Silkworms

Silk Moths lay eggs which turn into caterpillars called Silkworms. The silkworms weave cocoons make of silk. You can then unravel the cocoon, and you have a thread of raw silk.

Silkworms are picky eaters. They say that some of the worms in the east eat mulberry leaves, but the ones in Egypt eat thistle. The thistle must be tended very carefully, or it won't be just right for the silkworms. If they don't get the right kind of thistle, the cocoons will be unusable.

Each generation of silkworms is slightly different than the previous generation. Sometimes the worms need a little more of one vitamin, sometimes they need a little less of another. Fortunately, silkworm farmers can predict exactly what the silkworms are going to need. Only silkworm farmers can do this, and only silkworm farmers can tend the silkworms.