®

the magazine for children

text and art © 2017 by Anouk Ricard
Front Cover by Pétur Antonsson March 2017
art © 2017 by Pétur Antonsson
Volume 24 Number 3
James M. O’Connor, Director of Editorial
2 hairdresser by Anouk Ricard Daniel Resner, Associate Editor
Jestine Ware, Assistant Editor
4 Doodlebug & Dandelion by Pamela Dell Julie Peterson, Copyeditor
Suzanne Beck, Senior Art Director
9 Jumping on the Bed by Nadine Cranenburgh Anna Lender, Designer
Michael Chesworth, Artist, SPIDER bugs
10 Too Many Dragons by Debbie Urbanski Adrienne Matzen, Permissions Specialist

15 Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll

Grateful acknowledgment given to the following copyright owners for permission to
18 Fabulous Facts: Invented Words reprint the following selections. All possible care has been taken to trace ownership and
secure permission for each selection: “Jabberwocky,” by Lewis Carroll, from Through
the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, 1872; “Whisker-Lickin’ Doggo
20 Rhyme Time Riddlers by Sharon R. Porterfield Biscuits,” art © 2006 by Thao Lam; “The Day the Sea Split,” art © 2012 Yoshiko Z. Jaeggi.

Photo acknowledgments: 21-25 (BG) Attitude/Shutterstock.com; 31 (RT) Bjoern Steinz/

21 Career Cat by Irene A. Flores Panos; 31 (TC) macknimal/Shutterstock.com; 35 (TC) Texturis/Shutterstock.com; 35
(BG) Kostenko Maxim/Shutterstock.com; 35 (border) RRA79/Shutterstock.com; 35
(CC) IvanNikulin/Shutterstock.com; 35 (RC) chinahbzyg/Shutterstock.com.
26 Whisker-Lickin’ Doggo Biscuits by S. Jackson SPIDER, the Magazine for Children (ISSN 1070-2911) is published 9 times a year,
monthly except for combined May/June, July/August, and November/December issues,
27 The Day the Sea Split by Laura Boffa by Carus Publishing dba Cricket Media, 70 East Lake Street, Suite 800, Chicago, IL
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32 Spider’s Mailbox March 2017, Volume 24, Number 3 © 2017, by Carus Publishing dba Cricket Media.
All rights reserved, including right of reproduction in whole or in part, in any form.
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please visit cricketmedia.com.

The Fun Zone: Purr-fect Cat and Dog Jokes 1st printing Quad/Graphics Midland, Michigan
February 2017
Art by Susan Batori Printed in the United States of America.

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by Jane Dippold
Check out our online Teacher Guides at
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Spider and the Gang by Michael Chesworth To subscribe, call Customer Service at 1-800-821-0115
or visit shop.cricketmedia.com.

International Reading
Association
Educational Press Paul A. Witty
Association of America Short Story Award 2008
Golden Lamp Award

You're right, Aran~a.

Distinguished Achievement Award

Why did Thistle have to

adopt two mice? They're We've been haulin'
a real pain! cheese for weeks.

Cheese, Louise!
I'm sick of it.
 Doodlebug & Dandelion
The Meaning of Weird
by Pamela Dell Art by Dom Mansell

“DOODLEBUG, YOU LOOK so weird!” Dandelion

Pinkley said as she came into her brother’s room.
“Do I?” Doodlebug asked. His sister’s words couldn’t
have made him happier. He looked in the mirror again
and grinned.
He was wearing the best parts of his favorite Viking
costume, but on backward. He’d put a shaggy wig on
backward, too, so only his eyes showed. His long, forked
beard completed the picture.
Doodlebug was shooting a video to send to his favorite
magazine, World of the Weird, for its annual Cover Kid
competition. Whoever sent in the strangest video would
Poor Ophelia can't She's allergic to mice.
Why? Spring fever? Here's more cheese,
live in her house Miro, all ready to be cubed
anymore, not without and skewered—pierced
sneezing her head off. through—with
a toothpick.
4
 Dandelion, trying to forget Punky.
Dandelion thought the contest was
ridiculous, but she still wanted to help
her brother beat their rude and rowdy
cousin. She grabbed the video camera
from the top bookshelf.
“You ready?” she said, putting the
camera to her eye.
At once, Doodlebug launched into
his finale. He held up his Viking sword
and shouted, “I’m Viking warrior
Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark!”
With that he twirled, snarled,
and jabbed the sword—one jab at
a time—at a row of worn-out socks
stuffed with rags and decorated to
get their face plastered on the cover look like strange, evil enemies. Each
of the magazine. And Doodlebug one went flying, until the last one.
wanted to win—badly. Doodlebug skewered it and raised his
The only problem was Punky, sword high. He screamed a made-up
Doodlebug and Dandelion’s cousin. Viking curse and fell across his Viking-
He was entering, too. Just thinking boat bed, his wig tangled and matted
about that made Doodlebug mad. across his face. He was breathing hard
Especially since Punky was a cowboy from all the action, and from all the
fanatic, not a Weird fan. Why had he hot wig hair.
ever shown him the magazine? Dandelion tried to hold in her laugh-
“I’m sending in my video as soon ter. Her brother looked more like some
as I finish this scene,” Doodlebug told horrible helmeted beast than a Viking
Mais oui! Plating is important! Yeah, but these mice
Must you always We eat first with zee eyes. gulp it down without
make up a fancy even looking.
cheese plate, Miro?

