“Look at this Nanny!” the little voice squeals,
“Come quick, I’ve something exciting!”
I dread to think what his little hands hold
Most times it’s really quite frightening!

“Come quick! Come quick! I need a container!
Hurry! It’ll get clean away!”
I check out his find, impressed I am NOT!
“Can I keep it?? Will you let it stay??”

A spider! A SPIDER as big as his hand!
He pleaded, he begged, I heard him say,
“Please, please can we keep it?
Pleeease Nanny, I’ll look after it every day!”

We got an old tank and freshened it up
Added a few plants and some pieces of wood.
The spider settled in and lasted for months
With moths and bugs for food.

After weeks of observing “her’ daily routine
She began weaving a design on the glass.
A huge circular pocket, like a cocoon
She made sure that it was stuck fast.

A light behind the intricate pocket
Revealed hundreds of tiny ‘bubbles’.
Babies galore we’d see some time soon,
Then we’d have lots of troubles!

A couple of weeks later she was dead on the floor
The cause.. a mystery to us
But the babies ‘hatched’ and we let them loose
Back in the garden, after much fuss.

“Can we keep them Nanny?" his little voice pleaded.
“Are you kidding?!!! Get a life!!!” I replied.
“One was O.K., but hundreds... no way!”
He gave in with a heavy sigh.

Mean Nanny, felt guilty but had to insist
They leave home and fend for themselves.
If not, our home would become over run
With spiders in drawers, cupboards and shelves!

Two days later I heard this little voice calling..
“Look at this Nanny!” the familiar sound,
“Come quick, I’ve got something exciting!”
Nanny somehow...... was nowhere to be found!

J.M. Furner

©Copyright 2000. J.M. Furner

Created 6 May 2000