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AT A FAN-MAKER'S. j 1 7
Tonosuke scratched his ear and rubbed his forehead, then
sucked in his breath and replied:
" I never thought of that. This is the way to the place
where we cover the fan-frames."
As they followed him, he said, in a comical aside:
"Oh, dear! what dreadful hard questions that O bos-an
asks me, I wonder whether all Americans are like him."
He pushed back a sliding door and ushered his guests into
a workshop, much like the first, in which men and women of
all ages were squatted behind heavy blocks of wood, that
served as benches.
rr
osuke.
This is our finishing department," politely remarked Ton-
rf
I will myself show you how to put the paper on a
fan-frame."
He motioned one of the women to quit her work-bench,
then squatted behind it, took a prepared bamboo stick, and
once more bowing, said:
" Honorable visitors, you will observe that the upper part
of this is cut into fine splints, and that below the joint is insert-
ed a bamboo bow. I press the ribs on to this block, and you
see they are spread out flat like your extended fingers. I next
take a paper string and after fastening it to one end of the bow,
thread it in and out of the splints and secure it on the other
end. That done I place this colored fan-paper upon the block,
paste it and both sides of the ribs, above the thread, and lay
the frame upon the paper-covering on the block. I now take
another paper," (suiting the action to the word,) " put it on
the back of the fan, rub it vigorously with my hand,
seize these
scissors, trim the article into the proper shape, and run a thin
to finish it. I
strip of colored paper all round the cut edges,
next put the uchiiva on a frame and allow it to dry. In five
minutes it will be fit for the honorable Ojo-sama to use."