Spider october 2021

text and art © 2021 by Ed Shems


October 2021

Front Cover by Daniel Miyares

Volume 28 Number 8

2 What’s Scary? by Ed Shems
4 Doodlebug & Dandelion by Pamela Dell
9 A Slice of Night by Julie Anna Douglas
10 The Monster in the Cafeteria by Tina Connolly
12 Monster Zoo by Jennifer Ironside
14 Nocturnal Nibbles by Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan
17 Hodja and the Hungry Coat
by Gale Sypher Jacob
21 Bug Adventure by Michael Chesworth
22 Cavemanners by Neal Levin
24 Animal Manners by Teresa Bateman
30 Werewolf Charm School by Ben Eggertsen
32 Spider’s Corner and Spider’s Mailbox
34 Ophelia’s Last Word:
Hidden Hungry Monsters

James M. O’Connor, Director of Editorial
Stacey Lane Smith, Editor
Emily Cambias, Assistant Editor
Julie Peterson, Copyeditor
Suzanne Beck, Senior Art Director

Shavan Spears, Designer
Michael Chesworth, Artist, SPIDER bugs
Adrienne Matzen, Permissions Specialist
Grateful acknowledgment is given to the following publishers and copyright
owners for permission to reprint selections from their publications. All possible care
has been taken to trace ownership and secure permission for each selection: Cover
art © 2012 by Daniel Miyares; “The Monster in the Cafeteria” text © 2012 by Tina
Connolly, art © 2012 by S. Y. Lee; “Monster Zoo” art © 2010 by Omar Rayyan;
“Hodja and the Hungry Coat” text © 2007 by Gale Sypher Jacob, art © 2007 by
Kevin Hawkes; “Fright Frame” art © 2005 by John Gurney; “Creepy Campout” art
© 2003 by Vicki Bradley.
Photo acknowledgments: 10-11 (BG) David Zydd/Shutterstock.com, Attitude/
Shutterstock.com; 11 (LT) NotionPic/Shutterstock.com; 17 (LT), 18-21 (TC), 21
(CC) irmairma/Shutterstock.com; 22 (LT) Cyril Hou/Shutterstock.com; 24-29
(spots) NyeeGingerCat/Shutterstock.com; 24-29 (BG) 719production/Shutterstock.
com; 24 (TC) Elen Bushe/Shutterstock.com; 24 (CC) Bukhta Yurii/Shutterstock.
com; 24 (inset) AaronAmat/iStock; 25 (TC) Seth LaGrange/Shutterstock.com; 25
(RT) nodrama_llama/Shutterstock.com; 26 (LT) Jason Benz Bennee/Shutterstock.
com; 26 (inset) nattul/Shutterstock.com; 26 (LB) Sebastian Janicki/Shutterstock.
com; 27 (RT) Mclein/Shutterstock.com; 27 (inset) ZouZou/Shutterstock.com; 27
(RB) Stephen Dalton/Minden Pictures; 28 (LT) giggug/Shutterstock.com; 28 (inset)
Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock.com; 28 (LB) Stephaniellen/Shutterstock.com; 29
(spots) maglyvi/Shutterstock.com; 29 (RC) Jen Watson/Shutterstock.com; 35 (BG)
Kostenko Maxim/Shutterstock.com; 35 (CC) Texturis/Shutterstock.com; 35 (border)
ZenStockers/Shutterstock.com; 35 (spot) Gluiki/Shutterstock.com; 35 (CC) Andrey
Korshenkov/Shutterstock.com; 40 (spots) Kadasty/Shutterstock.com, hugolacasse/
Shutterstock.com, AlexanderTrou/Shutterstock.com.
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35 Buggy Bulletin
The Fun Zone: Fright Frame
by John Gurney

1st printing Quad Sussex, Wisconsin September 2021

Mind-Buggler: Creepy Campout
by Vicki Bradley

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Ay! That's a pretty
scary movie.

!

Let's watch The Curse
of the Stinky Beast.

Sounds way, way
too scary!

