Silk

I feel so soft when you touch me. I am smooth and shiny, like a little piece of the moon you can hold in your hand. When the sun peeks out, I glow with a gentle light. Do you want to know my secret. I come from a tiny, wiggly friend. This little friend munches on yummy green leaves all day long. It spins and spins and wraps itself in a cozy little blanket. From that blanket comes a magical, sparkly thread. That's me. I am Silk, a magical thread made with love by a tiny silkworm.

A very, very long time ago, around the year 2700 BCE, I was discovered in a beautiful garden in a land called China. A kind empress named Leizu was sitting under a big tree, sipping warm tea from a pretty cup. It was a lovely, sunny day. Suddenly, plop. A little white ball fell from the tree right into her hot tea. It was a cocoon, the cozy blanket made by a silkworm. When Empress Leizu gently picked it out of her cup, something amazing happened. The warm tea had softened the cocoon, and a long, shiny thread began to unwind. It was so long and strong and beautiful. She realized that this wonderful thread could be woven together to make the softest, shiniest cloth in the whole world.

For a long, long time, I was a special secret kept safe in China. People loved my soft touch. Then, it was time to share my magic with the world. I went on a big adventure on a famous path called the Silk Road. I traveled in cozy bundles on the backs of strong camels. We walked across sandy deserts and over tall mountains to reach faraway lands. People who had never felt anything so soft were so happy to see me. I was turned into colorful robes for kings and queens to wear.

Today, you can still find me all around you. I am in the smooth ribbons on a present and the soft scarves that keep you warm. I am in special dresses that shimmer when you twirl. I am here to remind you that the most amazing and beautiful things can come from the smallest of creatures. Sharing wonderful things with friends can make the whole world a little softer and brighter.