The calls were still few and far between. He'd not been around long enough for many people to know him, much less ask for his aid, so when a call came, Bes considered it an honor.

He had many duties, most of which were just plain fun. When it came to demons, on the other hand, Bes took that very, very seriously. Even more so when a child was threatened. The scariest of all were those that threatened an infant that was about to be born. There was no one more defenseless or more susceptible than that.

( When the screams came, Bes wasted no time. )

The Industrial Revolution had irrevocably changed Rosmerta's duties, and sometimes she pondered whether it was for the better or not. True, modern machinery did make it much easier for farmers to do their work, from growing to harvesting to even the invention of a mechanical butter churner. That last one would definitely save some sore arms. But as more things became mechanized, more people moved away from the family farm, and the definition of abundance became less about the actual growing and producing of the things that would keep a family well fed and clothed, and more about acquiring the wealth that could be used to buy those things that someone else made. Business became more about counting coins than counting newborn lambs in the spring. Sometimes, Rosmerta felt like she was being pulled in two different directions when she tried to do her job.

( And sometimes, everything came together in a perfect, harmonious blend. )

The village was small, he would have missed it if he hadn't been looking in it's direction when he was walking. It was quiet, but busy. Everybody had their tasks and everybody was doing what they should be before the evening. Anansi watched them for a while before approaching. They did not wear the same things as the people from his area did, and their houses were different as well. Were they warriors or farmers? Were they friendly or did they attack on sight? Perhaps they were even cannibals.

After a bit, Anansi decided that they seemed peaceful. He still approached slowly. But when they smiled, he smiled. A woman met him and walked with him. He understood her, but her accent was strange. She inquired if he needed a place to rest, and Anansi decided that he did and told her so. He could easily get back home in no time, but why, if they were going to feed him and give him a mat for the night?

Perhaps if they were kind enough, he would bestow some fortune on them. Perhaps he could even adopt them.

He stood taller than most of them, even their men, but they weren't amazingly short. He decided that these were not the pygmies that he had heard about. They weren't a bad looking people, either. Clearly they had some system of matchmaking here so that the pretty girls ended up with the best men. He approved, mostly because he appreciated pretty girls quite a bit. They were nice to look at and often fun to play with as well.

Anansi was taken to a fire and given a seat. The people were shy about him at first, but when his smile didn't go away, began to open up and tell him stories. Stories. Oh, how he loved stories.