Greta and the Spiders

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         Would you like to know why there is a large rhinestone spider on my Christmas tree? There is a story I heard long ago about spiders and Christmas trees.

         Ever and ever so long ago there was a little serving girl named Greta who lived and worked in one of the great houses of her city. She helped the Cook and did chores. She was happy and thankful to have this place because she knew many children worked in the factory where it was hot in summer cold in winter and the work was very hard.

         When the children would be going by the great house after work Greta would give them sweet rolls and other goodies. Cook was kind, and let her.

         When Christmas came the children who lived in the great house came to the kitchen and took Greta up to the banquet hall of the house to see the Christmas tree. The sight took her breath away. A grand fir tree from the forest stood in the end of the hall, decorated with shining ornaments that looked to Greta like jewels for a king’s crown. The top of the tree, far over her head, held an image of an angel, his wings outspread, and his mouth open in joyful song. On the tips of the branches were hundreds of candles ready to be lit for the Christmas celebration tomorrow. Greta thought she would remember that sight forever. She thanked the children for letting her see the tree. She could hardly wait to tell Cook all about it.

         When the factory children came by later in the evening on their way home, Greta asked Cook if she thought it would be all right to let them see the tree. Of course they wanted to see! They took off their muddy shoes and followed Greta up the carpeted stairs in their stocking feet. When they saw the glorious tree they gasped in wonder. They looked up and down the tree and whispered to one another. When they came back down the kitchen stairs, Cook had little bundles of Christmas treats for each to take home.

         Have you heard the legend that on Christmas Eve animals are allowed to speak? In this story, it is true. While Greta was telling about the tree, the dog lifted his head from the piece of old carpet which served him as a bed by the fire. He said, “Please. I want to
see this! I guard the house and I do it faithfully All I ask for is one look. You always tell me I am a good dog. Please, I want to see.”

         Greta said., “Are your paws muddy? Let me see. You can’t make tracks upstairs.”

         Dog assured her his paws were well wiped. She said, “I guess it won’t do any harm, and you are a good dog. Come along.”

         So Dog got to see the Christmas tree. When he came back to the kitchen his big brown eyes were shining. That was when the Cat spoke up. “You let Dog go upstairs and see. I want to go too. My paws are never dirty. I catch mice and I do my job here too.”

         Greta knew it was only fair to let Cat see, too She was a good cat. She deserved a treat. So up they went and Cat saw the tree. She said, “I should like to climb that! Don’t worry, I won’t.”

         Back in the warm kitchen where the smells of holiday cooking were like the loveliest incense there ever was, Greta sat down in her chair and folded her hands. What a lovely day this was turning out to be! She felt very rich to have so much to share.

         That was when she heard a small voice. Looking down at the arm of her chair she saw a little gray mouse. She glanced over at Cat who was asleep on her cushion. The mouse said. “Please. Greta. I live in the cellar with my family and friends. I’ve never even been upstairs. I’m not a bad mouse, I keep where I belong and all I take are the crumbs nobody else wants anyway. My friends and I would like to see the tree, too.”

         Greta was not sure about taking the mice upstairs. But this was such a bright eyed little fellow and so polite and all, how could she say no? She said, “But you would all have to run by the cat to get there.” The mouse quailed a little at that thought but Cat spoke up. “It’s Christmas. I am asleep and I don’t hear or see a thing.”

         So the mouse went to the cellar door and called to the other mice who came squeezing under the door. Greta was surprised at how many there were.

         They scurried up the steps and then ran down the corridor before her like a small furry carpet. They sat up on their tiny haunches and stared at the tree with their bright shiny eyes. They saw the goodies on the table and one said, “There will be wonderful crumbs tomorrow.” Then they had to hurry back downstairs. Greta warned them, “You must not be seen because if the people knew how many you are they might think they had to do something terrible to you.”

         She opened the cellar door for them to hurry to their homes. As she was turning to close the door she was startled by another voice, tiny and sharp as the point of a needle. She could not see where it was coming from. The voice said again, “Up here!” Greta saw no one there except a large gray spider sitting in her web.

         “Did ~~ did you say something?”

         The spider said, “Yes. I want to see the tree, too. The cat saw, the dog saw and the mice saw. The children who do not even live in this house saw. My friends and I want to see, too. We live in the dark in the cellar and never get to see much of anything even though each of us has eight eyes!” She was shaking her web with her vehemence.

         Greta exclaimed, “Eight eyes? Really?”

         The spider said, “Yes, really! Do you have any idea how many mosquitoes never got to bite you last summer because we caught them and ate them? “

         Greta had not thought of that. So they were really good spiders who also did an important duty in the house even though they were shivery to look at. The spider went on, “We are quiet and do not ask for much. But this is something we really want to see!”

         So Greta agreed to show them the way. They came crawling and creeping out of the cellar calling out to one another with tiny sharp voices. “hush,” said Greta. They followed her to the great hall, walking on the floor and the walls. But it was disappointing.

         Each spider had eight eyes but their eye level was too low and they could not see much. Before Greta knew what was happening, they were climbing on the tree, going from branch to branch, swinging and climbing on their webs. In no time at all the tree was covered with spider webs. It was ruined!

         “Oh! Spiders! See what you have done!”

         The spiders looked at the ruined tree with dismay. “We are sorry!” they said. “We didn’t mean any harm. What can we do?”

         “It was my fault,” she said. “You couldn’t know, There is nothing anyone can do. Hurry back to the cellar before someone sees you!”

         They hurried away and Greta sat down on the floor by the ruined tree. She was crying. The children would be disappointed. There was no way to fix it. She sat there with her head bowed on her knees and cried and cried.

         She cried herself to sleep. With a start she realized the room was brightly lit. Was it morning already? She looked around and saw St. Nicolas standing before her. The bright light was coming from him. “Why are you crying?” he asked.

         “Look, look at the tree! It’s ruined! And it is all my fault. The Master and Mistress will be angry and the children will be sad.”

         St Nicolas looked at the web covered tree. “Yes, it’s a bit of a mess, isn’t it? But what you did was kind and generous. I like that. You showed love and kindness to others. You gave gifts of Christmas kindness that made others happy. That is what I like to do, too. I think we can fix this tree. Let me show you how unselfishness and kindness look to me.”

         He reached out his staff and touched one of the branches. After a moment the most wonderful transformation began at the feet of the treetop angel and worked its way down to the lowest branches. The spider webs began to turn into shining strands of gold and silver. The tree was more glorious than ever. Greta clapped her hands with delight. St. Nicolas told her to go to her bed now and always remember, the most beautiful ornament of all for a Christmas tree is a gift of love.

         I remember this story and put my rhinestone spider on the tree each year.



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