A Story Lesson for The Spider and the FlyPrepared by Flora Joy, florajoy@comcast.net

I recently uncovered an unpleasant worksheet that was intended

to accompany one of my favorite childhood poems. I agonized as I

imagined how completing such an exercise could quickly remove all

of the fun and interest contained in the lines of that poem. Its artifi-

cial and robotic fill-in-the-blank regurgitating procedure would

surely be punitive for any learner. I was then challenged to begin a

teaching suggestion outline for this poem that could retain that pleas-ure, yet still connect with any type of reading program and any set of

standards. Below is one suggested method. Please note that the words

in italics are those that could be spoken by the instructor—but they

are suggested wordings only. They should certainly not be read

word-for-word; instead, the gist of each italicized passage should be

communicated in the natural wording of the presenter.

Prior Preparation1. Before introducing this story to any group, consider exploring the

various versions currently in print. These may be found in poetry an-thologies or as an individual children’s book. Because this poem is in

public domain, any illustrator may produce such a book by preparing

new illustrations and/or slightly different poetic rewrites. One exam-

ple is The Spider and the Fly, (by Mary Howitt [author of original

piece]), illustrated by Cathie Shuttleworth, Barron’s Educational Se-

ries, Inc. 1987, unpaged. Shuttleworth provides very appealing illus-

trations in her book version of this poem. She also omitted the final

eight lines of Howitt’s version (likely written around the late 1800s)

and provided a different ending that relates to problems of today’s

youth.

2. Locate a hand mirror to be used with a suggested activity after thepoem has been read.

3. Prepare mini-cards (approximately 1"x 2" or slightly larger) with

the following letters, phonograms, or words clearly written on them:

-y, -ie, b-, cr-, dr-, fr-, fl-, m-, pl-, pr-, sh-, sk-, sl-, spr-, sp-, st-, th-,

tr-, wh-, wr-, d-, f-, l-, p-, t-, v-, eye, bye, dye, high, sigh, thigh, buy,

guy, I, apply, reply, hi, untie, deny, lullaby, multiply, magnify, and

alibi. (See later provided sheets with these phonograms/words ready

to cut out and use.)

Poem MindsetBefore reading (or reciting) this poem to a class, inquire about the

current major temptations in the lives of the listeners. Allow a brief

discussion of this issue, then communicate the following thought:

Authors often use animals as characters in literature. These animals

are portrayed as having problems (and temptations) similar to those

we might face as people. This poem is one not only that we can enjoy,

but we can also think about how the problems of these characters

might be similar to our own.

Content PresentationRead (or tell) The Spider and the Fly. See later full-page poem.

“Will you walk into my parlor?”

said the spider to the fly,

“ ’Tis the prettiest little parlor

that ever you did spy.The way into my parlor

is up a winding stair,

And I have many pretty things

to show when you are there.”

“Oh no, no,” said the little fly,

“to ask me is in vain,

For who goes up your winding stair

can ne’er come down again.”

“I’m sure you must be weary, dear,

with soaring up so high;

Will you rest upon my little bed?”

said the spider to the fly.

“There are pretty curtains drawn around,

the sheets are fine and thin,And if you’d like to rest awhile,

I’ll snugly tuck you in!”

“Oh no, no,” said the little fly,

“for I’ve often heard it said,

They never, never wake again,

who sleep upon your bed!”

Said the cunning spider to the fly,

“Dear friend, what shall I do,

To prove the warm affection

I’ve always felt for you?

I have within my pantrygood store of all that’s nice;

I’m sure you’re very welcome—

will you please to take a slice?”

“Oh no, no,” said the little fly,

“kind sir, that cannot be,

I’ve heard what’s in your pantry and

I do not wish to see.”

“Sweet creature,” said the spider,

“you’re witty and you’re wise;

How handsome are your gauzy wings,

how brilliant are your eyes!

I have a little looking-glassupon my parlor shelf,

If you’ll step in a moment, dear,

you shall behold yourself.”

“I thank you, gentle sir,” she said,

“for what you’re pleased to say,

And bidding you good morning now,

I’ll call another day.”

The spider turned him round about

and went into his den,

For well he knew the silly fly

would soon be back again.So he wove a subtle web,

in a little corner sly,

And set his table ready,

to dine upon the fly.

