"Now," said the mother, "I shall have to give you a Spider scolding. You
have acted as lazy as the Tree Frog says boys and girls sometimes do. He
has been up near the farm-house, and says that he has seen there
children who do not like to work. The meadow people could hardly believe
such a thing at first. He says they were cross and unhappy children, and
no wonder! Lazy people are never happy. You try to finish the web, and
see if I am not right. You are not a baby now, and you must work and get
your own food."
So the little Spider spun the circles of rope in the web, and made these
ropes sticky, as all careful spiders do. She ate the loose ends and
pieces that were left over, to save them for another time, and when it
was done, it was so fine and perfect that her brothers and sisters
crowded around, saying, "Oh! oh! oh! how beautiful!" and asked the
mother to teach them. The little web-spinner was happier than she had
ever been before, and the mother began to teach her other children. But
it takes a long time to teach a hundred and seventy children.
[Illustration]