5
 warrior. And it was the most stupid “Get down here, you stinky little
“scene” she’d ever seen. But she bit pork pies, and see what I’ve got!”
her lip and zoomed in for a closeup. Soon all three cousins were sitting in
“Viking Forkbeard!” she directed. the Pinkleys’ dim and dusty basement
“Show me your glee at defeating the screening room. Aside from the lumpy
enemy hordes!” old couch and the ancient video player,
Doodlebug raised his arms and the room was decorated with Mr.
screamed, “YAAAAAAWWWW! Pinkley’s least successful sculptures. The
I am the conqueror!” family rarely used the room except for
“Cut!” Dandelion cried. She an occasional home movie. But Punky
couldn’t take it anymore. had insisted they watch the Cover Kid
Just then the doorbell rang. video he’d just finished.
Doodlebug and Dandelion recog- As the lights dimmed, Punky
nized Punky’s voice downstairs. appeared onscreen riding a fake
Fine, so long as she stays out here with me.
Oui, we are. We're
We've got to do something about Pip
feeding zem.
and Squeak.

Hey, Sonya. How's

Ophelia doing?
6
bucking bronco. At first, both “I know you’re crying inside your
Dandelion and Doodlebug wanted head, squid lips! Don’t worry. Maybe
to laugh. But then, something truly you’ll get second place.”
weird began to happen. The video Doodlebug’s stomach was churning.
was almost exactly like Doodlebug’s. He didn’t want second place.
It had strange makeup and sock fights, Dandelion was steamed, too. “I’ll
and Punky had even stolen Doodlebug’s call Tomiko,” she said the second
underwater trick, where he crossed Punky left. “You need a new video,
his eyes and blew bubbles out of his fast.”
nose and mouth at the same time. “One weirder than before,” Doodle-
Doodlebug’s face flamed as the bug added glumly. “Can we do that?”
video ended, and they all trudged “Yes,” Dandelion said, picking up
back upstairs. At the front door, the phone. “Weird in an even cooler
Punky shot a smug smile and said, way. But no wigs!”

And this is just their

All this food for just afternoon snack. You'd think we were
two little mousies? feeding hordes—large
groups—of rats.

7
 Tomiko, Dandelion’s best friend Dandelion held up two battery-
from across the street, arrived in powered round things that looked
minutes. She’d brought all kinds of like tiny Ferris wheels. “We can do
gadgets and contraptions, including a lot with this stuff,” she said.
a robotic arm and a funnel with a “Punky doesn’t have a chance,”
long, coiled tube at the end. Doodlebug added, feeling more
“These are some of my better confident. “Let’s show him the real
inventions, made with help from meaning of weird!”
my dad,” Tomiko said. Her dad, an
inventor, had the best workshop the B
Be Continued
Pinkley kids had ever seen. What should Doodlebug put in his video?
Send your weirdest ideas to
“Fantastic!” Doodlebug chirped. [email protected].

I think I'll risk my allergies.

I want to see Pip and
Squeak for myself.

8
Jumping on the Bed
Wind rushes past my eardrums,
a cyclone raging near.
My toes are rockets blasting off.
The bedsprings creak in fear.

My insides froth and bubble.

