The discovery of the silk worm and the invention of the silk loom have been credited to Lady Xi Ling Shi, the 14-year-old bride of Emperor Huang Ti, the “Yellow Emperor” of China. According to Confucius, one day in 2640 B.C. Xi Ling Shi sat under a Mulberry tree quietly drinking a cup of tea. Suddenly a silk cocoon fell from a branch above her head and landed in her cup. She watched as the delicate fibers began to unravel in the hot liquid. Her observation spurred her to use the silk filament of a Mulberry moth cocoon to create yarn for weaving. Whether or not the legend is true, this is the first known historical reference to silk production.