She said" I am the greatest weaver in all the world. the greatest sinse the world began , no doubt. In fact, I can weave beter Athene herself."

Athene of course heard this. The gods are very quick to hear critism, and very swift to act. So she came to Earth, to the little village where Archne lived.
The girl was indside spinning and when she oped the door there stood a woman beautiul and tall and istantly knowing who it was gasped.

"You know who I am" said the women.

Knowing her mistake Arachne said "Yes almighty Athene" bowing her head. "I beg you mercy. I'm so very sorry. Please show kindness."

"You are a miserable girl and I am Athene. The goddess you have mocked. How dare you even compare your weaving with mine? Is there any reason why I shouldn't kill you right now?"

Arachne crying shook her head."Very well. Prepare your self for death. You have defied the gods and must die."
"Before I die let me give you a present to to make up for what I did." She picked up the cloak she had just finished weaving. Try this was one for the lighest cloak she had ever felt and no doubt one of the wormest was well. Its bright colors swam together in a sea of harmony. "Please take it."

"Dear child you are being destoryed by your own worth. It has piosned you, but this is a handsom cloak and I appreciate it. I will give you one more chance. You have bosted that you can weave better then me. Then I will give you a chance to prove it. The people of your own village will be the judges. Tommrow out on the meadow we shall each spin and your own people will decide who is the best. If you win I will with drawl the punishment. If you win it will be you life. Agreed?"

"Yes. Dear goddes thank you for sparing my life."

"It isn't spared, yet."The word soon got around the willage and the next day Arachne set up her loom out on the meadow. Athene soon joined her. Arachne went first her fingers danced over the loomb as she created. She wroked hard and in the end everyone smiled at the beautiful sene. It was of a little boy and girl running across a green field among the yellow flowers chased by a black dog. Then she stood up to admire her work. It was the best she had ever done. Then Athene sat down and began weave. Her hands moved swiftly and smoothly over the loom. She had sences of Olyumpus all over her tasperstry. Thing that no mortal man has ever seen.

Cronos cutting up Oranos with a scythe, Zeus charging across the firmament with his hundred-handed ones, shattering titans, the punichment of Hera, Zeus chasing Metis, the birth of Athene, and of Athene teaching the man the arts. All these were so beautiful and real that the crowd got down on their knees and cried.

As Arachne watched she had never moved from the time Athene started her work. Her face turned placide as she stared watching as Athene's beautiful mastpiece develpoed infront of her eyes. When all of the people fell on their knees she turned and walked away. She walk away unseen and unheard.

When she was done, Athene, came after her down the hill and found Arachne hanging there from a small rope on a near by tree. Athene reached out and touched the girls shoulders her face grew black her body shrank her arms and legs grew very small. She shivered growing thinner and thinner. Then haning on a shinny piece of string a small hairy creature with many legs hung.It looked at Athene and then scurred up the tree in dread. It floated away over the grass until it came to a low buch, and cast another loop, and sat there practicing for it new role. It was supposed it spin with out rivial until the end of time.That is why spiders are called Arachnids by those who know them best.