My outsides bump and shake.
I’m screeching like a fire truck
and laughing ’til I ache.

by Nadine Cranenburgh
Art by Daniel Guidera
text © 2017 by Nadine Cranenburgh, art © 2017 by Daniel Guidera 9
 Too Many Dragons
S KOKI LIVED IN another world not far from
our world but far enough away. Her world had many
things our world has, like green grass and apple trees
and fluffy clouds. But her world also had something we
don’t have: dragons. Lots and lots of them. When Skoki
woke up in the morning and looked outside, she saw
at least a dozen dragons, blue and green and orange
ones, perched in her backyard. One larger dragon
usually was crouching on top of her family’s garage,
flapping its silver wings and breathing out bright flames.
Sometimes, she even found tiny dragons tangled
in her hair.
by Debbie Urbanski
Welcome home, They're not babies
Oh my! Art by Giovanni Abeille
Ophelia! anymore. They're almost
text © 2017 by Debbie Urbanski, art © 2017 by Giovanni Abeille
full grown!
Big enough *cough* to
be out on their own.
10
 Skoki was pretty happy in her world except for one thing:
she was sick of all the dragons. She was tired of them crawling
across her bedroom ceiling at night. She was tired of finding
a dragon curled up on her porch in the morning, blocking her
way to school. She was tired of dragons being all sorts of colors—
pink, grey, violet, silver—but never brown, her favorite color.
To be honest, she wished the dragons would go away and be
replaced by the strange creatures she had only read about in books.
Brown creatures with six legs and the cutest antennae coming
out of their heads.
Rare and mythical creatures called
stinkbugs.
In her bedroom, Skoki drew pic-
tures of stinkbugs, filled her shelves
with books about stinkbugs, and
piled stuffed animals in the shapes
of stinkbugs onto her bed. She loved
their stripes. She loved their beady
eyes. She loved their spindly legs.
“Why don’t you read about some-
thing real, like dragons?” Skoki’s
mom suggested, shooing a glittery
dragon off the countertop. Like
many parents, Skoki’s mom believed
their world was the only world that
existed. Outside several more drag-
ons, larger ones, crowded around
their dragon feeder.
They've gone from cute little Mais oui, but zey are still Except those b ad eyes—like
fur balls to spindly—long and zooooooo cute. tiny, shiny beads.
thin—rodents.

11
 But Skoki knew in her heart that,
somewhere, in some other world,
stinkbugs were real.
One afternoon she was flying her
favorite kite, the one shaped like a
stinkbug with darting eyes, when
she spotted a shining pool of light
in the distance. How strange. There
wasn’t supposed to be a shining pool
of light there. She ran down the hill
and saw the light was coming from
a small puddle. Beside the puddle
she saw a boy holding a map and a
compass in his hands.
“Who are you?” Skoki asked.
The boy’s name was Charlie. “I’m
from Chicago,” said Charlie, pointing
to the puddle.
“Chicago is a puddle?” asked Skoki.
“No, silly, it’s a city!” Charlie said.
“I think that puddle is how I got here.
It’s not a puddle really. It’s magic. It’s
my way back home.” He turned the
compass and checked his map. “But
I don’t think I brought the right map
for this place. Where are we?”
At that moment, a miniature
yellow dragon crawled out of
Thistle dear, I'm afraid Sonya is
Mousies must
right. It's time for Pip and Squeak
run free!
They really should to leave our basement.
find a bigger home
out in the meadow. Um . . . OK. I'll ask'em.
But I don't think
12 they're gonna like it.
 Skoki’s hair and perched on her
shoulder. Skoki sighed. Another
dragon. But Charlie gasped. “Is
that a real dragon?!” he asked.
The next moment, a bug with
six legs and striped antennae
appeared on Charlie’s shoulder.
It must have fallen out of his hair.
Charlie shook his head. But Skoki
gasped.
“Is that a real stinkbug?” Skoki
shouted. “I’ve always wanted to
live in a world with stinkbugs!”
She lifted the bug off of Charlie’s
shoulder.
“Take him, he’s yours!” Charlie
said. “We have a thousand of them
at my house.” He picked up the
dragon from Skoki’s shoulder.
When he ran his fingers along the
dragon’s scales, the dragon let out
a soft purr of flame.
“He likes you! Keep him. Please.
I think there are a thousand drag-
ons at my house,” Skoki laughed.
Charlie had promised his par-
ents he’d be back by dinner. That
left Skoki three hours to show her
Pip and Squeak say no. They won't go.
They like it here. Very very much.
*gulp* It was just a suggestion . . .

