$4.

95
January 2015

the magazine for children

from the publisher of ®

and
cricketmag.com

SDR1501_00C1_Cover.indd 1 11/24/14 1:23 PM

 January 2015
Volume 22 Number 1 front cover by
Donald Wu
art © 2014 by Donald Wu
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.
“Partner Painting” – art © 2008 by Michele Noiset
“Sergei’s Musical Stories” – text © 2000 by Judy Camplin
3 Spider’s Mailbox
“Happy New Year!” – art © 1997 by Lynne Avril
Additional art for “Dragon Finger Puppets” Page 38 (bottom left) by John Sandford © 4 Doodlebug & Dandelion by Pamela Dell
2014 by Cricket Media
Photo acknowledgements: Page 15 (background), Pages 22-25 (background) Shutterstock; 9 Dragon Games by Carrie Clickard
Page 22 Bettmann/CORBIS; Page 24 RIA Novosti/Alamy; Page 25 ITAR-TASS Photo
Agency /Alamy
“Buggy Bulletin” background is courtesy Shutterstock.
10 Partners in Art by Priya Ann Mathew
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, by Cricket
15 Partner Painting
Media, 70 East Lake Street, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60601. Periodicals postage paid at
Peterborough, NH, and at additional mailing offices. One-year subscription (9 issues) 16 Eudora Entwhistle and the Geese of
$33.95. Canadian subscribers must add $15.00 per year and prepay in U.S. dollars.
GST Registration Number 128950334. For address changes, back issues, subscriptions,
customer service, or to renew please visit cricketmag.com, email customerservice@
Macadoodle-by-the-Sea by Alicia Potter
cricketmedia.com, write to SPIDER, P.O. Box 807, Peterborough, NH 03458-0807, or call
1-800-821-0115. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to SPIDER, P.O. Box 807, 21 Bug Adventure
Peterborough, NH 03458-0807.
Margaret Mincks, Editor; Suzanne Beck, Senior Art Director; Anna Lender, Designer; Kate
Meyer, Digital Designer; Gabi Vega, Animator; Michael Chesworth, Artist, SPIDER bugs.
22 Sergei’s Musical Stories by Judy Camplin
January 2015, Volume 22, Number 1 © 2014, Cricket Media. All rights reserved, including
right of reproduction in whole or in part, in any form. Submit manuscripts online at cricketmag. 26 Nonsense Symphony by April Lesher
submittable.com. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other material. All letters and
contest entries are assumed for publication and become the property of Cricket Media. For
information regarding our privacy policy and compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy
27 Mae and the Dragon by Jacqueline West
Protection Act, please visit our website at cricketmag.com or write us at CMG/COPPA,
70 East Lake Street, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60601. 33 Spider’s Corner
Printed in the United States of America.
1st printing Quad/Graphics Midland, Michigan 34 Ophelia’s Last Word
December 2014 35 Buggy Bulletin
From time to time, SPIDER mails to its subscribers advertisements for other SPIDER
products or makes its subscriber list available to other reputable companies for their
offering of products and services. If you prefer not to receive such mail, write to us at the
Peterborough, NH address. The Fun Zone:
International Reading Association
Dragon Finger Puppets by Anna Eidelman
Mind-Buggler:
Paul A. Witty
Short Story Award 2008

Happy New Year! by Lynne Avril

Educational Press
Association of America
Golden Lamp Award
Distinguished Achievement Award
Spider and the Gang
by Michael Chesworth

Send your letters to

Spider’s Mailbox
P.O. Box 300,
Peru, IL 61354.
Please write your complete name, age, and address
on your letter! You can also send us mail at
spidermagkids.com/mailbox.

re
me to new?
s it ti g.com/rene
I tma w
r icke 00-821-0115
c 1-8

SDR1501_02_IFC.indd 2 11/24/14 1:35 PM

 Dear Spider,
I know a great subject
for your magazine.
You could make a tim
e machine and visit the
time when all of you
came to the magazine
Dear Spider, and see if you could
change something in
I really enjoy your magazines. I love to past and something dif the
ferent will happen in
just sit on the couch and start reading them. today’s time. Also, yo
u could get blinged ou
I always get so excited when I get a new one. of the magazine again t
.
Dear Spider, Could you please adopt this caterpillar? Here’s a picture of yo
u in Paris with the
I loved the Buggy Joke Book His name is Inchy. Eiffel Tower.
(January 2014). I told the jokes at a Juliet Saul Audrey Kelley-Henroid
talent show, and everyone cracked Dover, New Hampshire , age 8
Portland, Oregon
up! I love your magazine.
Tatum Flaming, age 8 Hi, Everybuggy,
Fort Worth, Texas I love your magazine! I love
to read and Dear Everybuggy,
draw and I play the violin. Do
you play Will you adopt Amaura?
an instrument, Spider? Ophel
ia, you look She is a dinosaur. She can
like you would be a good vio
lin player. Do cool you down on a hot day!
you play? Miro, I was wonde
ring if you eat Her older sister’s name is
escargot. Bon appétit! Thistle
, have you ever Aurorus. Aurorus is totally
ridden a bike? I love riding my
bike. different from Amaura. Can you let
Leela L., age 10 them join the crew? I can’t wait until
Sp id er , Atla nta , Geo rgia the next issue!
Dear
us comics. Can via spidermagkids.com
I love your hilario Amanda Bruno, age 8
bbit? Her name is Dear Leela,
you adopt this ra Sh e Lodi, California
es to jump.
Snowflake. She lik ed he r I do play violin, and Spider
pla ys a P.S. Ophelia, I’ve seen
e. Please fe
also likes to danc ke al so ha s
very loud and crazy drum set
. Thistle likes you at my school before.
ow fla
lots of carrots. Sn l!
bicycling, too, and Miro say
s,“Escargot, oui!”
ca re fu
snow powers. Be Love,
e8
Sidney Taylor, ag Ophelia ider,
a Dear Sam and Sp
Hong Kong, Chin oodleb ug and Dandelion”
Your “D
e best! Every
Dear Spider
, is sue, stories are just th
Janu ar y 2 0 1 3 azine I flip to the
I loved your sn o wman time I get the mag
battles th e g ia n t “Doodlebug and
when Spider page that has the
Keep up the
and then free
zes. Dandelion” story.
age 6
Franklin B., ticut good work!
o n n ec
Simsbu ry , C
he Meera P., age 9
au se ornia
n ’t ca ll M iro a bu g , b ec Menlo Park, Calif
P.S. D o .com
om. via spidermagkids
is a mushro

