I have always shared Little Miss Muffet’s view of spiders. But the other night as I went to shut off the outside light I saw a perfect gauzy net glistening between the eave and the corner of the house. I watched in fascination as a fat spider as big as a grape methodically yo-yoed up and down perfecting the spokes and concentric circles to strengthen his web. In the morning I checked his trap line to find that he had snared a full quota of fruit flies and “no-see-ems”. (More efficient than Raid).

In the song “Itsy Bitsy Spider” what does the creature do when the rain washes him out? He goes “up the spout again”. Similar spidery determination inspired the Celtic king, Robert Bruce. Legend records that when he lay exiled and full of despair, hidden in an old hut, he watched a spider fail at six attempts to swing to another beam. Bruce had been defeated by the English in six battles. He vowed to himself that if the spider succeeded on his seventh try he would take that as a sign to carry on his fight. The spider made the leap and Robert Bruce kept his promise to fight on, finally winning the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 and regaining the Scottish throne.

A recent children’s story and movie, “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White has a large gray spider for the heroine. Wonderful facts about the spiders’ miraculous abilities are tied into the plot. Charlotte saves Wilbur the pig from being made into bacon and also teaches the farm animals about true friendship and sacrifice.

“Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spiderman”, the comic book, television and movie hero has been fighting crime and “bad guys” since Stan Lee first introduced him in Marvel Comics in 1962. Equipped with “web slingers”, Spidey is able to climb walls in his pursuit of the evil Doctor Octopus, Lizard and Green Goblin. As he matured he learned that “…with great power comes great responsibility”.

Now, the imagery of the internet uses web terminology to describe all the connections reaching out all over the world. Computer technology is well beyond most of our understanding. We don’t try to figure it out. We just benefit from its amazing possibilities.

Who would have thought that such a tiny bug could capture our imaginations and even bring out noble qualities?

Now out of my awe and admiration and deep respect for spiders I can’t bring myself to sweep down their beautiful handiwork. On Halloween my house will look haunted behind a spooky veil of real silk cobwebs. No fake decorations will be needed.