13
 new friend the best spots for dragon
viewing. Charlie oohed over the
Dragon Perch, an ancient tree covered
in ruby-eyed dragons with gold scales.
He ahhed over the Grotto, where the
largest dragons sang wordless songs as
they curled around their eggs.
“I guess dragons can be pretty
amazing sometimes,” Skoki said.
The stinkbug in her hand wiggled
an antenna. “But they’re nowhere
near as amazing as my stinkbug,”
she added. When the sun dipped
behind the hill, she and Charlie ran
back to their magical puddle.
“Next week, you should come to
my world—to Chicago!” Charlie
said. “I’ll show you all the stinkbugs
you want.” The little striped dragon
peeked out of Charlie’s pocket and
winked.
“It’s a deal,” Skoki called out.
Several dragons were fluttering
around her head, as always, but this
time she didn’t shoo them away. And
her very own stinkbug—brown, slow,
and real!—tickled her fingers as she
ran all the way home.

But how can we get

I can't be sneezing them to leave?
H'm . . . I think I have a plan.
all the time in my
own house.
14
 b w c
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand:

Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

by Lewis Carroll
Art by Jani Orban
art © 2017 by Jani Orban
15
 And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

16
“And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

17
 Fabulous Facts:
Invented Words
DID YOU KNOW all the words in “Jabberwocky,” the poem
that starts on page 15? We didn’t! That’s because the poem’s author,
Lewis Carroll, made many of them up.
Most of those words didn’t catch on, but “chortled” did. It’s now
in the dictionary as a verb meaning “to chuckle and snort.”
Lewis Carroll is a famous inventor of words, but there are many
others. The playwright William Shakespeare was the first to write
the words:
dawn lonely
excitement

skim milk
dewdrop

leaky
batty moonbeam

Art by Rémy Simard

art © 2017 by Rémy Simard

18
 p The writer Karel Č
de u apek
ss ma D
eu
Dr. S d
or N E R . made up the word
ROBOT.
the w

thinker
The rapper Lil
Wayne helped Followers of the ancient
word
make bl i
ng bling Pythagoras invented the
popular. It mea
ns “fancy jewe
lry.” MATHEMATICS.

ra p p e r D ra k e made the word The poet Sylvia

Plath invented
The ds for the word
YOLO popular. It stan DREAMSCAPE
Y O L O
ou nly ive
nce. a scene strange
like a dream. ,

19
 Rhyme Time Riddlers
Each of these pictures represents a two-word rhyme.
Can you guess them all?

_B L_ U
_E_ ____
_ _U
___ _____

_
F __ ___
_ _____
____K
_ _ _ _ _ _T

___D
_ _____
_ _ _ _ _Y _ _ _ _ _ _
S ___ ____
by Sharon R. Porterfield
Art by Merrill Rainey Answers on page 35
20 art © 2017 by Merrill Rainey
 Career Cat

“ I ’M SORRY,” BONNIE’S best “Right now all I can afford is dry

friend Cleo meowed one morning. food,” her friend insisted.
Bonnie had just wandered into the Bonnie let her tail droop in defeat
library from her home in the alley. and sat down hard on her bottom.
“You’re going to have to get a job She looked up at Cleo, the library’s
if you want to keep the canned resident black cat, and asked how she
tuna coming.” had gotten her job.
First, Bonnie tried looking at Cleo
with her big, pleading Siamese-blue
eyes. That usually got her a couple
pieces of kitty-kibble, at the very
least. But what Bonnie really liked
best was tuna.
Ophelia! Spidie found me a new pet You must mean
to adopt! A Size-of-Me kitten! Siamese—a breed of
house cat named for Siam,
by Irene A. Flores an old name for the Asian
Art by Phoenix Chan country Thailand.
text © 2017 by Irene Flores, art © 2017 by Phoenix Chan
21
 “It wasn’t easy, let me tell you.” Bonnie thought she could do
Cleo sat like a queen atop her pile that. Library work didn’t sound too
of books, her black tail twitching hard. Bonnie could stare at humans
back and forth. “You have to be evilly until they picked up a book.
firm and you have to meow at the She could dust the shelves with
humans just right.” her tail, even if it was a bit petite.
Never mind that her stare was
awkward and clueless instead of
scary like Cleo’s.
“Fine,” Cleo said. “I guess I could
take you on as an assistant.”
With a mighty leap, Bonnie tried
to climb onto a bookshelf. But for
such a young kitten, Bonnie possessed
an enormous bottom. To her horror,
it pulled her back down with an
awful crash.
“Try again,” Cleo hissed in
annoyance.
And Bonnie did try. Again and
again and again.
“Seems like you’re going to have
to look for another job.”
Bonnie flattened her ears in
embarrassment and bolted out of the
library. But it would be nice to work
close to home, she thought. Maybe
she could still find something nearby.
Alors! Eet eez so very petite—
Uh . . . meow? It's the size of
No! I mean a kitten small—for a kitty.
that's the size of a cat-bug!
me—well, just a little I think you mean
bigger than me. See! cat-erpillar.
22
 She crossed the park to Suds-R-Us, “I can’t deliver these!” shrieked
the Laundromat on the other side, her boss after one look at the clothes.
and asked for a job. “They’re covered in WHITE FUR!
“Well,” said the human behind And most of them are black!”
the counter. “I guess I could use the Bonnie shot out the door quicker
help. You can start by folding clothes.” than you could say “meow” and with-
Being a fussy sort of kitten, out even a penny. According to the
Bonnie was well suited to tasks human, her pay would go toward
like folding up clothing. She did washing and drying those clothes
a beautiful job of it—without a all over again.
single wrinkle! She filled many Bonnie dragged herself back to
plastic bags with freshly folded the sidewalk and sat there, sighing
laundry. miserably. Maybe the guy who ran
At the end of the day she mewed the corner store would charge a can
proudly for her pay. of tuna to Cleo’s tab . . .

