The Forest Monster of Oz

  CHAPTER 6

  THE GIANT SPIDER

  Tiger growled as he watched his captor wrap him in the strong webbing.He was a fairly small tiger, but he was accustomed to being larger thanany spider he had ever heard of. This spider, he felt certain, was somesort of a freak of nature. Perhaps a direct result of the humans'constant littering, or maybe a military experiment gone haywire.

  "Ahh, my little pussycat," laughed the creature. "I have you now. Thereis no need for further struggle."

  "Like I told you before," grumbled Tiger, "I am not a lion. I am astriped tiger. Can't you see that?"

  "I can admit that you do not look like what I had in mind," replied thespider. "However, you are feline in nature. That is all I care aboutjust now."

  "But it wasn't me who beheaded you. I am innocent!"

  "Perhaps," the spider seemed unconcerned. "Perhaps what you say is true,and then again, perhaps you're Lion to me. In any event, you are at thevery least a distant cousin to that animal that lopped my head off. Whenhe hears that you are in my clutches, he'll be here."

  "But this is a small, rarely traversed forest," said the tiger. "Itisn't often that news from the Lunechien Forest gets out to the rest ofthe country."

  "Then you shall stay here as my guest," grinned the spider. "After all,the little insect has been satisfying me less lately. I had been usingher sweet charity to keep myself giant-sized." He stalked over to a wallon the far side of the cave. Indicating two yellowing papers withcrudely drawn human faces on them, he turned back toward his boundprisoner. "These are pictures I drew of the Great Masters. They createdme, and gave me the powers I possess. When they asked me to devour theirbald-headed little enemy, I was only too happy to comply. He had toomuch magic in him, however. I was sent away from my beloved Creators."Tiger thought that the monster was about to cry, but he went on. "I madethe best of it, though. I became the leader of a lot of wild animals inan untamed wood. Oh, they never actually called me that. But they fearedme. You'd better believe it! They were scared spitless by me! Until oneday, when that ... that ... that LION came along and used my head as ifit were a baseball! But I'll get even now, little friend. Believe youme! I will find that lion, and I will chomp his head off! You just waitand see if I don't!" He turned to the drawing of the Witch of the East."I will avenge myself on this lion for us both," he said, crossinghimself.

  "But, really," begged Tiger. "I have no argument with you. Please let mefree. I will help you bag your lion-prey."

  "Not a bit of that!" snarled the spider. "I have better plans for you."

  "Better plans?"

  "Most definitely. As I was saying, the bug's no longer sufficient for myneeds. I am told that you have a powerful and courageous heart. Bold andfearless, is it not?"

  "I'm afraid I don't understand your ..."

  "If I use your heartfelt emotions, which seem to be, er ... well,tiger-sized by definition ... If I can do that, I can remain giant-sizedfor time and all eternity. I can be all-powerful! I will be the bravestarachnid on the face of the earth! And next, my little chickadee, I planto capture some little beasts that are called Hootsey and ... Lisa, isit? Owls, I think. They are known for their wisdom and kindness to theirfellow Ozites. I care nothing for their kindness, of course. My powercomes from the negative uses of the senses. But I plan to make use oftheir immense knowledge. Oh, yes! And then, my dear little Tiger, THEN!I shall reach out to my definitive prize in all the Lunechien Forest.That big wrinkly fellow I saw not too long ago. He had a nose like agarden hose, but my little bug has unwittingly told me that he is theone to whom the forest beasts turn when they have problems. He likes tosolve problems, and has a phenomenal knack for it. He is wise beyond hisyears, and his emotions encompass all the land! He is also one of thestrongest and most bold beasts in all the Lunechien territory--evenputting the tigers like you to shame! When I can capture this Elephant,I will be all-powerful! I will be almighty! I will be superhuman! Then,I shall be able to take on the beast who has come to be known as theCowardly Lion. A most unfitting moniker, wouldn't you say, for a fellowwho swiped off my head while I was asleep one day?"

  "You'll never get away with this!" roared Tiger. "Elephant is too bigand strong to be beaten by any spider--even one so large as you!"

  "We'll see about that shortly, Shorty," replied the spider. "Now, won'twe?"