The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-18

sprout cut the first delicate leaflets.
Above this budding world and visible
everywhere through the tiny foliage
the sky shone in dazzling azure, a few
white feathery clouds drifting slowly
before q light breeze.
In the center Of the large park of
which we speak aboVe-we are not re-
lating a fairy tale. but true story
there stood magnificent, brilliant
palace The golden gate, in front of
which fierce, graybearded warriors
stood on sentry duty, was opened wide
and through il came Hoang-Ti, the
emperor Of China accompanied by
his little daughter, LOUit-Seu and fol-
lowed by his nandarins and many Of
hcers of his household. He wore a Su-
perb garment made Of panther skins
and was in excellent humor, for he had
just received good tidings from his
councillors about various affairs of
state and meant to refresh himself
after the mornings work by a walk
in the new green of the park
AS they proceeded through the long
rows OF budding mulberry trees lead
ing from the palace to the bank of the
river the little princess suddenly halt
ed III front Of a young mulberry shoot,
standing close by one of the older trees.
Under this latter's protection it's leaves
had sprOuted somewhat faster and, as
it seemed, Princess Louit-Seu had
made q discovery about the shrub
which consumed her entire interest.
The emperor also approached and
remained captivated by the odd spec
tacle offering itself to his eyes. There
were hundreds of tiny black worms
that had just escaped from their eggs
and were now indUStTiOusly crawling
along the twigs and branches in quest
of nourishment. The little princess
enjoyed herself as only children can
who have received new toy and the
emperor ordered the entire shrub to
be carefully transplanted into
magnificent vase and placed into the
room of his daughter.
Princess Louit-Seu followed with
ever increasing interest the progress
of her new wards and had them pro-
Vided with fresh leaves when those
upon the shrub had been eaten up by
the hungry crowd. Luckily there was
no lack of mulberry leaves in the gar
den of the palace. The princess never
tired in observing how the tiny worms
grew ard grew and how their color
gradually changed from black into
milkwhite. Often she would call in
her mother, the empress Te-Ling-Shi |
so that she too might share her pleas !
ure in observing the cute little pets !
feeding on fresh leaves and growing !
almost from day to day One day, |
thing SO extraordinary that she was |
unable to master her excitement and |
did something she was strictly forbid |
den to do. She rushed into her fathers |
pTivy council chamber.
Without even noticing the amaze
ment of the old premier minister, who |
had been about to submit his report on
state matters OF grave Importance to
the emperor, the little princess har-
assed and begged her father TO come
and see the wonderful things she had
to show him, until he gave in and fol-
lowed the impulsive little girl.
Some of the caterpillars. now grown
long and thick, sat among the Tnulber-
~ twigs, which they had despoiled of
their leaves within a fabric of shining
yellowish threads. jealousy they
kept moving their little heads to and
fro and the sharp-sighted emperor
noticed that the fine thread issued
from their mouths. This thread they
kept on winding about themselves
turning q little further at every move
and before the very eyes of the en-
percr the fine wells first inclosing the
became thicker and closer,
until finally the industrious worms
were completely hidden from view.
The emperor turned to his wife, who
had come to see the unusual sight,
leaving her loom at which she had
been working.
'"They are industrious little crea-
lures" said the emperor, they follow
your example and weave a beautiful
garment for themselves"
From that day on the emperor came
,ather often to his daughters room,