Yeah, well, um, there was a flyer posted at

the . . . uh . . . Laundromat—the place where . . .
I see. Spider . . . and uh, you know, where I do my laundry.
where'd you find
this . . . cat? Laundry? Since when
do you have laundry?
23
 As she turned toward the store,
she saw a sign she had never seen
before. It spelled M-A-S-S-A-G-E-S
and had a human paw print
beneath it. Right there, through
the window, was something Bonnie
could do!
“I don’t know,” said the massage
therapist while he examined his
patient’s shoulders. “Why don’t you
show me your technique?”
Off went Bonnie, kneading the
carpet with all the strength in her
little paws! Every cat is an expert
in this area, but Bonnie was a
champion kneader. She had heard
humans shout, “I can feel that
through the blanket!”
“You’re hired!” said her new
boss. “That looks fantastic!”
Bonnie hadn’t even finished Bonnie plodded back over to the
with her first client when she park and sat beneath a tree, feeling
was thrown out on her fluffy, sorry for herself. If only she could
white behind. be a sleek and smart career cat like
“Ow! Ow!” the patient screamed. Cleo. Then she could pay for tuna
“She nearly scratched my skin off!” and kitty treats. She could even
Nobody had told her she was afford a rubber mouse for herself!
supposed to keep her claws covered. She was a no-good failure of a kitten.

Sí, mira. Look. H'm.

Ah! Haha!

24
 “I am a no-good failure of a man!” Each day, she buys a shiny can of
A man in a suit slumped beside tuna with a cheerful fish on the label.
Bonnie under the tree. His clothes Every once in a while, if she has a bit
were wrinkled and he had bags under of time, she will chirp a greeting to
his eyes the size of suitcases. Cleo on her bookshelf. But she is a
“I can’t keep being late to work professional now and can lose no
or I’ll be fired!” time chatting.
Suddenly, Bonnie turned her
big Siamese-blue eyes to him.
Oh, if there was one thing she
was really great at . . .
‘’‘
Every day at seven in the morning,
Bonnie wakes up and carefully
washes her paws and face. She sets
off in a busy trot, slips into her
client’s apartment building, and
takes the elevator to the sixth floor.
She enters apartment 603 through
a kitty door.
Once inside, in the manner of
cats all over the world, she sits on
his face until he wakes up. She’s so
good at waking up her human that
sometimes all it takes is a mournful
stare and whiny mew, and her boss
will jump right out of bed. He’ll
never be late for work again!
Me out—in the cold.
I had to adopt him.
He's so cute! And he Who could say no to zees eyes, zo
was all alone. big and mournful—full of sorrow?

