Untitled

100 THE WONDERFUL CITY OF TOKIO.
He resumed his work, and when the boys left him he was
rasping away and uttering a grunting noise at every stroke.
Upon reaching the suburbs they passed along some rice
swamps, in which laborers were wading and sowing the grain.
The fellows regarded them with comical amazement, and made
sly remarks to one another concerning the boys' appearance.
"Have you never seen foreigners before?" inquired Oto.
:t
Yes," said the farmer, pausing in his occupation.
always grin when I look at your honorable friends, they
much like monkeys."
" Thank you," said Fitz.
" I
are so
"Oh, you speak our language, do you?" said the astonished
"
man, bowing until his head almost touched the mud. Hon-
orable Sir, I beg you a hundred thousand pardons."
"
I will forgive you, this time," was the merry response.
"
Why do you sow the rice in such a wet place? "
:t The moisture makes it sprout," answered the man. "It
lies in the nice, rich mud until the sun warms it, when it comes
up all green and beautiful, and we transplant it."
After partaking of refreshments at a little wayside tea-
house, they re-entered their jin-rika-sha
and soon arrived at
Mukojima, (the island beyond the river).
The road by the side of the Sumida-gawa was bordered
with beautiful cherry trees, that arched overhead and were
laden with masses of pink and white double flowers. It was a
sight that made the Americans shout with delight.
"Oh! is not this lovely?" cried Sallie.
"Beautiful!" exclaimed Johnnie.
"Splendid! " said Fitz. "Wouldn't I like to be here when
the cherries are ripe ? "
'
These trees do not bear fruit," quietly remarked Oto.
"
Blooms like that
" I call that mean," growled Fitz.
ou^ht to be followed by cherries as biff as oranges."
/ o f>