Casting a Web

Charlotte and her gang of barn animal friends found their way into my heart long ago. Everyone needs a friend like Charlotte, despite her arachnoid pedigree.

As a child, I read the dialogue between Charlotte and her pal Wilbur in a very matter of fact kind of way. But as I aged, I saw how deftly E. B. White wove into into his children's classics more nuanced life lessons. Without even realizing it, he had lured me into his own literary web. 

And I didn't mind one little bit......

“You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway? We're born, we live a little while, we die. A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that.” 
― E. B. White, Charlotte's Web