José had just dozed off on the leafy peak of the tallest tree when "KABOOM!" The sound echoed through City Park. The vibration from the explosion started the fly bouncing from one leaf to another, down, down, down the tree. "What…" José asked, thumping from leaf to leaf. "Was…" this time landing on his back, "That?" he finished plunging toward the ground.

José found himself stuck in the middle of a large spider web. He turned his head to look around while trying not to make the web move at all. Then José realized this was his friend Cindy's web. He knew that any minute now she would come running from her hiding place to see what delicious meal had dropped into her stringy trap.

José and Cindy have been friends forever. In fact, Cindy is much older than José. She knew José's father, grandfather and great-grandfather. So on a regular basis José makes fun of Cindy's age by calling her names like "Grandma Cindy" or "Grannie" for short. And Cindy responds with her own nicknames for José, such as "Junior" or "Little José."

"What wonderful treat has arrived?" Cindy came skipping across the web. José envied her ability to glide across her web, without getting stuck. "Hey Cindygrams, it's just me," José announced, quite proud of his newest name for her.

"Oh José, when are you going to learn to stay out of my web?" Cindy teased. "It's a good thing we're both insect buddies, or who knows what might have happened!"

"Uh, yeah Cindy… that's right… insect buddies. That's what we both are." José said nervously. Of course, every insect in City Park knows that spiders aren't insects, but José decided long ago that he didn't want to ruin the deal they had together. Cindy doesn't eat him whenever he gets stuck in her web. In return, José tells Cindy about the discoveries he finds from his adventures around the park.

"Hey Cindy, did you hear that loud noise?" Matty yelled from another branch. Matty always sneaks up on all of the other insects, in a way that only a praying mantis can. He blends in with the green parts of the tree and most of the time nobody can see him.

"Who said that?" José asked, just as Matty jumped to a closer branch. He had a big, creepy grin, which wasn't at all friendly but was usually the only way José could spot him! José suddenly felt a little vulnerable laying flat on his back in the sticky web.

"Hey José, what's up?" Matty asked. "Or should I say, 'What's down,' besides you?" Matty leaned his crooked green arm against the tree and threw his head back as he laughed at his own joke.

"You're so funny," José replied, even though he really didn't think Matty was funny at all. "Actually, I was just
getting ready to go investigate the noise, but I decided to drop in and visit my old friend Cindy. "

"I think the noise was probably a tree falling over," Matty guessed, slowly creeping toward the web.
"It sounded more like an explosion to me," Cindy offered, helping José get loose from her trap. She could tell that Matty was looking to pick a fight, and battles with a Mantis don't usually end well for the other insect.

"Remember those trucks we saw at the edge of the park yesterday?" José asked. "Maybe it has
something to do with those." He tried to sound calm as he watched Matty inch his way right up to the edge of Cindy's web.

"Oh, you might be right," Cindy said, suddenly very interested. "OK, now you're free Junior. Go find out what's going on!" José jumped in the air to fly away just as he realized that his wings were still a little sticky, and he again tumbled toward the ground.

(To be continued...)

Written by Cathy Sewell, Illustrated by Blaise Sewell. Donated by The Curriculum Closet (www.curriculumcloset.com)