[Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER III RUTH AND THE WONDERFUL SPINNERS She throws a web upon the air and soon ’Tis caught and lifted by the willing breezes, Then, freed from trouble in her light balloon, Our spinner travels wheresoe’re she pleases. —_Edith M. Thomas._ Ruth was in the garden counting colours among the hollyhocks when a little breeze hurried by. “Come,” it said, kissing her cheek, “and hurry; things are going to happen.” “It is my dear Wind,” cried Ruth, her eyes growing big with expectation, and, stopping just long enough to snatch up Belinda, who of course would wish to go, too, she followed where the little breeze led. This was to a lovely spot on the edge of the wood, and one of the first things she saw was a big round spider’s web on the branches of a tall bush. “Oh,” she said, going up closer, “who would ever think a spider could make anything like that?” “Indeed,” said a voice which made her give a little jump, “who else but a spider could spin a web, I’d like to know? You haven’t any brains, I’m thinking.” “Oh, please excuse me,” said Ruth. “I didn’t know you were there.” “That’s because you don’t use your eyes properly,” was the answer of the large, handsome black and gold spider hanging head down from the centre of the big web. Her eight long, slender legs were outstretched and rested by their tips on the bases of the taut radii, and her eight eyes were staring at Ruth. “I saw you as soon as you came,” she said. “I suppose you will stay to the meeting. I’m to be chair-spider.” “Chair-spider?” repeated Ruth, slightly confused by those eight bright eyes. “And please, what meeting?” “Why, our meeting, of course. Mrs. Cobweb Weaver says men always have a chairman at their meetings, so why shouldn’t spiders have a chair-spider, I’d like to know?” “I suppose they should,” agreed Ruth. “Of course we should. Considering you are a human creature, with only two eyes, two legs, and no spinnerets, you really show a great deal of sense. Now sit down on the crotch of that little tree, then you will be near me and can hear all I say. What’s that thing you are carrying?” “Why, it’s Belinda, my doll,” explained Ruth. “I tell her everything. I think she will like your—your—meeting.” “Well, I don’t care whether she does or not,” said Madame Spider. “Now our friends are arriving, and as you can see, with even two eyes, they are all shapes and sizes. Long legged, short legged, plump, thin, grave and gay. All colours too—quite enough to satisfy any taste, I should say.” Ruth looked about her in wide-eyed astonishment. “I never knew there were so many kinds of spiders,” she said at last, “or that they had such lovely colours. I thought spiders were mostly grayish or brownish.”