The Spider and the Fly ( poem ) - wikipedia The Spider and the Fly ( poem ) This is the current revision of this page, as edited by 199.201. 3.18 ( talk ) at 16 : 40, 15 August 2017 ( → ‎ Text ). The present address ( URL ) is a permanent link to this version. Revision as of 16 : 40, 15 August 2017 by 199.201. 3.18 ( talk ) ( → ‎ Text ) ( diff ) ← Previous revision Latest revision ( diff ) Newer revision → ( diff ) For other uses, see The Spider and the Fly ( disambiguation ). The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt Subject ( s ) Fable Genre ( s ) Children 's verse Publication date 1829 ( 1829 ) The Spider and the Fly is a poem by Mary Howitt ( 1799 -- 1888 ), published in 1829. The first line of the poem is `` ' Will you walk into my parlour ? ' said the Spider to the Fly. '' The story tells of a cunning Spider who ensnares a naïve Fly through the use of seduction and flattery. The poem is a cautionary tale against those who use flattery and charm to disguise their true evil intentions. When Lewis Carroll was readying Alice 's Adventures Under Ground for publication he replaced a parody he had made of a negro minstrel song with a parody of Howitt 's poem. `` The Mock Turtle 's Song '', in Lewis Carroll 's Alice 's Adventures in Wonderland, is a parody of Howitt 's poem ; it mimics the meter and rhyme scheme, and parodies the first line, but not the subject matter, of the original. The opening line is one of the most recognized and quoted first lines in all of English verse. Often misquoted as `` Step into my parlour '' or `` Come into my parlour '', it has become an aphorism, often used to indicate a false offer of help or friendship that is in fact a trap. The line has been used and parodied numerous times in various works of fiction. Contents 1 Text 2 Adaptions 3 See also 4 References 5 External links Text The Spider and the Fly `` Will you walk into my parlour ? '' said the Spider to the Fly, ' Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy ; The way into my parlour is up a winding stair, And I 've a many curious 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 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 can 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 can not 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 've a little looking - glass upon my parlour shelf, If you 'll step in one 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 come 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 the 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 ! At last, Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held her fast. He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den, Within his little parlour -- 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 counsellor, close heart and ear and eye, And take a lesson from this tale, of the Spider and the Fly. ~ By Mary Howitt, 1829 Adaptions The Spider and the Fly lobby card 1907 cartoon, ' Will you walk into my parlor ? ' said the Spider to the Fly. Railroad tycoon E.H. Harriman is depicted as a fly on a spider web labeled `` The Law, '' subject to the control of the Interstate Commerce Commission, depicted here as the spider. 1916 film featuring Robert B. Mantell 1923 cartoon : theatrical short by Aesop Fables Studio. 1930 song by Barbecue Bob. 1938 song by Fats Waller, Andy Razaf, and J.C. Johnson. An illustrated version by Tony DiTerlizzi was a 2003 Caldecott Honor Book. See also Children 's literature portal Poetry portal Wikisource has original text related to this article : The Spider and the Fly Cultural depictions of spiders References Jump up ^ Gardner, Martin ; The Annotated Alice, 1998 ( updated, Lewis Carroll ; with illustrations by John Tenniel ; introduction ; Gardner, notes by Martin ( 1999 ). The annotated Alice : Alice 's adventures in Wonderland & Through the looking glass ( Definitive ed. ). New York : Norton. ISBN 0393048470. ) Jump up ^ Carroll 's parody of Howitt 's poem accessed 3 October 2007 Jump up ^ `` The Spider and the Fly ''. Book Description. Amazon.com. Retrieved 24 November 2012. Jump up ^ `` The Spider and the Fly ( 1916 ) - Overview - TCM.com ''. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 21 January 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Fable of the Spider and the Fly ''. IMDb. Retrieved 13 November 2012. Jump up ^ DiTerlizzi, based on the poem by Mary Howitt ; with illustrations by Tony ( 2002 ). The spider and the fly ( 1st ed. ). New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978 - 0 - 689 - 85289 - 3. External links Text of the poem, along with a Lewis Carroll parody of it Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Spider_and_the_Fly_(poem)&oldid=795652516 '' Categories : 1829 poems English poems Fictional spiders Fictional flies Hidden categories : All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2011 Talk Article Talk More Contents About Wikipedia In other projects Wikimedia Commons Wikisource Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 15 August 2017, at 16 : 40. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what does said the spider to the fly mean
Answer: to indicate a false offer of help or friendship that is in fact a trap