by Neil Numberman

Hmm, two great I’ll show you Baloney!

inventions . . . let’s AND win I’ll show YOU.
see them both first prize. That prize
in action. is mine!

Oh, please!
My invention is Mine can
WAY better than yours. bring NO! Not at
It can enlarge ANY object the same
anything! to life. time!

Let’s call it a tie.

DEAL!
Front Cover by Kevin Kelly
2 Science Fair by Neil Numberman
4 Doodlebug & Dandelion by Pamela Dell
9 Nature’s Trapeze Artist by Beverly McLoughland
10 The Squeaky Duck Mystery by Julie Angeli
13 Bug Adventure by Michael Chesworth
14 Dessert Disaster by Stacey Lane
15 The Carpet and the Apple by Pamela Love
19 Caramel Apple Fluff by Brandy Bellittera
20 The Apple Detective by Loralee Leavitt
25 Apple-Picking Time by Deb Baker
26 Apple Day by Kimberly Long Cockroft
32 Spider’s Corner and Spider’s Mailbox
34 Ophelia’s Last Word: Teeny Tree Glee
35 Buggy Bulletin
The Fun Zone: Bushy-Tailed Brainteasers
by Gumshoe Cashew
Mind-Buggler: Apple Dabble
by Gran E. Smith
Spider and the Gang by Michael Chesworth
Good morning, everybuggy.
Today we have a treat
in store for us.
September 2023
Volume 30 Number 7
Stacey Lane Smith, Editor
Emily Cambias, Assistant Editor
Hayley Kim, 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 © 2015 by Kevin Kelly; “Science Fair” text and art © 2017 by Neil Numberman;
“The Squeaky Duck Mystery” art © 2006 by Whitney Martin; “Apple-Picking Time”
art © 2009 by Tord Nygren; “Apple Day” art © 2015 by Mélanie Grandgirard.
Photo acknowledgments: 19 (FP) Elvetica/Shutterstock.com; 19 (spots) anthonycz/
Shutterstock.com; 19 (spots) yusufdemirci/Shutterstock.com; 19 (spots)
ann131313.s/Shutterstock.com; 19 (spots) kontur-vid/Shutterstock.com; 19
(spots) Net Vector/Shutterstock.com; 19 (spots) Anna.zabella/Shutterstock.com;
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com; 19 (spots) Mountain Brothers/Shutterstock.com; 19 (spots) BlueRingMedia/
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Oleg Iatsun/Shutterstock.com; 20 (TL) Oleg Iatsun/Shutterstock.com; 20-21 (MT)
Ted S. Warren; 20 (ML) U.S. Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor
Collection. Rare and Special Collections, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville,
MD 20705; 20 (BR) Loralee Leavitt; 21 (BL) David Benscoter; 21 (RT, RC, RB) Library
of Congress; 22 (TL, BL, BR), 23 (TR), 24 (TL, MR, BR) David Benscoter; 23 (MR)
Temperate Orchard Conservancy; 26-31 (BG) Ameena Matcha/Shutterstock.com;
35 (BG) Kostenko Maxim/Shutterstock.com; 35 (TC) Texturis/Shutterstock.com; 35
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com; 40 (spot) SpicyTruffel/Shutterstock.com.
SPIDER magazine (ISSN 1070-2911) is published 9 times a year, monthly except
for combined May/June, July/August, and November/December issues, by Cricket
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 Doodlebug & Dandelion
by Pamela Dell Art by Dom Mansell

“THOSE SQUIRRELS ARE stealing all the birdseed!”