Ready to rock and roll, Sam?

Right after I take
out this garbage!

SDR1501_02_IFC.indd 3 11/24/14 1:35 PM

 Doodlebug & Dandelion
Don’traki the Dragon
by Pamela Dell Art by Dom Mansell

“WHERE’S DON’T?” DANDELION Pinkley asked,

looking around the backyard. “I haven’t seen him all
afternoon.”
“Me, neither,” her brother Doodlebug replied. “I checked
the whole house. He’s not anywhere.” He whistled as loud
as he could. It wasn’t like their beloved pup to just
disappear like that, and Doodlebug and Dandelion
were slightly worried.
“I hope he’s not getting into trouble somewhere.”
Dandelion’s brow wrinkled.
“Well, he probably wishes he could get out and have
an adventure once in a while,” Doodlebug suggested.
“But I hope he comes home soon.”

, , ,
Gosh, that s a That s because ,it s
mighty small guitar not a guitar. It s an
you got there. electric ukulele.

SDR1501_04_Doodlebug.indd 4 11/24/14 1:38 PM

 vvv “Here ya go, Muttski.” The
In fact, Don’t was having an King held out a big juicy hot dog
adventure. for Don’t, who swallowed it in one
It hadn’t started out that way on gulp. He wagged his tail wildly to
purpose. At lunchtime, when Don’t signal he wanted more. He got
was scuffling around in the backyard, another one.
the scent of grilling meat wafted “Hey, dude,” Bog said, coming
to his sharp little nose. In seconds into the King’s yard, “don’t feed
he had squeezed through the fence, Don’t. He has a regularly scheduled
trotted across their neighbor Bog’s mealtime.” Bog patted Don’t’s
backyard, and then jumped over head, but Don’t was annoyed. He
a hedge into yet another yard. growled softly, then scampered
The delicious smells rose up from the away from the King and Bog the
grill of the old man who lived there, spoilsport. He heard them calling
known as the Barbeque King. him but he ignored the sound.

. . . when warm breezes wafted,

moved lightly, through the air.
Ahhh . . . ukulele
music reminds me I remember last
of summer. summer! We wafted
down the wiver!

SDR1501_04_Doodlebug.indd 5 11/24/14 1:38 PM

 Grrrrhha, forget it! Don’t thought.
This is MY day! Grrruuufffff!
Sprinting across a park, Don’t
found himself on an unfamiliar street.
In a big, tree-covered corner lot he
saw dozens of squirrels scavenging
for nuts.
“R-R-R-RUGHHHHHFFFF!”
Don’t barked. I am a monstrous
giant wolf, and you are banished
from my kingdom!
The squirrels scattered. Don’t
grinned a doggy grin and trotted away.
I should get out more often! he mused.
A few blocks down, two kids
were playing catch. The boy threw
a fast pitch at the girl. She raised
her gloved hand to catch the ball.
But before she could get it, Don’t
took a flying leap, howling on his
way up in the air.
Beware, humans! I am a terrible
flying raptor! I can catch anything in grass, his ears flapping as the boy
midair! I rule! and girl chased him.
Don’t snatched the ball in his Before they could catch him,
jaws. He landed as gracefully as a Don’t dropped the ball and loped off.
ballet dancer then sped around the Today is nothing but AWESOME!

Come on in,
We can sing backup. everybuggy!
Wazzup, cool cats?
I got my bongos.
Yo, dudes, is this,
like, the band
tryouts?

SDR1501_04_Doodlebug.indd 6 11/24/14 1:38 PM

 The hackles rose fiercely on
Don’t’s back. His eyes glared red.
His tail switched back and forth
like it belonged to a scaly mythical
beast.
I am a scorching, fire-breathing
dragon! I am the Dragon of Castle
Pinkley. Watch out, all people and
other creatures! Don’traki the Dragon
of Castle Pinkley is upon you!
By now, Don’t—or Don’traki—
was barely skimming the ground
he was moving so fast. He could
almost feel enormous wings sprouting
from his sides and lifting him up.
His sharp eyes moved restlessly
from side to side, looking for some-
thing good to scorch.
And there it was.
On a big front porch, a tiger cat
sat keeping watch on the neighbor-
hood doings. She flexed her claws,
After traipsing down several more keenly aware of everything that
unfamiliar streets, Don’t slowed down. moved. When the cat saw Don’t,
His tongue lolled from his mouth. she froze.
Must find water, Don’t thought. His Hissssss! Yesssss! Be afraid, be very
breath was as hot as . . . a dragon’s. afraid, feline! I am Don’traki!

