Once upon a time, a beautiful butterfly became trapped in a spider's web. The harder it tried to escape, the more exhausted it became. When the spider finally appeared by its side, the butterfly said, "Wait -- you can't kill me! I'm too beautiful to die! Set me free!" But the spider said, "Death comes to everything in the end. There can be no exceptions."

Still, even the spider could see how lovely the butterfly was -- and it was aware that butterflies only live for a day. So, it said, "I will spare your life, but I won't set you free. Instead, you'll make an attractive ornament for my web."

Now, normally, a spider's web is invisible to everyone but the spider --but this particular butterfly was every color you can imagine. It was purple, green, and gold. It was so colorful, in fact, that it soon caught the attention of a bird of prey. This bird had talons like razor blades, and a beak like a anchor, and eyes so powerful that it could see for miles. When it spotted the beautiful butterfly, it decided to fly closer for a better look -- and it got trapped in the spider's web, too!

When the spider finally appeared by its side, the bird of prey demanded, "Release me! I'm far too scary, and too lethal, to be stuck in this puny web! But the more it struggled, the more exhausted it became. And the spider said, "Death comes to everything in the end. There can be no exceptions."

After the spider had administered its poison, and after it had repaired the damage to its web, Death came for the bird of prey, to be its guide to the afterlife. Only, no sooner had Death arrived, than he became trapped in the spider's web! "This is an outrage," shouted Death. "I'm Death! Without me, life would have no meaning! Untangle me at once!"

But the spider said, "Death comes to everything in the end -- there can be no exceptions." And as it administered its poison, Death smiled -- because even he could appreciate the irony.