There was once an alchemist whose attempts to turn lead in to gold were failing.
Try as he might and with all the work he produced no gold.
He pleaded with his peers to borrow some gold to buy lead and the potions he needed to try thew process one more time. He promised to payback double whomever lent him the gold, and still they said all said no.
Dejected and lost he returned to his workshop and went on with his work with what gold he had left. As he worked a spider with a sack of gold appeared and said to the alchemist, ‘whilst I catch flies, I want to catch more flies that any other spider, I have eight legs but I wish for more so as to be faster. I will take your offer to double what I have.’
So the alchemist worked night and day and completed his experiments. The spider returned to him for his reward, of twice what he had. Upon realizing that the gold had gone but and the alchemist could not give him the speed he wanted, the spider spun a web over the cauldron so the alchemist could work no more. As he finished the web the spider missed his footing and fell into the cauldron.
He appeared moments later with all his feet burnt and was unable to move at all.
Try as he might and with all the work he produced no gold.
He pleaded with his peers to borrow some gold to buy lead and the potions he needed to try thew process one more time. He promised to payback double whomever lent him the gold, and still they said all said no.
Dejected and lost he returned to his workshop and went on with his work with what gold he had left. As he worked a spider with a sack of gold appeared and said to the alchemist, ‘whilst I catch flies, I want to catch more flies that any other spider, I have eight legs but I wish for more so as to be faster. I will take your offer to double what I have.’
So the alchemist worked night and day and completed his experiments. The spider returned to him for his reward, of twice what he had. Upon realizing that the gold had gone but and the alchemist could not give him the speed he wanted, the spider spun a web over the cauldron so the alchemist could work no more. As he finished the web the spider missed his footing and fell into the cauldron.
He appeared moments later with all his feet burnt and was unable to move at all.