The Very Busy Spider

Once upon a time, on a sunny farm, lived a little spider who was always very busy. This spider loved to spin beautiful webs, each one a work of art. Every day, the spider would crawl up to a high branch, let out a silken thread, and let the wind carry it away to create a web.

One morning, as the sun's warm rays kissed the farm, the spider began to spin a web. She worked diligently, carefully weaving each thread to create a perfect pattern. But as she worked, her farm friends came to visit her.

"Hello, Spider!" chirped the rooster. "Will you come and play with us?"

"I'm busy making my web," the spider replied with a smile, not wanting to leave her work unfinished.

The rooster hopped away, and the spider continued to weave her web. Soon, the horse trotted over. "Spider, would you like to come run with me in the field?"

"I'm busy making my web," the spider said, her eight tiny legs working tirelessly.

The horse nodded and left, and the spider resumed her work. One by one, the sheep, the duck, and even the cow came to invite her to play, but the spider's reply was always the same: "I'm busy making my web."

As the day passed, the sun started to set, and the spider's web glistened in the soft evening light. The spider looked at her completed creation and felt a sense of pride. She had worked hard, and her web was a masterpiece.

Just then, a gentle voice spoke, "Spider, your web is truly amazing."

The spider turned and saw another spider, bigger and wiser, perched nearby. "Thank you," the little spider said, her heart fluttering with happiness.

"Would you like to know a secret?" the wise spider asked with a twinkle in its eyes.

The little spider nodded eagerly.

"Every day, your friends asked you to play because they wanted to spend time with you," the wise spider explained. "While making your web is important, so is making memories with your friends."

The little spider looked at her web and then back at the wise spider. She realized that her busy schedule had made her miss out on precious moments with her friends.

The next day, as the sun rose, the little spider crawled down from her high branch and joined her farm friends in their games. They laughed, played, and had so much fun together. The spider even showed them how to weave simple webs.

When the day was done, the little spider looked up at the setting sun. She realized that while her web was beautiful, the memories she had made with her friends were even more precious.

And so, from that day on, the spider learned to balance her busy work with spending time with her friends. She continued to spin her intricate webs, but she also knew the importance of enjoying the simple joys of life.

Follow-up Questions:

• Why was the little spider always very busy?

• Why did the farm friends come to visit the spider?

• What lesson did the wise spider teach the little spider about balancing work and spending time with friends? How did the little spider's perspective change by the end of the story?