Then he came out to his door again

and merrily did sing,

“Come hither, hither, pretty fly,

with the pearl and silver wing

Your robes are green and purple—

there’s a crest upon your head;

Your eyes are like a diamond bright,

but mine are dull as lead.”Alas, alas! How very soon

this silly little fly,

Hearing his wily, flattering words,

came slowly flitting by.

With buzzing wings she hung aloft,

then near and nearer drew,

Thinking only of her brilliant eyes,

and green and purple hue; Thinking only of her crested head— poor foolish thing! Up jumped the cunning spider and fiercely held her fast. He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den, Within his little parlor— but she ne’er came out again! And now, dear little children, who may this story read, To idle, silly, flattering words, I pray you ne’er give heed; Unto an evil counselor close heart, and ear, and eye, And take a lesson from this tale of the Spider and the Fly.

Lesson Presentation 1. When my grandmother was a girl, she had a piece of furniture

in her bedroom called a vanity. There was no bathroom (with a sink

and mirror) at her house, so she sat at her vanity while she combed

her hair and engaged in the brief amount of primping that was con-

sidered appropriate at that time. When the word vanity is used now,

it generally refers to the inflated pride associated with one’s appear-

ance. Do you know someone you might call vain? Allow a brief dis-

cussion while carefully preventing individual embarrassment. Be sure

to include in the discussion the idea that a vain person might spend

considerable time at a “vanity.” What was the problem of the fly in

this poem? Allow a few responses. [Name a female student,] would

you come to the front of the room and demonstrate for us how that fly

might have sat at a vanity? Have a desk area and a hand mirror avail-

able. Allow one or more students to dramatize the possible vain be-

havior of the fly while sitting at her vanity.

Another important word we might need to know is flattery. Who

knows what this word might mean? Allow responses. Discuss until

the meaning of the word is conveyed. [Name a student,] if I say you

look magnificently beautiful [or handsome] today, how would that

make you feel? Continue with these same types of flattering remarks

to several students, being careful, of course, with your choice of stu-

dent and the wording of your flattering statements. Continue to rein-

force the meaning of the word flattery. The fly in this poem was

flattered by the remarks of the spider. But why did the spider say

these things to the fly? What did he really want all along? How did

the fly react to this flattery? Continue with an open discussion with-

out belaboring the point. If someone approaches you with flattery far

beyond the truth, should you wonder what that person really wants?

Continue with this discussion—again without preaching or belaboring

the issue. If you have Shuttleworth’s version of this poem, you might

read her modern-day ending at this point. This helps relate the poem

to the underlying message (or the main idea).

Skills: The above exercise engages the students in the conven-

tional vocabulary skills (individual word meanings of vanity, vain,

and flattery) and comprehension skills (specific subskill of main

idea/author’s underlying meaning). The following exercise also em-

ploys specific phonics subskills that conventionally are taught in an

isolated manner rather than being carefully connected to a piece of

literature with which learners can experience enjoyment and appre-

ciation. The approach to these skills is the main difference in this

described lesson presentation.

2. Because there is very little information about Mary Howitt (the

original author of this poem), we will likely never know if she wrote

it because she enjoyed writing poetry or because she want to issue a

warning to youth about flattery (or both). However, we do know

that writing poetry can be fun. If we decided to write a poem in

response to this one, we could choose many different ideas, such

as how the spider now feels, what the fly might say if she had not

been caught, what the fly might say to warn her other fly friends,

etc. You may pick one of these ideas or any different one that you

might enjoy writing about.

Many of your poems will have the word fly as the last word in

the line. This means that we would need to find other words rhym-

ing with fly. Let’s explore some of these. The word fly ends with

the letter y. It is the only vowel letter in the word, and it is written

for the sound we typically call long i. Demonstrate this sound or

reinforce this phonics term. Many other words end with the letter y

and also have the sound of long i. Let’s form some to see how they

look. We will start with words that rhyme with fly. Place the pre-

pared cards fl- and -y in view. Have learners make the connection

of the initial consonant blend and the vowel letter. Remove the fl-

card and spread the b-, cr-, dr-, fr-, m-, pl-, pr-, sh-, sk-, sl-, spr-,

sp-, st-, th-, tr-, wh-, wr- cards on the table. A variety of procedures

can entice the learners to match these initial phonograms with the -

y vowel letter to form new words. Continue as needed. Then intro-

duce a different spelling of the long i sound at the end of a syllable:

-ie. Place the -ie card in view, and proceed in the same fashion with

the initial single consonant sounds on the d-, f-, l-, p-, t-, and v-

cards. Let learners pronounce these words as they are formed with

the cards.