Dandelion Pinkley observed. She was outraged. So were
Tomiko and Beepdee, her two best friends.
The girls were on the back deck of Beepdee’s house enjoying
the early fall sunshine. Four bird feeders were lined up near the
deck. But they were being overrun by two pesky squirrels. These
squirrels were like acrobats. They scampered across the deck,
pushed between its wooden posts, and flung themselves onto the
feeders. There, they gobbled happily. These antics completely
scared off Beepdee’s favorite birds, the cardinals and finches.
“It’s terrible!” Beepdee exclaimed. “As soon as I fill up the
feeders, those little rodents take over! Mom is going to stop
Shhh . . . Spider, just listen.
Gee, I wonder what antics — What is it, Ms. Mariposa?
wildly playful acts or tricks —
we could be doing today.
4
buying birdseed if this keeps up.”
“I’m sure we can solve this,”
Tomiko said. “Let’s experiment.”
Tomiko’s dad was an inventor, so
her head was usually swimming with
creative ideas. The first thing she
suggested was a barrier. The girls
found a roll of thin netting and
tacked it to the deck railing. But
it was useless. One squirrel ripped
through the netting with its claws.
The other hurtled straight through the
air from the top of the railing, landing
right on the bird feeder. Their single-
minded efforts to get to the food
A very special guest
has come to visit with
a big surprise for us.
were unbelievable!
Tomiko sighed. “We need a
better obstacle to keep them from
getting close.”
“That’s it!” Dandelion shouted.
“Let’s build an obstacle course—
away from the bird feeders.”
“Whoa. Cool!” Beepdee said. “Our
garage is full of stuff we could use to
build one.”
She was right. After some planning
and sketching, the girls hauled out a
heap of useful odds and ends. Besides
a hammer and nails, they had plastic
Quiet, Bill.
Don't be rude,
Monsieur Pill Bug.
Boring.
5
 tubing and thick cord. They brought
out pieces of wood of every size and
squares of see-through hard plastic.
By afternoon, they had their master-
piece: a complicated obstacle course.
It included off-the-ground tunnels,
landing platforms, and trapdoors. At
the very end sat a rectangular plank
on a pole. It was half-covered by a roof
to shade the squirrels from rain and
hot sun. On the opposite side sat a jar
turned on its side.
The girls stood there admiring their
awesome handiwork. But one problem
This is Ms. Honey, one of the
Bee sisters. Let's all give her a big
Maple Stump School welcome!
6
remained. What would the squirrels eat
besides birdseed? First, the trio placed
bits of carrot along the course. Next,
pieces of shredded cabbage. Finally,
they stuffed chunks of apple into the
jar. But the squirrels weren’t going for
any of it. They just perched on the
deck railing, staring at the course as if
it were all just too much work. Then
they dove for the bird feeders—over
and over. It was maddening!
All at once, the sound of whistling
caught Dandelion’s attention. “That’s
Bog,” she said, just as her brother
Hello, everybuggy.
I'm pleased to BE E here.
Get it?
Doodlebug and Bog came around the Dandelion explained their plan and
corner of the house. Bog was Doodle- their dilemma. “But it’s not working.
bug’s best friend. He was also the best We need treats that squirrels love more
whistler Dandelion had ever known. than birdseed, so they’ll try it out,” she
He could even lure cats with his finished.
whistle. Bog pitched her one of the little
“We heard you were over here, objects he’d been juggling. “Problem
and we’re bored,” Doodlebug said. solved!”
“What’re you doing?” The girls stared at what Dandelion
“Looks like you’ve been busy.” had caught.
Bog let out a long whistle of approval. “Wow!” said Tomiko. “Where’d
“That’s some contraption! But what’s you get these?”
it for?” He was juggling some small “They’re everywhere,” Doodlebug
objects as he checked out the obstacle replied, emptying his pockets.
course. About a dozen acorns fell to the
Welcome to the Maple Stump School,
Ms. Honey!

7
 ground. Immediately, the squirrels acts, and tumbles, the smart squirrels
perked up, sniffing. They knew a good caught on. With barely a setback, they
acorn when they smelled one. were soon racing from start to finish like
“All the oak trees in this neighbor- spectacular circus performers. Watching
hood are raining acorns right now,” Bog from the deck, the kids agreed it was the
said. best entertainment they’d had in weeks.
“We’ve got buckets and bags in the Plus, dozens of beautiful birds came
garage,” Beepdee said. “Let’s go!” flocking to the bird-feeder feast,
Before long, the kids were back at peacefully undisturbed.
Beepdee’s, loaded down with tasty little
acorns. They placed a few along the
obstacle course. Then they put a bunch
in the jar at the end. When the squirrels
spied all the acorns, they went nuts.
After a few trial leaps, bounds, balancing
What surprise do Well, how would you all like to go on a
you have for us, field trip to a magic hanging garden?
Ms. Honey? Magic! Hanging garden!
F IE L D T RIP!!!

8
Nature’s Trapeze Artist
by Beverly McLoughland
Art by Valerie Light
On a branched trapeze,
High in the trees
He flies. He soars
Through the green outdoors.
From branch to branch,
From tree to tree,
He flings his small self
Fearlessly.
Then, hanging only by his feet,
He nabs a quick bird-feeder treat.

His name’s acclaimed

Throughout the world:

THE ONE.
THE ONLY.
SPECTACULAR
SQUIRREL.

text © 2023 by Beverly McLoughland, art © 2023 by Valerie Light 9

 The Squeaky “ I NEED A mystery to solve,” said
Tommy.
Duck Mystery “Why?” asked his mother as she set a
bowl of applesauce in front of Tommy’s
by Julie Angeli
Art by Whitney Martin baby brother, Alex.
“I want to be a detective,” answered
Tommy, “and I want to start now!”
“I have a mystery for you,” said his
mother.
“You do?” Tommy asked.
“Yes, your brother’s squeaky
yellow duck is missing.”
Alex screamed, “DUCKY!” and
sprayed applesauce all over his
highchair.
“The one Grandma gave him for
his birthday?” Tommy asked.
“That’s the one. Your grandmother
is coming for a visit this weekend.
She’ll be disappointed if it’s lost,” said
his mother.
“I’ll find it!” said Tommy as he ran
out of the room.
He came back a few minutes later with
a spiral notebook. “Detectives always start
by asking questions. You’re
first, Mom. When did you
last see the squeaky duck?”
Field trip, field trip! Taking a field trip!