Educational Press
Association of America
Golden Lamp Award
Distinguished Achievement Award

International Reading
Association
Paul A. Witty
Short Story Award 2008

Doodlebug & Dandelion
Un
by Pamela Dell

Art by Dom Mansell

“A WHOLE HOUSE built of logs!” exclaimed Doodlebug
Pinkley. “Wow, Beepdee, this is awesome!”
His sister Dandelion had to agree. Beepdee Minx, a
friend of hers from school, had invited Dandelion, Doodlebug,
and their friend Sherwin Winsher to spend the night at
her family’s lakeside log cabin in the woods. It was the
perfect place for a late October sleepover.
For dinner, they’d eaten fresh bread and huge bowls
of chunky soup that Beepdee’s parents made. Afterward,
the parents trailed off to the den while the kids roasted
heaps of marshmallows in the stone fireplace. Doodlebug
had gobbled down two bowls of soup, then eaten six toasty
marshmallows. Finally, the fire died down.
OK. How about Attack of
Yikers! Giant chickens
the 50-Foot Chickens?
would give me nightmares.
Keep looking, Spider.
No way! The one thing
There must be something
I'm afraid of is big birds!
we all can watch tonight.

4

“Time to watch the moonrise out
on the deck!” Beepdee announced.
Doodlebug was drowsy and comfy
inside the cabin. He mostly just
wanted to crash. His eyelids drooped
as everybody else filed outside,
leaving him. Then his sister said
something that woke him up.
“Will we hear wolves howling?”
Dandelion asked Beepdee.
“Oh, for sure!” Beepdee replied.
“We might even see some.”
“What about werewolves?”
Doodlebug heard Sherwin say.

Ta-da! The movie screen
is all set up and ready.

That did it. Doodlebug was up
and out in seconds. He found the
rest of them stretched out on padded
lounge chairs. They barely even
noticed as he joined them.
The night was unusually warm.
Trees full of hoot owls surrounded
the cabin. Pretty soon, the giant
shimmery ball of moon rose up from
the watery horizon. With it, the

wolves began to sing. One wolf
let out a long, spooky howl. Then
another. And another. Before long,
a whole wolf chorus was baying at
the moon.

And mi abuelo's projector
is working again.

Oo la la! Eet eez zo
shimmery ² shining with
soft, wiggly light.

Now we just need
to decide what
movie to project.

5


“That’s a little scary,” Dandelion
admitted.
“They never come close,” Beepdee
assured her. “But we could go inside.”
“No way!” Sherwin said. “I’m
staying out here till I see a werewolf!”
Beepdee and Dandelion giggled.
But hearing those words, something
strange began happening to Doodlebug. All at once, the blood ran
burning hot through his veins. The

bones in his arms and legs seemed
to stretch and grow stronger. He had a
sudden mad desire to escape the deck.
Without anyone even noticing, he
slipped away into the woods.
In the darkness, Doodlebug’s
whole face felt weird and new, like
he’d grown a long snout and razorsharp teeth. He got down on all
fours and turned his head. Fur had
sprouted all over his body. His eyes
grew so keen he could see everything that moved in the dark. He
growled. It was a fantastic sound!
A wolf pack was watching him
warily from among the trees. He
Hmm . . . Too scary. Too boring. Too grown-up . . .

let out the fiercest howl he had
ever made. It went on and on, long
and frightening. The other wolves
vanished.
With his super-sharp hearing,
the were-Doodle heard a human
say, “That sounds like a werewolf!”

Hey! Here's a good one:
The Thing That Flies at Night.
Sounds scary.

6

And it also has a
bird in it, right, Bill?


The were-Doodle snarled. He
was a werewolf. So he needed to eat
humans! His eyesight, his hearing,
and his sense of smell were intensely
alive. He could smell those humans.
They would make an excellent dinner.
He stole through the trees, careful

not to get too close. He needed to
make a surprise attack. He circled the
cabin and closed in. Just as he was
about to lunge for his innocent
victims, he was stopped in his tracks.
The were-Doodle growled. Then
he let out a long, painful groan.
He wanted to eat humans!
But he could not. His stomach
was so full—so full of soup and bread
and marshmallows—that the idea
of eating one more bite of anything
made him SICK.
Deeply disappointed, the wereDoodle slunk away and was gone in
the night.
m7m
In his lounge chair, Doodlebug
groaned like an overfed wolf. All

the others turned to him, looking
a little surprised.
“Where’d you come from,
Doodlebug?” Dandelion asked.
Doodlebug shrugged, slightly
confused. Something tickled his ear.
He reached up and found a fluff of
fur stuck to his head. He pulled it

Now, Bill, when we first tried watching it, I recall you
slunk away ² sneaked off because of fear or shame.
Aww, I'm not afraid.
I'd watch that again.

Et moi aussi!
I sneaked off,
too!

That movie sounds
super scary!

7


off and threw it into the night breeze.
It drifted away.
The moon was high now, golden
and perfectly full. Doodlebug relaxed
into his lounger, gazing up at the
moon and feeling content.

