Once upon a time, there was a little spider named Oliver. He lived among the leaves of a raspberry bush at the edge of a garden. He wasn't just any spider – he was the most curious spider in the entire area.
"Mom," Oliver asked his mother one day as she was finishing a beautiful web, "why do some webs withstand even strong winds, while others tear when even a small fly lands on them?"
Mama Spider smiled. "That depends on many things, Oliver. On the number of threads, on how tightly you weave them, and also on where we place the web."
Oliver thought for a moment. "And how many threads exactly do I need for the strongest web?"
"That's a good question," nodded his mother. "Why don't you find out yourself? You're big enough now to build your own webs."
Oliver jumped excitedly. Finally, he could try his own ideas!
Early the next morning, Oliver got to work. He decided to try different types of webs to see which would be the strongest.
"I'll start with the simplest one," he said to himself. He stretched just five threads into a circle and connected them with a few cross threads.
"Done!" he exclaimed contentedly and waited to see what would happen.
It wasn't long before a small fly flew into his web. The web sagged under its weight but didn't break apart.
"It works!" Oliver rejoiced. But when a gentle breeze came, his simple web tore and the fly flew away.
"Hmm," Oliver mumbled under his feelers. "It seems that five threads aren't enough. I'll try more!"
The next day, he made a web with ten threads. This web was already stronger. It held even a bigger fly, even a small mosquito. But when a heavier dew came and water droplets caught on the web, some threads broke.
"It's still not right," Oliver sighed. "I need even more threads!"
The third day came with a big plan – he would create a web with twenty threads! All morning he pulled threads here and there, connected them into a circle, made spirals, until he was completely exhausted.
"This web must be the strongest in the world!" he said proudly.
The web was so dense that everything got caught in it – flies, mosquitoes, even a small butterfly. But Oliver noticed something strange – the web was strong but too heavy. The twigs on which it was attached began to bend.
"Oh dear," sighed Oliver. "It seems that more isn't always better."
In the evening, when he returned home, he met his best friend, the little spider Philip.
"How is your research going?" asked Philip.
"Not very well," admitted Oliver. "First, I had too few threads and the web was too weak. Then I added too many threads, but the web was too heavy and almost broke the twigs."
Philip thought for a moment. "I've heard that the old wise spider Peter knows the secret of the perfect web. He lives in the old apple tree. Maybe we could ask him."
The following morning, Oliver and Philip set off for the old apple tree. They had to walk through tall grass, go around an anthill, and float across a puddle on a leaf.
"Be careful, young spiders," suddenly croaked a voice above their heads. It was an old mole who had just stuck his head out of his burrow. "I saw where you're going. You're looking for Peter, aren't you?"
"Yes, Mr. Mole," Oliver replied politely. "We need advice on how to make the strongest web."
"Hehe," laughed the mole. "Peter will certainly advise you. But first, you must solve his riddle. Peter gives riddles to all visitors!"
Oliver and Philip looked at each other with concern. They didn't know that a riddle awaited them as well.
When they finally arrived at the old apple tree, they saw beautiful webs glistening in the morning dew. In the middle of the largest one sat the old spider Peter. He had gray feelers and eight eyes that fixed on them as soon as they approached.
"Good day, young explorers," said Peter in a deep voice. "What brings you to my apple tree?"
"Good day, wise Peter," greeted Oliver. "I'm trying to figure out how many threads I need for the strongest web. I've tried different numbers, but it's still not right."
Peter smiled. "Ah, a young scientist! But before I answer you, you must solve my riddle."
"We're ready," said Philip bravely.
"Very well," nodded Peter. "My riddle goes like this: What is stronger—a hundred thin threads or ten thick ones?"
Oliver thought about it. At first, he wanted to say that a hundred thin threads, because there are more of them. But then he remembered his heavy web with twenty threads.
"It depends on how they are arranged!" he suddenly exclaimed.
Peter raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Go on..."
"It's not just about how many threads we use, but also about how we arrange them," explained Oliver. "If the threads are arranged correctly, ten thick threads can be stronger than a hundred thin ones. But if the threads are arranged incorrectly, not even a hundred thick threads will help!"
Peter smiled broadly. "Excellent, young spider! That's exactly the right answer."
Oliver jumped with joy. "So, how many threads do I need for the strongest web?"
"It's not just about the number, Oliver," replied Peter. "It's about balance. Look at my web."
