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Arachne’s Web
The ancient Greeks wove countless tales about the gods
on Mount Olympus. In this myth, the goddess Athena
exacts revenge on a young weaver for her disrespect.
Characters
Narrator..................................... ________________________
Athena....................................... ________________________
Arachne..................................... ________________________
Echo.......................................... ________________________
Narrator: Athena was the goddess of arts and crafts. The artisans of ancient
Greece all worshiped her, and Athena gave them her blessings.
There was one young weaver by the name of Arachne who did not
pay the proper respect, however. This enraged Athena.
Athena: Arachne makes my blood boil with her impertinence. It’s true that
she is a very talented weaver, but she gives herself too much
credit. Just listen to her boastful words!
Arachne: My tapestries are like works of art. It’s truly amazing. I daresay that
I am even better than Athena herself.
Narrator: Upon hearing these words, Athena flew into a rage. She swooped
down from her throne on Mount Olympus and appeared before
Arachne in all her terrifying glory.
Arachne: Heavens!
Athena: You wretched creature! How dare you compare yourself to me!
It was I who invented the spinning wheel in the first place. You
think you are so good? Then let us compete in a weaving contest.
The villagers shall judge which one of us is best.
Arachne: I meant no disrespect, O mighty goddess, but can I help it if I’m the
best? I’m only repeating what other people have said. I’ve even
heard people say that I’m . . .
Villager: This is the most artful tapestry ever made. Hera and Echo seem
to be walking, talking, living characters. Shhh! I think I can actually
hear the voice of Hera. From the tone, it sounds like she is scolding
Echo.
Hera: Echo, you try my patience with your endless chatter. I have never
heard anyone in heaven or on Earth talk as much as you. You
would do well to learn the art of silence.
Echo: Do you really think I talk that much? It all depends on your point
of view. I only talk when there’s something on my mind, and it just
so happens that there is usually a lot on my mind. To me, silence
is a sign of an empty mind, which is the same as stupidity. Words!
Words! I love the sound of words—especially my own!
Hera: Now you’ve gone too far. You have contradicted me and
questioned my authority. If you are so concerned with having the
last word, so be it. From now on, you shall only be able to repeat
what somebody else has said. Go ahead, say something.
Hera: And so shall it be, from now until the end of time.
Villager: I can barely believe my own senses! Pictures that walk and talk!
What next?
Narcissus: Where can I be? I’ve been lost in these woods for hours. Will
anybody ever find me?
Echo: Here!
Narcissus: Oh, you took me by surprise. Why are you spying on me? Keep
your distance. No, get away. Don’t touch me!
Narrator: Narcissus fled, leaving Echo all alone. Then the scene changed
as if in a dream, showing Hera on her throne. She was looking
down at all this and took pity on Echo. She decided to punish
Narcissus.
Hera: It is not good to waste such good looks. The finest women in the
world throw themselves at Narcissus, but he always turns his
back on them. Since he is so conceited, I will make him fall in
love with himself. That will be an entirely fitting punishment.
Villager: Arachne has done it again. Not only is she the best weaver ever,
but she is also the best storyteller. She took Athena’s story and
gave it a totally original ending. Arachne is hereby declared winner
of the contest.
Athena: Aaaargh! You will pay the price for your arrogance and disrespect,
Arachne!
Arachne: But I won fair and square. Your anger can’t change that.
Athena: Perhaps not, but there are other things I can change—like your
face!
Narrator: With that, Athena waved her hand over Arachne’s face. It was
immediately changed from the face of an attractive young woman
to the face of an eight-eyed bug. Arachne shrieked in terror and ran
for her life.
Narrator: Athena cast a fine strand of silk and tripped Arachne as she ran.
Arachne became entangled in a web. Her body shrank, stuck in the
middle of the web. Now she had eight legs as well as eight eyes.
Arachne had turned into a spider.
Athena: How do you like the end of this story, spider-woman? You will have
all the time in the world to ponder its lessons!
Narrator: Arachne was and still is the best weaver of all time. Her art and
her skills live on among the spiders of our world, her descendants.
They continue to spin their webs today in her honor, which is why
they are called arachnids.