A young man, the son of a priest-chief, runs around Thunder Mountain each morning in beautiful attire. An old Tarantula, envious of his clothing, tricks the young man into exchanging his garments for the Tarantula's ugly ones. Once dressed in the young man's finery, the Tarantula retreats into his den, leaving the young man embarrassed and naked. The young man returns home, where the townspeople, concerned about his late arrival, learn of his misfortune. They summon a warrior priest, who suggests digging out the Tarantula. The townspeople work tirelessly but fail to reach him. They then decide to seek the help of the Great Kingfisher, who also fails to retrieve the garments. Next, they call upon the Great Eagle, who attempts to catch the Tarantula but only manages to snag a feather. Finally, they turn to the Lesser Falcon, who successfully retrieves a macaw plume from the Tarantula's den. Despite this small victory, the townspeople realize they need divine intervention. The young man is sent to the War-gods on Thunder Mountain, who instruct him to create sacrificial figures of deer and antelope to lure the Tarantula out. The next day, the young man places the figures on a rock-shelf, and as they come to life, he calls out to attract the Tarantula. The Tarantula, eager to hunt, emerges from his den but is quickly overwhelmed by the townspeople who have gathered to confront him. They capture and punish the Tarantula, ensuring he cannot harm anyone again. The story concludes with the transformation of the Tarantula's remnants into smaller versions of himself, explaining the existence of tarantulas today.
By Frank Hamilton Cushing · First published 1883 · Genre: Mythology, Folklore, Adventure