The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-11-01
THE JAPANESE MUFFIN MAN.
a Queer Figure in the Cities of the Land
of the Mikado.
70. do vou know the muffin mani"

of the Mikado.
~, do you know the muffin MANI"
DO you remember this old game? I
believe when some of us were small it
used to be played. One child would
sing the question to another, and he
would answer: 80, yes, l know the
muffin man." until all in the room
would know the muffin man, but l
don't think any of you know the old
fellow | am thinking about, because he
doesn't live.in America. He lives in
Japan, country that is nearly ten
thousand miles from here, and he is
very funny looking old man. The Japa-
nese children love to get money and
run out to buy candy or cake, just as
you do, but one of their favorite ways
of spending their money and their time
is with the muffin man, making muf-
fins.
This old fellow is great favorite; he
goes along the street with sort of
table on his back, something like that
which our scissors grinders carry, and
pot of charcoal in his hand. AS he
goes through, he rings little bell and
sings funny song. When the chill
dren hear him they beg some money
from their mothers, and then they rush
out to catch him. If there are five or
six children, he stops. puts down his
table, opens large drawer under 1t,
gets out dozen little iron rings about
the size of silver dollar, then a large
iron plate. He poles his charcoal fire,
puts the plate on it, greases it well
with oil, while the boys and girls look
on impatiently. They pay their money,
cent, or a half cent, or perhaps a
quarter of a cent, for japanese money
is divided into parts of cent, and
sometimes it takes five copper pieces to
make one of our cents. These have a
hole in the middle. They are strung
on pieces of twisted straw. Now the
old man makes the batter, beating up
some rice flour and water with a little
sugar and taking some little tin pad
dies, he gives one to each child, and
their play is ready. The large iron
plate is quite hot by this time, and the
children dip their ladies in the batter,
drop it into the rings and watch it
uhlil IL OuIIS d lliCt DION IL ColOI. lltN
turn them over with the little paddles,
and some of the girls can do this very
skillfully and neatly, but some spill
the batter over their dress, or burn
their fingers a little. They don't mind
this much, for they are so good-natured
they seldom cry, but keep right on.
The old muffin man in the meantime
90 Al C+r
mat and waits patiently, often whole
afternoon, until they have used the
batter, or have spent all their money.
The little baby sisters or brothers
stand by and sometimes take turn at
the little paddles, or help to eat the
cakes, and they all look so happy that
l have often stopped to watch them.
| Their faces, to be sure, are not very
clean, nor their hands, and when they
| have finished, the batter is smeared
over their clothes. Still they enjoy it
and have no fear of the dirt, for Just as
soon as evening comes on each little
one goes into hot bath and the day S
dirt is soon washed away. There is no
pushing no loud or angry cries, for the
japanese children rarely quarrel, and
never strike each other. l lived in
/ Japan two years, and l never saw but
one childish quarrel
But now our old muffin man is put
ting away the rings and the paddles in
his table drawer, and he cleans the iron
plate, covers up his fire and starts off,
after saying msny goodbye to his
little customers who have had such a
good time and such feast of little
round mullins. On he goes to another
street, or, if it is too late, to his home,
having earned by his days labor about
six or eight cents.-Toledo Blade.