There are many other words that also end with this long i

sound and could be used in the poems we will be writing. I will

show you some of these words, one at a time, and we will see if

anyone knows what they mean. Show the word cards eye, bye, dye,

high, sigh, thigh, buy, guy, I, apply, reply, hi, untie, deny, lullaby,

multiply, magnify, and alibi. Introduce only those that will have

meaning for the group. The last four can be identified as “challenge

words.” If you wish, you may make sound-letter associations as

you proceed—i.e., the -ye spellings, the -uy spellings, etc. Howev-

er, it is especially important to attach meanings to all of these

words. This can be done in a variety of different ways.

We are now ready to begin writing our own poems. You may

use any of these words if you wish, but you will also want to ex-

plore many new and different words to appear as the last word of

your poetry lines. Always remember that rhyming words will have

identical final vowel sounds followed by identical consonant

sound(s). Explain in more detail and/or use additional examples, if

and when needed. Depending upon the linguistic maturity levels of

the learners, you may wish to supply some starter lines, such as “A

spider once dined on a fly...” or “A lesson I once learned from a

fly...” Learners are now ready to begin their poetry writing with

your help and assistance as needed. From this point, a variety of

different phonics applications and concept reinforcements may be

made—always keeping in mind that the writing product is the goal

rather than any isolated phonics skills. The lesson may end with the

final challenge of remembering the possible effects of flattering

remarks. You might choose to end with a very flattering statement

to the entire class—just to see if they caught on!

As I look back on that obsolete purple ditto page prepared for The

Spider and the Fly, I want my final thought to you to be: Whatever

type of reading teacher you are, please allow your students to have

good experiences with poems such as this and/or other pieces of

great literature! FLORAJOY/StoryUnit/SpidFly.docx

Poem: The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt

“Will you walk into my parlor?”

said the spider to the fly,

“ ‘Tis the prettiest little parlor

that ever you did spy.

The way into my parlor

is up a winding stair,

And I have many pretty things

to show when you are there.”

“Oh no, no,” said the little fly,

“to ask me is in vain,

For who goes up your winding stair

can ne’er come down again.”

“I’m sure you must be weary, dear,

with soaring up so high;

Will you rest upon my little bed?”

said the spider to the fly.

“There are pretty curtains drawn around,

the sheets are fine and thin,

And if you’d like to rest awhile,

I’ll snugly tuck you in!”

“Oh no, no,” said the little fly,

“for I’ve often heard it said,

They never, never wake again,

who sleep upon your bed!”

Said the cunning spider to the fly,

“Dear friend, what shall I do,

To prove the warm affection

I’ve always felt for you?

I have within my pantry

good store of all that’s nice;

I’m sure you’re very welcome—

will you please to take a slice?”

“Oh no, no,” said the little fly,

“kind sir, that cannot be,

I’ve heard what’s in your pantry and

I do not wish to see.”

“Sweet creature,” said the spider,

“you’re witty and you’re wise;

How handsome are your gauzy wings,

how brilliant are your eyes!

I have a little looking-glass

upon my parlor shelf,

If you’ll step in a moment, dear,

you shall behold yourself.”

“I thank you, gentle sir,” she said,

“for what you’re pleased to say,

And bidding you good morning now,

I’ll call another day.”

The spider turned him round about

and went into his den,

For well he knew the silly fly

would soon be back again.

So he wove a subtle web,

in a little corner sly,

And set his table ready,

to dine upon the fly.

Then he came out to his door again

and merrily did sing,

“Come hither, hither, pretty fly,

with the pearl and silver wing

Your robes are green and purple—

there’s a crest upon your head;

Your eyes are like a diamond bright,

but mine are dull as lead.”

Alas, alas! How very soon

this silly little fly,

Hearing his wily, flattering words,

came slowly flitting by.

With buzzing wings she hung aloft,

then near and nearer drew,

Thinking only of her brilliant eyes,

and green and purple hue;

Thinking only of her crested head—

poor foolish thing!

Up jumped the cunning spider

and fiercely held her fast.

He dragged her up his winding stair,

into his dismal den,

Within his little parlor—

but she ne’er came out again!

And now, dear little children,

who may this story read,

To idle, silly, flattering words,

I pray you ne’er give heed;

Unto an evil counselor

close heart, and ear, and eye,

And take a lesson from this tale

of the Spider and the Fly. StoryUnits/SpidFlyPoem.docx