The Spider and the Fly

Philippine Folklore Stories, by Mabel Cook Cole, [1916], at sacred-texts.com

THE SPIDER AND THE FLY

Visayan

Mr. Spider wanted to marry Miss Fly. Many times he told her of his love and begged her to become his wife, but she always refused for she did not like him.

One day when she saw Mr. Spider coming again Miss Fly closed all the doors and windows of her house and made ready a pot of boiling water. Then she waited, and when Mr. Spider called, begging her to allow him to enter, she answered by throwing boiling water at him. This made Mr. Spider very angry and he cried:

"I will never forgive you for this, but I and my descendants will always despise you. We will never give you any peace."

Mr. Spider kept his word, and even today one can see the hatred of the spider for the fly.