10
 “Alex was playing with it in the onto the floor.
living room a week ago,” answered Whiskers pounced on the mouse.
his mother. Next, he searched the kitchen.
“Did anyone else see it?” asked Tommy crawled under the table.
Tommy. He opened the cupboards. He
“Only Whiskers,” his mother rummaged through the drawers.
replied as Whiskers, the family cat, Squeak!
strolled into the room.
“Hmm, I’d better talk to Alex
next,” said Tommy. “Alex, have you
seen the squeaky duck?”
Alex gurgled, “Kitty!” and leaned
over the side of his highchair. A
big glob of applesauce fell from his
chin and barely missed landing
on Whiskers’s nose.
“I think it’s time to search the
apartment,” said Tommy.
Tommy looked in the living room.
He hunted through the music in the
piano bench. He peeked behind
the curtains. He burrowed into the
couch. Tommy finally saw something
yellow hiding under a cushion with
some cereal and fuzz balls.
“Aha!” he shouted, pulling it out.
“Oh . . . it’s just Whiskers’s
toy mouse.” He tossed it
Now bear in mind, class,
when we get back, I'll want Can we write a poem?
My, that sounds nice.
you all to write about
what you see and do today. I love poems.

11
 “Found it!” said Tommy. “Rats! Tommy marched into the
It’s just the ball we gave you for bedroom he shared with Alex. He
Christmas, Whiskers.” picked through the toys scattered
Whiskers batted the ball around on the floor. He dug through the
playfully. toy box.
“Maybe it’s under here,” he said,
peering under the bed. “Here it is!”
Tommy pulled out something yellow
and furry. “Oh, Whiskers, it’s just
another one of your toys!”
Whiskers rubbed his face on the
toy.
Tommy sighed. “I guess I’m not
a very good detective,” he said.
Just as he was about to give up,
his mother walked in. “I’ve looked
all over, Mom,” Tommy told her.
“All I found was a bunch of toys
that Alex took from Whiskers.
Poor Whiskers had nothing to
play with.”
Tommy looked down at
Whiskers. Whiskers stared back
at Tommy.
“Hey, wait a minute!” exclaimed
Tommy.
Whiskers sauntered over to his
bed. Tommy followed the cat, with
Pickles! It's way up in We will fly you up. It's not like you could have sauntered — calmly walked
that tree! How do we without hurrying — into a hanging garden, Bill.
Fly me up?
get up there? That's one high garden!

12
his mother right behind him. They
both stopped and stared at the squeaky
yellow duck sitting on Whiskers’s
pillow.
“Whiskers did have something to
play with, Mom. He took Alex’s duck!”
said Tommy. “I solved the mystery!”
“It looks like you’re a good detective
after all,” said Tommy’s mother with
a smile, as Whiskers curled up in his
bed with the squeaky duck under
his chin.

13
 Dessert Disaster by Stacey Lane
Art by Laura González
FIND SEVEN PLACES where wrong words are used in the story.
Change only one letter in each wrong word to turn it into the right
word. Write the changed letters in order in the blank spaces to reveal
the answer to the riddle.

I was planning to bike a yummy dessert. But when I came

back from playing at the mark, I got a bug surprise. The apples
and the rust of the ingredients had disappeared from the kitchen
counter. I heard a nibbling noise and followed it to my boom. There
I sew that my pet’s cage was empty. I searched and searched until I
found my rat snoozing under the bed. Guess wham else I found!

What do you call a rodent who steals your apples, dough,

butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar?

_ ___ ___
Answers on page 35

14
 The Carpet and the Apple
A Turkish Legend

“ Y OUR LESSONS ARE finished for today, Prince

Mustafa,” said his tutor.
Quickly, the prince rolled up a map of the Ottoman
Empire. He was learning about the widespread lands his
father, Sultan Mehmed II, ruled. Geography was interesting
sometimes, but Mustafa enjoyed a gallop on his horse more
than studying.
Hurrying through the palace on his way to the stables,
he heard his father’s voice. Curious, Mustafa paused.
Through an archway, he saw his father and several of his
father’s advisors beside a window in a large room.
The grand vizier said, “Unfortunately, Commander of
the Faithful, what you ask cannot be done.” The other
advisors nodded.
And I'm a grand vizier —
Hey, this being flown around isn't bad. I feel
high-ranking officer in
like a sultan — Muslim ruler, similar to a king.
a Muslim country.
Moi, I prefer
being ground
cover.
Art by L Schlissel
text © 2023 by Pamela Love, art © 2023 by L Schlissel 15
 Looking thoughtful, Sultan
Mehmed II said, “Sometimes, what
seems impossible may be accomplished
in an unusual way.” Taking a red apple
from a bowl on a table, he carried it
to the center of the blue-and-white
carpet and set it down. Returning
to the table, he faced the others.
“Someone bring me the apple.”
Every advisor took a step toward
the fruit.
The sultan held up his hand.
“Without setting foot on the carpet.”
Every advisor stepped back.
After a long pause, the grand vizier
!Guau! That's one
strong gust of wind! HE LP!!! T HIS BE E BAD!!!
16
said, “Commander of the Faithful, we
request your wisdom to explain how to
perform this task.” He bowed. So did
the others.
“I have faith in you,” said Sultan
Mehmed II. “I believe you can solve
this puzzle yourselves.”
The prince’s eyes sparkled. He
enjoyed such riddles.
Apparently, his father’s advisors
did not, at least not this time. They
exchanged glances. Half raised their
eyebrows. The other half shrugged.
At that moment, the grand vizier
caught sight of Mustafa and beckoned.
OUC H! You can't hang
on by my stinger!
 “Young Prince! I beg your kind the carpet either.”
assistance.” The grand vizier said, “Acrobats
The sultan smiled, and Mustafa can walk on their hands.”
entered the room. Shifting his weight onto his
“If the prince would bring the hands, the third advisor attempted
apple to the sultan, then my feet a handstand but fell over. “In my
need not touch the carpet.” The youth, I could have done it.” He stood
other advisors clapped. and brushed himself off. “However, if
“Ah, but I do not want anyone’s the prince is able to . . .” He bowed to
feet to touch the carpet.” The sultan Mustafa.
tilted his head. “However, my son
may try to help you think of another
way.”
Honored to be included, Mustafa
joined the advisors. He listened as
they whispered to each other.
The grand vizier’s forehead was
furrowed in thought. “With a long
enough stick, we could push it off.”
He looked through the window.
“Ah! A fallen branch.”
“No. The solution is in this
room,” said the sultan.
The second advisor said, “I have
an idea.” Bending down on all fours,
he began to crawl toward the apple.
The sultan shook his head. “No.
The tops of your feet may not touch
Relax. Pretend it's a magic carpet ride.
Here, Bill. I'll help
carry you. Yes, thank you.

