"You may give great happiness to others by your beautiful work.

"Queen Athena longs to help you.

"But I warn you. She can do no more for you until you grow unselfish and
kind."

Arachne scorned this advice and said again that nothing would please
her so much as to weave with Athena.

"If I fail," she said, "I will gladly take the punishment, but Athena is
afraid to weave with me."

Then the old woman threw aside her cloak and said, "Athena is here.

"Come, foolish girl, you shall try your skill with hers."

Both went quickly to work and for hours their shuttles flew swiftly in
and out.

Athena, as usual, used the sky for her loom and in it she wove a picture
too beautiful to describe.

If you wish to know more about it look at the western sky when the sun
is setting.

Arachne's work, though her colors were in harmony and her weaving
wonderfully fine, was full of spite and selfishness.

When the work was finished Arachne lifted her eyes to Athena's work.
Instantly she knew that she had failed.

Ashamed and miserable she tried to hang herself in her web.

Athena saw her and said in pity, "No, you shall not die; live and do the
work for which you are best fitted.

"You shall be the mother of a great race which shall be called spiders.

"You and your children shall be among the greatest spinners and weavers
on earth."

As she spoke, Arachne became smaller and smaller until she was scarcely
larger than a fly.

[Illustration]

From that day to this Arachne and her family have been faithful
spinners, but they do their work so quietly and in such dark places,
that very few people know what marvelous weavers they are.

AURORA AND TITHONUS.

The beautiful youth, Tithonus, loved Aurora, the queen of the dawn. He
was the first one to greet her each day as she drew back the purple
curtains of the east.

He made his bed on the green grass in the meadow that he might not miss
her coming.

Aurora grew to expect his welcome and to love the youth dearly.

One morning when she came Tithonus was not in his usual place.

As she looked anxiously around she saw him with pale face and closed
eyes lying upon the ground.

She darted down to earth and carried his almost lifeless body to Zeus.

She begged the great king to promise that Tithonus should never die.

But alas, in her haste, she forgot to ask that he might forever remain
young. Therefore he grew old and bent, and could no longer walk.

In