There are a great many people who imagine that such little things as bees, bugs, butterflies, spiders and other insects, are unworthy of their notice; but this is a great mistake. All these creatures have eyes, legs, feet, and other organs. They are all curiously contrived, like little machines, to creep, crawl or fly. They have all wonderful faculties; by which they are able to get a living, and to make themselves happy. They are, therefore, very interesting to all persons who will inquire into their structure and their habits. These creatures are so common that we are apt to overlook them as unworthy of our notice; but Inquisitive Jack, the hero of our story, did not fall into this error. He had an inquiring mind, and nothing was beneath his observation. He had already discovered that there were many curious and wonderful things, even in insects, flowers, and other common objects; and in the study of these, he found never-ceasing amusement. These things were like a pleasing book, full of pretty stories and curious pictures, and every day he found some new and interesting page. One morning, very soon after the sun had risen, he was walking along among some bushes; it was early summer, and a heavy dew had fallen. As he was going along, the thread of a spider, strung from one bush to another, came across his nose, and he broke it as he passed along. Pretty soon, he met with other instances, in which the spiders’ threads were extended from one shrub to another. Now, Jack was always asking himself how such and such a thing is done; and he therefore began to inquire how these spiders could stretch a line across from one tree to another; for he observed that these threads were sometimes ten, or even fifteen feet from the ground, and that they extended often to as great a distance from the branch of one tree to that of another. Jack’s habit of investigation had made him very ingenious in explaining things; but here was something quite beyond his reach. He could in no way explain what he saw. “Strange!” said Jack to himself, “that these little insignificant spiders should know more than I do. I like to find out things myself, but I can’t explain this; so I must go and ask aunt Piper about it.” As Jack turned on his heel to fulfil his resolution, he noticed another spider’s web, covered with dew. His attention now being excited to the subject, he turned round, and saw as many as fifty others, set like nets among the bushes and the tall grass. Jack had seen these things before, but his attention had not been excited, and therefore he had not investigated them. He now set about the inquiry, with all the ardor of youthful curiosity.