THE spider sat in a tree watching the small fly twist and turn and struggle against the silk. Pretty soon the spider came down and sat next to the fly. “If you would relax just a moment the web’s suspension will stabilize and you’ll feel better.”
The fly looked up terrified, “Who are you to capture me and hold me here?”
I am the master of this place and you have crossed the boundary that I set years ago for the children of all species. You have invaded my domain.”
“I am a citizen of these woods,” spoke the fly, “and I have never heard of any boundaries set before the children of all species other than: ‘be fruitful and multiply.’”
The spider chuckled to himself then openly laughed into the face of the questioning fly. Large eyes, small brain, thought the spider. “Well, that is quite an old saying but not meant for the modern era.”
“T-t-the modern era?” asked the fly.
“Here we eat first and ask questions, inquiries, and resumes, later.” And the spider reached over and took a wing from the fly who winced in pain.
“What are doing? You have no right to do this to me. I am a free species,” cried the fly.
“RIGHTS? You lost YOUR RIGHTS as soon as you flew into the tree of knowledge,” hissed the spider, who sat licking his lips in anticipation of the other wing.
“No, no, not both wings!! Please, I made a mistake. I’m supposed to be in the tree of life, not the tree of knowledge. I must have gotten lost?”
“Puh-lease, you and everybody else alway scream the same thing; wrong tree, wrong tree!! Well too bad.” And the spider ate the second wing off the fly then left him alone in the dark.
The next morning the poor fly continued to struggle and free himself from this terrible tree of knowledge, as if he knew something worse might be coming.
“Good morning there, ‘fly-ster’, and how are you this fine morning?” snickered the spider.
“I am sore and a bit hungry and I suppose it would be an imposition to ask for something to eat?” asked the fly.
“On the contrary I have a bit of wing left?” The spider laughed out loud watching as the thought of eating his own wing registered on the fly’s face; priceless.
“Blaach, don’t you have something more in the veggie line?” asked the fly.
“No, but a friend of mine has just what you’re looking for. I’ll have him come over.”
In the afternoon a large praying mantis appeared in the fly’s vision. He gave him tiny pieces of bamboo shoots coated with honey and a bit of week old bar-b-cue sauce. Gradually the fly began to feel health returning to his life, but what life would he have without wings? Once fed and bathed the praying mantis lifted the fly onto his back and began to carry the fly away out of the tree of knowledge.
“Where are you taking me?”
“We are traveling to the tree of life.”
“Really, I was supposed to go there and not to the tree of knowledge, “said the fly.
“We looked for you until all night. This morning the spider said he had one of our recruits. That spider, nasty business, but he’s got an incredible web; you’ve got to be careful.”
“Will the tree of life restore my wings,” inquired the fly.
“No, you will become an emissary for ants and other smaller species; they’ll feel safe.”
“Why?”
“Quite simply, because you will no longer be able to fly off with their food.”
“Wow, I had no idea I was doing that to other species.”
“Ah and thus the reason for why you flew into the tree of knowledge first; now you are prepared to carry on with your next true mission.”
“And what is that?”
“Preparing peace and unity for all species,” hummed the praying mantis. “Hummm.”
The little fly began to ‘hum’ also and almost vibrated himself off of the tree limb. This will take some practice… thought the fly!
