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The Spider and the Fly (poem)

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288: 277: 405: 419: 86:(1799–1888), published in 1829. The first line of the poem is "'Will you walk into my parlour?' said the Spider to the Fly." The story tells of a cunning spider who entraps a fly into its web through the use of seduction and manipulation. The poem is a 108:
The opening line is one of the most recognized and quoted first lines in all of English verse. Often misquoted as "Step into my parlour" or "Come into my parlour", it has become an
105:, which has a publication year of 1829 on its title page but, as the title would suggest, was released before New Year’s Day and was reviewed in magazines as early as October 1828. 141:(also known as the "Lobster Quadrille"), a parody of Howitt's poem that mimics the meter and rhyme scheme and parodies the first line, but not the subject matter, of the original. 664: 561: 112:, often used to indicate a false offer of help or friendship that is in fact a trap. The line has been used and parodied numerous times in various works of fiction. 648: 716: 127: 121: 322: 410: 545: 502: 432: 300: 361: 313: 287: 137: 711: 371: 706: 328: 480: 276: 51: 701: 522: 658: 555: 365: 588: 644: 541: 498: 317: 462: 538:
The annotated Alice : Alice's adventures in Wonderland & Through the looking glass
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is depicted as a fly on a spider web labeled "The Law," subject to the control of the
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DiTerlizzi, based on the poem by Mary Howitt; with illustrations by Tony (2002).
456: 348: 263: 83: 400: 352: 295:, 'Will you walk into my parlor?' said the Spider to the Fly. Railroad tycoon 101:
The poem was published with the subtitle "A new Version of an old Story" in
418: 132: 109: 95: 91: 643:(1st ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 613: 681: 292: 172:"There are pretty curtains drawn around, the sheets are fine and thin; 206:"I thank you, gentle sir," she said, "for what you're pleased to say, 55: 286: 275: 227:
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead."
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Said the cunning spider to the fly, "Dear friend, what shall I do,
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Your robes are green and purple – there's a crest upon your head;
223:"Come hither, hither, pretty fly, with the pearl and silver wing; 198:"Sweet creature!" said the spider, "you're witty and you're wise. 240:
Thinking only of her crested head, poor foolish thing! – At last
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I'm sure you're very welcome – will you please to take a slice?"
176:"Oh no, no!" said the little fly, "for I've often heard it said, 238:
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue:–
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If you'll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself."
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How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!
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Will you rest upon my little bed?" said the spider to the fly.
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For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again."
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And take a lesson from this tale, of the Spider and the Fly.
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To idle, silly, flattering words, I pray you ne'er give heed:
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With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew,
191:"Oh no, no!" said the little fly, "kind sir, that cannot be," 234:
Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by;
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I've heard what's in your pantry, and I do not wish to see."
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For well he knew, the silly fly would soon come back again:
461:. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green. pp.  159:
And I have many pretty things to shew when you are there."
155:" 'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy. 251:– And now, dear little children, who may this story read, 249:
Within his little parlour – but she ne'er came out again!
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He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den,
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Up jumped the cunning spider, and fiercely held her fast.
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Then he went out to his door again, and merrily did sing,
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The spider turned him round about, and went into his den,
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And bidding you good morning now, I'll call another day."
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And if you like to rest awhile, I'll snugly tuck you in."
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I have, within my pantry, good store of all that's nice;
161:"Oh no, no!" said the little fly, "to ask me is in vain, 153:"Will you walk into my parlour?" said a spider to a fly; 255:
Unto an evil counsellor, close heart, and ear, and eye,
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They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed!"
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To prove the warm affection I've always felt for you?
168:"I'm sure you must be weary, with soaring up so high, 589:"The Spider and the Fly (1916) - Overview - TCM.com" 202:
I have a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf,
