"Of course he married Lelie, and had a patent for making this wonderful dish, and was created Lord Marquis of Apple-butter and Duke of Dumplings, and lived merrily all his days."
"That's a good story," cried the spiders.
"Glad you like it," said Fuz-Buz. "Now if you please I will sleep, as I am tired."
In this pleasant way the days went by until Fuz-buz had told them nine hundred and ninety-nine stories.
On this last evening he overheard the spiders talking as he lay tied by the leg in a deep dark crack of the apple tree where he slept.
"My children," said the old spider, "After Fuz-Buz has told us one more story we will eat him. It will be best to wait until after dark, and then seize him on a sudden and kill him; for he is a very strong fly, and may give me trouble."
They all agreed to this excepting the youngest, who said it would be a shame to serve him so, and that they ought to let him go.
But Mrs. Grabem replied, "You know nothing of house-keeping my dear. Go to sleep and hold your tongue."
When Fuz-Buz overheard all this he was scared to death. All next day he was so sick that he could not even tell the shortest story.