25
Whisker-Lickin’ Doggo Biscuits
by S. Jackson Art by Thao Lam
Your favorite pupper friend will love you even more
if you bake these treats!
What You’ll Need: 3. Stir in the beef broth and peanut butter.
1 cup whole-wheat flour Mix well until a thick dough forms. You
1 cup oats might need to add extra broth.
½ cup flaxseed 4. Mold dough into a ball, then flatten it
½ cup beef broth out into a fat pancake about ¼ inch
¼ cup peanut butter thick.
bowl 5. Use cookie cutters to cut biscuits into
cookie cutters fun shapes. Make sure they’re not too
cookie sheet big for your pup!
cooking spray 6. Grease cookie sheet with cooking
spray.
What to Do: 7. Place biscuits on cookie sheet. Bake
1. Have an adult help you preheat for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
oven to 350°F. Ask an adult to remove the biscuits to
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the a tray to cool. Then feed one or two
dry ingredients—the whole-wheat to your best friend (but only if that
flour, oats, and flaxseed. friend is a dog).
 S OUTH KOREA IS sometimes
called “The Land of the Morning
The Day the
Calm.” That morning, the mist
outside my bedroom window was so
Sea Split
thick the nearby mountains were
invisible. By afternoon the moun-
tains would look green and crisp,
but today, I would not be there to
see them.
“Hyun Mi!” Mama called from
the kitchen. “Come eat your break-
fast. We have to hurry!” I joined
my family for kimchi and soup, and
then we set off for the train station.
From the train I watched farmers
hunched over in the rice fields.
Occasionally we passed between city
skyscrapers. I knew we were headed
toward Jindo Island, although I didn’t
know why. Papa insisted that it was
a surprise. He turned to me and
asked, “Do you believe in miracles,
Hyun Mi?” I shrugged, and he just
smiled.
My little brother Min Ho didn’t
seem to care where we were going. beard was real. Just as he reached for
He made his way up the aisle, the man’s chin, Mama pulled him
stopping to ask an old man if his back. Papa and I laughed.
Voilà! 'Ere eez zome kimchi Kimchi?—the spicy Korean
for zee sweet, petite kitty. dish made with pickled fish?
Just in time for the
by Laura Boffa cat-against-mouse battle!
Art by Yoshiko Z. Jaeggi
27
 When we stepped off the train, trying to lick my face when Papa
we were wrapped in a strong, salty sea called my name.
breeze. Even though Jindo wasn’t a “Goodbye, puppy,” I said, petting
big city like ours, it was packed with his fluffy head. “I wish we had more
more people than I had ever seen, time to play.”
from all over the world. Min Ho Papa was holding up a pair of
wanted to run straight into the water, bright green boots and grinning. I
but something else caught my eye. pulled them on, the rubber squeezing
A group of big, tan Jindo dogs was my legs.
doing tricks in the sand—rolling Suddenly the crowd let out a
over, catching Frisbees, and even wave of gasps. Papa lifted me up
playing dead. Next to them was a onto his shoulders to see. I couldn’t
squirming ball of puppies. One was believe it—the sea was splitting apart!

Zoot! Mousies and kitties don't mix!

Ziss cannot end well!
Sí, Miro, that's the idea.
Bingo.

28
It looked as if someone had taken toward the island where we were
a pair of scissors and cut it in half. headed, “but they accidentally
A straight path of sand emerged, left Grandma Ppong behind. She
stretching from the beach to the prayed to the Dragon King of the
next island like a bridge. Then all Sea to help her, and he parted
the people, as if to fill the space left the ocean so that she could walk
empty by the ocean, started to walk across, like we’re doing now.”
along the path. Min Ho wasn’t even listening.
As we followed the crowd, Papa He was chewing on dried squid and
pointed to a stone statue of a held a piece under his nose like a
woman kneeling. “That’s Grandma moustache, laughing. I watched
Ppong. According to a legend, the the water fill into my muddy foot-
town of Jindo was once attacked by steps. I didn’t believe in any Drag-
tigers. The people escaped by taking on King, but just in case, I asked
a raft to Modo,” he said, nodding him to keep us safe.
No time to think! Get Pip! Squeak! Someone
Sam's cat costume down there, Sa . . . I wants to meet you.
fooled Thistle and mean, Kitty.
Miro, but will it fool
the mice?
29
 I worried that the water might coming from colorful food tents.
close back up while we were in the Traditional drummers played into
middle of the ocean, but Mama the sunset, and later, women began
assured me the path would last an to sing and dance to the full moon.
hour. When we finally reached But soon it was time to catch the
Modo, the waves were just starting ferry back to Jindo.
to lick at our rubbery green ankles. “How about a souvenir?” Mama
We breathed in the delicious smells said slyly as we crossed the windy
beach.
“You mean, a shell or a postcard?”
I asked.
“Actually,” she answered, “your
father and I thought you might like
a Jindo puppy. That is, if you can
help us take care of it.” I smiled at
the sea shining in the moonlight.
My wish had come true!
I found the Jindo puppies still
wiggling in the sand. One of them
jumped right up to meet me. “Yes,
I remember you!” I exclaimed,
laughing as he licked my face.
Papa fell asleep on the long train
ride home, and Mama was reading.
I held the warm puppy on my lap,
stroking his ears, and turned to my
brother. “Min Ho?” I whispered,
“Do you believe in miracles?”
I'm keeping this cheese cube forever !
Un momento! Wait! You don't think they' ll
and ever as a souvenir—a reminder— attack Sam?—I mean, Kitty? Ophelia, your house
of our mice pals. will be mouse free in
five, four, three . . .

