Baby spider wanted to go into space to see the moon and stars, but he didn’t have a rocket to take him there. The Fourth of July parade had come and gone, and now the “rockets” came out.

            Baby spider was so excited. He climbed onto one of the “rockets”. It was a pretty gold and purple one with an orange nose and a string hanging out the back. He couldn’t read the words on the “rocket”, but he heard someone say that the “rocket’s”  name was Spitfire.

            Spitfire’s team of other “rockets” was getting prepped for launch too. They all slid into their tubes and waited. Baby spider hung on tight to Spitfire and waited eagerly. Darkness came, and then he saw the big white moon high in the sky. The stars twinkled happily, inviting him to come see them. There was a loud blast of the engine and Spitfire shot off into the air. Baby spider heard lots of people shouting and cheering below him as he sped toward the sky.

            “They’re cheering for me!” he thought. “I’ll be the first spider in space!”

            But baby spider couldn’t keep his web stuck to the “rocket”. He slipped off as Spitfire  sped toward space without him. Slinging out his small parachute, baby spider floated back toward earth. Tears welled up in all eight of his tiny eyes as he watched Spitfire go.

            Then BOOM! The “rocket” exploded into a shower of purple and gold sparkles that hung in the air around him like glistening stars, and then fluttered downward, and then disappeared. The crowds cheered even louder than before.

            Baby spider’s eyes grew round, and he stopped crying. He was confused. “What kind of rocket was that?” he thought.

THE END