The Spider and the Fly

"Will you walk into my parlor?" said the spider
to the fly; but the cunning little insect only winked
the other eye and he knowingly retorted in a buzz so
low and sweet: "Well, not upon your half-tone, I
have learned to watch my feet. I have a load of
small-pox on my silken little wings, my legs are lined
with typhus germs and other deadly things. I am
taking some bacilli to a house across the way and you
must not try to stop me, for I have no time to play."

Once more the spider pleaded in accents soft
and low: "Won't you step into my parlor and rest be-
fore you go ? My web is lined with gossamer of tex-
ture fine and rare and you'll find some lovely
microbes if you will enter there. I have a nice collec-
tion I am saving just for you, and I want to seal our
friendship with a B. Coli or two."
"With all my heart," replied the fly and straight-
way walked inside and the spider got his dinner and
was fully satisfied.

Albert Stroud


...and it had to be ;-P