Part 4 (2/2)
They act stupid, and as if they didn't feel well But later they make up for their loss of appetite--don't you fret”
Josef s at a furious rate,” he went on, ”and they keep right on stuffing theht days old they have expanded until their skin is so tight that it makes them uncomfortable It seems to pinch and make them ill
At any rate they act as if they felt pretty poorly and did not want to eat much more Their next move is to cast their skins This takes about three or four minutes and is a strenuous business while it lasts; every bit of the old skin goes--even that from the head, jaws, and feet The ordeal leaves the again furiously as ever You can't stop the”
”How does the new skin look?” inquired Marie ”Just like the other?”
”Why do you ask such foolish questions, Marie?” grumbled Josef ”Haven't you seen your father's silkworms hundreds of times?”
”I'm ashamed to say I never noticed theirl ”They sees that I never was interested in them”
”I don't know much about the them myself If I had I should have examined them more carefully and asked Father lots of questions It was such a bother always to be gathering ht of a silkworm,” confessed the boy ”Ever so o and play But now, you see, it is different, because they are our own silkworms and of course ant to learn all we can about them I wish, Josef, you'd please tell us about their new skins”
Josef glanced up good-naturedly
”If you really want to know of course I'll tell you,” he answered ”The new skin looks just about like the old one, except that it is all loose and wrinkled You kno you look when you are wearing a new suit that your row to, Pierre Well, that's the way the silkwor at first
But by the end of five days he has filled it all out until he is as uncomfortable in it as he was in his old one, and is ready for another”
”And he peels this one off just the saloves This, as I have said, is not at all easy, for you must remember that his skin fits very closely all about his jaws as well as over all his sixteen legs These are arranged in pairs so when he shi+fts his skin it is equal to peeling off eight pairs of stockings Hoould you like that?”
The boy and girl shook their heads
”These legs are very nicely planned, too,” went on Josef ”There are six in front--three pairs--neatly covered with a thick, shelly coating; these fit under the first three rings of the silkwor Then cos, or holders, which have tiny hooks on theht the silkworm scarcely moved,” objected Marie
”Oh, it can ets ready to spin its cocoon it climbs until it finds a place that suits it In addition to all these legs it has wonderfully strong jaws I suppose the good Lord bestowed these upon the silkworm because most of its work in life is done with its jaws--both its eating and spinning In proportion to its size the silkworer jaws than any other of the small creatures Underneath these jaws are two very tiny apertures set close together through which the caterpillar draws and unites into one the two strands of silk This is sometimes called the spinaret The silk substance, which is really a yellow gu each side of the silkworle thread in the spinaret”
”And you say the silkwor its skin four times, Josef?”
”Yes, four ti to moult, because it raises its head and rerown to the full size of its fourth skin it is ready to spin its cocoon This is all very sie and wonderful, too You'll follow the process row and you can watch thees”
”I do hope our silkworms will hatch and develop safely,” reuess,” was the co reply ”I have helped your father hatch out thousands of eggs, and we seldom have had a bit of trouble I shouldn't worry By to-morrow or the next day I plan we shall have as fine a crop of silkworms as one could wish to see”
”I hope so--for our sakes and for Father's,” said Marie softly
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CHAPTER VI