,
Just how many Don t raise ,your hackles, hairs that stand up
,
wackos will be along a dog s neck and back, Sonya. This band s
traipsing, walking gotta have a big sound.
or wandering,
through here?

SDR1501_04_Doodlebug.indd 7 11/24/14 1:38 PM

 Feeling all his dragon power, “Don’t!” Doodlebug and Dande-
Don’traki moved in to attack. lion cried, hugging him close. Even
But the cat was too quick. Faster their little cat Choo-Choo came up
than lightning and with a terrible to him, purring as if she’d never been
screeching howl, she charged at so glad to see him. Don’t flinched—
Don’traki. Her claws shone like and then relaxed. He was home.
daggers as they lashed out and
swiped at Don’traki’s long muzzle.
Yowling with undragonly fear,
Don’t turned and fled at full speed.
The cat raced after him, snarling,
hissing, and spitting.
After a long, frightening run in
the now near-dark, Don’t began
to recognize the neighborhood . . .
and at last, there it was.
Home! Relief exploded in
Don’t’s chest. Panting hard, he
bounded up the steps and burst into o
D

od
e

le M
at
the house where his family lived. Draw
a treat fo
r Choo-Choo and
Don’t
spid rythis
.
ermagkids.com/t

Wanna join the band, Ahh, no thanks. Something

,
Sonya? We could use a tells me you bugs won t be
keyboard player. playing my kind of music.

SDR1501_04_Doodlebug.indd 8 11/24/14 1:38 PM

 Dragon Games
Dragons cheat at ping-pong.
It’s the only time they’re rude.
They love ping-pong more than treasure,
fighting knights, or toasting food.

When he hears that tasty PLOCK-ing

as the paddle whacks the ball,
dragon thunders to the table
with his fiercest battle call.

He will hide his blazing serve

inside a sneaky, smoky snort,
tip the table with his tailbone
so your winning shot falls short.

He will dragon-drool the ball

till it’s quite slippery and icky,
and melt your sneaker bottoms
so your steps grow slow and sticky.

Better just to let him win

and find another game to play.
Dragons always mind their manners
at Parcheesi or croquet.

by Carrie Clickard
Art by Karen Roy
art © 2014 by Karen Roy
9

SDR1501_09_DragonGames.indd 9 11/24/14 1:39 PM

 Partners in Art

N O ONE SAT next to Leon. Not if they could help it.

That’s why when I shot into art class just before the bell,
the only seat left was beside him.
Ms. Priestley said, “Sit down, Nimmy.”
I don’t think Ms. Priestley likes me. I am terrible in
art. “Use your imagination,” she’d always say.
I had no imagination.
“Today we’re going to do something exciting,” Ms.
Priestley said. “We’ll draw a fantasy landscape.”
Leon raised his hand. “Can it be anything we want?”
Leon loved art and loved Ms. Priestley. Ms. Priestley
loved art and loved Leon. She beamed.

by Priya Ann Mathew

Art by Joung Un Kim
10 art © 2014 by Joung Un Kim

SDR1501_10_PartnersInArt.indd 10 11/24/14 1:40 PM

 “Anything—as long as it isn’t
something from real life. Let’s get
started.”
“This will be fun!” Leon said.
That’s why no one liked to sit by
Leon, especially in art. He was too
enthusiastic. He gave his partners
suggestions. Sometimes he even
added to their drawings! Plus his
nose always dripped, and he never
used tissues.
I drew wild zigzags and two lines
racing across the page.
“What are you drawing?” Leon
asked, sniffing.
I sighed. “Mountains and a river.”
“That’s not fantasy.”
“I’ve never seen mountains and
I’ve never seen a river. So I’m fanta- “The mountains could be the scales
sizing what they’d look like,” I said. along its back, the river could be a
“But it’s still real.” long tail, and the dragon could be eat-
I ground my teeth and scribbled in ing the trees.” Leon smiled hopefully.
some skinny trees. “Have you seen a To my surprise, I could see the
mountain range with pointed tips?” dragon take shape.
“No, that’s just bad drawing. Why He continued, “So not all of
don’t you make it a dragon instead?” it would be on the page, but that
I glared. would just tell us how big it is.”

This is crazy!

Listen
, up, everybuggy!
You re now a garage
band—so move to the
garage!

11

SDR1501_10_PartnersInArt.indd 11 11/24/14 1:40 PM

 I could see why Ms. Priestley loved
him. No one else in class thought
like that, and most people didn’t
care enough to try.
“Dragons don’t eat trees,” I said.
Leon swiped his dripping nose
with his sleeve. “Some dinosaurs ate
trees. So why can’t some dragons?
It’s fantasy.”
A sound argument, I had to admit.
Leon sniffed again. Ms. Priestley
was moving around the room. She
looked at everyone’s work and made
comments. Usually she’d stop at mine
and sigh.
Today I wanted to impress her.
But the dragon was Leon’s, not mine.
Then I thought, so what if it was
Leon’s idea? It was still my drawing.
I started drawing in the body. Leon
would’ve probably drawn a beautiful
dragon anyway, nothing like mine
with its big body and much-too-small
head. I rubbed out the head and drew
it in again. It still wasn’t the right
shape. I added more trees.

