Unit -4 – Poem – 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 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 never 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 cannot 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.
A.
Read the following lines from the poem and answer the questions in a sentence
or two.
1.
"The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I’ve many curious things to show when you are there"
a) How
can the fly reach the spider’s parlour?
→ The fly can reach the spider’s parlour by
going up a winding stair.
b) What
will the fly get to see in the parlour?
→ The spider says the fly will see many
curious things in the parlour.
2."Oh no, no,” said the little Fly, “kind Sir, that
cannot be,
I’ve heard what’s in your pantry, and I do not wish to see!"
a) Is
the fly willing to enter the spider’s pantry?
→ No, the fly is not willing to enter the
spider’s pantry.
b) Can
you guess what was in the pantry?
→ The pantry likely contains the remains of
other insects the spider has trapped and eaten.
3."Sweet creature!” said the Spider, “You’re witty and
you’re wise,
How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!"
a) List
the words used by the spider to describe the fly.
→ Witty, wise, handsome, with gauzy wings,
and brilliant eyes.
b) Why
does the spider say that the fly is witty?
→ The spider flatters the fly to gain her
trust and deceive her into entering his web.
4."The Spider turned him round about, and went into
his den,
For well he knew the silly Fly would soon come back again:"
a) Why
is the poet using the word 'den' to describe the spider’s web?
→ The word 'den' emphasizes the dark,
dangerous, and hidden nature of the spider's lair.
b) Why
was the spider sure that the fly would come back again?
→ He knew his flattering words would weaken
the fly’s resolve and eventually lure her back.
5."With buzzy wings she hung aloft, then near and
nearer drew,
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue —"
a) Who
does ‘she’ refer to?
→ ‘She’ refers to the fly.
b) What
was ‘she’ thinking of?
→ She was thinking of her own beauty—her
brilliant eyes and colorful appearance.
6."And now dear little children, who may this story
read,
To idle, silly flattering words, I pray you ne’er give heed:"
a) Who
does ‘I’ refer to?
→ ‘I’ refers to the poet or narrator.
b) What
is the advice given to the readers?
→ The advice is to not believe or be misled
by flattering or deceitful words.
B.
Complete the summary by filling in the spaces with suitable words.
The
poem begins with the spider’s_________ of the fly. He __________ to the fly to
come into its home. The spider describes his parlour as the _______ one. The
spider kindles the curiosity of the fly so that she may enter his home.
Fortunately, the fly was _________ and refused to get into his home. Now the
spider pretends to be a __________and asks her to come and rest in his home. He
offers her __________ and a __________ to rest. This time also the fly
__________ the spider's offer very politely. The next weapon that the spider uses
is_________. The spider praises the ______ and _____of the fly and also praises
her ________. He invites her to look at herself in the ______which is in his parlour.
The fly is_______ by the words of the spider and she falls a _________ to
his
________.
Answer
:
The
poem begins with the spider’s invitation of the fly. He invites
the fly to come into its home. The spider describes his parlour as the prettiest
one. The spider kindles the curiosity of the fly so that she may enter his
home. Fortunately, the fly was wise and refused to get
into his home. Now the spider pretends to be a caring host and
asks her to come and rest in his home. He offers her a little bed
and a pillow to rest. This time also the fly declines
the spider's offer very politely. The next weapon that the spider uses is
flattery. The spider praises the wings and eyes
of the fly and also praises her appearance. He invites
her to look at herself in the mirror which is in his parlour. The fly is
charmed by the words of the spider and she falls a victim
to his flattery.
C.
Answer the following questions in about 80-100 words.
1.
Character sketch of the spider:
The spider in the poem is a cunning and
manipulative character. He uses flattery and deceit to lure the innocent fly
into his trap. He pretends to be friendly and kind-hearted, offering comfort,
food, and compliments to weaken the fly’s judgment. Despite the fly’s repeated
refusals, the spider patiently continues his act, knowing that vanity and
temptation might overpower her wisdom. He is calculating, dangerous, and
untrustworthy, representing those who use sweet words to hide evil intentions.
2.
What happens if we fall a prey to flattery?
When we fall prey to flattery, we lose our
ability to make wise decisions. In the poem, although the fly initially resists
the spider’s offers, she is eventually lured in by his constant compliments and
praise. The spider flatters her looks, wings, and eyes, and she becomes too
proud and careless. Ignoring the warnings she once remembered, she flies into
the spider’s trap and meets a tragic end. The poem teaches us that giving in to
flattery can lead to our downfall.
3.
Detailed description:
a)
The Spider’s Parlour:
The spider’s parlour is described as a small but attractive space at the top of
a winding stair. He claims to have many curious things to show, which are meant
to excite the fly’s interest. He offers a fine bed with thin sheets and drawn
curtains. The parlour is portrayed as cozy and welcoming, but it is actually a
trap filled with danger, like a predator’s den waiting for prey.
b)
The Fly’s Appearance:
The fly is depicted as a beautiful and delicate creature with gauzy wings and
brilliant, diamond-like eyes. She has green and purple robes and a crest on her
head. Her charming appearance is what the spider focuses on while flattering
her. Despite her beauty and wit, she ultimately becomes a victim because of her
vanity.
Listening
D. *Listen to the passage and fill in the blanks with
appropriate answers.
Trust
is one of the most important things anyone can have in a relationship because
trust is what makes the foundation of a relationship. Without trust there is no
relationship at all because everything you do or make of the relationship will
be based on truth. Trust is a very rare thing to find and if you
are able to give it in return, your life is so much better and more fulfilling
for everyone involved. Trusting people can hurt sometimes because they betray
you, but you learn from the situation and move on to the next adventure in your
life. Just don't let small bumps in the road throw you back to not trusting and
being cold. Simply keep moving forward and you will have a wonderfully fulfilling
life that will be filled with good people that care and are trustworthy. (slightly
adapted)
1.
Without trust there is no ______________.
2.
_____________ is a very rare thing to find in life.
3.
When people betray you learn from the _____________.
4.
Don’t let _________on the road _____________.
5. If we keep moving forward you will have a wonderfully
__________________
Answer :
·
Without trust
there is no relationship.
·
Trust is a very rare thing to find in life.
·
When people
betray you, learn from the situation.
·
Don’t let small
bumps on the road throw you back to not trusting and being cold.
·
If we keep moving
forward you will have a wonderfully fulfilling life.
E. The cunning spider was waiting for a chance
to pull the fly into its web and it used all the possible ways to trap her.
Have you ever been trapped by flattery to do something you did not want to do?
Discuss in pairs and share your experience in the class.
Yes, I
have been trapped by flattery once. A friend of mine kept praising how good I
was at drawing and said I was the best artist in class. She kept asking me to
help her with her art homework. I felt flattered and agreed to do it for her a
few times. But later, I realized she was just using me and didn’t try to learn
anything herself. After that, I stopped doing her work and decided to help only
if someone really wanted to learn. That experience taught me to be careful and
not let praise cloud my judgment.
F. The fly gives into flattery and becomes the spider’s
prey. If you are asked to give a happy ending to the poem, how will you save
the fly? Write in your own words.
Happy
Ending:
Just
as the fly was about to enter the spider’s parlour, she suddenly remembered the
warnings she had heard from her elders. She stopped and looked closely at the
spider’s web. She noticed the remains of other insects trapped in the silky
threads. Realizing the danger, she quickly flew away and never returned.
The
spider waited and waited, but the fly never came back. The fly went on to tell
all her friends about the spider’s tricks, and they all stayed safe too. From
that day on, the wise little fly became known for her smart thinking and
courage.
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