“SPILKY; the SPILKWORM”

                                                             

    "Spilky’s” parents met in a candlelit corner of the Great Hall in an ancient castle in Europe and fell in love.
    His father was a spider, and a native of that country. His mother was a silkworm. Her ancestors were brought from the Far East by a daring Explorer. The Explorer had built up a lucrative trade with the merchants of his city by selling them beautiful silk fabrics he obtained on his voyages. At that time, silk was in great demand for the clothing of the upper class. The Queen and her Ladies-in-Waiting wore elaborate silk gowns. And the King and his Noblemen wore elaborate silk waistcoats and silk knee length breeches.
    On one trip to the Far East it occurred to the Explorer that if he knew the secret of silk, he could make silk cloth from start to finish at home, at a huge profit. Then, he wouldn’t have to go on those long voyages and spend so many months, and sometimes even years away from his family.  "Also, if I were rich,” he thought, “I would be somebody. The King would make me a knight. I’d be admitted to court.” So he set out to find out how silk cloth was made? So he could open a silk factory at home.
Through bribery he leaned that silk was made by unwinding the silkworm’s cocoon and weaving the threads into cloth. At the same time, he also learned that it was against the law to take silkworms out of the country.
    However, the Explorer took a chance, anyway. He hid the silkworms he managed to get inside the elegant, powdered, human hair wigs he was taking home to sell. Wigs were worn by men and women of noble birth in those days.
But his silkworm experiment failed at home. The weather wasn’t conducive to raising silkworms. And mulberry leaves, the worms main meal were in short supply. However, a few silkworms inside the castle greenhouse survived. Among them, “Spilky’s Mom.
    When “Spilky” was growing up, he looked like all the other little silkworms. And, he had lots of playmates. They wrestled and tumbled all over each other constantly. But “Spilky” was always curious about what was beyond the greenhouse? Sometimes, he’d slip away from the others and crawl into other parts of the castle.
    Finally the time came when all the little silkworms began to wind their threads around and around their little bodies, until they had a snug cocoon in which to sleep. But, “Spilky” didn’t want to wind thread around and around his body. Remember, he was a spilkworm…part spider…and part silkworm. He couldn’t spin thread around and around like his Mother. And he couldn’t spin a web like his Father, although he tried to please both of them. Instead, “Spilky” found out he could spin triangles, circles, and squares. And, after that, he spent his time spinning and weaving original designs that made him happy.
   "Spilky” had lots of energy. He wasn’t sleepy when the others were sleepy, so he crawled up a wall in the great room, a silk thread trailing behind him. He pretended he was on a trampoline and jumped up and down many, many times. He wove thread in and out, and across other threads. He leaped from row to row. Creating an original piece of silk cloth. His best ever. Then, “Spilky” went home.
Later in the day, the Queen and her Ladies-in-Waiting entered the Great Hall.
    “My, what a beautiful tapestry,” the Queen said, as she pointed to ”Spilky’s” silk cloth filled with glowing designs of flower, trees, birds and clouds. “Bring the one who made it to me. I’ll make him “Royal Weaver of the Palace. But, no one knew who had made it?
    Two hundred years have passed since that time. And, today due to inheritance taxes, the present owners of the castle have fallen on hard times. To raise revenue for its upkeep they’ve opened the castle for tours on weekends.  Now, hundred of visitors pass through the Great Hall each year. And gaze in awe at “Spilky’s” tapestry, still hanging on the castle wall. 

                                                         by Lola H. Longley