Year 5 Blue

The Spider and the Fly was written by Mary Howitt in the early 1800's. It is a fable of sorts, which was written to teach children a valuable lesson. Read it carefully and be ready to discuss it with the class. The language used is quite different to the language you use today. 

The Spider and The Fly
By Mary Howitt

“Will you step into my parlor?” said the spider to the fly;
“’Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy.
The way into my parlor is up a winding stair,
And I have many pretty things to show when you are there.”

“O no, no,” said the little fly, “to ask me is in vain,
For who goes up your winding stair can ne’er 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.”

“O 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 shall 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?”

“O 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 have a little looking-glass upon my parlor 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 be 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 parlor; 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 counselor close heart, and ear, and eye,
And take a lesson from this tale of the Spider and the Fly.

This is a version of the poem featured on you tube. The reader does an amazing job at capturing the spookiness of the writing, he uses his voice to express the message and convey feeling and meaning. The images enhance the message of the poem. They are detailed drawings that help the reader make sense of the deeper meaning within the poem. Look at them carefully and see if they add to your understanding of the poem. 

In the comment box, add a comment about what you think the poem is about. What is the moral of the story? What warning was Mary Howitt trying to give the children in her time? What may have been happening in the community at that time to motivate her to write this poem? 

The Jelly Experiment

I thought we might try a tasty experiment today after all of your work in NAPLAN this morning!

The aim of the experiment is to discover whether the colour of the jelly has an impact upon the flavour of the jelly. One part of the experiment will involve blindfolding some members of our class to see if this changes their opinion on the flavour. During this lesson you will be invited to take part in adding your predictions to a collaborative document. Using this document, all of the students in our class can make comments and predictions at the same time. You will be able to see each of these on your screen as we experiment. To access this document, click on the link that I have emailed you.

If you have a problem accessing this document through your email, click here: Link to collaborative document

I hope you have fun and enjoy the jelly!