BOTCHAN
Then the one with a round face sitting on the left saucily shot back:
“A-ah say, that's a locust, a-ah–.”
“Shut up. They’re the same thing. In the first place, what do you mean by answering your teacher ‘A-ah say’? Ah-Say or Ah-Sing is a Chink’s name!"
For this counter-shot, he answered:
“A-ah say and Ah-Sing is different,–A-ah say.” They never got rid of “A-ah say.”
“Grasshoppers or locusts, why did you put them into my bed? When I asked you to?”
“Nobody put them in.”
“If not, how could they get into the bed?”
“Locusts are fond of warm places and probably they got in there respectfully by themselves.”
“You fools! Grasshoppers getting into bed respectfully! I should smile at them getting in there respectfully! Now, what’s the reason for doing this mischief? Speak out.”
“But there is no way to explain it because we
–75–
