La Junta tribune., 1899-02-22
SILKWORM LEGEND.

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 rcspiendcnt
| 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 began
to sprout out the first delicate leaflets.
| Above this budding world and visible
everywhere through the tiny foliage, the
sky shone in dazzling azure, n few white,
feathery clouds drifting slowly before u
| light breeze
In the center Of the large park of which
We speak aboye-we are not relating n
fairy tale, but u true story-there stood a
magnificent, brilliant palace. The golden
gate In front OF " hich 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 u superb garment
| made OF panther skins and was in excel
| lent humor, for he had Just received good
| tidinps 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 pnrk.
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 a 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 1t seemed,
Princess Louit-.Scu had made u discovery
about the shrub which consumed her en-
tire interest. The emperor also approached
and remained captivnted 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 Dourish-
ment. The little princess enjoyed herself
as only children can who have received
new toy, and the emperor ordered the en-
tire shrub to bc carefully transplanted
into q magnificent vase and placed In the
room Of his daughter
princoes LOutt Sen followed with ever
increasing interest tho progress OF her new
wards, and had becn 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
er, the Empress Tc- Ling -Shi, 10 that she,
too might shnre 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 10 extraordinary that she was un
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
ters Of grave Importance to the emperor,
the little princess harassed and legged her
father to como and sec the wonderful
things she hnd to show him, until he gave
in and followed the impulsive little girl.
Some of the catcrpillars. now grown
long and thick, sat among the mulberry
twigs, which they had despoiied Of their
leaves, within a fabric Of yellowish threads.
Zealously they kept moving their little
heads to and fro. and the sharp sighted
emperor noticed that fine thread issued
from their mouths. This thread they kept
on winding about themselves turning Q
little farther at every move and before tho
very eyes Of the emperor the fine wells first
inclosing the caterpiliars became thick
or and closer, until finally the industri-
GUS worms were completely hidden from
view. The emperor turned To his wifc.
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 thst day the emperor came rather
oftsn TO his daughters room, now and
ehnvs = Hta interest In
the curious little animals was now thor
oughly aroused He not only watched
them while they spun themselves in until
the last one had completed itS shining col
or, but be also rncked his brain and pu1-
xlcd about what would now become Of
them. One day few weeks later he found
the reply TO his burning question. He
fancied he could hear slight noise within
one Of the egg shaped formations. As be
bent down to examine It more closely, he
| saw that IL had dikcolored at one end and
| apparently had become moist; how this
| end, giving way under some pressure from
within, bulge(i 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
heed. A small, trembling, white animal
crept forth. Its wings grew and strength
ened noticeably after being opened ana
shut . few times until suddenly IL ded
away. The empcror, the empress and the
litsle princess were ve1y much surprised
They all bad often seen the little white
bnteefAy In swaxms about ths old muIher-
y trees in the garden. particularly IN the
twilight Of warm summer evening. It
vas uos long before the ltssSs princess had
| = Soe Of these butterdSss in hef room, much
| 10 - aisuomfisurs ot hef maids, who did
~ take kind1y - thlh new whim Of thsfP
mistrs1