Oliver and Philip carefully examined Peter's web. It had neither too few nor too many threads. It was perfectly balanced.
"The secret of the strongest web is in balance and in the proper distribution of forces," explained Peter. "You need enough threads to hold the weight of the prey, but not too many to burden the twigs on which the web is attached."
"And how do I figure out exactly how many that is?" asked Oliver.
"You must experiment, young scientist," smiled Peter. "Try different numbers of threads and observe how the web behaves. Measure how much your prey weighs, and adjust your web accordingly."
Peter showed them what the basic construction of a web should look like—first a few support threads, then a spiral that connects them. He also explained how to recognize the most suitable place for a web—not too windy, not too sunny, but where there are enough insects flying around.
"Thank you, wise Peter," thanked Oliver. "Now I know what to do!"
When Oliver and Philip returned home, Oliver immediately began with new experiments. First, he prepared a notebook from a small leaf, on which he recorded his observations.
"Experiment number 1," he said to himself. "Eight support threads, twenty spiral ones." He created a web exactly according to Peter's instructions. When it was finished, he gently blew into it to test its resilience. The web trembled but remained intact.
"Experiment number 2," he continued the next day. "Ten support threads, fifteen spiral ones." This web was somewhat lighter but just as strong as the first one.
"Experiment number 3: Seven support threads, eighteen spiral ones." This web proved to be too weak—when a larger fly flew into it, one of the threads broke.
Oliver continued his experiments for a whole week. He tried various combinations, different places, even different types of threads—thinner and thicker.
His mother watched him with a smile. "You look like a real scientist, Oliver."
"I'm trying to figure out how many threads are needed for the strongest web," explained Oliver. "And I've found that it's not simple at all! It depends on many things."
After two weeks of experimenting, Oliver finally had a result. He discovered that for his size and the type of prey he wanted to catch, the strongest web was one with nine support threads and seventeen spiral ones. This combination withstood even stronger winds and heavier prey, yet wasn't too heavy for the twigs.
"I've got it!" he exclaimed excitedly and ran to show his mother.
"Excellent, Oliver," praised his mother. "But remember that what works here might not work everywhere. Each environment is different."
"Yes, Mom, I've found that out," nodded Oliver. "And do you know what's most interesting? That it's not just about how many threads I use, but also about how I arrange them. It's actually mathematics!"
His mother smiled. "Yes, nature is full of mathematics. And you discovered it yourself, like a real scientist."
The next day, Oliver created his most perfect web. He used exactly nine support threads and seventeen spiral ones, exactly as his experiments had shown. The web was beautiful—perfectly round, symmetrical, and incredibly strong.
Soon, other spiders from the area heard about Oliver's experiments. They began to visit him and ask for advice.
"Oliver, what web would you recommend for catching flies by the stream?" asked one.
"And what kind for catching small mosquitoes?" asked another.
Oliver gladly advised everyone. He explained that different types of webs are needed for different kinds of prey and different places. Some must be stronger, others more delicate, some larger, others smaller.
"It's not just about using as many threads as possible," explained Oliver. "It's about finding the right balance."
One day, even old Peter came to Oliver for advice. "I've heard that you've become a real expert on webs, young Oliver."
Oliver modestly lowered his eyes. "I just experimented a little, wise Peter. I learned everything from you."
"But you developed it further," smiled Peter. "And that's the most beautiful thing about science—you can always discover something new, something better."
At the end of summer, a big spider competition for the strongest web was held in the garden. Spiders of all sizes and types came to show their creations.
Oliver's web wasn't the biggest or the most beautiful, but when it came time to test its strength, it withstood all the tests. It resisted wind, rain, even a small bird that accidentally crashed into it.
"The winner of the competition for the strongest web is... Oliver!" announced the jury, chaired by Peter himself.
All the spiders clapped with their little legs, and Oliver bowed proudly.
"How did you do it?" the others asked him.
"I discovered that the secret doesn't lie in the number of threads," explained Oliver. "But in how they're arranged and in the perfect balance between strength and flexibility."
And so Oliver became the most famous spider builder in the entire garden. But he never forgot that his success came through patient experimentation, observation, and learning from his own mistakes.
In his honor, they even named a new type of spider construction—"Oliver's Balanced Spiral"—which spiders throughout the garden began to use.
And when someone asked him how many threads he needed for the strongest web, Oliver just smiled and answered: "Exactly as many as needed—not one more, not one less. But to find out, you must experiment!"