Thank you,
Ms. Mariposa.

17
 The prince shook his head. “No. studying. His eyes widened.
Even if I could, how would I pick He whispered his plan to the
up the apple?” advisors. Spacing themselves out
All the advisors sighed. evenly along one side of the carpet,
The fourth one said, “Perhaps they rolled it up until they reached
the sultan has a djinn who could the center. Mustafa picked up the
fly to the apple.” He chuckled. The apple.
others joined in. He handed it to his father. “I
As Mustafa laughed, he stared remembered rolling up my map.”
at the carpet. Its pattern reminded “Indeed, maps can teach many
him of the map he had just been things,” said his father with a smile.
I flew myself up. You may be pretending to be a sultan, but I am like a djinn —
It's nice getting the royal spirit from Muslim legends who can change form to appear as a human or animal.
treatment, right, Sonya? Mira, let's see this
amazing garden.

18
Caramel Apple Fluff by Brandy Bellittera
Art by Mac N. Tosh
DO YOU LOVE the crunch of caramel apples but hate the mess and how they stick in your teeth?
Try this delicious alternative that puts the apples in a bowl, instead of on a stick!

What You’ll Need:

5 apples kitchen knife* and cutting board
2 16-ounce tubs of whipped topping * Knife is for adult use only.
1 12-ounce bag of dark or semi-sweet large bowl
chocolate chips mixing spoon
1 11-ounce bag of caramel bits small bowls

What to Do:
into bite-sized chunks.
1. Ask a grownup to slice the apples
large bowl.
2. Scoop the whipped topping into the
s, and caramel bits.
3. Add the apple chunks, chocolate chip
4. Stir well to combine.
r.
5. Chill in the refrigerator for one hou
ls.
6. Spoon servings into the small bow
t. It makes plenty to share
Enjoy this yummy twist on a classic trea
with family and friends!

Whipped Topping

Caramel Whipped Topping

Bits

text © 2023 by Brandy Bellittera

19
 THE
APPLE
DETECTIVE
by
Loralee Leavitt

A PPLE DETECTIVE DAVID light green streaks, match paintings

Benscoter hikes down an eastern made more than one hundred years
Washington hill toward a small apple ago. Could this be one of the lost
tree. A former FBI agent, he now apples he’s spent years searching for?
searches for old apple trees, Could this be an Arkansas Beauty?
trying to find lost varieties. The Arkansas Beauty is one of
From reading old newspaper thousands of apple varieties planted
advertisements and nursery as settlers spread across the United
catalogs, he knows that apple
varieties, now thought to be
extinct, were sold in this area
long ago. He’s hoping that
This 1897 painting
is key to identifying among Washington’s ancient,
the lost Arkansas abandoned orchards, some of
Beauty.
the lost varieties still survive.
The tree he’s interested in grows
alone on a hillside near a cattle fence.
The apples, dark red with speckles and
Up here we grow many varieties —
Especially specific types within the same
We love apples. sweet ones. group or category. Uh . . . ya think?
Ya think they
use 'em to
20 make honey?
 David explores a 140-year-old abandoned
homestead near Pullman, Washington. He
hopes to find untended apple trees, planted
long ago, that are still bearing fruit.

States. Apples helped

early pioneers survive in
the wilderness. They could
be picked from midsummer
to late autumn, stored
during winter, dried,
bottled as applesauce,
turned into cider and
vinegar, fed to farm animals, or sold.
Different uses required different types
of trees. By the time that eastern
Washington farmers were planting
their first orchards, over 17,000 apple
varieties were being grown in North
America.
When the expansion of train
travel made it
This very rare Arkansas Beauty tree is
over 100 years old. But it’s small for
easier to ship
its age. It’s just 12 feet tall and has a apples across
thin trunk.
the country,
farmers began to
concentrate on
the varieties
that stayed fresh Advances in transportation changed how Americans lived and what
they ate. Once tons of apples were able to be quickly shipped by
for weeks and train or truck, not as many people needed to grow apples.
sold the best.
Ah, these little guys This is our nursery — the place where plants and
look like they just trees are grown to later be planted somewhere else.
sprouted from seeds. It's lovely.

