The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-01-18
SILKWORM LEGEND.


4,547 years ago. The sun had melted
away the snow from the fields and mead
ows, and carpet of sappy green and bril-
liant colored flowers covered the ground.
Some of the trees were already Respondent
in their new coats of large, light green
leaves, while others, like the oak and the
mulberry had been afraid of the treacher-
Gus night frosts and had only just begun
TO sprout out 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 a
light breeze.
In the center of the large park of which
we speak above-we are not relating q
fairy tale, but true story-there stood
magnificent, brilliant palace. The golden
gate in front of which fierce, gray bearded
warriors stood on sentry duty, was opened
wide and through it came Hoang-Ti, the
emperor of China, accompanied by his lit
tie daughter, Louit-Seu, and followed by
his mandarins and many officers of his
household. He wore superb garment
made of panther skins and was in excel
lent humor, for he had just received good
tidings from his councillors about various
affairs of state, and meant to refresh him
self after the mornings work by walk
in the new green of the park.
AS they proceeded through the long
rows of budding mulberry trees leading
from the palace to the bank of the river
the little princess suddenly halted in front
of young mulberry shoot, standing close
by one of the older trees. Under this lat
ter's protection its leaves had sprouted
somewhat faster, and, as it seemed,
Princess Louit-Seu had made discovery
A. IL. l. til, L..
tire 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 industriously crawling along the
twigs and branches in quest of nourish
ment The little princess enjoyed herself
as only children can who have received a
new toy, and the emperor ordered the en-
tire shrub to be carefully transplanted
into magnificent vase and placed in the
room of his daughter.
Princess Louit-Seu followed with ever
increasing interest the progress of her new
wards, and had been provided 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 garden of the palace. The princess
never tired in observing how the tiny
worms grew and grew, and how their color
gradually changed from black into milk
white. Often she would call in her moth
or, the Empress Te-Ling-Shi, so that she,
too, might share her pleasure in observing
the cute little pets feeding on fresh leaves
and growing almost from day to day One
day, however, Louit-Seu perceived some
thing so extraordinary that she was I'M
able to master her excitement and did
something she was strictly forbidden to
do. She rushed into her fathers privy
council chamber.
Without even noticing the amazement
OF the old premier minister, who had been
about to submit his report on state mat
tiers of grave Importance to the emperor,
the little princess harassed and begged her
father to come and see the wonderful
things she had to show him, until he gave
in and followed the impulsive little girl.
Some of the caterpillars, now grown
long and thick, sat among the mulberry
twigs, which they had despoiled of their
leaves, within fabric of yellowish threads.
Zealously they kept moving their little
heads to and fro, and the sharp sighted
emperor noticed that a fine thread issued
from their mouths. This thread they kept
on winding about themselves, turning
little farther at every move and before the
very eyes of the emperor the fine wells first
Enclosing the caterpillars became thick
or and closer, until finally the industri-
GUS 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 creatures"
said the emperor. "They follow your ex-
ample and weave beautiful garment for
themselves
From that day the emperor came rather
often to his daughters room, now and
then several times day. His interest in
the curious little animals was now thor
cughly aroused. He not only watched
them while they spun themselves in until
the last one had completed it's shining col
or, but he also racked his brain and puz-
Eled about what would now become of
them. One day few weeks later he found
Che reply to his burning question He
tancied he could hear slight noise within
one of the egg shaped formations. AS he
Dent down to examine 1t more closely he
saw that 1T had discolored at one end and
apparently had become moist; how this
END, giving way under some pressure from
within, bulged outward; how the outer
threads were gently pushed to one side,
and how some tiny white feet made their
appearance, soon followed by little white
head. A small, trembling, white animal
crept forth Its wings grew and strength
ened noticeably after being opened and
shut few times until suddenly it fled
away. The emperor, the empress and the
little princess were very much surprised
They all had often seen the little white
butterfly in swarms about the old mulber-
ry trees in the garden, particularly in the
twilight of warm summer evening. 1t
was not long before the little princess had
lot of these butterflies In her room, much
to the discontinue of her maids, who did
not take kindly to this new whim of their
mistress
But xouit-S eu was child and q princess