In a small hut at the edge of a village, there once lived a man and a woman and their many children. They were as poor as could be, but they still lived together as a family.

In a small hut at the edge of a village, there once lived a man and a woman and their many children. They were as poor as could be, but they still lived together as a family.

Times were hard and food was unusually scarce, so they often went to bed hungry. One year, as Christmas approached, the family prepared as best they could for the event. There was little food, but the mother was still able to provide a Christmas Eve supper.

The whole family had gone to the forest and found a pretty little tree that they set up as a yalynka, a Ukrainian Christmas tree. As they had no money for the traditional decorations, such as nuts covered with foil, paper chains, candles and special cookies, the younger children tied onto the tree a few scraps of cloth and ribbon they had saved all year.

Even though they were poor, they still had faith that things would turn out for the best, and the tree was a symbol of their faith.

That night, the parents lay in bed thinking about the happy Christmases they had known as children. They felt sorry that they could not afford to do more for their children.

Living in the house was a small spider which the family had not even noticed. As nobody had ever threatened her and she felt perfectly safe in the house, she thought that she would do what she could to help the family celebrate Christmas.

The little spider set to work and spun a fine web all over the tree, finishing just as dawn broke. The bright sun streamed in through the window and lit up the web so that it shone like it was made of silver.

The children woke first, as children do on Christmas Day. Soon the house was filled with excited shouts of joy and wonder. The parents came to the tree and found that it had become the most beautiful thing they had ever seen.

From that day forth, people have respected spiders as creatures that God made, and they are left in peace wherever they may spin their webs.