THE LEGEND OF THE SPIDER WEB

Too much pride in one’s self brings a change in one’s nature.

In olden times people had to do all their own spinning and weaving. They did not have good factories and mills as we now have, but each family made its own cloth and its own clothes. Sometimes the women of the family learned how to make the most beautiful cloth. Wonderful patterns of fruits, flowers, birds and even pictures were woven in the cloth.

In ancient times people had so much regard for the work of spinning and embroidering that they had a goddess of needlework named Minerva. She could do finer work than any mortal, of course, because she was a goddess.

Now there was a young woman named Arachne, who did such dainty work in spinning and weaving that people came from miles around to see her work. Whenever they came she would show them her work, and they would exclaim, “How wonderful! How beautiful!”

Arachne was herself becoming very proud of her skill, and began to boast of what she could do. She said, “I can do better work than any woman in the world. Minerva, herself, cannot do better than I!” Thus she put herself above the gods, which was very foolish in her as we shall see.

Minerva heard about Arachne’s boast and was very much displeased. She decided that Arachne’s boast should be punished. So one day Minerva, disguised as an old woman, went to Arachne’s house and began to talk to her about her work. With great pride Arachne showed the old woman some of the patterns she had made. The old woman said finally:

“I hear you boast that you can do finer work than Minerva herself.” Whereupon the foolish young woman spread out her embroidery and weaving, and said: “Minerva can do no better.”

Then the old woman said: “I will challenge you to a contest myself.”

Arachne laughed aloud, but she agreed to the contest. Her pride was aroused, and she and the old woman began to weave. Arachne did her best, but the old woman did her work twice as fast and far more beautiful. The birds she embroidered seemed ready to sing; the trees seemed to bear golden fruit, and the pictures seemed real men and women. It was very wonderful work and those who stood around watching the contest were amazed.

Arachne was so ashamed of her own work and so angry that she said: “Begone, you old witch! leave my house!”

But the old woman turned into the radiant goddess Minerva, and Arachne fled from the house. Finding a rope Arachne tried to hang herself, but Minerva turned her into a spider, and she is still weaving webs to this very day.