Long ago, a wealthy landowner lived in Louisiana.
His name was Charles Durance.
He had two daughters who were getting married.
Their weddings were planned for the same day at their father's farm.
Mr. Durance loved his daughters very much.
So, he decided to prepare a big surprise for them.
"My daughters' weddings are coming up.
Is there a way to make it a special day for them?" he wondered.
After days of thinking, he came up with a wonderful idea.
He went to talk to his servants.
"I need lots of spiders.
Where can I get some?" he asked.
"You can probably get them from China," one of his servants replied.
"How many spiders do you need?"
"I need millions of them," said Mr. Durance.
The servants were surprised.
"Spiders are expensive.
They will have to come on a ship from China," one servant explained.
Charles ordered the spiders anyway.
Several months later, a shipload of spiders arrived from China.
"What shall we do with all the spiders?" the servants asked Mr. Durance.
"Let them loose in the trees along the road to the house," he instructed.
"Why are we letting all of these spiders loose?" they wondered.
"It's almost time for his daughters' weddings."
Mr. Durance's servants were puzzled.
Over the next few days, the spiders spun webs throughout the trees.
Mr. Durance called his servants.
"I want you to go into town.
Order two hundred kilograms each of gold and silver powder from California," he directed.
"Did he just tell us to order two hundred kilograms each of gold and silver powder?" they asked each other.
"That's what he said.
He certainly has the money to buy the powder.
But why does he need it?"
The servants were puzzled and curious.
A few days later, the gold and silver powder arrived.
Charles Durance was very satisfied.
It was the day of his two daughters' weddings.
"Sprinkle the powder on the spider webs!" he ordered.
Mr. Durance's instructions surprised the servants again.
But they did as he said and sprinkled the powder on the webs.
When they were finished, they saw what Charles Durance had planned.
The spider webs along the road sparkled in the sunlight.
"Look at this!" the guests marveled.
"Oh my, this is beautiful!" they exclaimed.
The beautiful, sparkling spider webs amazed everyone who came to the weddings.
"Haven't I planned a beautiful wedding day for you?"
Mr. Durance remarked to his daughters.
"Father, thank you so much!
It is so beautiful!" they replied with delight.
"Well," their father explained, "I wanted you both to have the most expensive weddings in the world!"