The Spider turned him round about,

And went into his den,

For well he knew the silly Fly

Would soon come back again. So he wove a subtle web

In a little corner sly, And set his table ready

To dine upon the Fly.

Then he went out to his door again,
And merrily did sing,

"Come hither, hither, pretty Fly,
With the pearl and silver wing;
Your robes are green and purple,
There's a crest upon your head,
Your eyes are like the diamond bright,
But mine are dull as lead."

Alas! alas! how very soon
This silly little Fly,

Hearing his wily flattering words,
Came gaily flitting by;

With buzzing wings she hung aloft,
Then near and nearer drew,
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes
And green and purple hue-
Thinking only of her crested head,
Poor foolish thing! At last
Up jumped the cruel Spider,

And tightly held her fast,

He dragged her up the winding stair,
Into his dismal den,

Within his little parlour, but
She ne'er came out again.

And now, dear little children,
Who may this story read,
To idle, foolish, flattering words,
I pray you ne'er give heed;
Unto an evil counsellor

Close heart and ear and eye,
And take a lesson from the tale

Of the Spider and the Fly.

MARY HOWITT.

Aunt C. Yes, it is a capital parable against flattery and temptation.

Edmund. Here is grim old Web-spinner. Don't let me forget him.

THE TRUE STORY OF WEB-SPINNER.

Web-Spinner was a miser old,

Who came of low degree;

His body was large, his legs were thin,

And he kept bad company;
And his visage had the evil look

Of a black felon grim;

To all the country he was known,

But none spoke well of him.

T

His house was seven stories high,

In a corner of the street,
And it always had a dirty look,

When other homes were neat;
Up in his garret dark he lived,
And from the windows high,
Looked out in the dusky evening
Upon the passers by.

Most people thought he lived alone,

Yet many have averred

That dismal cries from out his house
Were often loudly heard ;

And that none living left his gate,
Although a few went in;

For he seized the very beggar old,
And stripped him to the skin.

And though he prayed for mercy,
Yet mercy ne'er was shown-
The miser cut his body up,

And picked him bone from bone.
Thus people said, and all believed
The dismal story true;

As it was told to me, in truth,

I tell it so to you.