I hate to send
Your thinking is sound, , the band
showing good sense or packing, but it s my hearing
,
judgment, Ophelia. that can t take the sound.

12

SDR1501_10_PartnersInArt.indd 12 11/24/14 1:40 PM

 “That’s a very nice idea, Nimmy.”
Ms. Priestley’s voice made me jump.
I looked up. If I hadn’t heard my name
at the end, I would’ve thought she was
talking to Leon.
She beamed. At me. “You’re being
creative, and it’s paying off.”
I smiled shyly, blushing because
it wasn’t totally my idea. Leon was
beaming, too.
Under the two spotlights of
approval, I cracked. “It was Leon’s
idea,” I confessed.
Ms. Priestley’s beam grew wider.
“Excellent, Leon. We must always be
willing to share our ideas.”
I felt relieved. And a little sad.
Then Ms. Priestley said, “Nimmy,
why don’t you offer some suggestions
on Leon’s drawing.”
Leon propped his drawing where I
could see it. “It’s a space farm,” I said.
There was a rocky surface with little
domes. The domes had plants and some
weird animals in them. In one dome,
there was a cow or maybe a big dog.

No idea. But
I was in the Spider just, makes eet
Hey! What were groove, baby! up az e goes.
we playing?

13

SDR1501_10_PartnersInArt.indd 13 11/24/14 1:40 PM

 “Well, Nimmy?” Ms. Priestley said
encouragingly.
I stared. What was I supposed to
say? “It’s nice,” I offered.
Leon waited.
I added, “Maybe . . . maybe you
could add . . . bales of hay . . . and
make a dome with levels. Each level
for something different.”
Leon nodded happily. “Like corn
on one level and hens on the other.
Like a multilayer farm.”
“See, it’s not so hard,” Ms. Priest-
ley said, and walked on.
I breathed. I’d just said the first
thing that came to me. But Leon
liked my idea. Maybe I could be OK
in art. I watched Leon adding levels
on his farm.
Leon looked up for a moment.
“We should be partners in art,” he
said. “We give each other good ideas.”
I liked that. I penned my name
near his space-hens. Leon grinned
and signed my dragon.
I smiled. “Now we’re partners in
art.”

Wait, are we a garage band

or a garbage band?

14

SDR1501_10_PartnersInArt.indd 14 11/24/14 1:40 PM

 Partner Painting Art by Michele A. Noiset
GRAB YOUR FAVORITE art partner and make a magnet masterpiece!

What You’ll Need:

2 large blocks or thick books
newspaper
thin cardboard or the side of a cereal box
sheet of white paper
tape
small metal objects such as paper clips, bolts, washers
sewing thread
tempera paints
strong magnet

What to Do:
1. Place newspaper across the blocks, then place
the cardboard on top, leaving room underneath the
“table” to move your hands. Tape white paper to
the cardboard.
2. Tie metals objects together with different lengths
of thread.
3. Dip metal objects in paint and lay them on
the paper.
4. Move the magnet under the cardboard with your
hand. The magnet will “paint” as it moves the
metal objects and thread across the paper.
You can also spoon paint on the
paper and drag the
objects through it.
5. Now ask your partner to
move the magnet. Keep taking
turns until your masterpiece is complete—and
don’t forget to sign both of your names!

15

SDR1501_15_PartnerPaining.indd 15 11/24/14 1:42 PM

 Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk H

UDORA ENTWHISTLE LIVED with a f lock of

geese. The geese honked at dawn. They honked at dusk.
They honked all day long while Eudora played piano for
them at home in Macadoodle-by-the-Sea.
“Lovely!” said Eudora.
“Honk!” said the geese.
No one else knew how musical the geese were. That’s
because the townfolk of Macadoodle-by-the-Sea hated
them. The geese were noisy and numerous and hard to
ignore when out on a waddle.
“Cacophonous fowl!” scoffed Horace Leominster.

STOP! STOP! YOU BUGS

ARE ABSOLUTELY
CACOPHONOUS, sounding
harsh and unpleasant!
by Alicia Potter
Art by Teri Farrell-Gittins
16 art © 2014 by Teri Farrell-Gittins

SDR1501_16_Eudora.indd 16 11/24/14 1:43 PM

 “Ridiculous birds!” sighed Gert “Oh, nothing here,” Horace said.
Hunch. “But there’s a goose pageant over in
“A blot to our fair town!” cried Fair-Thee-Well!”
Mayor Gulch. “Why,” said Eudora, “I hadn’t
One day Mayor Gulch received heard. I’ll check it out at once.”
a letter from Lavinia Von Bopp, the “You do that,” said Horace.
world’s greatest bassoon player: Eudora and the geese drove the
“I am returning to my hometown many miles to Fair-Thee-Well. They
after years of playing abroad,” her let- circled around and around but found
ter said. “I will arrive home tomorrow only a chicken parade.
and look forward to playing for my
beloved Macadoodle-by-the-Sea.”
Mayor Gulch smiled. Then he
flinched. “Egads!” he cried. “If Lavinia
hears those yakky geese, she’ll leave
and never come back! Those birds
will ruin everything!”
Mayor Gulch hatched a plan.
Eudora didn’t know Lavinia was
coming. Ever since she began house-
training her geese, she seldom read
a newspaper.
The next day, Eudora took the
geese for a waddle. She met Horace
Leominster trying to hide a banner
behind his back.
“What’s going on?” asked Eudora.

