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48
THE WONDERFUL CITY OF TOKIO.
"Oh, my gold ornaments!' he howled. 'What have you
done with my gold ornaments?'
"The god-fox mocked at his terror, and echoed:
"Gold ornaments! Gold ornaments!' You are the fellow
who did not believe in Inari. He has deprived you of your
treasures."
The koshaku-shi then bowed, smiled, and said to his lis-
teners:
"Is that not a funny story?"
"Oto," whispered Fitz, "please laugh,
Where does the joke come in?"
for I cannot.
"Don't you see?" returned Oto. "The god-fox avenged
the insult cast upon Inari, whose servant he was. I think the
story is very quaint."
They gave the man some more money, and quitting the
place, emerged upon
the street.
"Did that story really amuse you, Oto?" inquired Johnnie.
"Yes," was the response. "I think it was more ridiculous
than anything I have read in your comic papers."
Fitz nudged his brother and said, in a low tone :
"Johnnie, I am afraid we are not educated up to Japanese
wit. Perhaps, if we think over it for a week or so, we may
see where the laugh comes in."
As they were chatting, two ragged outcasts approached
arid began to turn over the rubbish in the road, for scraps of
waste paper. They wore dilapidated, conical hats, the lower
parts of their faces were concealed by blue towels, and they
moved warily, like rats.
''Those are kami-kudsu-hiroi? whispered Oto. "They
are not very particular how they fill their baskets. Have you
any persons
like them in the States?"
"Lots," said Johnnie. "We call them rag-pickers. The