A Friend of Spiders

The eensy, weensy spider had made his web in a corner of the front porch, right by the rain gutter downspout. It wasn’t a very big web, but he wasn’t a very big spider, so it suited him just fine.

Then one terrible afternoon, a storm came. The little spider huddled in the corner of his web. He was frightened by the wind and rain that shook his web. Then a small stick tore through the edge of the web where he was hiding.

He clung to the stick as it blew against the wall of the house and fell to the floor of the porch. He scurried closer to the house and hid in a little crack between the boards of the porch floor. He listened as the wind and rain seemed to go on forever.

Finally, there was a break in the storm. The eensy weensy spider climbed out of his hiding place and hurried to the downspout. Water was still trickling down the inside, so he climbed up the outside of the spout to reach his little web.

It was hanging on by just a few strands. He carefully patched and repaired it. Just as he was finishing his work, it began to rain again. He hurried to his corner and hesitated.   Was his web safe during rainstorms?

He wasn’t so sure any more. He decided to wait this one out back down on the porch. He’d been safe there. He climbed down the outside of the downspout while dodging raindrops.

He was just climbing down, when one of the monstrously large human children saw him. The ground shook as she hurried closer. She towered over him and spoke in a voice like thunder.

The little spider froze. Was this going to be the end for him? The human child lifted up a container and twisted her hand at its top. The lid came free and she turned over the container.   Water poured out, rolling in a stream across the porch.

The human child laughed loudly as the little spider dodged left and right to avoid the flood of water. He couldn’t escape. He ran for the downspout and she poured water down the outside edge.

He jumped inside and tried to climb, but was caught in a sudden stream of water that swept him back out into a shallow pond. The little spider managed to catch onto a leaf and pull himself out of the water.

The little human was waiting at the edge of the pond. She raised her shoe. It looked like this was the end for the eensy weensy spider. He waited for the shoe to drop, wishing himself back in his safe little web.

And then, a miracle happened. There was a louder, older voice that said something, and the little girl stepped back.   The human mother was standing nearby.   She shook her head and pointed at the door to the human house. The little girl stomped back up the porch stairs and into the house.

The little spider hurried into his hiding place and waited out the storm.   The sun came out and dried up all the rain, and the eensy weensy spider went up the spout again. Once back in his safe little web, he resolved to never leave it again if he could help it.

He was grateful to the human mother who spared his life. He declared her a friend to spiders and wove a tribute into his web, telling other spiders that a friend lived here. He was sure she’d be delighted with all the spiders who would come to help protect her house from insects who meant her harm.

It was the least he could do to repay her kindness. The little spider settled into his web for the night, grateful to be alive and satisfied that he’d managed to repay his debt in some small way. He fell asleep to the sounds of the night world waking up. It had been a very busy day.