"What are you making now?" asked the Red Butterfly of Spinny Spider.
"A round cradle for my babies," said Spinny Spider.
"Really! And where are the babies?"
"They are not here yet. Don't talk to me. I am busy."
She went on working, spinning fine silk threads and weaving them
carefully into a ball-shaped cradle.
Then she put her little white eggs in it, and picked it up and carried
it about with her.
"Well, you are a silly!" cried the Butterfly. "Fancy carrying that
weight about with you wherever you go. Why don't you do as I do?"
"What do you do?" asked Spinny Spider.
"I leave my eggs on a stalk or a leaf," said the Butterfly. "The sun
hatches them, and I have no further trouble."
"And do you mean to say you do nothing more for them?"
"Nothing at all."
"Don't you even go to see how they are? Why, something might eat them!"
"I lay them as far out of sight as I can," said the Butterfly. "That
is all I can do."
"That way would never suit me," said Spinny Spider. "You call me
cruel, but I say you are heartless."
"It is my nature. I cannot help it," said the Butterfly. "As you
yourself said, we look at things from different standpoints."
Spinny Spider said nothing, but hugged her precious burden more closely
to her. By and by, however, a wasp was caught in her nest, so she hid
the cradle for safety in the darkest corner of her little house near
by, while she attended to Mr. Wasp.
After a few days the children came out of their shells. What a crowd!
They ran all over the little house and peeped into everything. "Come
out and see the world," said Spinny Spider. She led them out into the
sunshine.
Wicked Mr. Striped Spider was passing the door. "Good day, Spinny
Spider!" he said. "That is a fine family of yours. May I look at the
little dears?"
"No, indeed!" cried Spinny Spider, for she knew he only wanted to eat
them.
She placed herself in front of them, and a great fight began. Mr.
Striped Spider was hungry, and if he could only kill Spinny Spider he
might have the whole family for dinner. But Spinny Spider was fighting
for the lives of her children, and her love for them gave her strength
and fierceness. Mr. Striped Spider soon lay dead at her feet. Then
the family had him for dinner.
The Red Butterfly had seen it all. "How you fight!" she said. "What
are you going to do next?"
"Come in and see," said Spinny Spider.
"No, thank you," said the Butterfly. She flew off. She knew Spinny
Spider's ways too well.
The children began at once to make dainty little webs for themselves,
and to catch their own food. Spinny Spider saw with pride that without
any teaching they were able to make their webs as perfectly as she
could. They soon started out in life on their own account, each one
looking after himself.