“We heard a werewolf!” Sherwin
trilled.
Doodlebug wasn’t interested.
“Popcorn?” Beepdee held out a
half-full bowl.

“Ugh!” Doodlebug scrunched up
his face.
A wolf howled in the distance.
The sound stirred something in
Doodlebug’s bones, but he didn’t
know why. It was a sound that dug
deep, reminding him of something
. . . something. He searched to
remember what it was, but on that
peaceful, moonstruck night, not a
single answer came.

What if you snuggle with me, Thistle, in the
loun er ² comfy chair that can lean back?
Well, maybe if I cover my
eyes‰but you' ll have to
cover my ears.

8

Let's keep looking.


A Slice

of Night

Serve me up a slice of night
upon a midnight dish.
A mesmerising, dark dessert.
A rich, delicious wish.
Bathed in moonlight,
dusted in dusk.
Star soaked, dense and deep.
Serve me up a slice of night
as I drift off to sleep.

by Julie Anna Douglas
Art by Caitlin Craig
text © 2021 by Julie Anna Douglas, art © 2021 by Caitlin Craig

9


The Monster in
HATE 11:29.
That’s when breakfast has worn off.
My belly is empty like an ice-cream cone when
the ice cream is licked out—a dry, sugary shell
with spitty smears. It growls loud and fierce, as
though a Hungry Monster just snuck into our
school.
Everyone goes quiet at my enormous,
embarrassing stomach sounds. My best friend
Joey laughs, but it’s not my fault.

Hungry Monster is loose, and Joey will
be sorry!
Hungry Monster is humongous.
He is starving, starvering, starvatious! He
doesn’t wait his turn in line.
He thumps down the hall to the cafeteria,
flinging tough fifth graders against the walls.
He knocks the music teacher through a bass
drum like it’s tissue paper.
Hungry Monster will snarf the pizza, devour
the applesauce, and slurp the chocolate milk.
He piles his lunch tray high.
As he storms the cash register, his belly roars
mightily. He bellows, “Bring me some children!”
The cook stutters, “Yuh-yuh-yes, sir. You
may have . . . him!” She points at Joey.
Voila! Here is my special buttery,
c
vie popc

10

Bill! Don't snarf ² quickly eat ² it all
up! We haven't picked the movie yet.
'!

by Tina Connolly
Art by S. Y. Lee

the

afeteria

Now who’s sorry he laughed?
Hungry Monster growls with greedy delight. He
stacks the blubbering boy on his lunch tray, right in
the applesauce, and gives the cook his lunch card.
The cook stammers, “Suh-suh-sorry, sir, but
children are an extra 45 cents.”
Hungry Monster doesn’t have 45 cents. He
spent it last week on bubblegum, the pink kind
that makes bubbles bigger than your head—and
sometimes stops embarrassing belly rumbles if
you chew it in class, sneaky slow.
So Hungry Monster flicks the Joey kid off
his tray. His thundering tummy can wait no
longer. He stomps to the nearest table with
his plain, ordinary lunch.
He chomps his pizza, slurps his applesauce,
downs his chocolate milk, and burps blissfully.
I like 11:45, when I have vanquished Hungry
Monster.
I am brave. I am full. I am glad Hungry Monster
did not eat Joey.
Joey splits a cupcake in half (a gigantic
chocolate one with sprinkles) and hands half
to me.
“Thank you,” I say.
Joey roars, “You’re welcome.”

We could watch
The Last Giant.

True! I always start
blubberin ² loudly crying.

That movie's not scary!
But it's

11


Monster Zoo
by Jennifer Ironside
Art by Omar Rayyan

At the monster zoo
The centaur romps,
The werewolf chomps,
And the sphinx tells a riddle or two.

At the monster zoo
The Bigfoot stomps,
The dragon womps,
And the imp makes a hullabaloo.

12


At the monster zoo

The kraken sleeps,
The zombie creeps,
And a black cat is following you.

13


Nocturnal Nibbles
Dinner after Dusk

WHEN NIGHT FALLS and the stars come out, nocturnal animals start
looking for snacks. If you have a craving in the evening, try some of these
nighttime nibbles.

Oaty Apple Owl
What You’ll Need:

oatmeal cookie
rice cake
apple
2 chocolate chips
piece of cheese

plate
knife (for adult
use only)
spoon

What to Do:

1. Set the cookie above the rice cake on
the plate.
2. Ask an adult to slice the apple into half
circles for the wings. Place the wings on
the edges of the rice cake.
3. Ask an adult to cut two more thin apple
slices. Use the edge of the spoon to carve
out circles for eyes. Place the eyes on the
cookie.
4. Place chocolate chips on the apple circles.
5. Tear off a corner of the cheese for the
triangle-shaped beak. Place the beak on
the cookie.
Whoooo wants a snack?