21
 David makes a detailed map of every orchard he visits. He
draws a circle for each tree and records its latitude and
longitude. Then he takes notes on the tree’s size, health,
and fruit.

thought to be extinct or lost forever.

But are they really gone?
David Benscoter and other apple
detectives are searching all over the
country for the lost varieties. Much
of his work uses the same skills that
Nurseries stopped selling the other David learned at the FBI, including lots
varieties, and farmers stopped planting of research. He examines old maps,
them. The old trees died, or were newspapers, and nursery catalogs to
chopped down, or were abandoned. learn what varieties were once sold in
From the 17,000 varieties once which areas. He studies old paintings
available in North America, only to see what the apples looked like on
4,500 remain today. The rest are the outside and the inside. He reads
When David discovers a tree that he believes to be a lost variety, he carefully selects the best apples to test.
Then he puts them in bags and labels the bags with the tree’s exact location and the date the fruit was picked.

Have a taste, and judge for yourselves.

These apples here aren't
quite ready to harvest. Don't mind if we do. It has a nice crunch
But they are close. Thank you. in my mouth.

22
 old descriptions to learn how big they were,
when they ripened, how they tasted, and
other characteristics. Then he explores
orchards all over eastern Washington,
checking every tree. He looks at the fruit’s
size and skin. He bites into it to test the
ripeness because knowing when the apple
ripens is an identifying factor. He savors the
taste, deciding whether the apple is sweet
or sour and firm or soft. The tasting is his
favorite part.
When David bites into his newly
discovered apple, the sweet-tart taste matches
his notes about the Arkansas Beauty: crisp,
tender, juicy, mild subacid. It matches in other
ways, too. It’s ripe in the correct season, and
it looks like the apples in the old paintings.
But David can’t make the official iden-
tification himself. Instead, he picks several
apples, photographs them, records where they David prepares his samples to mail out for expert identification.
Then the apples are inspected by Shaun Shepherd, head of
grow, and mails them to experts in Oregon. the Apple ID Team at the Temperate Orchard Conservancy
These experts check more than fifty features lab in Molalla, Oregon.
of the apple, such as the flavor, shape, years before the tree produces
skin color, color of the flesh inside, and the new apples, which he picks and
structure of the core. The Oregon experts sends to a fellow apple detective
reply a few months later: this apple appears in Maine. The detective tests
to be an Arkansas Beauty, but David should the apple and writes back. It is
get another opinion. David must wait two officially an Arkansas Beauty.
Not too sweet, with a Definitely subacid — a little sour in taste. Any thoughts, Bill?
sharp, tart finish.
Tastes like an apple.

23
 was thought to have died out, the
variety has returned home.
In the meantime, David has found
twenty-nine more lost apple varieties,
including the Nero, which produces
dark-red, round apples, and the
Dickinson, which produces deep-red
David attaches cuttings from rare old varieties onto young
rootstock. The baby trees heal for a few months before they’re
apples with white
ready to be replanted in new places. flesh. He’s also
Now David works to preserve the learned of more
historic variety. He can’t just collect varieties that were
seeds. Since each apple seed is created once sold in local
when a flower on its tree gets pollen nurseries but are
from different kinds of apple trees, now thought to be
each seed is unique. None of them extinct. Somewhere, one of those
will grow into an Arkansas Beauty. trees might still be alive.
Instead, David clips branches from So David keeps searching.
the original Arkansas Beauty tree and
grafts them onto new roots, creating
plants that will grow into Arkansas
Beauty trees. He sends these to nurseries
and historic orchards. He shares samples
with plant scientists, who want to study
how the old trees survived droughts
and insect damage. He’s even sent a
young tree to Arkansas for a young man
David and his team of volunteers at The Lost Apple Project
to plant as an Eagle Scout project. race to track down and bring back treasured tree varieties
Decades after the last Arkansas Beauty before it’s too late.
But how do you See how my Bee sister there
E xcellent question, Sam!
grow different grafts — joins a twig or bud with
types of apples a different plant, so the two
on the same tree? grow together into one plant.

24
Apple-Picking Time
by Deb Baker
Art by Tord Nygren
Fall is apple-picking time.
We go pick a bunch.
Mama sings the whole way there
and brings a picnic lunch.
We laugh and play among the trees
and watch the clouds go by.
We listen to the autumn breeze
and dream of apple pie.
Picking sweet and picking tart,
picking large and small,
we fill a basket, then a crate—
and soon we’ve filled them all!

