ends. And the girls do up their hair like mamas. The ki-mo'nos are not pinned or buttoned. They are just folded across the front. To keep the ki-mo'nos from flying open the children take short steps and walk pigeon toed. The biggest girl carries baby brother on her back. He is just as interested in what is going on as anybody. The children all smile, and bow very low. It is not polite in Japan to look unhappy or to say cross words. In a minute a little girl will rub her velvety, gold-colored cheek against yours. That is a Japanese kiss. She will put her arm around your waist. Then you are dear friends. She will want you to ride in the same jin-rik-i-sha with her.
Jin-rik-i-shas are like big baby cabs on two wheels. They are pulled by men. The men wear blue or white cotton, butter-bowl hats on their heads, very short, tight breeches and loose shirts outside. In the jin-rik-i-sha you feel like twin baby sisters out with the nurse maid for an airing. You giggle, and your new little friend giggles. Then you ask her name. She says it is Cherry Blossom. That seems too good to be true. Her brother's name is Nogi after a great war hero.
How fast the jin-rik-i-sha man runs—as fast as a horse. He whirls you through the queerest streets. The houses and shops are of gray wood, with heavy, over-hanging roofs of black tiles. They are wide open. The walls are slid back so you can see everything that is going on inside. By and by you come to the children's house. They all kick off their sandals and go in in their stocking feet. No wonder, with such clean white straw mats on the floor! You take off your shoes, too. They are so troublesome you think you will get some Japanese sandals to wear.
What a funny house! It has no windows, no doors, no rooms. The walls slide back to make just one room, and that is open clear through as if it was all out doors. There are no chairs, no beds, no tables. The parlor is at the back of the house. That is the prettiest part because it looks into the prettiest little garden you ever saw.
There is a little hill, and a little river with a tiny bridge across it. There is a little lake with gold fish, and tiny twisted old pine trees. There is a little tea house in the garden. You sit on your heels before little tables a foot high, and a little maid brings tea on a tray. You drink out of dolly tea cups.
Every minute there is something new. The children stop a toy stove peddler and rent a real stove with a charcoal fire in it. You
