Just because some one looks small, do not doubt he is powerful!

In the Arapaho Myth there is the spider......He is a trickster. He is always out to do some mischief
just to learn and to teach as he goes.....
Once upon a time the spider was walking through the forest. It was a time of much
magic and the animals could talk with men and those magic men of the forest......The white
man was named for the spider of this myth.....Not because he taught or did magic.....but because
he was never to be trusted....or so it was said......
Spider was walking through the forest when he heard a chopping noise...He heard there was
a dwarf tribe who lived along a certain creek in that forest, he decided he should go to see them.
He had heard of them but had never seen one for himself. He heard they made magical weapons
and he really really wanted to see one of them used!
He followed the creek through the forest and vale. He came upon a small warrior dwarf who
was hewing a whole big log into a straight arrow. A huge bow lay against a rock beside him.Both
of these were much bigger than the warrior!
"Aww, Little long haired man!" Spider called to him."What are you going to do with that tree you
are shaping into an arrow. That is much to big and heavy for you to lift. What in the world are
you going to do with that giant bow! That too, is twice your height!" He called to the gnarled
little man who kept silently working.
"I don't think you can lift such a weapon! I know you can not lift that log!" spider taunted him.
The little gnarled dwarf man kept right on working. He acted as though he did not hear the
spider. He ignored him as though he were not there in his forest!
"I'll tell you what, Small man, I will stand here and you shoot at me!" Spider had more guts
than brains!
"No I do not want to talk to you and I certainly do not want to shoot at you. I would surely
hurt you badly if you were standing so close as you are now!" the small man kept climbing and
hewing. The arrow was straight and it looked as though it would fly true. It also looked as though
it was to large for him to lift! He would NEVER be able to Notch that arrow into that massive
bow nor shoot it any where near the spider!
"I will go back by that far rock and you can shoot it for me to see!" The spider was laughing
to himself. He could barely see the large rock. He knew that little man was completely incapable
of hitting him!
"Alright! Spider, run back there......way back there, for I have no reason to harm you!" the
dwarf took up the huge arrow in one hand!
The spider was busy running toward the appointed rock! He turned just fast enough to
see the small man lift the log in his powerful arm! It was tall as the tallest trees of the forest.
He was small as any man he had ever seen, yet, he hefted that arrow into the huge bow!
"Wait! do not shoot!"The spider seemed to gain some sense! "I see that you are indeed
strong enough to lift that weapon." He stepped back further!
"That is a good idea Spider......back way way up. I do not really want to hurt you. Now
I have the arrow and bow in my hand I must fire it or lose my power! keep going back,
back, back!"
The spider, not being a complete fool, did as he was told.....he backed further and further
into the forest, thinking the dwarf could not see him , should he get to far away.
The dwarf pulled back his magic bow against the trunk of the arrow hewn from a tree..
"Are you ready spider?" He called.....as he let fly that massive tree into the clouds...
The spider seeing it come toward him didn't know which way to jump, and no matter
which way he ran hither and yon........the arrow followed him! THUMP! That giant
arrow hit him and drove him deep into the ground! He lay their counting his eight legs
and trying to fight his way past the tip of the giant arrow that had flown straight and true,
through two meadows and dug him deep into the ground.....
With the sound of a moose pulling his foot from the depth of a pond the dwarf pulled
the arrow from the ground, and helped him to the surface of the earth! He sat him on the
ground where he told him in a quiet voice......." Just because I am short, Dear Spider; do
not think I am not capable of what I say I can do! Sometime it is better to take the word
of a dwarf than to hasten your death by challenging him, because you think he is to small
to do you any harm!" With that he helped the spider to his camp and nursed him back to
health! He really had no reason to hurt him any way. Once a man is taunted to take up
a weapon against another, even though he is not an enemy it is usually to late to stop the
flight of the arrow!