25
 Apple
Day

I T’S APPLE DAY! Molly thinks as she wakes one

morning. A cool breeze tumbles down from the mountains,
skims parched yellow grass, threads through town, and
chills her toes.
“Apple Day, Noah!” The big yellow dog sleeping on
the floor perks up his ears. Noah loves Apple Days.
Downstairs, the sauce bowl gleams on the kitchen table.
Dad hauls the big blackened pot out of the basement.
Then he hands Molly a basket and chooses a wooden crate
for himself.
“Pick enough so we can share our sauce this year!” Mom
calls from the door.
Ms. Mariposa, Arana
~ and
How wonderful! Listen up, everyone. Sonya and
I have written our poem
Would you read it? Arana
~ have a poem for us.
together already.
We were inspired.
by Kimberly Long Cockroft
Art by Mélanie Grandgirard
26
 Outside, the ground smells spicy.
Molly’s and Dad’s boots dent a carpet of
wet leaves. The apple orchard is a short
walk away, over a field of goldenrod,
under an old wooden fence. Molly
knows the way well; she has walked to
the orchard since she could carry only
a small basket.
Long ago, when the mountains
looked down on a bare, quiet valley,
her grandparents planted tiny saplings
in a newly cleared field. Now the valley
holds a bustling town, and the trees in
the orchard reach high above Dad’s
head. Dad and his two sisters each built
a house on the edge of the orchard.
Sometimes the trees bow and bend
with Molly’s little cousins, but this
early morning, Molly sees only spiders
weaving dewy webs between branches.
On early mornings like this, it
seems the orchard has been waiting
just for her. Apples cluster on branches,
gleaming in the sun. “Macs,” Dad calls
them, but Molly knows the full name
is “McIntosh.” She imagines each
apple as a plump Scottish man with a
shiny red belly.
Amongst the blowing goldenrod —
plants with many small yellow flowers — W here many grafted saplings —
a magic garden in a tree another word for baby trees —
above the meadow towers. have sunlight on them dappling
drops of gold on new green leaves.

27
 Sunlight filters through the
branches, dappling Molly’s hands as
she twists each stem. She is careful
to pick only the best apples.
Every year, her family’s applesauce
is the best in Montana—well, almost
the best. Last year, their jar of special
McIntosh applesauce won the red
ribbon at the state fair.
There’s just something missing
from our sauce, Molly muses as she
picks. If only they could figure out
Bravo! E xcellent
use of the word Well, what do you
dappling — marking think, Spider?
with tiny spots!
28
what it is, they might win the blue
ribbon this year. Molly strains for
an apple just out of reach and—
CRASH—tumbles, dizzy, to the
ground. It feels like a bobcat has
wrapped his paws around her legs.
But it’s not a bobcat. It’s Sam,
her messy little cousin who lives
next door.
“Molly, I came to pick apples,
too!” He waves an old, battered
purse above his head.
Look out, everybuggy! I feel a
You got a real really big wind coming on!
poem there. Yep,
that's a poem. Ugh! Not another poem.
 Sam’s mom waves from the edge
of the orchard, her hair still in
curlers. Dad waves back and calls,
“We’ll watch him this morning!”
“Yahoo!” Sam cheers, pulling
Noah’s ears. Noah doesn’t mind.
But Molly does.
“Go pick apples over there,”
Molly snaps. She points to an
ancient, twisted apple tree. Nobody
knows what kinds of apples it grows,
but they are tiny and too tart to
eat.
Sam doesn’t care. He fills his
mom’s old purse with them, then
stuffs his raincoat pockets full, too.
I mean the kind of gust that causes
windfalls — things, such as fruit, blown
to the ground by the wind!
Mushrooms, too?
Molly asks Dad for the fruit picker,
a long pole with a wire basket at the
end. She pushes the fruit picker into
the trees and nudges the apples from
their branches.
Noah sniffs and gnaws on
windfalls, bruised and tunneled by
worms. Sam scoops up the rotten
apples and tosses them into the air,
and Noah runs about in the apple
rain, barking.
Then Dad calls, “Time to sauce!”
Sam lifts up his bulging purse. “I
picked a bunch!”
Molly sighs. She hopes Sam will
stay out of the way.
Everybuggy! Grab onto
something, quick! C'mon, Arana.
~ Estoy contigo!
!
We spiders I'm with you!
got this!
29
 At home, Dad cinches the iron
clamps of the applesauce mill to the
table while Molly rinses the apples.
“They’re beauties,” Mom says, and
Molly smiles with pride. Then into
the big pot on the stove they go.
Suddenly, before she can stop
him, Sam shakes the purse of tiny
sour apples into the pot, too.
“No!” Molly cries, reaching into
the pot to pull out Sam’s apples.
“It’s OK,” Dad chuckles. “I know
a secret about good applesauce.”
Molly steps back to let Dad light
the stove. “What about the state fair?”
Moi? I'm swinging
free and easy.
Wow, this spider web
line really cinches —
tightly holds in place.
30
“Don’t worry,” Dad says. “I don’t
think you’ll be disappointed.”
Molly isn’t so sure.
While the apples soften in the
pot, filling the kitchen with sweet
steam, Sam bangs on the empty bowl
with a spoon and belts out a song
about Apple Day.
Noah doesn’t mind. He drowses
in the sugary warmth. Mom only
smiles as she stirs the simmering
pot. Dad hums along as he scoops
hot, mushy apples into the top of
the mill. But Molly clamps her
hands over her ears. Apple Day is
I have my poem ready, Please delight us, Spider.
You're welcome. Ms. Mariposa!
 supposed to be a quiet day. It is not
a loud-little-cousin day.
Molly and Dad take turns cranking
the handle, smashing the apples into
sauce. Sam tries, too, but it is too
hard for him. The sauce slips down
into the bowl, golden and smooth.
A pile of seeds and skin slip out the
back of the mill, and Molly empties
them onto the compost heap, a treat
for the bees.
Finally, all the apples, even Sam’s
tiny tart ones, have been made into
a huge bowl of applesauce. Dad holds
the spoon to Molly’s lips.
T he strong winds blew. Poor Bill got scared
and knew he had to leap.
Saved by my web, he drowses there.
He almost falls asleep.
Molly screws up her mouth. She
sticks out her tongue to taste just a
little. Then she gobbles the whole
bite. “Wow!”
Dad’s eyes twinkle. “The secret to
really good sauce is making it from
different kinds of apples.” He ruffles
Sam’s hair. “We may even have a
chance at that blue ribbon this year.”
“Who would have known that
you had the missing ingredient?”
Molly asks her cousin.
Sam grins, licking sauce from his
fingers. “I love Apple Day!”
Molly smiles. “Me, too, Sam.”
Stop. Just stop.
31
Powerful Storm

