You have told me that this little creature is called a spider, and some of you think it very ugly, and say you are afraid of it, but sensible children will not be frightened at a spider, because they will remember that they are very harmless little things, and have not got a sting as the wasp and bee have.  They are very ugly, to be sure, but every ugly insect is not to be called a nasty creature, for some are very useful, notwithstanding their not being as handsome as others; and spiders are very useful too, although very few people know how to make use of them; but they little think that the poor little insect which they brush off the wall, and trample under their feet, can tell them what weather they are going to have, as sure, and surer than a weather-glass.  When the weather is going to be fine it peeps its head out of its hole, and stretches out its legs; and the farther its legs and head are out, the longer will the fine weather stay.  When the weather is going to be very bad it goes farther back; and when very dreadful and stormy weather is going to come, it turns its back to the door of its hole and its head inside.  In winter, when frost and snow is going to commence, they make their webs very fast, and by this you may know the frosty weather is coming; so you see, children, that spiders may be useful to know what kind of weather we shall have.

Spiders are very cunning; they live on flies; but they could never catch them, only they are able to weave a strong web, which they do in a place where the flies often come; and when a poor fly gets into the web, the spider runs out and soon kills it, and then drags it up to his den, where he eats it at his ease, and hides the wings and skin, that the other flies may not see them; but if an enemy stronger than itself comes to his web, the spider remains in his hole till the danger is all over.  Some spiders that live in countries far away are a great deal larger and uglier than our spiders; but we need not be ever afraid of a spider, because they can neither bite nor sting us, and are very curious insects.  Q. What have I been telling you about?  A. The spider.  Q. Are you afraid of it?  A. No, you told us it would do us no harm.  Q. Are spiders very ugly?  A. They are.  Q. Should we think badly of them for this?  A. No.  Q. Who made the spider?  A. God.  Q. Does he not make every animal, whether handsome or ugly?  A. Yes.  Q. Can spiders be of use?  A. They will tell us what weather we are going to have.  Q. When it is going to be fine what do they do?  A. They put their legs and head out of their hole.  Q. When it is going to be bad weather what do they do?  A. They turn their heads round and go into their holes.  Q. When the weather is going to be very cold and frosty what do they do?  A. They build their webs very fast.  Q. What do they live upon?  A. Flies.  Q. How do they catch them?  A. By making webs.  Q. When a fly gets into their web what do they do?  A. They kill it and eat it.  Q. Are the spiders in other countries larger than ours?  A. Yes, in some places they are much larger and uglier.  Q. Who teaches the spider to make its web?  A. God.  Q. Could any man in the world make a spider’s web?  A. No, no one could do it.