  We analyze the superstring propagating on a Calabi-Yau threefold. This theory
naturally leads to the consideration of Witten's topological non-linear
sigma-model and the structure of rational curves on the Calabi-Yau manifold. We
study in detail the case of the world-sheet of the string being mapped to a
multiple cover of an isolated rational curve and we show that a natural
compactification of the moduli space of such a multiple cover leads to a
formula in agreement with a conjecture by Candelas, de la Ossa, Green and
Parkes.
