Dr Spider's Fatal Prescriptions

This tale has been adapted from the original for readability:

One time, Leopard’s children fell sick, so he wandered all over the country looking for a doctor. Then Spider turned up and said, “I’m a very great doctor. If you hand your children over to me, I’ll make them well.”

Leopard called the children and gave them to Spider, along with fine gifts. Spider took them and shut them inside a fenced place he had built, saying, “No one must come in here, and you must not come in here either.”

Then Spider dug a long tunnel from his own home to the place where he kept the children. Once he had locked them away, he ran back through the tunnel and called his own children, telling them to bring a pot, rice, palm oil, salt, and pepper. When they brought everything, Spider killed Leopard’s children. He made rice and cooked the children with it, and he and his children ate until they were full, only warning his children not to eat the bones.

After a month had passed, Spider went to Leopard and said, “I’m ready to give your children back now, they’re well again. But when I bring them out, I’ll tie a rope to them and you will have to pull them out yourself.”

Spider slipped back through the tunnel to his home and gave Leopard the signal. Leopard pulled on the rope, but when he dragged them out he found only bones. He collapsed and wept.

When his tears had dried, Leopard came up with a plan. He climbed into a large hamper and covered himself with coal, then called his servant and said, “Tie this securely and carry it to Spider. Tell him I’m sending him coal.”

The servant carried the hamper to Spider and delivered the message. Spider looked at the coal and saw Leopard lying at the bottom, but he pretended not to notice. “All right,” he said.

Spider heated an iron in the fire until it was red-hot. “Let me test this coal and see if it’s good,” he said. Then he drove the hot iron through the hamper. Leopard screamed, and Spider killed him there and then, and made a great dinner for himself and his children.