Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 October 1900 — Frederick the Great and the Spider. [ARTICLE]

Frederick the Great and the Spider.

A well-known legend of the Emperor Frederick the Great was that he would never let a spider be killed if he could help it. The origin of his affection for these Insects was said to be as follows: The Emperor was accustomed to drink a cup of ehodolate every morning, which was brought to him in his room. One day, Frederick was engaged longer than usual at his writing-table, the chocolate meantime remaining untouched; and when, later on, the monarch went to drink i*, he discovered that a large spider had let itself down from the ceiling and dropped into the cup. Not wishing to share IHs meal with the spider, Frederick poured the chocolate into the saucer and gave it to a couple of his greyhounds. The dogs drank it up, and In a very few minutes were both seized with convulsive pains. They both got rapidly worse and died with every symptom of poisoning. Frederick ordered the arrest of the French cook, but before the man could be captured, he committed suicide.