How Spiders Came to Be
Customer 3: Arachne, you have woven a tapestry that makes fun of the gods
Chorus 1: Arachne, you do not respect the gods!
Chorus 2: Oh, what will become of you now?!
Athena: Arachne, I must admit, you are the better weaver.
Arachne: I told you so!
Athena: However, your lack of respect for the gods and your pride angers me.
I cannot allow it to continue.
Chorus 1: Athena, what will you do to Arachne?
Chorus 2: Such a mortal must be punished.
Athena: I’ve got it! Since you love to weave so much, go ahead and continue weaving. But you will do it as a different creature.
Chorus 1: Athena put a spell on Arachne. Soon Arachne’s body shrunk and turned into a black orb. Her limbs turned into eight spindly legs.
(Everyone gasps.)
Chorus 2: A strand of thread curled out of Arachne’s mouth. Athena tied the thread to a tree. Arachne was left dangling from a branch.
Athena: Your tapestries will still be beautiful, Arachne. But people will hurry to sweep them away!
Chorus 1: And so ends the tale of Arachne, the first spider.
Chorus 2: Look for her weaving her beautiful webs and learn what too much pride can do.
Arachne: And maybe, just maybe, you won’t sweep them away, okay?
THE END
"
Glossary
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Atalanta and the Great Race
Chorus 1: (Like a sports announcer) Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for another great race! Atalanta will race against Hippomenes.
Chorus 2: If Hippomenes wins, he will get to marry Atalanta. And if Atalanta wins, well, that’s another ending. And not a pleasant one for Hippomenes, if you know what we mean.
Chorus 1: What? You don’t know the story of Atalanta and the great race?
Chorus 2: Well, let’s start from the beginning, shall we?
Chorus 1: It all started when a baby was born to the King of Arcadia.
CHORUS 1 CHORUS 2 SERVANT
KING
QUEEN
ATALANTA (at-uh-LAN-tuh)
MAN 1 MAN 2 MAN 3 APHRODITE
(af-reh-DY-tee) HIPPOMENES
(hip-AHM-ih-neez)
Characters
"
Servant: Your highness, the baby has been born.
King: And is it a son? My greatest wish?
Servant: No, your highness. It is a girl child.
King: A girl? I only want a son. The child must be taken away. Bring me to my wife.
Queen: (Cooing to baby) Hello, sweet little girl. Hello. I will name you Atalanta.
King: Give the baby to the servant.
Queen: Why?
King: He must take her away to a mountaintop. Her fate will be up to the gods. A girl can give me nothing. I want a son!
Queen: But you can’t do that!
King: I can . . . I will.
Chorus 2: The servant took the baby away as ordered.
Chorus 1: But Atalanta did not perish on the mountain.
Chorus 2: She was found by a mother bear who had two cubs.
Chorus 1: The bear raised Atalanta as though she too were one of her cubs.
Chorus 2: Atalanta grew strong in the forest. She learned to climb the tallest trees from her brothers, the cubs.
Chorus 1: She learned to find food by following the mother bear.
Chorus 2: But most of all, Atalanta learned to run faster than the wind by racing with the deer of the forest.
Atalanta: I love my forest home. But I’m curious about the village below. I think I’ll take a trip down there.
CHORUS 1: Atalanta entered the village and walked around. Soon the people began to notice her.
"!
Man 1: Hey, check out the new girl!
Man 2: She’s beautiful!
Man 3: I’d give anything to marry her!
Chorus 2: Even your life?
Men: Huh?
Chorus 1: You’ll see.
Chorus 2: Word got to the king about the strange new girl.
King: A girl who lives on the mountain?
Servant: Yes. It is said she was raised by a family of bears.
King: That must be Atalanta, my long-lost daughter! Bring her to me for I must apologize for what I did.
Chorus 1: The servant brought Atalanta to the king.
Atalanta: You wanted to see me?
King: Yes. For you are my daughter, and I beg your forgiveness for leaving you on the mountain.
Atalanta: Why should I forgive you?
King: I am old. I am alone now. My poor wife has died, and we had no more children. Please, I beg of you.
