See The Wonders

I had spotted the spider’s nest, this wonder of nature about a week earlier, but it wasn’t until I was on my way home from school, a little late, one afternoon, that I saw a staff member at the kindergarten where the spider’s nest was located. I asked if I could collect it on the way to school the next day. She considered my request in a second and said she thought it best that the little children weren’t shown a nest opening with dozens (though probably hundreds) of small spiders pouring out of the nest and into their play garden. It is the role of parents, teachers and others to be encouraging children in the wonders of nature. And, as enthralling to many children, as the sight of a single solitary caterpillar, climbing precariously along a twig would be, the sight of an invasion of a horde of unknown baby spiders streaming from a nest in their playgroups garden, would likely be a cause for concern. Children’s interest in the insect world is safer in small numbers of one or two creatures (with the exception of ants). A single butterfly, a swaying stick insect or a few ladybirds. Their interest in such things is not encouraged by masses of small bodied multi-limbed rapid arachnids, suddenly and threateningly, racing out of a silken box which they may previously have failed to notice. Indeed the sight may well create a certain shock resulting in ‘Arachnaphobia’ being implanted at the tender age of four or five.

I was much older, nearly ten I believe. The staff member agreed that if I called back in the morning on my way to school, they would help me cut the branches to keep the nest intact. I had to remember to bring a big jar of course. You see, we were discussing stealing in the last few blogs, but here I was asking, not just taking something. There was a right way and a wrong way of doing things. This was the right way. I happily pedalled home knowing that my presentation for school the next day would be quite exceptional. Particularly, if the nest hatched, while at school. Not being a specialist in such things I did not know how long a spiders nest takes to hatch out. I have since learnt that it should take a few days (or weeks, months at the max) according to sources. The type of spider, the temperature etc, all affect the possible gestation period. I would have been happy with a couple of days. Delighted if it was less than 24 hours and rapt if it could occur in 16 hours, which would be about the time I was to present the talk. Imagine starting a presentation with the actual nest and suddenly in the middle of the talk, the nest breaks apart and the baby arachnids, spill out racing all over the jar I was proudly holding aloft. No doubt most people would be amazed. And just as likely, many other classmates would be screaming. It would be a very successful presentation.

(Continued tomorrow)