“Did he kill all of Mister Blue Bottle’s family?” asked Mary Van.
“Dey wusn’t er one uv ’em lef’, honey, not eb’n Miss Blue Bot’le’s baby gal, an’ nobody dunno de money Grab-All make on de fly trade dat winter nuth’r.”
“Mammy Phyllis, are all spiders kin to Grab-All?”
“Dey’s all kin, but dey ain’t all got de same name, ’caze yer see all uv ’em ain’t got de same slicknes’ ter git way wid fokes like Grab-All do,” she explained.
“Did Mister Grab-All give the other spiders some of Mister Blue Bottle’s children to eat?” asked Mary Van, by way of suggestive generosity.
“Nor, suh, Grab-All say he ain’ got no pockit book kin—he say he need all he got, an’ mo’ b’sides.” Then she added: “But dey doan need Grab-All ter give ’em nuthin’ ’caze none uv ’em wus po’—all uv ’em got nuf spid’r web in ’em ter swing erlong ’dout trackin’ up der biznes’.”
She reached out to steady the hammock as Willis scrambled out.
“Mammy,” he exclaimed, “Captain Yellow Jacket and Captain Hornet didn’t get a thing.”
“Nor, suh,” said Phyllis, lifting Mary Van to the ground, “an’ nobody nev’r do git nuthin’ dat keeps der senses in der fistes ’stid er der haids—Ketch Ma’y Van by de uth’r han’ an’ come on.”