30
 The Moses Miracle
Every spring, people come from all over the world to
walk the muddy path that stretches across the Yellow
Sea, connecting the South Korean islands of Jindo and
Modo. This unique phenomenon is sometimes called
“The Moses Miracle” because it appears that the sea
is miraculously parting, like it did for Moses in the
Bible. The path is actually caused by an extremely
low tide that reveals a natural sandbar between the
two islands. The sandbar is nearly 2 miles long and
130 feet wide, but it lasts for only an hour before
vanishing back beneath the tide—just enough time to
travel across.

She's mouse free

and house free now!
31
 Outer Space

Sofia Ogulluk, age 7 Havah J., age 10 Arianna Isabella Buendia, age 9
Manhasset, New York Fort Worth, Texas Brooklyn, New York
The Anything Alien, Sienna Schenck, age 6 Insectonauts
Planet Mixaroo Ogden, Utah

Charlie Tabish, age 7 Lila Naporano, age 7 Olivia Naporano, age 9

Fremont, California New York, New York New York, New York
Space Mouse Amelia C., age 8
Cupertino, California

Dear Spider and Friends, Dear Gang,

I love your magazines! My grandma sends I had a great summer. I like all the
y put
me them. Do you like dogs? Will you p Pipp “Doodlebug and Dandelion” stories. I also
in your magazine? like “Dragon for Hire” in the April 2016 mag.
Chloe Baker, age 9 This is Buttercup. Can Thistle adopt her?
Carlsbad, California Natalie
N Collen,
li C ll age 8
Omaha, Nebraska
Dear Chloe,
We like friendly dogs like Pip! Arf, arf!
Spider

Dear Everybuggy, Dear Spider,

In the October 2016 issue Ophelia was I’m wild about your magazine: “Doodlebug
reading a story called The Odyssey. There and Dandelion.” I love the jokes, too, and the
are more stories about Odysseus. If you want poems are awesome!
to read them, my cats Li’l Alice Kitty-Cat and My dog, Buckshot, died.
Paprika are bringing a book of his adventures. Pamela Smith, age 9
They are retired Shakespearean actors. We Tuscaloosa, Alabama
can’t keep them—they cause too much
trouble. Li’l Alice and Paprika are bringing Dear Pamela,
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare We’re so sorry to hear about Buckshot.
with their luggage. Please adoptpt them
them. It’s very sad when a beloved pet dies. As time
Thistle, you are so cute! goes on, you’ll remember the good times you
H
Hazel, age 9 had together and smile about them.
L
Louisville, Kentucky Love,
Ophelia