Dude! That . . . is . . .
an AWESOME name for
the band!

17

SDR1501_16_Eudora.indd 17 11/24/14 1:43 PM

 They drove back to Macadoodle-by-the-Sea and
set out for another waddle. Eudora ran into Gert
Hunch, who was carrying a giant key to the city.
“My goodness,” Eudora said. “What’s that for?”
“Oh, nothing,” Gert replied. “But did you hear
about the sale on cracked corn over in Piffleton?”
“You don’t say!” said Eudora. “I can’t let that
pass me by.”
“Certainly not,” said Gert.
Eudora and the geese drove the many miles
to Piffleton. They looked for the sale on cracked
corn but found only two-for-one mangoes.
They drove back to Macadoodle-by-the-Sea.
Once more, Eudora and her geese went for a
waddle. Eudora bumped into Mayor Gulch.
“Why, Eudora,” he said, “what are you doing
here? Today’s the Clumpville County Fair, and I
hear there’s a contest for the most talented geese.”
Eudora paused. The day was half gone, and
she’d driven all over. The thought of traveling
all the way to Clumpville made her tired. Besides,
the geese looked carsick.
“Thank you, but my flock and I are staying put,”
Eudora said.
“Oh, no, please go!” said Mayor Gulch. “Go,
go, go! For the love of Pete, GO!”
Eudora and the flock cocked their heads. “Beg

,
Can t spell it! We could be
But I like it. called Caca for
, short!
Cacophonous! I hope it s
not already taken.

18

SDR1501_16_Eudora.indd 18 11/24/14 1:43 PM

 Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk
your pardon?” she said. “The very one. Her concert is
“Er, by all means stay home,” the about to start.”
mayor replied. “Stay home all after- “I had no idea,” said Eudora.
noon. And all night.” “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
On the way home, Eudora saw folks The little girl jerked her head
carrying bouquets of roses. Children in toward the flock. “Ahem,” she said.
their Sunday best. A 75-piece orchestra. Eudora looked at the geese.
She came upon a little girl. Suddenly, it all made sense. Had
“What’s going on?” Eudora asked. she gone to Clumpville, as Mayor
“Why, Lavinia Von Bopp is Gulch suggested, she would have
here,” said the girl. missed the concert. Mayor Gulch
“Lavinia Von Bopp? The Lavinia and his cronies had sent her on a
Von Bopp?” wild goose chase!

Listen, Spider. You and your

,
cronies, close friends, can t
It does roll off the just make up bad songs on
tongue nicely. the spot. You need
to sit down and carefully
compose some real tunes.

19

SDR1501_16_Eudora.indd 19 11/24/14 1:43 PM

 Eudora straightened up. There’s
only one thing to do, she thought.
Eudora and the geese marched
to the bandstand and trooped on-
stage. Just a quick number until
Lavinia comes out, she thought.
The crowd gasped. Eudora sat
at the piano and the geese lined up.
Then the geese began to honk
“The Beautiful Blue Danube.”
“Honk, honk, honk, honk,
honk, A-HONK, A-HONK!”
“Honk, honk, honk, honk,
honk, A-HONK, A-HONK!”
The townspeople of Maca-
doodle-by-the-Sea cringed. They
winced. They groaned.
But then they saw Lavinia. She
was tapping her toes. She was bob-
bing her head. She was smiling.
Eudora slumped. Even her flock’s They decided to listen.
botched high notes didn’t feel as Soon Lavinia joined in on her
awful as this. Did the whole town bassoon. Her bom-bom-bom twined
hate her geese? Why, they never with the geese’s honk-honk-honk.
took the time to know them! Perhaps Eudora conducted like a maestro.
they’d grow to love them if they When the flock hit the last honk,
just heard them sing. the audience flew to its feet.

Well, excuse us, oh, high and mighty

maestro (pron. MY-stro), master music
conductor. But Cacophonous plays One and two . . .
from a place deep within! hit it!

Co
20 spi

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 Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk
“Bravo!” said Lavinia. “Your high notes. She also convinced them
sound is so fresh, so wild, so untamed. to save some honks for the stage.
We must do more concerts together!” Not all of Macadoodle-by-the-
“Yes,” said Eudora, turning to Sea fell in love with the birds. But
Mayor Gulch, “we must.” many realized that they had missed
“Oh, of course, of course!” cried something by covering their ears.
Mayor Gulch. “Anything you want, At the flock’s Sunday concerts,
Eudora. Macadoodle-by-the-Sea Gert passed out programs. Horace
would be honored!” ushered. Folks streamed in.
From that afternoon on, Lavinia “Lovely!” said the audience.
and Eudora became great friends. “Thank you!” said Eudora.
Lavinia helped the geese hit their “Honk!” said the geese.
Bu

