A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
Miss Fly repeatedly refuses Mr. Spider’s requests to marry her. When he approaches again, she shuts her house and prepares boiling water, which she throws at him when he asks to enter. He vows that he and his descendants will never leave her in peace. The narrator uses this quarrel to explain continuing spider–fly hostility. The characters are speaking, house-dwelling animals of the fable; the promised marriage never occurs, and the story specifies neither a spider species nor an origin for webs or venom.
Origins & earliest records
Philippines; Visayan account as grouped by Cole
Records & interpretation
Complete relevant story, collection preface, regional introduction and attached notes directly read.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Philippine Folk Tales
Visayan, The Spider and the Fly, p. 214
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Mabel Cook Cole, Philippine Folk Tales (Chicago: A. C. McClurg, 1916)
Visayan section. Visayan, The Spider and the Fly, p. 214
Complete tale and attached notes read. Exact source-specific identities, narrative ending and limits retained. Earlier recordings credited by Cole have not been independently inspected for this entry.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical collected narrative and editorial notesCole, Philippine Folk Tales (1916), Visayan, The Spider and the Fly, p. 214Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.