An ancient Christmas tradition of beauty and blessing is upheld by a brave little girl and a family of spiders.
PITCH
Eleven-year-old Betsy Lobb is ordered to kill her pet spiders, so they will not disturb the Christmas Eve party. But the spiders tell her they must decorate the Christmas tree with their webs so the Christ Child will come and turn them into silver tinsel and grant the spiders another year of life. Betsy dares her parents’ disapproval and threats to the spiders, brings them in to the snobby party, and is thrilled—as are all the guests—to see a small child miraculously appear and turn the artful webs into shiny tinsel. Betsy’s heart is merry as this Christmas blessing brings life and beauty, and she wishes it could happen for everyone on earth.
SYNOPSIS
On Christmas Eve, 11-year-old Betsy Lobb’s mother tells her
to kill the pet spiders she had befriended out in the fields after admiring
their work. Betsy brought them home to the Lobb’s three-story mansion, but her
mother doesn’t want Christmas Eve party guests covered in spider webs. And if
Betsy doesn’t kill them, the mother will get her dad to do it. Betsy gathers
the spider family in her pockets and takes them to the attic, telling them to
hide in the rafters until the party is over.
Tarantola the spider informs Betsy
that he and his family must trim the Christmas tree with webs before midnight
when the Christ Child comes and touches spider webs on Christmas trees, turning
them into silver tinsel. When the Christ Child does this, he promises the
spiders will live another year. Tarantola says that if he doesn’t give his gift
to the Christ Child, he’ll surely die in the winter’s frost, and so will his
family. Betsy agrees and goes back down to the party, leaving the spiders to
spin in the attic. At the party, guests dance around the
brightly decorated 12-foot tree, enjoying carols and trays full of Christmas
pies and three-layered chocolate cakes. Betsy eats crab dip with sourdough
bread, even making her way to the punch bowl a time or two. Glad the spiders
are gone, Mr. and Mrs. Lobb entertain their noble guests, shushing Betsy,
making her feel like the spiders are her only real friends.
It’s half-past eleven and soon the Christ
Child will come. One kind guest encourages Betsy, assuring her that the Christ
Child really does come at midnight. Betsy runs up to the attic and is thrilled
to find it filled with beautifully cast webs. But with only five minutes until
midnight—and fearing the death of her spider friends—she gathers Tarantola and
his family into her dress pockets, runs down the stairs, and hurries past
guests to the tree.
The spiders scurry up and down the
Christmas tree spinning webs. Just as guests begin to scream about the spiders,
the grandfather clock strikes midnight and bright starlight shines through the
dark window. The entire room gasps as a small child appears next to the tree,
admiring the webs artfully cast across the tall evergreen. Betsy asks the
Christ Child to bless the Christmas tree. As he touches the webs, they
transform into shining silver tinsel. Then the Child disappears in the
starlight. Before anyone finds Tarantola, Betsy shuffles him and his spider
family back into her dress pockets. Although the others aren’t quite sure what
had happened, silver tinsel shines on the evergreen. Betsy’s heart is merry in
knowing that the Christ Child has taken every tangled spider web and made it
beautiful. Now if only that could happen for each person on the Earth at
Christmas.
Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters
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