Atalanta: Oh, all right. But you must promise that there will be no hunting in the forest, for the animals are my real family.
King: Done. Thank you. And now, as princess, you must be wed.
Atalanta: Wed? I want no man!
King: But a princess must have a husband!
Atalanta: I will wed on one condition. Whoever can beat me in a race will become my husband. But whoever loses will die.
""
King: Ouch. That’s harsh.
Atalanta: You left me on a mountain when I was a baby, and you’re saying I’m harsh?
King: Touché! (too-SHAY)
Chorus 2: So many men jumped at the chance to race Atalanta, even though they knew the terrible risk.
Chorus 1: (As announcer) And now, the first runner will try to beat Atalanta.
Chorus 2: On your marks, get set, go!
Chorus 1: Atalanta wins easily.
Man 2: (To Man 1) Oooh. Tough luck, chum.
Chorus 2: And now, for the second race. On your marks, get set, go!
Chorus 1: Again, Atalanta wins without effort.
Man 3: (To Man 2) Bye-bye, now!
Chorus 2: Next victim . . . er, racer. On your marks, get set, go!
Chorus 1: Surprise, surprise . . . Atalanta wins again.
Man 3: Yikes!
Atalanta: (To King) You see, father, I will not marry, for no man can beat me.
Chorus 2: The King shakes his head sadly as he and Atalanta head back to the palace.
Chorus 1: Meanwhile, Hippomenes, a handsome mortal, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love, were cooking up a scheme.
Hippomenes: Atalanta is so beautiful and smart. I must win her hand. But she is too fast a runner for me to beat.
"#
Aphrodite: Hippomenes, I like you. And I love to see mortals in love and married.
I have a plan to make you win. (Handing three apples to Hippomenes) Take these golden apples. Three times during the race, throw them in front of Atalanta. She will stop to pick them up, and you will win.
Hippomenes: But what if she doesn’t pick them up?
Aphrodite: Would the goddess of love steer you wrong? Trust me, she will be unable to resist them!
Hippomenes: Thank you, Aphrodite! I’ll do it!
Chorus 2: As Hippomenes gets ready for the race, Atalanta is having second thoughts.
Atalanta: I won’t do it!
King: But why not? Are you afraid you’ll lose?
Atalanta: No. I am afraid I’ll win. And Hippomenes is such a good man.
Cute, too.
King: A deal’s a deal. You will race.
Chorus 1: Hippomenes double checks to make sure the golden apples are hidden in his tunic. He and Atalanta line up to race.
Chorus 2: On your marks, get set, go!
Chorus 1: (As announcer) The two runners are neck and neck. But look! Atalanta is pulling ahead.
Chorus 2: (As announcer) What’s this? Hippomenes has thrown a golden apple in front of Atalanta. She’s stopping to pick it up! She looks like she’s under a spell!
Atalanta: Oooh!
Chorus 1: Hippomenes is speeding ahead!
Chorus 2: But wait! Here comes Atalanta again. She’s in the lead!
Chorus 1: Another golden apple is thrown.
"$
Atalanta: (Like a zombie) Shiny!
Chorus 2: And Hippomenes is back in the lead!
Atalanta: (Snapping out of the trance) Those darned apples are so beautiful.
I can’t resist them! But I must win.
Chorus 1: Atalanta is in the lead once again. She is sure to win.
Hippomenes: (To Atalanta) One last apple and the chance to save my life and win your love!
Chorus 2: There goes another apple. And there goes Atalanta again.
Atalanta: (Back in a trance) Pretty apple!
Chorus 1: And the winner is . . . Hippomenes!
Hippomenes: Atalanta, will you marry me?
Atalanta: (Back to normal) I will.
Chorus 2: The King places Atalanta’s hand in Hippomenes’s, and they are wed.
Chorus 1: So that’s where the story ends, right?
Chorus 2: Wrong! You see, the two lovers forgot to thank Aphrodite for her help.
They were turned into lions, but they still lived and loved happily ever after.
Atalanta and
Hippomenes: ROAR!
Aphrodite: (To audience) Don’t mess with the goddess of love!
THE END
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