. St. Nicholas [serial] . NS WHO CONSPIRED TO LEARN THE ARTTHAT GAVE TO TODDLING LADIES THEIR ROBES OF SILKEN SHEEN Now a secret, locked and guarded, is the meekest of all things; Its as sleepy as a dormouse while you keep it in the dark;But when once its given freedom, it has forty thousand wings, And it soars and sings and whistles twice as merry as a it happened, to the Empire of Justinian the Great Came two monks, both old and hoary, leaning each upon his they begged a royal hearing—they had tidings to relate; Would the Empress Theodora lend an ear in their behalf?They w
. St. Nicholas [serial] . NS WHO CONSPIRED TO LEARN THE ARTTHAT GAVE TO TODDLING LADIES THEIR ROBES OF SILKEN SHEEN Now a secret, locked and guarded, is the meekest of all things; Its as sleepy as a dormouse while you keep it in the dark;But when once its given freedom, it has forty thousand wings, And it soars and sings and whistles twice as merry as a it happened, to the Empire of Justinian the Great Came two monks, both old and hoary, leaning each upon his they begged a royal hearing—they had tidings to relate; Would the Empress Theodora lend an ear in their behalf?They were aged missionaries, they had taught the heathen long; They themselves had gleaned some knowledge from the land of ancient tombs:Men had guessed how silk was cultured, but their theories were wrong; // was worms that had been spinning thread for Chinas little looms!Creeping worms that quite resembled others of their lowly ilk,Though they throve upon the mulberry tree and spun cocoons of silk, 596 MARIETTAS SILKEN SACK. AND LENT AN ADDED GLORY TO THE IOMPOUS MANDARIN There was wonder and excitement in the noble Roman Court, And the aged missionaries were addressed in flattering terms;But alas! there rose the problem: would the worthy monks report Where to find the precious mulberry trees, and how to get the worms ?Quoth a monk, We still have much that is of interest to relate: Cross the continent of Asia we have traveled, fear beset;And a bundle of young mulberries you will find by yonder gate, And within our hollow pilgrim staffs is something rarer they tapped their staffs uplifted oer a blanket wide unfurled,And behold! a heap of silkworm eggs to stock the Western World! Hi-ho-hum. and well-a-day ! T is indeed a weary while Since Se-ling-she, the Empress, and her looms were gone for ay; And thirteen centuries and more, since, trudging mile on old monks crossed the continent and gave the art away Thats spread around the world until of silk there is no lack
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