The Christmas Spider - The story of a new holiday tradition

The ChristmasSpider

Once, there lived a spider, deep in the woods, near a small town.

He was quite large.

Every year, the peoplethere would celebrate.

They put up lights, hung garland, and decorated a very large tree.

The tree came from the spider’s forest. He loved climbing trees.

One year, the townspeople cut down his favorite tree.

Enraged, he chased them from the woods.

They chased him back.

The spider watched from the woods, while the people put up his tree.

...and danced.

They decorated it...

The spider wanted to climb his favorite tree.

So one night, afterbedtime, he snuck out

of the woods.

...and climbed the Christmas tree.

The sun rose, and the spider was still in the tree.

It was Christmas Eve.He watched the people gather

while children played.

They threw snowballs, and built snow-forts.

They played near the tree.

Too near...

An ornament fell.

The giant spider jumped from the tree.

The children screamed. Everyone fled.

He tried to chase them away...

...but he was tangled up in ornaments and garland.

The men came with their guns.

and the big spider ran With all the decorations ringing and clanging.

The tree fell and the spider dragged it...

...until the garland finally broke away.

And he escaped!

Leaving a trail of ornaments behind.

The tree was ruined.

It was too late to fix. And most of the decorations were gone.

When darkness fell, he crept into town...

The spider watched. He felt terrible.

...and rebuilt the tree!

On Christmas morning, the people of the town returned.

The tree was fixed!

It was perfect!

All the decorations were back where they belonged.

And they sang, and they danced.

The children opened their gifts.

And high in the tree, they saw two red eyes, and a trail of tinsel leading from the woods.

Was it the spider?

They never touched the tree again.

The Christmas Spider was there.

Every year since, they put up the tree, and it always stays perfect. Whenever an ornament falls, it finds its way back.

Sometimes, a trail of tinsel leads toward the forest.

Is he watching over your tree?

The End.

© 2013 Tom Bishop