Thinking about wooden whistles, (I currently only own metal and pvc ones, lots of 'em), I decided to dig out my recrdrs (I know that’s dirty word around here, shame on me, I guess. Oh well, back to the story).
I suppose my first hint should have been that the long-ignored instrument was in desperate need of dusting.
After dusting it off, I put it to my lips and tried a scale. No go on the lower notes. Nothing more than a pitiful squeak. I knew it had lain dormant many years, but I was sure it played well enough when I put it away.
So I took a pipe cleaner to it, and out scurried a very ALIVE SPIDER.
EEEYUK!
I’m not especially anacraphobic… but…when it’s that close, and egads! to think it might have decided to escape via the mouthpiece!!! And even though it was probably not, it could have been poisonous. Double EEEYUK!!!
So, if you pick up a whistle not used recently…look before you blow!
An even creepier thought is that for the spider to live inside the instrument it would have had to be able to catch prey. What elese is living in there?
I left my whistle case open(and unattended) for some time and I found a little spider had taken up residence in my Howard Low D. Thanks heavens I looked first because I’m fairly arachnophobic!
some running water and a quick swab and I was playing again…but not before I checked the rest of my whistles.
The eensy-weensy spider climbed up the whistle spout.
Then came a tune and blew the spider out.
Down went the whistle in its case again,
And the eensey-weensy spider climbed up the tube again.
