The Brownie and the Wishing Spider

By Philip Steiner, Illustrated by Allida Pagé Neilly, Published In Stittsville Ontario

A charming and beautifully illustrated story about Brynn, a young forest brownie who makes a magical wish to turn all spiders into flowers because she does not like creepy crawlies. As a result, the rest of the natural world becomes out of balance. Brownies are small and magical people who take care of all living things in the forests. Brynn loved helping her father as he healed sick plants and moved baby trees to better growing places. But there is one thing that Brynn really did not like: bugs! They were everywhere: under leaves, in flowers, flying in the air and digging in the ground.  When Brynn's father sent her to collect seeds, the little brownie was afraid of facing insects. Suddenly, she met a magic spider who granted her three wishes, the first of which she used to change all spiders into flowers. When she used her other two wishes she changed the ecological balance in the environment and her beloved forest, as she knew it, disappeared ...

An enchanting tale about caring for nature and realising that even things we do not like, such as spiders, have a special purpose. So, if we wish away all things we dislike, even spiders, then life itself will not be as it is meant to be.

REVIEWS & COMMENTS

"A lesson in humility, in gratitude, in appreciation, in respect for nature, in the power of tears, all rolled into one. Wishful thinking at its well-woven best."

"A wonderful fable about a little brownie who is afraid of spiders. When granted these wishes, she chooses to get rid of all the insects and turn them into flowers with unforseen consequences. It is through this experience that she learns the true meaning of the importance of all animals, big and small, in the chain of life."