much trouble, for most of it fell through the perforations in the
tin shelves and could be readily removed. Now and then, of course, some
unwary baby silkworm fell through too along with this waste matter and
had to be rescued; for the most part, however, the task was simple
enough.

"I do not see that it is hard work to raise silkworms," announced Pierre
at the end of the first few days. "Why, a six-year-old child could feed
them! It is the easiest thing imaginable."

Josef laughed.

"Just you wait, Pierre Bretton!" was his retort. "Some day in the near
future I'll remind you of those words. The first three weeks are not
arduous, I'll agree. The next twelve or fourteen days are harder,
though; there are more things to think of and more food to gather. And
as for the last part of the time--it demands all the care and labor that
you will wish to expend."

But Pierre only shrugged his shoulders sceptically.

In the meantime the silkworms continued to thrive. The weather was warm
and sunny and no irregular conditions broke in upon the work until one
afternoon Josef announced in a warning tone:

"There'll be rain to-morrow. You better gather double your supply of
mulberry leaves; for if you wait until morning the trees will be
dripping wet, so we cannot find food for our caterpillars."

It was a timely forecast, for the old servant's prediction proved a true
one, and thanks to his thoughtfulness, the crop of the youthful
sericulturists escaped famine. After that the silk-raisers kept their
eyes out for the possibility of showers or stormy weather. Never for an
hour did they run out of food to supply the busy little creatures that
were to earn for the Bretton family a livelihood. Tirelessly they fed
the caterpillars; tirelessly cleared away the litter that it might not
ferment and cause malady, or bury the worms beneath its weight and
render them hot and torpid. For it was by keeping them vigorous and
alert, with plenty of fresh food and fresh air that they would develop
the heartiest appetite, grow the fastest, and spin the largest cocoons.
All these points were too important to be overlooked. Whenever the
litter accumulated too fast or failed to drop through the grating of the
shelves the caterpillars were gently removed on a cluster of fresh
mulberry leaves to another spot, and the place made clean and tidy.

Then came a day when the silkworms began to cease eating and instead
paused idly, with heads upraised.