14

by Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan
Art by Sarah Lowe
text © 2021 by Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan, art © 2021 by Sarah Lowe


Pretzel Stick
Porcupine
What You’ll Need:
slice of bread
pretzel sticks
peanut butter,
soy butter, or
chocolate spread

chocolate chip
cup
plate
butter knife

What to Do:

1. Press a cup on the slice of bread to cut out
a circle. Place the bread circle on the plate.
2. Tear off a triangle corner of the leftover
bread for the face. Place the triangle face
next to the circle.
3. Spread the peanut butter, soy butter, or
chocolate spread on the bread, including
the triangle face.
4. Dip one end of each pretzel stick in the
remaining butter or spread. Attach each
stick to the body of the porcupine, starting
at the back and moving forward.
5. Add the chocolate chip eye.
This is one sharp snack!

15


Banana Fruit Bat
What You’ll Need:
banana
fruit leather
2 almonds or raisins

3 chocolate chips
2 pretzel sticks
plate
butter knife

What to Do:
1. Cut or tear the fruit leather diagonally.
Place one triangle on the plate with the
corner pointing down.
2. Peel the banana. With an adult’s help,
cut the banana in half midway, then
again lengthwise. Lay the flat side of
one piece on the fruit leather. The
narrow end of the banana should be
above the flat edge of the fruit leather.
3. Stick the almonds or raisins in the
narrow end of the banana for ears.
4. Add the chocolate chips for the eyes
and mouth.
5. Stick the pretzel sticks into the cut end
of the banana for legs.
If you make this bat during the day, fold its
wings and eat it upside down!

What about this?
The Emir's Very Bad Day.
I'm about done laborin ²
working hard ² to find a
movie we all can watch.

16

How does a mirror
have a bad day?

It's Emir, silly bear. An Emir
is a ruler or commander.


A Turkish Tale
W HEN HODJA ARRIVED home
late one fall afternoon, dirt clung to
his patched trousers, his faded shirt,
and his tattered felt cap. He’d been
laboring in the vineyards since sunrise.
“Hurry! Change your clothes and
bathe,” said his wife, Fatima. “You’ll
be late for the grand banquet at the
Emir’s!”
“I can’t be late,” declared Hodja,
washing his hands and splashing
water on his face. “I’ll have to go
in these clothes.”
Fatima frowned and brushed
dirt from his trousers. Then Hodja
climbed on Zeki, his little donkey,
and waved goodbye.

Oui! And he finds a
genie in a bottle . . .

R t ld by
Retold
b Gale
G l Sypher
S h Jacob
J b
Art by Kevin Hawkes

Who grants him wishes²
that all go wrong in super
wacky ways.
Super wacky sounds
good to me!

17


As he approached the Emir’s
mansion, Hodja admired the candles
gleaming in the many windows.
Music and bits of conversations drifted
through the crisp air. Heavy footsteps
and laughter echoed in the courtyard
as the men arrived for the banquet.
Hodja tethered Zeki and joined the
well-dressed crowd inside.
Servants circled the reception
room carrying trays of sweetmeats
and cups of tea. Hodja greeted other

guests, but not one spoke to him in
return. People turned their backs or
swept past, barely glancing his way.
Soon the Emir announced that
the banquet was ready. Groups of
chattering guests pressed through the
doorway and sat at low tables where
soup was waiting for them. Hodja, not
wanting to be jostled in the crowd,
stood waiting in a dark corner of the
candlelit room.
The Emir glanced briefly in Hodja’s
direction and clapped his hands to call
The dark-eyed servant grabbed
a servant. “Who admitted that dirty
Hodja’s arm and pulled him outside.
laborer in patched trousers?” the Emir
“I’m going. I’m going,” said
whispered to the man. “Get rid of him.”
Here, leetle Thistle.
Try my sweetmeats.

18

Meats that are sweets?
YUCK!

Sweetmeats are candy or fruit
coated with sugar, not meat at all.

Dulces deliciosos.


Hodja. “But you may see me again.”
He climbed on Zeki and plodded
home.
OK, Movie Genie, I wish
to roll the film!

Yes, effendi.