a
am

g
g

y colo
r

Color this at
Bug Adventure
s.
spidermagkids.com/t ryth i
21

SDR1501_16_Eudora.indd 21 11/24/14 1:43 PM

 Sergei’s Musical
Stories

O N A DARK winter day in Russia in 1896, a howling

wind slapped heavy wet snow against the house. Snug inside,
Sergei Prokofiev perched on the piano bench next to his
mother. She was helping him compose his first piece of music.
Sergei was only five years old.
He had overheard his parents and their friends discussing
a horrible famine in India. The vision Sergei had of those
starving people inspired him to write a story. In place of
words, he wanted to use musical notes to produce images.
Sergei could not read music, so he picked out a tune on
the piano keys, and his mother recorded the notes. Sergei
titled it “Indian Gallop.”
Sergei’s mother began giving him piano lessons for
twenty minutes a day, and his ability grew quickly. She
was passionate about music, too, and Sergei often lay
awake in bed at night and listened to her play the piano.
Later in life Sergei wrote, “At the age of six I wrote
a waltz, a march, and a rondo, and at seven a march for
four hands. I enjoyed playing that march and hearing how

,
Goodness! You d Well, the band
think it was a time did get started
of famine (pron. between breakfast
FAM-in), extreme and lunch.
shortage of food. by Judy Camplin
Art by Erika Steiskal
22 art © 2014 by Erika Steiskal

SDR1501_22_SergeisStories.indd 22 11/24/14 1:47 PM

 all the different parts sounded when they
played together.”
Sergei also wrote plays for his family and
friends. He composed an opera when he was
nine called The Giant. It was about a war
between a giant and a king. Sergei included
many arias—tunes for solo singers—a few
marches, and even a battle scene. Toward
the end of the story, the people turn away
from the king and support the giant. “Long
live the giant!” they shout.
Sergei’s father insisted the ending be
changed. In Russia at that time, it was
dangerous for anyone to suggest that a king
should be overthrown. Many Russians did
not have enough to eat, and Czar Nicholas
II had many enemies. But Sergei wanted the
giant to win, and he refused to change
the ending.

,
She s right! A good
Honestly, Spider, your song garbage band should
just sounds sloppy! You must compost!
take time to compose!

23

SDR1501_22_SergeisStories.indd 23 11/24/14 1:47 PM

 Sergei’s parents hired a famous
music teacher to instruct him. The
teacher shouted at Sergei when he
didn’t practice reading sheet music
and playing scales. Sergei later wrote,
“I wanted to compose operas full of
marches, storms, and bloodcurdling
scenes, and instead I got saddled with
all sorts of tiresome nonsense.” Yet he
persisted with his studies and grew up
to be a great composer.
In 1936 a children’s theater asked
Sergei to write music that would
teach children about the different
instruments in an orchestra. He was
delighted and wrote the piece in a Peter, with help from the bird, manman-
week, calling it Peter and the Wolf. ages to lasso the wolf by the tail. A
In the story, a boy named Peter group of hunters takes the wolf away
disobeys his grandfather and leaves to live in a zoo.
the safety of his yard. Peter goes to Sergei wrote the piece with a
a meadow, where a bird and a duck are narrator reading the story aloud to
having an argument about whether the audience, while the musicians
flying is better than swimming. illustrate the scenes with their instru-
Grandfather finds Peter and angrily ments. He decided that each character
leads him back to the yard. Just after would be represented by a different
Peter leaves the meadow, a big gray instrument. Sergei chose a string
wolf appears and swallows the duck. quartet—two violins, a viola, and a

,
Yeah, man! I can t
Hey Sonya, instead of even read music!
making ,rude remarks, ,
Dude, I can t
why don t you help us? even read.
,
Unlike you, we don t know
the first thing about
composing music.

24

SDR1501_22_SergeisStories.indd 24 11/24/14 1:47 PM

 cello—to play a lively tune each time The first time Sergei played the piece
Peter appears in the story. A clarinet on the piano, the children listening
represents Peter’s pet cat, padding to it loved it so much that they
along on velvet paws. The deep notes made him play the ending three
of a bassoon symbolize the grumbling extra times. He was thrilled. Today
grandfather. A flute is the bird, and an Sergei Prokofiev
oboe is the duck. The wolf’s theme is a is remembered
menacing song blasted by three French not only for his
horns, and the hunters are announced contributions to
by booming drums, like rifle shots. classical music,
Peter and the Wolf was an instant but also for his
success with children and adults alike. sense of fun.

The Caca Phonies!

Oui, oui, Sonya! You

and Spider should
work together and Well . . . I . . . uh . . .
write zome music
for zee band.
25

SDR1501_22_SergeisStories.indd 25 11/24/14 1:47 PM

 by April Lesher
EAD THESE NONSENSE words aloud to figure out
the names of the musical instruments.

1
2
3
4
5

art © 2014 by Amanda Shepherd

Art by Amanda Shepherd

26 Answers on page 35

SDR1501_26_NonsenseSymphony.indd 26 11/24/14 1:48 PM

WPART 2
Mae and the Dragon
by Jacqueline West Art by Sara Palacios
Mae doesn’t like piano lessons . . . until
she finds a dragon living outside her piano
teacher’s house. The dragon dines on musical
notes that come through the teacher’s open
window. As fall turns to winter, the teacher
closes her window, and the dragon begins to
starve. Mae must come up with a plan to
keep her hungry friend alive.

MAE RAN THROUGH Mrs.

