She said her prayers, went on farther, and came to the house where her brother and husband where staying, and asked for shelter. Her husband said: ‘Brother, let the beggar woman in; beggar women can tell stories and recount real happenings.’ The wicked sister-in-law said ‘we have no room for visitors, we are overcrowded.’ ‘please, brother, let her come; there is nothing I like better than to hear beggar women tell tales.’ They let her in. She sat on the stove with her baby. Her husband said: ‘now, little dove, tell us a tale- any kind of story.’
This part always makes me wonder, logically, who knows what? There is no way that the merchant husband does not recognise his wife, the sister. The brother may not recognise his sister due to the time difference and the new hands. The sister-in-law may or may not recognise her, I believe that she does due to her attempts to refuse entry. But because her actions have worked previously, she keeps her spider-like deceptive actions, hoping to wear down the men to get rid of the sister once again.
Now that the sister has grown, she decides to use this opportunity to stand up for herself in a way that she has chosen not to, or been unable to previously.
Jade Jenkins 