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The Spider and The Fly

The document summarizes the fable "The Spider and the Fly" by Mary Howitt. It describes how the spider uses flattery and deception to lure the vain fly into his web, where he eats her. The story serves as a lesson about the dangers of vanity and being susceptible to flattery. It warns women especially to be aware of men who try to manipulate them through praise and empty promises. In the end, despite rejecting his offers multiple times, the fly falls for the spider's flattery of her appearance and is trapped and killed.

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Ajaitri Kar
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745 views2 pages

The Spider and The Fly

The document summarizes the fable "The Spider and the Fly" by Mary Howitt. It describes how the spider uses flattery and deception to lure the vain fly into his web, where he eats her. The story serves as a lesson about the dangers of vanity and being susceptible to flattery. It warns women especially to be aware of men who try to manipulate them through praise and empty promises. In the end, despite rejecting his offers multiple times, the fly falls for the spider's flattery of her appearance and is trapped and killed.

Uploaded by

Ajaitri Kar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Spider and The Fly

A fable can be described as a short story, typically with animals as characters,


conveying a moral and helps us to understand human nature and behaviour. The
Spider and the Fly' reads like a fable as both the spider and the fly act as human
beings. The predominant tone of falsehood, deception, and meanness in the poem
embodies the miseries of the beings that are silly enough to fall for the evilness.
Written by Mary Howitt in the 19th century, 'The Spider and the Fly' is a
didactic poem that seeks to teach children about the dangers of vanity and being
susceptible to flattery. It can also be interpreted as a warning to women to be aware
of men who exploit and manipulate them through flattery. The story begins with the
sycophant spider's pursuit of the foolish fly- with a polite, charming invitation into his
home. He tries to entice her with the promise of showing her some pretty things in
his home. The spider portrays his home as the "prettiest little parlour".  The parlour
may be reached through a ‘winding stair’ and it is filled with ‘many pretty
things.  However, the fly, seeing through his deviousness, clearly refuses.

“O no, no,” said the little Fly, “to ask me is in vain,” 


 
Then the spider feigns concern and offers her a comfortable bed with pretty
curtains drawn around  and the sheets  being fine and thin, and tries to tempt her
with a false sense of security. Interestingly if he tucks the fly into this bed, she could
find herself in permanent slumber. She is aware of this fact and rejects his offer once
again. Undeterred the spider addresses her as a 'dear friend' for whom he has great
love and affection. He cordially welcomes her into her pantry and allows her to take
a slice of any delicacy she likes. Yet, she tactfully refers to him as 'kind sir'  and lets
him know that she is not interested in what he has to offer. Despite the repeated
rejections, the spider does not give up and uses vanity as a weapon. No matter how
dedicated the fly was about not entering in the spider's evil trap, she succumbed in
the end, as the spider indulged in fake flattery. Successfully wooing her with his false
appreciation of her  'gauzy wings’ and brilliant eye, offers her a looking-glass to look
at herself and appreciate her beauty. 

“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.” 

This time the fly thanked the spider and wishing him good morning, promised
to come another day. He now goes into his den, weaves a subtle web and sets table
to dine upon the fly. Finally his deceitful plan comes to light as the fly enters his
parlour, lured by his wily flattering words- the ‘robes of green and purple’  referring
to the colour of the fly’s body, the ‘crest’ or crown likely her antenna, ‘gauzy
wings’ had then become ‘pearl and silver wing’; her ‘brilliant eyes’ seemed ‘eyes
like diamond bright’ against his dull lead-like eyes. Quickly, he pounced on her
– ‘fiercely held her fast’  - dragged her up his winding stair, his dismal den, into his
little parlour. 

"but she ne’er came out again!"-  portrays the gruesome fate of the poor fly. The
poem ends with the poet counselling the children to ‘Take a lesson from the Spider
and the Fly’.   She seeks to teach a lesson to the readers to be alert against the power
of flattery, against vanity and stay away from such cunning people. 

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