61: 47: 37: 23: 636: 455:Watts, Mrs. Alaric (Priscilla Maden), ed. (1829). 536:; introduction; Gardner, notes by Martin (1999). 217:So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner, sly, 497:. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 232:Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little fly, 148: 219:And set his table ready, to dine upon the fly. 157:The way into my parlour is up a winding stair, 8: 663:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( 560:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( 458:The New Year's Gift; and Juvenile Souvenir 20: 540:(Definitive ed.). New York: Norton. 103:The New Year’s Gift and Juvenile Souvenir 444: 656: 553: 614:"The Fable of the Spider and the Fly" 450: 448: 7: 98:to disguise their true intentions. 327:1923 cartoon: theatrical short by 14: 576:Carroll's parody of Howitt's poem 417: 403: 128:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 122:Alice's Adventures Under Ground 532: ; with illustrations by 433:Cultural depictions of spiders 303:, depicted here as the spider. 301:Interstate Commerce Commission 1: 493:Howitt, Mary (October 2002). 411:Children's literature portal 733: 717:Spiders in popular culture 384:An illustrated version by 30: 477:The Gentleman‘s Magazine 370:1989 song by The Cure (" 16:1829 poem by Mary Howitt 578:accessed 3 October 2007 323:1949 British crime film 639:The spider and the fly 495:The Spider and the Fly 374:") references the poem 304: 284: 281:The Spider and the Fly 269: 138:The Mock Turtle's Song 131:, he replaced a negro 90:against those who use 80:The Spider and the Fly 25:The Spider and the Fly 593:Turner Classic Movies 290: 279: 390:Caldecott Honor Book 523:The Annotated Alice 329:Aesop Fables Studio 125:for publication as 366:The Rolling Stones 305: 285: 650:978-0-689-85289-3 318:Robert B. Mantell 76: 75: 724: 682:Text of the poem 669: 668: 662: 654: 642: 632: 626: 625: 623: 621: 610: 604: 603: 601: 599: 585: 579: 573: 567: 565: 559: 551: 515: 509: 508: 490: 484: 479:, Oct. 1828 (in 475:For example, in 473: 467: 466: 452: 427: 422: 421: 413: 408: 407: 406: 267: 72: 70: 62:Publication date 33: 26: 21: 732: 731: 727: 726: 725: 723: 722: 721: 712:Fictional flies 692: 691: 684:, along with a 678: 673: 672: 655: 651: 634: 633: 629: 619: 617: 612: 611: 607: 597: 595: 587: 586: 582: 574: 570: 552: 548: 527: 518:Gardner, Martin 516: 512: 505: 492: 491: 487: 474: 470: 454: 453: 446: 441: 423: 416: 409: 404: 402: 399: 386:Tony DiTerlizzi 274: 268: 262: 259: 256: 254: 252: 250: 248: 246: 244: 243: 241: 239: 237: 235: 233: 231: 229: 228: 226: 224: 222: 220: 218: 216: 214: 212: 210: 209: 207: 205: 203: 201: 199: 197: 195: 194: 192: 190: 188: 186: 184: 182: 180: 179: 177: 175: 173: 171: 169: 167: 165: 164: 162: 160: 158: 156: 154: 152: 147: 88:cautionary tale 82:" is a poem by 68: 66: 31: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 730: 728: 720: 719: 714: 709: 704: 694: 693: 690: 689: 677: 676:External links 674: 671: 670: 649: 627: 605: 580: 568: 546: 510: 503: 485: 468: 443: 442: 440: 437: 436: 435: 429: 428: 414: 398: 395: 394: 393: 381: 380: 376: 375: 368: 359: 345: 338: 337: 333: 332: 325: 320: 310: 309: 297:E. H. Harriman 273: 270: 260: 149: 146: 143: 74: 73: 63: 59: 58: 49: 45: 44: 39: 35: 34: 32:by Mary Howitt 28: 27: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 729: 718: 715: 713: 710: 708: 707:English poems 705: 703: 700: 699: 697: 687: 686:Lewis Carroll 683: 680: 679: 675: 666: 660: 652: 646: 641: 640: 631: 628: 615: 609: 606: 594: 590: 584: 581: 577: 572: 569: 563: 557: 549: 543: 539: 535: 531: 530:Lewis Carroll 525: 524: 519: 514: 511: 506: 500: 496: 489: 486: 482: 478: 472: 469: 464: 460: 459: 451: 449: 445: 438: 434: 431: 430: 426: 425:Poetry portal 420: 415: 412: 401: 396: 391: 387: 383: 382: 378: 377: 373: 369: 367: 363: 360: 358: 357:J. C. Johnson 354: 350: 347:1938 song by 346: 344: 341:1930 song by 340: 339: 335: 334: 330: 326: 324: 321: 319: 315: 312: 311: 307: 306: 302: 298: 294: 289: 282: 278: 271: 265: 258: 144: 142: 140: 139: 134: 130: 129: 124: 123: 118: 117:Lewis Carroll 113: 111: 106: 104: 99: 97: 93: 89: 85: 81: 64: 60: 57: 53: 50: 46: 43: 40: 36: 29: 22: 19: 688:parody of it 638: 630: 618:. Retrieved 608: 596:. Retrieved 592: 583: 571: 537: 534:John Tenniel 521: 513: 494: 488: 476: 471: 457: 379:Illustration 343:Barbecue Bob 280: 150: 136: 126: 120: 119:was reading 114: 107: 102: 100: 79: 77: 18: 620:13 November 388:was a 2003 349:Fats Waller 272:Adaptations 264:Mary Howitt 84:Mary Howitt 702:1829 poems 696:Categories 598:21 January 547:0393048470 504:0689852894 481:HathiTrust 439:References 353:Andy Razaf 316:featuring 283:lobby card 135:song with 52:Children's 38:Subject(s) 659:cite book 556:cite book 528:updated, 362:1965 song 314:1916 film 526:, 1998 ( 397:See also 261:—  133:minstrel 110:aphorism 92:flattery 48:Genre(s) 372:Lullaby 293:cartoon 67: ( 647:  616:. IMDb 544:  501:  355:, and 308:Cinema 266:(1829) 56:comedy 463:49–53 336:Music 291:1907 115:When 96:charm 42:Fable 665:link 645:ISBN 622:2012 600:2017 562:link 542:ISBN 499:ISBN 245:VII. 181:III. 145:Text 94:and 69:1829 65:1829 364:by 230:VI. 196:IV. 166:II. 698:: 661:}} 657:{{ 591:. 558:}} 554:{{ 520:; 483:). 447:^ 351:, 211:V. 151:I. 54:, 667:) 653:. 624:. 602:. 566:) 564:) 550:. 507:. 465:. 392:. 331:. 78:" 71:)

Index

Fable
Children's
comedy
Mary Howitt
cautionary tale
flattery
charm
aphorism
Lewis Carroll
Alice's Adventures Under Ground
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
minstrel
The Mock Turtle's Song
Mary Howitt


cartoon
E. H. Harriman
Interstate Commerce Commission
1916 film
Robert B. Mantell
1949 British crime film
Aesop Fables Studio
Barbecue Bob
Fats Waller
Andy Razaf
J. C. Johnson
1965 song
The Rolling Stones
Lullaby

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