The young girl was very talented, taking fine threads and weaving them into a lovely cloth. Arachne was so sure of her talent that one day she challenged the Athena to a spinning and weaving contest. Athena became very angry that she took the cloth the girls had woven and tore it into pieces. Arachne became very, very sad and in her despair decided she couldn't go on. Athena saved the young girl but changed her into a spider.
Spiders spin the fine silk threads from glands in their bodies.
Although the silk is very fine, it is stronger than that of a wire the same thickness. Some webs are tiny, others are large and very complicated. These spinners and weavers were named for the young girl Arachne. They belong to a class of animals known as arachnids. Some relatives of spiders are harvestmen , scorpions , ticks and mites .