“What happened?” asked Fatima.
When he told her, she cried, “Oh,
my poor dear!”
“Don’t worry,” Hodja said. “I have
a plan. Bring me basins of hot water
and soap, my new shoes, and my best
shirt, trousers, turban, and coat.”
He soaped and scrubbed himself,
then donned his festive clothes, a perfectly wound turban, and his fine coat.
Fatima kissed him. “Is that still
you, Hodja?”
“Yes, indeed,” he replied. “And
now I will return to the banquet.”
As before, he tethered Zeki in
the courtyard. Then he walked
toward the house. In the doorway
stood the dark-eyed servant who
had thrown Hodja out.
The servant bowed. “Welcome.

It is a pleasure to see you, effendi.
Allow me to escort you.”
Hodja smiled and followed the
servant into the banquet room.
Heads turned as he was led toward
the Emir. Guests whispered.
“Come, Hodja Effendi,” called the
Emir, “sit here beside me in the place
What's Sam
offended about?

Effendi is a title
of respect, like sir.

19


of honor. The soup is finished, but
there will be other courses for your
pleasure.”
p
“Thank you,” Hodja replied as he
sat on a cushion at the low table.
Soon trays of lamb shish kebab,
rice pilaf, vegetables, cheeses, and
breads were passed. Hodja filled
his plate. Then he picked up several pieces of lamb and a handful
of rice and tucked the food into
his left coat pocket.

“Eat, coat, eat!” commanded
Hodja.
He picked up a fistful of vegetables, a slice of bread, and a wedge
of cheese. He stuffed them into his
right coat pocket.
“Eat, coat, eat!” commanded
Hodja.
All the guests stared at him.
“Tell me, Hodja Ef fendi,” said
the Emir, “why are you feeding your
coat?”

Hmm, but how does
Does anybuggy remember
that go wacky?
the Emir's first wish?
He wishes he can fly.

20

Zee genie turns him into . . .


“When I came to your banquet
wearing my work clothes, you threw
me out,” declared Hodja. “Now I’m
wearing my fine coat, and you welcome
me. It must be the coat, then, that you
invited to your banquet, not me.”
The Emir’s face flushed with

shame. Other guests lowered their
eyes and stared at their laps.
“Ah, here comes dessert!” cried
Hodja. “Before I leave, my coat would
love to savor pieces of sweet baklava
and perhaps a cup of rich coffee.”

21


Cavemanners

A caveman’s behavior is commonly crude,
But follow these steps and you won’t be so rude:
by Neal Levin
Art by Rupert van Wyk

22

Don’t drag your sister around by the hair.

Don’t go outside of the cave when you’re bare.

Remember to bathe when you’re down
at the creek,

And please change your loin cloth
at least once a week.

If you can’tt grumble

bl nicely,
i l
then don’t bother blathering.

Don’t chase the grownups while
hunting and gathering.


Pick upp yyour slingshots,
g
, yyour arrows and bows.

Don’t eat the boogers that grow in your nose.

When eating raw meat, wipe the blood off your chin,
But don’t use the sleeve of your animal skin.

At dinnertime keep conversation succinct.

Don’t leave ’til you ask if you may be extinct.

Please follow these tips with intent and resolve.
You have to mature if you want to evolve.

23


GROWNUPS ARE ALWAYS telling kids how to behave. Animals
have it easier. They get away with all kinds of things the adults in your
life would never allow. Like . . .

Eating Dirt
Are you allowed to eat dirt? Of course not. But worms do it all the time—
sort of. They eat things found in dirt like dead plants, algae, fungi, and
bacteria. Yum! Worms near the surface will eat almost anything. Think
of all the disgusting stuff that ends up on the ground. They leave behind
poop called castings that helps plants grow and adds nutrients to the
soil. Hey, they don’t have to clean up after themselves either!
Pickles! Poor Bill lost it
over that bird.

24

But where eez Bill?

by Teresa Bateman
text © 2021 by Teresa Bateman


Swallowing Things Whole
Have you been told to take small bites and chew carefully? Snakes don’t
worry about that. Feel where your jaws meet under your ears. Your jaws
are connected, right? Well, snakes’ jaws are not connected with bone.
They have ligaments, stretchy bands of tissue, that allow them to open
their mouths WIDE. It’s called gaping. Sorry. You can’t do it. Snakes
aren’t really built for chewing, either. Instead, they swallow their food
whole. Then strong stomach acids break it down. The anaconda, one of
the largest snakes in the world, has been known to squeeze, then swallow,
all kinds of big animals—even deer. The meal can take weeks to digest. So
if a large snake wants to give you a hug, be polite, and say, “No thank you.”

Probably on the other side
of the meadow by now.

OK, gang! Here's something
we can watch.

A documentary from Australia?

25