competition on the wall is dreadful, and the flies are
getting wiser and timider every season. Have you got
a wife yourself, now?"

"I have not," said the ass; "I wish I had."

"You like your wife for the first while," said the
spider, "and after that you hate her."

"If I had the first while I'd chance the second while,"
replied the ass.

"It's bachelor's talk," said the spider; "all the same,
we can't keep away from them," and so saying he began
to move all his legs at once in the direction of the wall.
"You can only die once," said he.

"If your wife was an ass she wouldn't eat you," said
the ass.

"She'd be doing something else then," replied the
spider, and he climbed up the wall.

The first man came back with the can of water and
they sat down on the grass and ate the cake and drank
the water. All the time the woman kept her eyes fixed
on the Philosopher.

"Mister Honey," said she, "I think you met us just
at the right moment."