beasts knew and
dreaded.

"You will pay for your cunning with death," she shouted at the
spider. "Just come and try to kill me, you'll find out what a
bee can do."

The spider did not budge. She really was uncanny and must have
terrified bigger creatures than little Maya.

Strong in her anger, Maya now made another violent, desperate
effort. Snap! One of the long suspension threads above her
broke. The web was probably meant for flies and gnats, not for
such large insects as bees.

But Maya got herself only more entangled.

In one gliding motion the spider drew quite close to Maya. She
swung by her nimble legs upon a single thread with her body
hanging straight downward.

"What right have you to break my net?" she rasped at Maya. "What
are you doing here? Isn't the world big enough for you? Why do
you disturb a peaceful recluse?"

That was not what Maya had expected to hear. Most certainly not.

"I didn't mean to," she cried, quivering with glad hope. Ugly as
the spider was, still she did not seem to intend any harm.
"I didn't see your web and I got tangled in it. I'm so sorry.
Please pardon me."

The spider drew nearer.

"You're a funny little body," she said, letting go of the thread
first with one leg, then with the other. The delicate thread
shook. How wonderful that it could support the great creature.

"Oh, do help me out of this," begged Maya, "I should be so
grateful."

"That's what I came here for," said the spider, and smiled
strangely. For all her smiling she looked mean and deceitful.
"Your tossing and tugging spoils the whole web. Keep quiet one
second, and I will set you free."

"Oh, thanks! Ever so many thanks!" cried Maya.

The spider was now right beside her. She examined the web
carefully to see how securely Maya was entangled.

"How about your sting?" she asked.

Ugh, how mean and horrid she looked! Maya fairly shivered with
disgust at the thought that she was going to touch her, but
replied as pleasantly as she could:

"Don't trouble about my sting. I will draw it in, and nobody can
hurt himself on it then."

"I should hope not," said the spider. "Now, then, look out! Keep
quiet. Too bad for my web."

Maya remained still. Suddenly she felt herself being whirled
round and round on the same spot, till she got dizzy and sick
and had to close her eyes.-- But what was that? She opened her
eyes quickly. Horrors! She was completely enmeshed in a fresh
sticky thread which the sp