"You spin very well," said she, sitting down. Indeed I do, old woman," replied Arachne. "There is no one in the whole world who can equal me."

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Try to be more careful of your speech, my child," said the goddess gently.

"I have no need to be careful of my speech. Athene herself can not spin so well as I," said Arachne, as she gave the old woman a proud

stare.

At this the old woman smiled. Then she rose and Arachne saw standing before her the great

goddess. At first Arachne turned scarlet. Then she turned pale. But in a moment her vanity came back.

"A contest," she cried.

against you."

"I'll spin a contest

Both set up their looms, and began to weave most beautiful pictures.

As Athene wove one could see a picture of her contest a short time before against the god Neptune. This contest had taken place in a beautiful city which was to be named for the god who gave it the best gift.

All the people were gathered together, with the gods among them. Neptune had struck the earth with his trident and a noble horse stood beside him. This was his gift to the city. Athene had stood with hand uplifted. She made a beautiful olive tree to grow before them. Athene had won. Let me tell you why. The horse was the sign of war and the olive the sign of peace. All the people understood, for peace is greater than war. The city is called Athens to this day.

Just as Athene finished her picture she turned to look at Arachne's loom. She too had just

finished. Arachne had chosen to weave the story of Europa. Do you remember the little girl who was carried away by the great white bull? Arachne pictured the bull swimming in the ocean with the little Europa laughing as she sat on his back.

"You have done very well, Arachne," said the goddess, with a gentle touch of her hand. At that Arachne looked at Athene's picture. At the first glance she saw that her work could not compare with Athene's. She was so ashamed that she ran away and tried to kill herself.

Athene would not allow this, but changed Arachne into that industrious little insect, the spider. I am sure you have seen the beautiful colors in her web.

From Ovid. Adapted.

FRANKLIN, TEACHER OF THRIFT

When the great Benjamin Franklin was still a printer he published a wonderful almanac. In those days people had few newspapers or books. The yearly almanac was eagerly waited for. After it was read the first time it was hung by the fire-place for safe keeping. Often the boys and girls of the house would pore over it until they knew many pages by heart. Franklin pretended that his almanac was written by a humble man called "Poor Richard." Besides forecasts of the weather the almanac contained jokes, recipes, verses and bits of history. But the best part of it was made up of wise sayings on thrift and work. Franklin had earned his success by hard work and frugal living. He wanted others to learn from his experience so he put it into the almanac. In 1757 Franklin gathered these proverbs into a small book entitled The Way to Wealth. Here are some of the more famous of its sayings:

A penny saved is a penny made.

One to-day is worth two to-morrows.

Necessity never made a good bargain.

Keep thy shop and thy shop will keep thee. Drive thy business; let not that drive thee. He that by the plough would thrive, Himself must either hold or drive.

It is hard for an empty sack to stand upright. He that can travel well afoot keeps a good horse.

Laziness travels so slowly that Poverty soon overtakes him.

Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all things easy.

Plough deep while sluggards sleep,

And you shall have corn to sell and keep.

Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears; while the used key is always bright.

He that riseth late must trod all day and shall scarce overtake his business at night.