7Simsima, Queen of Spiders

In a quiet town lived little Simsima, known for her vivid imagination and her habit of blowing things out of proportion. One sunny day, playing in the yard, she saw a tiny, harmless spider walking across the picnic blanket.

Her eyes widened in terror, and she let out a scream the whole neighbourhood heard. Her mother rushed out asking, “What happened?” Trembling, she cried, “A spider! A huge spider, Mama! I’m never going near that blanket again!” Her mother tried to calm her, but she insisted the spider was a monster about to pounce.

“Sometimes exaggeration creates fear for no reason.”

When her friends came over that evening, she told them about her terrifying adventure as if she had escaped death, and warned them to stay away from the blanket. The news spread through the town like wildfire: “A giant spider at Simsima’s house!” Parents warned their children, some called a pest-control company, and phones passed around enlarged photos and frightening tales.

Finally, an entomologist from the nearby university came to inspect the “monster”. He searched a little, then gently lifted the spider between two fingers; it was smaller than a coin! He laughed and said, “An innocent garden spider. It wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

The townspeople laughed at themselves, and Simsima learned that exaggeration can create needless fear and chaos. From then on her nickname was “Queen of Spiders”, which she wore with good humour and humility. And the whole town learned to think carefully before making small things big.