Daphne Charters’ Collected Manuscripts: The Spider-Musicians

By Rudolph

[The following story is from Daphne Charter’s Collected Manuscripts. Rudolph is a discarnate human and musician living on one of the astral planes at the time.]Before beginning to work on my “Island Serenade”, I asked for help from musicians of the Fairy Evolution. the Arienes were natural singers but I required some technical advice on how to interpret the sounds which I had heard on that amazing day in order to include them in my composition.I was waiting for my promised assistants in my house, not sure whether they would arrive in a chariot drawn by dragonflies, or float through the window on a breeze.A sparkling multi-colored flash appeared before me. I had, of course, already seen members of the Fairy Aspect of Evolution but none quite like this one. She was about five and a half feet tall and looked as though she was made of aquamarine chips gleaming through a powdering of jewel dust. She scintillated much more brightly than the Arienes, who, on that magical day with the island’s inhabitants, were the most exquisite beings I had ever seen.Greetings, Rudolph,” she said, “What a pleasure it is to be invited to help you. My name is Lerralina and I am a player of instruments rather than a singer. We have many ways of making music including pipes as large as your church-organs which we bear up and down the air currents to make sounds of great majesty. We fly between carefully spaced trees and other plants to produce lighter tones and we know of caves where spiders weave their webs and as we draw our fingers across the intricate threads, a high, sweet melody flows.””But surely the threads must break,” I said in disbelief.”Our fingers do not actually touch them; it is the power that emanates from them that causes the spiders to create the sounds, and these are amplified by the caves.”I shook my head. “It sounds impossible; it must be a fairy-tale.””They are fairy spiders,” she replied with a smile.There was another corruscating flash like myriads of rubies, emeralds and sapphires, all shooting their light in every direction. A glorious being took gradual form. At first I thought that her hair was black, but it was, in fact, dark blue. Her face was also dark, tinged with blue and she had a sweet, shy smile.”Friamista has a lovely voice,” said Lerralina. “We often make music together. It is to her song that the spiders spin their webs, the notes guiding them to form the desired pattern.” She turned to her companion. “Rudolph does not believe me; he is worrying about sonority,” she laughed.”We can coax music from a worm or a sunbeam,” said Friamista. “At times I’m still shocked by Earth’s limitation, I told them. “Would you please take me to the caves one day so that I can witness your wonderful achievement?”Once again, I was waiting for the two fairies, this time in a valley close to their home. I had visited them there on several occasions and it never ceased to intrigue me that not only did they and their surroundings sparkle, but I did too. At first, I touched my hand to find out whether it was merely a coating which would brush off, but I discovered that my skin while remaining soft, was obviously composed of shining, multi-colored atoms.I heard someone singing in the distance, accompanied by a stringed instrument and as soon as they came within sight, I ran towards them and held them affectionately, one on each side of me. To embrace a fairy is an exciting experience; touching them causes a faint prickling sensation, as though tiny jewels were sparkling against my skin and within my aura.”Come with us, and we will show you the caves,” said Lerralina. Joining hands, we flew through the air, this contact causing me to tingle with warm friendship toward these lovely beings of another world.Mountains rose in the distance, and I gasped at their beauty as the snow enveloping them threw a million white pin-points of light on to the multi-colored lustre of the sky behind them. It is impossible to describe in Earth-terms the effulgence of the Fairy Sector. There are many adjectives to describe a glistening effect but these are only adequate when one is referring to reflected light shining on cut facets of gems or crystals. This sparkle is an inner light flashing through living, growing forms which are not composed of solid matter as we know it, but a tenuous substance, pulsating with life. “Stop, do let’s stop”, I begged them and we descended slowly to land on a flat surface to enable me to gaze on the fantastic scene while stationary. “Why can’t I be a member of your Aspect of Evolution? It isn’t fair that you should all be so beautiful and live in such a bewitching land.””But you are beautiful, Rudolph.” said Friamista.The steady light and comparative stability of the forms in your Human Sphere entrance us,” said Lerralina. “One can weary of the restless, ever-changing brightness here. The steady calm of your landscapes, the subtle colors of your vegetation and the comparative stillness of the atmosphere enthrall us.””I suppose contrast is the attraction for all of us. However wonderful it may be, that which is familiar eventually palls, like love in spite of its infinite variations,” I said.”That is so,” said Friamista, “Even love must change and evolve.””Are you in love?” I asked her.”With a male? Not at present, but I have experienced love many times.  Both Lerralina and I are in love with life and with music, and both are an endless adventure.””Listen; the caves are calling,” said Lerralina, “Come.” hand in hand, we again swept towards the mountains and landed in front of a thickly covered rock-face.We will play some music now,” said Lerralina as she walked away and moved her arms rhythmically through the air. When she turned, I could see that she was holding a jewel-studded instrument rather like an early trumpet with a small one on either side. I could see the stops which regulated which horn or  horns the air would pass through. She began to play, but the music was unlike that from any trumpet. Soft, sweet tones flowed through the horns, sometimes separately, at others simultaneously. There were no puffed cheeks during the performance; she remained as beautiful as always as the coaxed the notes on their journey, rather than forcing them through the aperture. Friamista added her resonant voice, the sound emanating from the chakras, and those from the instrument, blending as though they came from a single source.Out from the caves bustled the weavers, looking like dozens of jeweled broaches; they scampered towards us, peering at me eagerly as they arranged themselves in groups around us.” We will have a little concert,” said Lerralina.  “They will produce music with us but it will be inaudible to you. Later we will cease to play and sing, and their melody will reach you.”The music rose again in a brisk, joyful tune. The spiders looked as though they were hypnotized. They watched the fairies as keenly as players their conductor.  The audible melody ceased, and I strained my senses to detect the spiders’ song, and at last I succeeded. The sounds were higher than I had ever heard before, and incredibly, they were in harmony.  It was the same song as that which the fairies had performed, but now they were singing without their guidance.”Are you sure you aren’t deceiving me with some form of magic?” I asked.”We are too mature to play tricks,” smiled Friamista. “We have spent years with these spiders.  Our love for them and theirs for us have enabled them to share our skills.”I didn’t mean to offend you,” I said contritely, “but to a human being, singing spiders are inconceivable except in dreams.”Friamista smiled. “You are in fairyland; do not judge what you experience by Earth-standards, or you will remain in a constant state of disbelief.””How can I show them my appreciation?”Send them a love-vibration; one from a Man will thrill them.”  I beamed one in their direction and a visible tremor emanated from each.”Come now. We will show what we can do.” We all went closer to the cave and Friamista stood near its mouth with her back against one side of the entrance.  She opened her lips and sent a note in the direction of a group of waiting spiders.  One of them detached itself and ran towards her.  She picked it up and placed it on the opposite rock surface. The note rang out again and seemed to form a path, and the spider ran through the air towards her towing a glimmering thread behind it; this was then attached to the wall behind Friamista. this performance was repeated several times and then she said “That is enough, Hi; we must have some other notes or we shall be playing a tedious tune.”She then sent out different calls and each time another spider came running until there were sixteen contributors in all; they moved swiftly in every direction following the notes which Friamista sang until the entire access to the cave was covered with the silver threads of a giant web.”It can’t play,” I argued silently with myself. “There’s nothing to produce resonance.” But I knew all the time that it could and would.”Now we have an instrument, we also need an orchestra. Would you care to join us, Rudolph?” asked Friamista.”Not yet,” I said firmly. “My mind still doubts that this web is a playable instrument.  Theoretically it cannot produce sound, and yet I know it will. Don’t tantalize me any more.”A sound came from her lips – a high-pitched note – and the spiders scurried to take their places. Each on a thread it had emanated.”It isn’t true,” I said to myself, still only half-believing the evidence before me. Lerralina moved the tips of her fingers close to the web, and Friamista did likewise. Wherever their fingers went, the spiders followed, and as their feet moved, a tiny note was emitted. It is utterly impossible to compare these sounds with anything on Earth because they were too high to be audible there. I can only assure you that it was as though a sixteen-piece orchestra was playing a melody.The two fairies smiled and asked, “Now do you believe us?””Only because I have to.  Can I join you now? But how does one read invisible fairy music? Is it possible for a human being to do so?””You will need some help from our Master of Music.””Is he here?” I asked excitedly.”Yes, he is beside you,” said Friamista and I could then see a scintillating ray shining between us. They made an obeisance and I repeated their actions and as I raised my head, I became aware of a beautiful, youthful face alight with a smile.”Let us begin,” he said.”I don’t know what to do.”Let us begin,” he repeated, his eyes twinkling.I stood in front of the web and hesitantly ran a finger close to one of the threads; a spider followed my movement. I raised a finger from my other hand and a different spider ran forward. Gaining confidence, my hands became more dexterous, as I gave myself over to the Master of Music’s will. I could hear without effort now, and what sounds those spiders made as they obeyed their angel-instructor. My fingers flew faster and faster from one side of the web to the other and always the spiders followed them.  But now, they not only ran up and down the threads, but they pirouetted, bobbed and leapt in the air like a chorus of ballet dancers.  We all laughed so much in joyous amusement, that I sometimes lost the tune, but each time I concentrated once more. I was amazed at the intricacy of the part each spider played.”That was a true Tarantella,” I said when the dance came to an end. “Could we play once more?” I begged; I felt my hand raised towards a thread and again a spider responded.  My other hand was drawn into position and we were away.  But this time, the music welled up inside me and I was able to control the movement of my fingers myself. A new experience always inspires me and I began to really enjoy myself. I became bolder, adding my own ornaments, which resulted in the most extra-ordinary antics among the spiders, who seemed to be having a wonderful time. It would not have surprised me to discover they were laughing as much as their audience.When I tried to tell some of my less musically-earthbound friends about my enchanting experience, their faces froze in total disbelief, only melting to give a quick glance out of the corners of their eyes at one another or twitching a single eyebrow. Who can blame them? I myself had more than doubted Lerralina when she first told me about the bewebbed cave and the musical spiders.  I don’t mind what they think because I heard and watched that Tarantella.
I know.(Which all goes to prove that individual awarenesss does not come equally to all who are now living on the Astral Plane.  One has to seek and learn from each experience which is granted. – Daphne Charters.)
 
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