SPIDER. Ha, none of those horrid two-legged creatures about, I am glad to say. I should be ashamed to have so few legs. Now, let me see. Where shall I start my spinning? [_Sits on tuffet and looks round._] That bough, I think, would be best ... it's just the right kind of day--not too shiny, nor too damp. Just the sort of day for a fly not to see a web. [_Looks round._] Perhaps I'd better look round and see if there's a better place. Dear me, now there's a bluebottle gone swaggering past. If I'd had the web ready he'd have blundered straight into it. Fat blue thing! These winged creatures _are_ so stupid sometimes. Well, I mustn't lose any more time. [_Goes out R._
[_Enter NURSE, pushing pram in which the baby is supposed to be; MUFFET following, carrying a bowl very carefully and a spoon._
NURSE. Now, Miss Muffet, you had better sit down and eat your curds and whey or you'll be splashing it down your frock. Suppose you sit on that tuffet and eat it while I walk the baby about.
MUFFET. Is that called a tuffet? What a nice name!
NURSE. Yes, it's called a tuffet because that's where people sit to eat curds and whey.
MUFFET. Oh, I'll sit there then. [_Establishes herself carefully._] Now I'll pretend I'm on a desert island, Nurse, and you go away.
NURSE [_smiling_]. Very well. I leave you to the savages. Good-bye.
MUFFET. You won't really go away, will you? You'll only pretend?
MUFFET. I always think it's so much nicer to pretend.
[_NURSE goes off R. MUFFET goes on eating her curds and whey. SPIDER comes in L. with coil of string. SPIDER, before seeing MUFFET, looks up at bough._
SPIDER. No, this is the best place, I'm sure.
[_Sees MUFFET, who has nearly eaten her curds. She looks up and sees him, and cries out._
MUFFET. Oh! Oh! Oh! Nurse! Nurse! Here's an enormous spider!
SPIDER. You are very rude--that's worse than being enormous.
MUFFET [_looking frightened_]. I'm very sorry--I didn't mean to be rude.
SPIDER [_mollified_]. And I didn't mean to be enormous. But I was born so.
MUFFET. Nurse! Nurse! [_She begins crying._
SPIDER. What's the matter, little Two-legs?
[_Sits down by her on the tuffet. MISS MUFFET puts down the curds and whey and rushes in to meet NURSE coming in L. with baby._