32
 Con
Isabell Viles, age 8
Birmingham, Alabama Her Wri est
Splashen Clara Fein-Vargo, age 7
1. e are t
You he o
te a
a pe story R
t yo abou ule
New York, New York gua r entry nly ru
and rdian, must es:
l uw
ish t your
yo pe
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2. u h t or
Be /or on author be sig ad.
sur l i i z n e
a n e to ne an ing i d by
3. d t
You addre includ d sayi s publ a pare
r en ss. e yo ng it icat nt o
We try ur c ’s yo ion i r leg
issu will p must a om n
plet ur own print l
a
Em e of ublis rriv e i d
a Spi h ou e b n ame ea.
sen il you der
. r fa y Mar , ag
d it r en vor ch e,
to S try ites 25,
pid o sp t in t 201
Gretchen H., age 8 er’s he J 7
Hood River, Oregon Cor ider@ uly/ .
ner cric Aug
, P. ust
Constellations 1. The Big Flower, O. B ketm 201
2. The Kissing Fish, 3. The Big Spoon ox 3 edia 7
00, .com
Per ,
u, I or
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135
4.
Dear Everybuggy, Dear Spider,
I like your magazine. It is the best In your next magazine can you make a Dear Spider and Company,
magazine ever. I really enjoy your comics. pumpkin patch and put in all the pets kids want I love your magazine! My favorite part
Has Miro come up with any new recipes you to adopt? Can you put my dog Luna, too? is “Ophelia’s Last Word.” I like to play
lately? Daniela E. Rodríguez, age 9 piano and volleyball. Can you have this
I hope you will adopt my pet from San Juan, Puerto Rico kitty in your next magazine? Pretty please
China. His name is Po-Po. He likes to sit with a cherry on top? His name is Harold.
next to me when we read Spider magazine Elizabeth De Vault, age 10
and he doesn’t eat bugs! He sleeps for Alexandria, Indiana
iders.
three hours a day and he loves spiders
He’s really fun to dance with. Dear Bill,
Teddy Pruszinski, age 9 Would you please adopt my imaginary
Princeton, New Jersey animal friend Nigel, a hamster that
hat looks like a
guinea pig? He is two months old.
Dear Teddy, Spider, I love your magazines!
Miro is working on a special green pea Asher Ben Deri, age 8
soup for St. Patrick’s Day! Agoura Hills, Californnia
Bon appétit,
Ophelia Dear Spider,
I really like “Doodlebug and Dandelion.” I Send your letters to
Dear Thistle, liked
li the time machine (April 2016). I read the Spider’s Mailbox
Please adopt this cat. Her name is LLola. magazine
m two days in a row. I drew a picture of P.O. Box 300
She really likes apples and popcornn. Dandelion in the cave. Take good care of the PPeru, IL 61354
I really like your magazine!e! owwl, Spruce. It is just learning tto fly. Please
P write your complete name, age, and
Nina B., age 9 Ellie Tudor, age 7 address
a on your letter! You can also send
Canton, Ohio Brattleboro, Vermontt us
u mail at [email protected].

33
 ,S
I A
P H E L WORD
O T
LAS DRAGONS THEMSELVES COULDN’T create colorful
magic as beautiful as this simple science experiment does!
vegetable oil
What You’ll Need:

tap water
red, blue, and
large clear tablespoon green food coloring
glass bowl

What To Do:
measuring cup
1. Fill bowl with water.
2. Pour 1 tablespoon vegetable oil into cup.

3. Add 4 drops of each food coloring color.

fork
4. Use fork to beat oil and food coloring
mixture until mixed well.

5. Pour oil and food coloring mixture into

water bowl. Watch the surface and side
of the bowl for 5 to 10 minutes.

e,
Lov lia
e
34 Oph
 Buggy Bulletin
Solution to Answer to
MAGICAL MISCHIEF
Rhyme Time
Riddlers
Why are we called
Mind-Buggggler BLUE SHOE
stinkbugs? When
MOUSE HOU
SE you scare us or
WET PET
squish us, we spray
FAT CAT a very nasty smell.
STUCK TRU
CK
FUNNY BUN
N
LOUD CLOU
D
SORE DOOR

Q: Why do dragons sleep

during the day?
A: So they can fight knights!

DO ANIMALS DREAM?

Art © 2015 by Jean Kim, photo: Bakhtiozin Alexey/Shutterstock.com

Get answers (and the best questions) in ®

M A G A Z I N E for ages 6-9

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 THE
What kind of dog
grows inside
peaches and Purr-
cherries? Cat and Do
Make your very ow
cut out the pages
lines. Fold along t
A dogerpillar. the center. Put th
12 9 according to their
grownup to staple
pages together.
8

art © 2017 by Susan Batori

W
caterpillar
scared of ?

hat is a

Which side
of a cat
is hairiest?
A pit bull.
13

16
 Purr-fect
Cat and Dog
Jokes
-fect
og Jokes This book belongs to

wn joke book! Just

along the black
the dotted lines in
e pages in order Art by
Susan Batori
r numbers. Ask a 20
art © 2017 by Susan Batori
1

e or tie the
4

W
a fish and a kitty?
when you cross
hat do you get

The outside.

A purr-anha.
17

5
 2
He was a cheetah.

the cat
Why did
My cat can jump fail math?
six feet in the air.
So why can’t it jump
through a four-foot
high window?

18 3

6
The window is closed.

19

football?
is best at
What dog
 What kind
of cat floats?

A bobcat!
10 11

7
A golden receiver.

When you step

in a poodle!
H ow do you know
cats and dogs?
it’s raining

14

15
 It looks like this pup
needs help! Are you good
at mazes? Start at
the center!

March 2017 Volume 24 Number 3 cricketmedia.com $4.95

art © 2017 by Jane Dippold

Art by Jane Dippold Solution on page 35