3 182202465 1721 s$J%*mf- m^W Jfe*'^^*^ *'* WWW;: -'W

JAPAN 1 S DOUBLE GOVERNMENT. 103
called him 'Lord Fool.' Worse than all, he was
never invited to their 'poetry parties,' where witty
lords and pretty ladies met to write, exchange poems,
and to enjoy the favor of the Mikado.
" One day Ono adjusted his high cap on his head,
seized his oiled-paper umbrella, and went out to take
his usual walk. It was a damp morning and he was
very moody over the slights he so often received.
He carried his umbrella closed in his hand, and the
ground being muddy, he had on his high clogs instead
of his lacquered slippers, which only the ~kug,
or court nobles, were allowed to wear. These lifted
him high above the ground, making him look taller
and even more proud.
"In crossing a little rustic bridge, his attention
was attracted by a long, pendent branch of willow
which hung over the dry part of the bed of a brook.
It was swaying backwards and forwards. As there
was not a breath of air stirring, Ono was curious to
know the reason for this. He peered down through
the branches, and there on the sand sat a tiny green
rain frog [tree frog]. The tip of the willow branch
was just above his reach, and was so slippery that
on it he lost his
every time the frog went to leap
hold and slid back to the ground, while the tip of
the willow branch swayed to and fro. Over and
over again the little creature tried to catch it in
his webby hands, but each time failed. It almost
tickled the little reptile's nose in the most tantalizing
manner so near was it. Sometimes he would
grab the tip, but, unable to hold it, would again slip