663. Aranea et Podagra. Pluto podagram et araneam evomuit ac, “Prospiciamus,” inquit, “quaenum cuique conveniat sedes. Hinc videte humiles casas, illinc superbas aedes.” “Nihil in casis,” inquit aranea, “quod me delectet.” Contra altera, cernens medicos errantes vastis in aedibus, in digito pedis cuiusdam inopis sese diffundit. Interim Arachne sedem figit in laqueari, telam texit, et capit culices. Advenit ancilla, verrensque totum opus, heu, scopa tollit! Iterum tela texta, iterum scopa everrens. Podagra vicissim agebatur suis infortuniis. A rustico trahebatur, modo ligna findente, modo terram fodiente, modo glaebas ligone versante. “Ergo,” inquit, “soror Arachne, mutemus sortes.” Arachne auscultat et casam subit, nec iam metuit scopae repentinos impetus, opus diruentes. Podagra recta invadit episcopum, quem immotum languere iubet. Ita cuique, sorte opportune immutata, sors obtigit melior.
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M0663 (not in Perry). Source: La Fontaine 3.8 (translated into Latin prose by Fenelon; shortened). This fable is not in Perry’s catalog, although it is found in many Renaissance sources. Arachne is the Greek name for the spider. For the Roman god Pluto, see #803.
