I loved this story. thanks! ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, December 10, 2000 3:45 PM Subject: [GERMAN-LIFE] The Legend of the Christmas Spider > Someone sent me the following. Thought the German-Life group might find the > legend interesting. > > > The Legend of the Christmas Spider > > Once upon a time in Germany, long ago, a gentle mother was busily cleaning > the house for the most wonderful day of the year. Not a speck of dust was > left on the day when the Christ Child was to come and bring the gifts of > Christmas Eve. Even the spiders had been banished from their cozy corner in > the ceiling to avoid the housewife's busy cleaning. They finally fled to the > farthest corner of the forgotten attic. > > Twas Christmas Eve at last! The tree was decorated and waiting the children > to see it. But the poor spiders were frantic, for they could not see the > tree, nor be present for the Christ Child's visit. The oldest and wisest > spider suggested that perhaps they could peep through the crack in the door > to see Him. Silently, they crept out of their attic and across the floor to > wait in the crack in the threshold. Suddenly, the door opened a wee bit, and > quickly the spiders sneaked into the room. The tree towered so high they > couldn't see the ornaments on top. In fact, their eyes were so small they > could see only one ornament at a time. They scurried up the trunk, out along > each branch, filled with a happy wonder at the glittering beauty. Every place > they went they left a trail of dusty, grey web. When at last they had > inspected every bit > of the Christmas tree, it was shrouded in a dusty grey of spider webs. > > The Christ Child smiled as He thought of the happy spiders seeing His tree. > But He knew the mother would not feel the same way and that she would be > broken hearted. So He reached out His hand and touched the webs and blessed > them. They all turned to shimmering, sparkling silver and gold. The tree > glistened in greater beauty than ever before. Ever since that time, we have > hung tinsel on the tree, and according to the story, it has become a custom > to include a spider among the decorations on the tree. > > > >