90 PASTEUR 



Pasteur requested to see some cocoons. Fabre 

 brought him a handful. The illustrious scien- 

 tist took them in his hand, turned and returned 

 them, shook them near his ear, and exclaimed: 



"Why, there is something inside ! " 



"The chrysalis," replied Fabre. 



"The chrysalis! What's that?" 



"A sort of mummy into which the caterpillar 

 changes before becoming a moth." 



"And inside of every cocoon there is one of 

 those things?" 



"Certainly, it is to protect the chrysalis that 

 the caterpillar spins its cocoon." 



"Ah!" responded Pasteur simply. 



Is not this an admirable scene, as described 

 by the old entomologist Fabre? Pasteur knew 

 nothing, Pasteur worked, observed, drew deduc- 

 tions, came to a conclusion and, where every 

 one else had failed, he alone succeeded! Such 

 is the power of genius. 



The work upon silk-worms had its interrup- 

 tions, for Pasteur tried to reconcile his personal 

 researches with His functions as director of sci- 