Young’s backyard, right past the
trampoline. She ducked behind
the rattling wisteria vines and stared
up at the stucco wall. At first, she was
sure the dragon had disappeared. But
then one of his black eyes blinked.
Mae stared up at the dragon.
His scales were a faint, chalky gray,
almost the color of cement. His
whiskers were like dead grass. The
piano student inside the house
played a scale, and Mae watched
a vein of faint blue slide slowly
through the dragon’s skin, like
water poured into a dusty glass.
art © 2014 by Sara Palacios

I wonder how , I heard some

Spider and Sonya s loud singing.
songwriting is going. Or screaming,
depending on your
point of view . . .

27

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 “You can’t stay here anymore,” Mae unzipped her backpack, where
Mae whispered. she had put her fuzziest, warmest
The dragon didn’t move. blanket, and settled the dragon inside.
“You should come home with me. Then she tiptoed into Mrs. Young’s
I’ll take care of you. I’ll do my best.” spotless living room and waited for
Mae reached up and ran one finger her lesson to begin.
over the dragon’s chilly skin. “I Afterward, back at her own house,
promise.” Mae hurried to her bedroom and
Carefully, as though he might closed the door. She lifted the dragon
crumble if he moved too fast, the gently out of her backpack. His skin
dragon inched down the wall toward was still pale gray, but his toes weren’t
Mae’s arms. His body was heavy, and quite so icy.
surprisingly warm in the middle, but “Are you hungry?” Mae whispered.
his tail and toes were freezing cold. The dragon’s voice was hoarse

Greetings, fellow bandmates.

Spider and I have composed, a new
song that I trust you ll find
“hip” and “totes rad.” Did I say
that right? Thistle is passing
out the sheet music now.

28

SDR1501_27_MaeAndTheDragon.indd 28 11/24/14 1:48 PM

 and small. “A snack would be nice.” The dragon’s eyes widened. His
“I have an idea.” Mae took her nose snuffled softly.
iPod and headphones down from “I can smell it,” he said, “but I
her bookshelf. “With recordings, the can’t taste it.”
notes are never wrong, and you can “Hmm.” Mae tugged the head-
eat anytime you want!” phones away. “So the music needs
The dragon blinked at the iPod. to be fresh. I guess we’ll move on to
“That’s music?” plan B.”
“I’ll show you.” Mae placed With the dragon tucked under
the headphones over the dragon’s one arm, Mae tiptoed back down the
ears—or over the spot where his ears hall to the living room. She raised
seemed to be. “Ready?” She turned the lid of the old upright piano.
on the 1812 Overture. Inside, rows and rows of wires twined

,
Passing out? I m not
even sleepy. ,
I won t be
needing any
sheet music.

29

SDR1501_27_MaeAndTheDragon.indd 29 11/24/14 1:48 PM

 down into the dimness, where fuzzy Mae opened her piano book
hammers waited to tap them. and began to play a minuet. It was
“Can you climb inside?” Mae in the easy, cheerful key of C, but
asked. with tricky sets of triplets scattered
The dragon slipped over the top through the melody. Mae kept
of the piano. He padded down into her eyes on the music, making her
the big wooden box like a person fingers move slowly, thoughtfully,
climbing into a warm bath. Mae imagining each note feeding the
waited until he had settled inside. little dragon.
“How about some Haydn?” Mae Her mother’s head popped
whispered into the piano. through the kitchen door. “Mae,”
“Please,” the dragon whispered she said, surprised. “You’re practicing?
back. Right after your lesson?”
You may note a hint of Chopin, an 19th-century
Polish composer and pianist, and just a dash
This is a minuet, a slow, graceful of Haydn, an 18th–century classical composer
musical piece. I—ahem—we drew upon from Austria.
the work of Scott Joplin,
a 19th-20th century American
composer and pianist, and Stephen
Sondheim, a 20th-21st century
American composer and lyricist.
30

SDR1501_27_MaeAndTheDragon.indd 30 11/24/14 1:48 PM

 Mae nodded, not stopping. in her piano books, and the dragon
She made it to the last chord blushed with pale pastels. Then she
without too many wrong notes. moved on to her favorite songs from
Then, making sure her mother the movies, and then to jazz and
wasn’t watching, she peeped under ragtime and Broadway. The dragon
the piano lid. turned astonishingly bright colors—
The dragon had turned a soft red and gold for Scott Joplin, sparkly
pink color. blue and emerald and violet for
“Thank you,” he whispered. Stephen Sondheim. She learned to
“That was very tasty.” play her first Chopin nocturne, and
Mae remembered to feed the the dragon’s scales turned shimmery
dragon every single day. At first, black with silver flickers, like stars
she played the easy classical pieces in a night sky.

Just follow
Ditto, dude, ,
Spider s lead.
ditto.
Moi? I beat on
Psst
, . . . I zee drums.
wasn t kidding
when, I said
I can t read
music.
31

SDR1501_27_MaeAndTheDragon.indd 31 11/24/14 1:48 PM

 On lesson days, Mae carried the the sour notes, making the music
dragon inside her backpack to Mrs. ripple and soar, until one day she
Young’s house, so he could listen played an entire piece without a
to the other students. When the mistake. And, for the very first time,
weather grew warmer, she took him the music that she heard in her head
to the park, where guitarists and was the same music that poured out
drummers and string ensembles per- through her fingertips. She took her
formed in the big stone band shell hands off the keys, listening to the
while Mae and the dragon sprawled note still ringing softly through
on the grass, soaking in the music the piano strings.
and the sun. Inside the piano, the dragon gave
Eventually, Mrs. Young gave a sigh. “Delicious,” he murmured.
Mae a book of Beethoven sonatas. Mae Then, from the depths of the piano,
practiced and practiced, removing Mae heard a low, satisfied burp.

