THE STORY OF ARTIFICIAL SILK

chemist, a silkworm spins 300 yards of fine
silk around itself when it is nine weeks old.

It makes what we call a cocoon—a snug,
warm, little sleeping-bag. It sleeps for three
weeks, and then breaks out of its sleeping-bag
and finds that it has become a moth—a very
beautiful moth, with a thick, hairy body and
large, broad wings.

This resurrection is still one of the marvels
of Nature. We know nothing about it. We
can merely watch it happen with wondering
eyes. A poor little caterpillar, creeping along
with its 16 short legs, goes to sleep in a silk
bag and wakes up to find itself a little moth
angel, flying freely in the sunshine. As to
how this is done, not a scientist in the world
tan say.

We do not care much for the caterpillar
itself, but we are greatly interested in the
resurrection robe that it spins for itself. We
rob the sleeping worm of its robe.
To tell the brutal truth, we kill the sleeping
worm. Then we slightly roast the cocoon,
dip it into warm water and unroll the silk
threads. We kill hundreds of worms to make
just one silk dress.

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