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MOTHER SPIDER
Frances Bliss Gillespy
It was a beautiful day in midsummer. The meadow was alive
with busy little people astir in the bright
sunlight. A long line of ants came crawling down
the path, carrying provisions to their home under
the elm tree; and an old toad came hopping down
through the grass, blinking in the warm sun. Just
a little higher up, the bees were droning drowsily as
they flew from flower to flower; and, above them all,
seeming almost in the blue sky, a robin was calling
to his mate.
Pretty soon Mrs. Spider came down the path.
She seemed to be in a great hurry. She looked neither
to the right nor to the left, but kept straight ahead,
holding tightly to a little white bag which she carried
in her mouth. She was just rushing past Mr. Toad
when a big black beetle came bumping by, stumbled
against Mrs. Spider, and knocked the bag out of her
mouth.
In an instant Mrs. Spider pounced down upon him,
and, though he was so much bigger than she, he
tumbled over on his back. While he was trying to
kick himself right side up once more, Mrs. Spider
made a quick little dash, took up her bag, and scuttled
off through the grass.
“Well, I never!” said Grasshopper Green, who was
playing see-saw on a blade of grass.
“No, nor I,” grumbled Mr. Beetle, as he wriggled
back to his feet. “I didn’t want her bag. She
needn’t have made such a fuss.”
“She must have had something very fine in that
bag,” said Grasshopper Green, “for she was so fright-
ened when she dropped it. I wonder what it was” —
and he balanced himself on his grass blade until a
stray breeze blew him off, and then he straightway
forgot about Mrs. Spider altogether.
Two weeks after this. Grasshopper Green started
out for a little exercise before breakfast. Just as he
reached the edge of the brook, he saw Mrs. Spider
coming toward him. She was moving quite slowly,
and no longer carried the little white bag. As she
came nearer, he could see that she had something
on her back.
“Good morning, neighbor,” called Grasshopper
Green. “Can I help you carry your things?”
“Thank you,” she said, “but they wouldn’t stay
with you, even if they could stay on when you give
such great jumps.”
“They!” said Grasshopper Green. And then, as
he came nearer, he saw that the things on Mrs.
Spider’s back were wee little baby spiders.
“Aren’t they pretty children?” she asked, proudly.
“I was so afraid that something would happen to
my eggs that I never let go of the bag once, except
when that stupid Mr. Beetle knocked it out of my
mouth.”
“O-ho” said Grasshopper Green, “so that was
what frightened you so! Your bag was full of eggs!
And, now, you are going to carry all those children
on your back? Doesn’t it tire you dreadfully?”
“I don’t mind that a bit,” said Mrs. Spider, *’if
only the children are well and safe. In a little while,
you know, they will be able to run about by them-
selves, and then we shall be so happy here in the
meadow grass. Oh, it’s worth the trouble, neighbor
Grasshopper.”
“Yes,” said Grasshopper Green, “I have a dozen
wee boys of my own at home; and that reminds me
that it is time to go home to breakfast! Good-bye,
neighbor. I hope the children will soon be running
about with you. You certainly are taking good care
of them. Good-bye.”
Then home he went; and proud, happy Mother
Spider kept on her way to hunt for a breakfast for
the babies she loved so well.
