucal says that they will probably catch a wildebeest. Since a wildebeest is larger than a bushbuck, Anansi decides that Coucal can take the bushbuck home, while he will wait for a wildebeest.

When Anansi returns home, his wife asks why Coucal has been feeding his family so well, while Anansi has been bringing home nothing. Anansi simply encourages her to be patient, for he will soon bring home the most powerful animal of them all.

For days, Anansi and Coucal catch bigger and bigger animals, but still, Anansi waits for the best catch and allows Coucal to bring the prey home. At last, Anansi and Coucal catch an elephant, which Anansi believes to be the most powerful animal ever, but Coucal explains that there is a more powerful animal still. Hearing this, Anansi lets Coucal have the elephant.

When they return to their trap the next day, the two find a foul-smelling mouse lying at the bottom. Coucal explains that the mouse's stench can overpower an elephant, and Anansi agrees to take it home. However, when he shows the mouse to his wife, she orders him to take the mouse out of her house and to never come back. Anansi flees, dropping the mouse, and creeps back into the house later that night to hide in the eaves. To this day, that is where he stays when he wishes to remain out of sight.

Appearances[]

Gallery[]


Rafiki Remembers
The Leopard and the Baboon    The Crocodile's Tears    The Giraffe and the Oxpecker    How the Birds got their Colours    Sun and Moon    The Tortoise's Punishment    The Greedy Guest    The Toad And The Rat    Why Stories Are Told About Anansi    How Baboon Lost his Tail    Fire Against Rain    How Anansi Learnt to Weave    The Dove and the Hen    Why Monkeys Keep Out of the Way    A King for the Frogs    Tables Turned    Anansi Know-all    Proud Fish    A Witch Doctor for the Hyenas    Why Dog Chases Animals    The Lion's House    Why the Warthog Is Ugly    The Coming of Darkness    The Bees' Drum    The Flying Lion    The Shark and the Monkey    The Bearded Stone    The Friends    The Selfish Hare    The Stupid Ass    How Squirrel got his Tail    Up in the Sky    Snail Tricks Squirrel    How Anansi Shamed Himself    The House that Built Itself    Leopard and Little Cat    Wooing Ways    Fox and Crow    Test of Strength    Why Flies Buzz    Why Hippo Has No Coat    Why the Monkeys Have no House    The Dancing Elephant    When Fowls Were Lords    Thunder and Lightning    We All Need Friends    The Song of the Veld    The Ostriches' Chicks    Why the Hyena Smells    The Greedy Buffalo    The Pig's Tale    The Long Wait    Finding Is Keeping    The Bean Feast    Choosing Friends    How Lion was Tricked    Tears of the Hartebeest    The Quarrel    Hyena's New Coat    The Honey Guide    Revenge of the Tortoise    How Crab Lost His Head    The Foolish Spider    Why Wild Dog Hunts    Why Rock Rabbit Has No Tail    The Greedy Baboon    Why Leopard Hates Dogs    Anansi and Squirrel    Guinea Fowl and Crab    Toktokkie the Beetle    Up in the Clouds    How Wasp got his Waist    Cruel Chameleon    Who Stole Duiker's Eggs?    Hare and Hyena    Anansi and Lizard    Bushbuck's Husband    How Zebra Got His Stripes    Goat's Escape