The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-13
Golden Penny.

| Golden Penny.
| There is curious notion that spiders are
particularly sensible TO the sound of music,
and will leave of spinning their webs TO APP
| proach the direction whence the sound
| comes. Sir John Hawkins, I'm his History
| of Music" has given some amusing anec-
Gotes illustrative of this piece of spider
| lore. He Barrates how certain captain
when confined i'm prison. amused himself by
pla ying his lutte. Great his aston
ishment when he found the spiders de-
| scend from the webs and form a circle
round him while he played. AS soon. how
ever, as he laid aside his instrument. these
! insects retired quickly into their hiding
places. Another anecdote is told of a
musician who one evening amused himself
till supper time with his violin, setting a
light upon the table before him. He had
not played a quarter OF an hour before he
saw several spiders descend from the cell
ing. which came and ranged themselves on
the table. apparently spelbound with the
melodious sounds they heard.
The supposed antipathy between the toad
and spider was In days gone by proverbial--
the idea being that they poisonously de-
stroyed each other. Many curious stories
have been written OF their combats. where
in the victory is most commonly given TO
the spider. Erasmus relates amusing
anecdote OF monk who was found asleep
on his back. with a toad sitting upon his
mouth. The brethren at once conveyed the
body and placed IL under the web OF spi-
der, which instantly descended upon and
at length slew the toad and delivered the
monk from an ugly DEATH Sir Thomas
Browne. I'm his Vulgar Errors" In expos
ing this superstition. remarks: Having
in glass included a toad with several
spiders. we beheld the spiders, without
resistance, 10 sit upon his head and pass
over all his body. which at last upon adj
vantage. he swallowed down. and that in
a few hours unto the number of seven"
Although the servant usually sweeps the
spider ruthlessly OF the wall when seen,
there is a still common proverb which re-
minds that
II you wish to live and thrive
Let the spider alive.
ill luck being supposed 10 quickly orcr-
take those who kill or even so much as
injure IT, The regard which In paid by
many 10 the life OF the spider l. i'm all
legend which tells how. when Christ lay IN
the manger at Bethlehem the spider came
and spun beautiful web over the spot
where He was. thus preserving His life
by screening Him from all the dangers that
surrounded Him. Stories Of similar char
acter are told about several notable per-
sons during times OF persecution. Thus
there is Hebrew tradition relating to
King David. When escaping from Saul IN
the desert OF Ziph spider II said 20 have
spun a web over the cave In which ne was
concealed. causing his pursuers 10 believe
that no one could oe hidden there.
Mahomet. too. I'm his fight from Mecca.
is reported 10 have been saved by spider
and a pigeon. When his enemies reached
the cave where he rested. and found q
spiders web across the mouth and a pigeon
I'm her nest Just above. they at once con-
cluded that the place had not recently been
disturbed OF the web would have been de-
stroyed.