32

SDR1501_27_MaeAndTheDragon.indd 32 11/24/14 1:48 PM

 This Month for Spider’s Corner:
Send us a poem about music.
Here are the only rules:
1. Your poem should be 10 lines or fewer.
2. Your entry must be signed by a parent or legal guardian, authorizing its publication in print
and/or online and saying it’s your own idea.
3. Be sure to include your complete name, age, and address.
4. Send your poem by January 25, 2015, so we can publish our favorites in the April 2015 Spider
and on our website at spidermagkids.com/corner.
Upload your poem to spidermagkids.com/corner/submit or send to Spider’s Corner, P.O.Box 300, Peru,
IL 61354. (No fax submissions, please!)

Mixed Media: Artistic Creation

Evangeline S., age 5

McKinleyville, California

Zora Holt, age 7

Hinsdale, Montana
Lily G., age 8
Saint Paul, Minnesota I have a little puppy Elyse S., age 7
Pumpkin Who sleeps all through the day. McKinleyville, Califormia
A little tiny ball of fluff
Who really loves to play.
My puppy’s name is Clover.
Rachel Thorne, age 8
She is so dear and sweet.
Beacon, New York Reese LeBoeuf, age 7
Clover is a nice pup Montegut, Louisiana
Especially when she eats. The Properties of an Owl! Frozen
The properties of an owl
are very clear to me.
There’s the feathery head and body
and the clawlike things called feet.
The eyes glitter in the moonlight
like nothing I’ve ever seen,
But I know the inside must be light,
Annie B., age 9 full of joy, laughter, and
Seattle, Washington a glowing ball of love.
Edie Tomka, age 11
Smithfield, Rhode Island Nathan D., age 9
Mystery Horse Belgium

THIS IS NOT MY Sonya and Spidie der-reader maste

e Spi rpie
MINUET! compost really well mor gkids.com / ces
rma
See co
e
together! Umm. . . Garbage band, spid rn
er
at .
definitely a garbage band.
co

ry

ne
r

r G all
33

SDR1501_33_Corner_2.indd 33 11/24/14 1:49 PM

 ,s
i a
h el ord
Op t W
s !
La Wait !
h
nc
Pu EVERYBUGGY IS SO relieved that Mae’s dragon is safe that we
decided to throw a dragon party! Miro whipped up the perfect drink
for the occasion: dragon’s breath punch. Thankfully, a dragon’s
breath is more fruity than foul!

WHAT YOU,LL NEED:

1 bubbling cauldron (a punch bowl 12 ounces white
will work, too) grape juice
12 ounces orange juice or
orange juice concentrate
1 2-liter bottle of lemon-lime
soda or sparkling water 1 pint
green green food coloring
WHAT TO DO: sherbet

1. Mix juices, soda, and sherbet together in your cauldron

or punch bowl.
2. Stir in drops of food coloring—the greener the punch,
the stronger the dragon’s breath.
3. Serve in glasses or your finest mushroom cap goblets.
4. Tap your glass and deliver a dragon toast.

Love
Ophe ,
lia
34

SDR1501_34_OLW.indd 34 11/24/14 1:49 PM

 Buggy Bulletin rebus into a
Translate this ph
common rase: Scream at Spider
S
MUSIC 11 EAR Answer: Music to What’s your favorite
Answers to
One’s Ears.
kind of music? Vote at
Happy New Year! spidermagkids.com/scream!
Mind-Buggler
Answer to Q. Why do
dragons slee
during the d p
ay?
A: So they ca
n fight

;
1. saxophone knights.
Fab Fact
2. ukulele
Studies show

;
3. bugle that music
4. electric may help cows
guitar
produce more
q
5. piccolo milk. How
moo-sical!

Amazing, beautiful,
thoughtful
children’s gifts
for every
celebration.

2015 GIFT GUIDE www.CricketMag.com/GiftGuide2015

35

SDR1501_35C3_IBC.indd 35 11/24/14 1:50 PM

 Dragon Finger Puppets What You’ll Need:
scissors
by Anna Eidelman glue
What to Do:
1. Cut out the two dragon bodies and two sets of
wings along the gray solid lines.
2. Cut into the solid horizontal lines on each
dragon’s head. Do not cut into the dotted lines.

glue glue

glue

SDR1501_36_FUNZONE.indd 38 11/24/14 1:51 PM

 3. Fold triangular “ears” up on each dragon’s head
along the dotted lines.
4. Glue the white areas behind each dragon’s ears.
5. Wrap the tabs on each dragon’s body into two rings,
facing down. Glue to hold the rings in place.
6. Glue wings to each’s dragon’s tummy in the space
between the two rings.
7. Slip your fingers into the rings and put on a
dragon show!

glue glue

glue

SDR1501_36_FUNZONE.indd 39 11/24/14 1:51 PM

 glue

SDR1501_36_FUNZONE.indd 36 11/24/14 1:51 PM

 glue

SDR1501_36_FUNZONE.indd 37 11/24/14 1:51 PM

 Art by Lynne Avril

Answers on page 35

SDR1501_40C4_BCover.indd 40 11/24/14 1:52 PM