Show II THE CURIOSITY SHOP CBcornlnc Cobwebs Fable of Arachne A Contest of Wearlnc Every ono has noticed the cobwobs which J icng upon each shrub and bush and are grown In profusion over every plat ct grass On a fine morning autumn and seeing1 1 trfea cxn baTe foJ < vt tn nAmlrnt Xha circular in form aro then strong thick ivith tiny pearls of dew that glitter in the sun No lace is so fine Could any be wrought that would equal them in their filmy delicacy and lightness it would be worth a princes ransom But for such work mans touch is all too coarse It is possible only to our humblo garden spider known to scientific people by the mOle imposing name Epeira diadema These spiders belong to tho family of Arachnids and the ancients who wero great lovers of beauty observing their webs invented the pretty fable of Arachne Arachno was a maiden who had attained to such expertness weaving and embroidering embroider-ing that even the nymphs leaving their groves and fountains would gather to admire her work They whispered to each other that Minerva herself must havo taught her but Arachne had grown vain as she grew dexterous dex-terous and overhearing them denied the Implication Im-plication with high disdain She would not acknowledge herself inferior even to a goddess god-dess and finally challenged Minerva to a trial of skill saying If beaten 1 will bear tho penalty Minerva accepted the challenge and the webs were woven Arachnes was of wondrous beauty but when she saw that of Minerva she knew that she was defeated and in her despair went and hanged herself Minerva moved by pity for her vain but skillful opponent transformed her into a spider and she and her descendants still retain re-tain a portion of her marvelous gifts of spinning spin-ning and weaving |