Many years ago there was a mysterious forest that was surrounded by a mist. Legend says that it was filled with monsters and dragons and if anyone was ever brave enough or foolish enough to enter the forest they would never seen again. At the edge of this forest there lay a small village and living in this village was a baker called Tom and his wife Sabine. Though they were quite poor they were very happy because after many years of marriage they were finally going to have a baby.

"Where are you taking me?" Sabine asked. He had the pregnant woman blindfolded and was leading her into the other room.

"It's a surprise." He said.

Once they entered the other room he removed her blindfold for her to see a beautiful crib hand carved from wood.

"Oh Tom." She said. "Did you make this?"

"Yep."

"It's absolutely beautiful."

"Only the best for our child." He said planting a kiss on her swollen belly.

She smiled and traced her fingers over the crib.

"We should celebrate. I'm gonna go to the market and get some herbs and vegetables to make stew and salad."

"Wonderful idea. I'll go to the butcher and pick up the meat."

At the market Sabine bought some hazelnuts, basil, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, but no lettuce for the salad. The market was all out lettuce so she figured that they wouldn't be eating salad for dinner tonight. On her way back to their house she noticed a woman was moving in the house next door. She had a whole garden of beans, vegetables, nuts, berries, herbs, and a very strange looking flowers. They were bright blue, the color of the heavens.

The woman was very strange looking. Her skin was the color of paper, her hair was wispy gray and as black as oil, her nails were as long and sharp as needles and painted crimson red. But what was most strange about her appearance was her eyes which were coal black. She seemed to spinning something but it didn't look like fabric.

"Good day." Sabine greeted kindly.

"Good day." The woman said.

"My name is Sabine."

"I am Anansi." She said.

"You have a lovely garden."

"Thank you."

"What kind of flower is that?" She asked pointing to the blue flower.

"That is called a bell flower. They are very rare around here but very beautiful."

"Oh it is."

"Hmm...Are you pregnant?"

"Yes I am."

"Oh how fortunate you are. I never could have a child and I've always wanted one. A little girl to call my own but alas my body was made for such things."

"I'm very sorry."

"It's alright, one cannot help what God did not intend. So are you healthy? Eating well?"

"Yes, I mostly eat fruits and vegetables. Tonight I was going to eat a salad but the market didn't have any lettuce to sell."

"Well since you've been so nice to me take some of mine."

"Really? Oh thank you."

Anansi handed some lettuce from the garden. That night for dinner Sabine made stew and salad. Tom was too full from stew to eat salad so Sabine was the only one who ate it. The next day while Tom was baking bread, Sabine was sitting in a chair sewing a blanket for her child while humming to herself when suddenly she felt very hot and dizzy. She went outside to get a drink of water from the well when she collapsed.

"Sabine!" Tom rushed to her side. She was burning up and shivering. He brought her back inside, tucked her into bed, and called the doctor. He arrived in one hour and examined her.

"How is she?" Tom asked.

"You're wife has become very ill." He said. "I fear that she has Arachnaeitis. A rare disease that can only be contracted from spider venom."

"Spider venom?"

"Yes but this spider in particular only lives in Africa and Japan. I don't know how on earth she could've contracted this."

"Is there a cure?"

"Yes but like the spider, the cure is not native here. The only known cure is the Chinese Bellflower but it only grows in China."

"Is there any other cure?"

"No and without the flower your wife and child will die."

Tom thanked the doctor and went to his wife's side. She was as pale as a ghost and barely moving. Her hands felt so cold, the poor man wasn't sure what to do. Why? Why couldn't the flower grow here? Then he remembered something Sabine had told him the other night. She had said that their neighbor had a garden with bellflowers, he hoped and hoped that she would give him some.

He went to Anasi's house and knocked on the door. The woman went to answer it.

"Pardon me but I need your help. My wife has become very sick and can only be cured by bellflowers. She told me you had some in your garden."

"I do."

"May I please have some?"

"No. I use that flower for my baths and perfumes."

"Wait you don't understand! My wife will die without it! Please I'll pay you all the money I have!"

"No! Now leave!"

She slammed the door in his face. Tom became very desperate after that, he was determined to save his wife no matter what even if it meant he had to steal it. So at night when he thought she was asleep he crept into the garden and began to gather some bellflowers. He didn't take too much, just enough to save his wife. He was just about to leave when a bunch of bats swooped down and attacked him. In his haste to swatt them away he tripped and landed in a large spider web.

"Now let's see what little bug I caught in my trap." A voice laughed.

He heard the sound of fingers snapping and there was a light, standing in that light was Anansi with a small flame on her fingers but it didn't burn her.

"So you decided to steal from me did you? Well I'll fix you!"

"I'm sorry! I only took a few!"

"That doesn't matter! Now what am I going to do with you?" She said thinking. "I know I'll turn you into a snail and then step on you!"

"No! Wait! I meant no harm I only wanted to save her life! What I did was out of love!"

"Love? Ha! Men don't love anyone! All men are selfish liars and thieves! Which you have clearly proven yourself to be and I'll have you know I don't take kindly to thieves!"

"Wait! I'll pay for it!"

"I already told you I don't want your money!"

"Then I'll pay with something else! Anything!"

"Anything? You swear!"

"Yes! I swear anything you want! Just let me save my wife!"

"Alright I'll let you take my flowers but in exchange for it I want your child."

"What?!"

"Do I need to repeat myself? I said I want your child! I've gotten very lonely over the years and would love to have a child to keep me company."

"My child? No...No! No! Never!"

"It's too late you've already given me your word! You said I could have anything!"

"Yes but not my child! If I had known that's what you wanted I would have never agreed!"

"Well you did! Now off with you! You've heard my terms! I shall come for the baby when I'm ready!"

She then snapped her fingers and he was back home. Tom could not believe what had just happened. He had just unintentionally promised that which that she could have his baby. What would he tell his wife? He decided to wait until she was feeling better before worrying about it.

He then called the doctor who made the bellflower's petals into a tea which he fed to Sabine. Within three days she was as healthy as ever. Tom was going to tell Sabine about what happened with the witch but shortly after she was cured he saw that Anansi had left. Her house was empty and her garden vanished leaving Tom to believe that she had changed her mind.

Two months later Sabine gave birth to a healthy baby girl with hair and eyes as blue as the flower. She and Tom were very happy because she was such a beautiful and sweet baby. They named her Marinette and they loved her more than any parent had ever loved a child. Sabine spent nearly everyday rocking the baby, singing her lullabies while keeping her swaddled in the blanket she had made for her.

"Sing sweet nightingale,

Sing sweet nightingale.

High above of me."

She sang. Once Marinette was asleep Sabine tucked her into her crib and went to join her husband in bed.

"Oh Tom I'm so happy." She sighed.

"I'm glad." He said.

"Do you think she'll let us sleep tonight?" She giggled.

"I hope so." He chuckled. "Goodnight Sabine."

"Goodnight Tom."

She blew out the candle in their room and they went to sleep. Sometime later they heard a rustling outside that woke them up.

"What was that?" Sabine asked.

"Probably just the wind." Her husband reassured her.

A huge current blew the window to their bedroom open, thunder clapped and lighting struck. Tom quickly went to close the window. Suddenly they heard the sound of their baby crying.

"Marinette!" They gasped.

They ran into the other room only to find the crib empty and to see Anansi holding the crying infant. Before they could stop her she lept out the window and disappeared into the night.

"Stop! My baby! No!" Sabine screamed.

But she was gone.