Page 63 - English Expedition Class 2

‘Arachne,’ said the woman, ‘I am Athena, the queen of the air, and I have heard your
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boast . Do you still mean to say that I have not taught you how to spin and weave?’
‘No one has taught me,’ said
Arachne, ‘I thank no one for

what I know.’ She stood up,
straight and proud, by the side
of her loom.
‘And do you still think that

you can spin and weave as well
as I?’ asked Athena.
Arachne’s cheeks grew
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pale , but she said, ‘Yes. I can
weave as well as you.’
‘Then let me tell you what
we will do,’ said Athena. ‘Three
days from now we will both

weave – you on your loom,
and I on mine. We will ask all
the world to come and see us.
Great Zeus, the king of Gods,

shall be the judge. If your work is best, then I will weave no more so long as the world
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shall last. However, if my work is best, then you shall never use loom or spindle again.
Do you agree to this?’
‘I agree,’ said Arachne.

The day of the contest came. Arachne had set up her loom in the shade of a
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mulberry tree, but Athena had set up her loom in the sky, for she was the queen of
the air.
Then Arachne took her yarns of finest silk and began to weave. She wove a web of
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marvellous beauty, so thin and light that it would float in the air, and yet so strong that
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it could hold a lion in its meshes . The threads were of many colours, so beautifully
16
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arranged and mingled one with another that all who saw it were filled with delight .
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‘No wonder that the maiden boasted of her skill,’ said the people.
And Zeus himself nodded.

10 boast: the act of talking proudly about oneself 14 marvellous: amazing
11 grew pale: (here) became lighter coloured due to fear or 15 meshes: (here) the small gaps between the threads in a
shock cloth
12 spindle: a piece of wood used for spinning wool into 16 mingled: mixed
thread 17 delight: pleasure; joy
13 mulberry: a tree with broad leaves and juicy berries 18 maiden: a young girl or woman who is not married
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