The Green Spider

The Green spider

I found a bright green spider, guarding her nest which she had attached to a small sedge on a saltmarsh. As I bent down to take this photograph, several others in the group of naturalists I was with came to see what I was looking at, and they too admired this tiny creature.

Somebody took out a small tube and quickly captured the spider who ran to and fro in panic at being separated from her nest. He passed the tube round for all to admire this tiny, brilliant jewel of a creature.

Then he put it in his pocket.

There was a stunned silence.

"Hey! Aren't you going to put it back?"

"It's all in the name of Science", he said and smiled. After quickly showing me that his pack contained other prisoners besides mine, he turned to walk on.

I was angry. So angry that I could not leave it at that. A few minutes later I caught up with him.

"Please can I have my spider back."

"What do you want it for?"

"To photograph it."

"And then what?"

"To set it free."

"Then you CAN'T have it back".

* * *

Today I found a green jewel of a shieldbug.

I didn't tell anybody.

"For as long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed he who sows the seeds of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love."
Pythagoras