Howitt, Mary -- Poem (1828), “The Spider and the Fly,” st. 1, The New Year’s Gift and Juvenile Souvenir [ed. Mrs. Alaric Watts]

Dave — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 17:03:45 +0000

“Will you walk into my parlour?” said a spider to a fly:
“‘Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy.”

Mary Howitt (1799-1888) English poet
Poem (1828), “The Spider and the Fly,” st. 1, The New Year’s Gift and Juvenile Souvenir [ed. Mrs. Alaric Watts]
(Source)

Variant: “Step into my parlor, said the spider to the fly …”

The poem has been parodied frequently, including by Lewis Carroll's "Mock Turtle's Song." More information about this poem here.

WIST Quotations

Howitt, Mary -- Poem (1828), “The Spider and the Fly,” st. 1, The New Year’s Gift and Juvenile Souvenir [ed. Mrs. Alaric Watts]