Sally Genevieve S., age 8 Rustin S., age 7 Dhruva C., age 11 Rosalie D., age 9
Tucson, Arizona North Vancouver, British Columbia, Ahmedabad, India Chantilly, Virginia
Canada

Cecilia L. Bulcher, age 7 Cora L., age 5 James H., age 10 Zadie B., age 8
Junction City, Wisconsin Hollis, New Hampshire Chesterfield, Missouri Salt Lake City, Utah

Hi, Spider!
Can you adopt Belle and Beatrier? I want to be your assistant, so I can
They are mermicats. They only eat
candy and drink rare gem water.
Sophia Mastroluca, age 6 Octavian, age 7
Westbrook, Maine New York, New York

Dear Everybuggy,
¡Hola! How are you? Spider and Araña, How kind of you to offer. We’d love to
what are some of your favorite books? I receive ideas from you and from any other
like Harry Potter, Stepping Stones, and readers. Send away! We’ll be keeping an eye
Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms. on our mailbox.
Thistle, what is your favorite color? My Gratefully,
Spider

Dear Thistle,
You are soooo cute and funny. Will you
adopt my dinosaur? His name is Will. He is a
baby. He is in his egg. Please keep him warm.
His favorite foods are apples and pizza.
Flannery Eastburn, age 6
¡Hola, Esther! Shoreview, Minnesota
Spider likes
I like Esperanza Rising,
purple.
Adios,
Araña
32
 30th Help S
pid
a anni e
Simeon P., age 8 Emma G., age 8 Her birthd versary r maga
Omaha, Nebraska Wading River, New York 1. are te a y pa nex zine
rt ty ce
2. our s e only y with ear! W lebrat
Y h
Electrical Power Line You tory rul Spi rite e ou
der a
gua r entry shoul es: and story r
rdia mu d b the abou
3. and/or n, aut st be e 150 gan
g.
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Be
sur online horizin signed words
4. and ad to inc and s g its p by a p or few
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You dre a u a e
s lude y ying i blicat rent o r.
We r entry s. our t’s y ion r le
ann will pu must com our
plet own print l
in ga
Em iver blis arriv e
ail y sary h o e nam idea
our issu ur fav by Sep e, a .
entr e of orit tem ge,
y to S e
pid s in t er 2 b
spi er. he J 5, 2
der anu 023.
Natalie L., age 7 Brendan S., age 9 @c ary
rick 202
Sterling, Virginia Rapid City, South Dakota etm 4
A Very Rainy Day edi
a.c
om
, or
Dear Everybuggy, Dear Spider,
I just started reading your magazines. I
love them! The stories are humorous and
creative at the same time. I think it is very Dear Spider’s Corner,
thoughtful of you to try to make kids use chocolate cake. Thank you for setting up a drawing
their imagination to make some creative Carlee, age 7 contest for any age. It feels like I’m having
drawings and letters. What are your favorite Ada, Oklahoma the best time of my life!
habitats? Have you gone to Yellowstone Adela C. S.
National Park? Egg Harbor, Wisconsin
Could you please take Kateri for a night? Dear Everybuggy,
I need some quiet time. Thank you soooo Ophelia, what is your favorite story? I Dear Everybuggy,
much! really like the comics at the bottom of the
Helena Hubert, age 12 pages. Spider, will you please adopt my
Yellowstone National Park,
Wyoming Give them belly scratches every
P.S. Kateri is related to ospreys, with meatballs.
so she likes to eat fish. Greta, age 7 Helen Summers
Birmingham, Alabama
Dear Helena,
My favorite habitats are meadows and Dear Greta,
orchards with yummy apples. We had fun I find a new favorite story in every new Send your letters to
seeing Old Faithful at Yellowstone National magazine. We’ll take good care of Luna. Spider’s Mailbox
Park. Thank you. P.O. Box 300
Ciao, Love, Peru, IL 61354
Spider Ophelia Please write your complete name, age, and address
on your letter! You can also send us mail
at spider@cricketmedia.com.
33
 ,
OPHELI A S LAST WORD
Teeny Tree Glee
THIS ARTFUL APPLE tree is much too tiny to give you shade.
But it’s just the right size to brighten your room.

