You remember Charlotte's Web, the 1952 book that made us all cry about a spider. Oops, spoilers. Even if you haven't read the book, you've probably seen the 1973 animated movie or the 2006 live-action movie. Author E.B. White took a lot of liberties with reality to make a charming book about talking barnyard animals, featuring a spider who could spell words out in her web. What you might find even more unbelievable is that it's based on real life. The farm was a real farm. Wilbur the pig is based on an actual piglet that White loved dearly. Even Charlotte was a real spider, although White only saw her once. But saving her egg sac was a true story. White himself was the hero of that episode.
When he was getting ready to go to New York City for the winter, he decided to take the egg sack with him. He cut it down with a razor blade and put it in a candy box with holes punched in the top. Then he left the box on top of his bureau in his New York bedroom. Soon enough, the egg sack hatched and baby spiders emerged from the box.
Read the rest of that story and nine more about the truth behind the book Charlotte's Web at Mental Floss.