A Serpent's Tale

"Back in the barrens of an old, old man, there lay a basking snake.

It sang songs of slither and hiss as it left its place of rest.

Further and further it barely crawled as it got inside the house,

and later it searched along the shelves for resting mice and rats.

Until it found one across the bar, its gaze was sharp and sheer.

It knew the snake was here for him, so it hid and wished aloud:

'Oh please, you pleasant garden snake, oh please, just leave me be!'

And the large snake laughed and slithered close, saying

'Oh I'm not here for you, poor thing!

Come a little closer and I'll explain myself, surely then you'll see!'

The little mouse revealed itself from behind its hiding place

where it scarcely trusted the visitor, but waited to hear its plea.

The snake did say, 'I'm looking for rats, the nasty things, are there any you have seen?'

It shook its head and the snake said more, inching close as could be,

'surely you know others who have seen the beasts, they're dastardly and keen!'

The mouse did think, and looked at the snake, sad and poorly hungry,

then it raised and said aloud, 'we could ask my family!'

The snake gave a chuckle and followed suit as the mouse found its hole

and once inside the snake did feast on every little soul.

The snake spared one, the little mouse, saying 'you have played your role.'

The serpent would leave, but the spiders lingered more, hungry without their fleas

And for his grave mistake, they consumed the mouse, ignoring all his pleas."

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Historical Basis

Ornjack and Heien: Constant Reminders

Humanity has many tales regarding their pseudogod, Ornjack. One of which sees the three Ohfjuren brothers and patriarchs of the core human religion voyage with their newly formed beauty, known as Vorehem, across the stars. On their journey, the would meet Heien, the greedy. This eldritch being of light would attempt to destroy their vessel, failing until the three brothers tricked Heien into a battle with Ornjack. Heien would eventually fall in this battle, but could not be killed. Instead, Ornjack would smother him in preserving web and hang him in the sky for all to see. This is the myth by which humanity believes their moon was formed. It is not only a humiliation for Heien, but a threat to humanity and its gods, as Ornjack threatened to rain down an aberrant brood of light and venom if they were to force him into such treachery again. This egg that hangs the sky is an ongoing reminder of this threat, and is often discussed in stories such as these to keep children from misbehaving.

The Serpent: a Mischievous Threat

Along with Ornjack and his far reaches into human myth comes the Serpent: a being of deception and corruption. In the old tales, it is said that Ornjack preserved Laminarum in his webs, disconnecting it from the rest of the universe's web. Being an architect of the universe, disconnecting from the web is a cosmic crime and betrayal of his order, the Ohkinate. Why did he commit such an action? Ornjack's wanderlust overtook him, as he cradled humanity from eggs that he bore. It was the Serpent that ultimately convinced him to detach from the web, as it allowed the demon to find Laminarum in the first place. Upon stealing a batch of Ornjack's eggs and corrupting them, it is said that a great battle took place, and the serpent was left to decay in the web surrounding the world. Due to this tale, spiders are typically seen as useful architects while snakes are seen as indulgent and deceptive, as is reflected in the children's tale.

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Spiders and Snakes, Human Perception

Humanity lived their lives on the Snow Rock Isles for centuries, surviving as small households of fishermen for most of their existence. Many speculate that as houses were erected on the coasts and spiders began to cohabitate with humanity, the humans were awestruck by the function of their webs. It would be this awe that inspired the fishing net, which allowed humanity to be bolstered into an age of rapid population growth as hunger was slowly sated. Perhaps due to this innovation and history, stories of Ornjack began to spread like wildfire, making both the pseduogod and spiders revered as master craftsmen. More importantly though, the myths would paint them as selfish defenders that would not accept disrespect. As seen in this children's tale, the spiders were dormant and hidden, consuming ticks and fleas. It was not until the natural order was disrupted that they would descend upon and punish the mouse.
Snakes, on the other hand, are seen as mischievous and deceitful, likely due to the increased aggression of the island breeds. This tale uses the perception of snakes to paint a picture of lies and mistrust. Further, it describes something that parents wish to avoid: their children's interaction with strangers, or other unthoughtful decisions that could harm the family. Typically, stories of spiders include the moon itself hatching and raining destruction on the world, but in later generations, parents have come to view the apocalypse as an unfair punishment for sneaking out of bed.

Symbolism of the Myth

In this story, any of the figures could be interpreted in several ways. The spiders seem to represent Ornjack and his brood of light descending upon the world as punishment for the imbalance of nature. The snake could either represent the original myth of the serpent, or Heien as he was led by to Ornjack for battle. Many of these stories are developed and changed by the parents that share them, but a few things are always the same. Spiders always appear as divine punishers, while serpents stand in as the agent of deceit.

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More Reading

Reincarnate Promise, Vorehem's Voyage 
Taopinist Pantheon
Ornjack and the Serpent