What You’ll Need: scissors

large sheet of green
brown paper school glue tissue paper
lunch bag

big rock
small red
pom poms

What to Do:
1. Cut 8 vertical slits around the bag’s top. Each should be about 4 inches long.
2. Put the rock in the bottom of the bag. Twist the bag’s uncut middle to
form a tree trunk.
3. Separately twist each snipped strip to make branches. Put glue on the
branches.
4. Loosely crumple the tissue paper into a ball.
5. Set the ball on the sticky branches. Wrap your hand around the outside
of the branches and squeeze them against the ball. Hold for 5 full minutes
while the glue dries.
6. Gently push down the branches. Then pull up and puff out the tissue
paper to shape your treetop.
7. Glue pom poms onto your dainty apple tree.

e,
L ov lia
e
Oph
34
 Buggy Bulletin Q. How do you make a squirrel
giggle and roll its eyes?
Sneaky A. Tell acorn-y joke.
Squirrels Send your favorite jokes to
Answers to If a squirrel is being watched by other squirrels or birds,
spider@cricketmedia.com!
Apple Dabble often the squirrel will trick the plotting food thieves. The
Mind-Buggler squirrel digs a hole, pretends to put a nut in, and then covers up
the empty hole, while keeping the real nut hidden in its mouth.
Then the sly squirrel scampers off to bury its tasty treasure
somewhere secret. Even with such brainy bluffs, a squirrel
still gets one nut stolen out of every four it buries. Answers to
Dessert Disaster
bike = bake
mark = park
bug = big
rust = rest
boom = room
sew = saw
wham = what
a pie rat

PSST! Hey, parents and teachers!

Did you know we offer
family-friendly teacher
guides that will grow
the learning and extend
the fun?
find:
guide, you’ll
Inside each
on Questions
• Conversati This looks like a
Activities good one!
• Vocabulary
Projects
• Extension
Resources
• Printablee!
and mor

Download your FREE PDF guides at cricketmedia.com/teacher-guides.

A magazine for every age and interest!

Learn more and subscribe at
shop.cricketmedia.com.

35
 ✁
Answer Grid
the squirrel none only crow

because night on top foot acorns

just the grow words eats on

of exactly in the the how

tenth skunk oak trees stars squirrel’s

nine daylight head many nuts chipmunk

✁

Secret Decoder

✁
✁ ✁

✁
 Bushy-Tailed Brainteasers
by Gumshoe Cashew | Art by Secret Agent Square Earl
THESE SQUIRRELLY STUMPERS might drive you nuts, but the answers are
hidden in plain sight. Use your secret decoder to see if you’re right.

What You’ll Need:

scissors
a clever mind

What to Do:
1. Cut out the answer grid and the secret decoder along the dotted lines. Don’t forget
to carefully cut out the square and the rectangle on the inside of the secret decoder.
2. Read riddle #1 below. Try to solve it.
3. To check your answer, set your secret decoder on the answer grid by placing the
secret decoder’s #1 acorn on top of the answer grid’s acorn.
4. Read the uncovered words from left to right starting at the top and working your
way down the grid.
5. Try to figure out riddle #2. To see the solution, rotate the secret decoder to line up
the #2 acorn on top of the answer grid’s acorn.
6. Continue with riddles #3 and #4.

Crack these nutty riddles!

An old squirrel, a young chipmunk, a fast skunk, and a slow crow are in a maple
tree. Which animal collects the most acorns from the tree?

A storm has knocked out all the power in the whole neighborhood. There are no
streetlights or house lights on. There is not a full moon. No cars drive by to shine
their headlights onto the solid black bird feeder. Still, a crafty squirrel easily sees
the bird feeder and eats her fill. How?

Ten squirrels stand facing each other in a perfect circle in an open field with no
trees. Nine squirrels see a walnut. The tenth does not. Where is the walnut?

A bold squirrel brags to a sly fox, “You’ll never believe how many nuts I have hidden
in my burrow!” Without looking in the burrow, the fox replies, “If I can write on this
piece of paper exactly how many nuts, you must give me all your food. If I can’t, I’ll
double what you have.” The squirrel eagerly agrees to the bet and loses all his food.
What did the fox write?

continued on back
Secret Code Maker Mode
The fun doesn’t have to stop once you’ve cracked the code. Use the blank bonus
grid on the back of the answer grid to write your friend a secret message.

What You’ll Need:

pencil

What to Do:
1. Line up the secret decoder’s #1 acorn with the grid’s acorn. Write one word of
your message in each uncovered box.
2. Rotate the secret decoder to line up the #2 acorn, and continue your message.
3. Keep rotating and writing.
4. Once you’ve filled in the boxes for all four sides of the secret decoder, write
silly words that are NOT part of your message in the remaining blank boxes.
5. Give your friend the grid, the secret decoder, and maybe a clue or two.
 SONYa ’s
Mind-Buggler
Apple
Dabble f
w line s around groups o
D ra up
pples. No gro
six different a or contain
p
should overla nya has
So
repeat apples. u
u s to get yo
p
September 2023 Volume 30 Number 7 cricketmedia.com $6.95 found four gro e rest of the
th
started. Group e grid.
apples in th

Art by Gran E. Smith

Answers on page 35