With the Serbs in Macedonia

2o8 WITH THE SERBS IN MACEDONIA
bodies, all so busy, and making, as they feed and
spin, a noise like the pattering of a light shower
of rain on the leaves of a tree.
In one instance a delightfully dignified old
Macedonian showed us round. He and his
wife and his son and his son's wife and their
first child all lived in the similar shed next door,
the two making up
their ''
house." The child
was a sweet little imp of about five, playing
with a live baby-bird. There was a piece of
string round one of its legs, and whenever it
escaped from his hot, grubby hands he hauled
it back with a gurgle of delight. He had an
angel's face.
We visited them again later, when the cocoons
had all been spun. The twigs were brought
out on to the long, low verandah, and everybody
was very busy plucking off the tiny yellow egg-
like cocoons and spreading them out to dry.
After that they are steeped in hot water and the
silk unwound into hanks, in which state it is
sold. Our host informed us that his yield had
been twenty-five pounds, and politely expressed
the opinion that we had brought him good
luck.
His house may be taken as a fair specimen of
most of the village houses. Of course in Macedonia
the poverty-stricken appearance of some
of the houses and their inhabitants is due to the