The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-13

The People az That Country Enjev
SueA F0n.

New York Sun.
The japanese have 4 keen sense OF hummer
and their literature abountis in witty say.
ings and funny sforiea They also appre-
ciate the better class OF jokes published IN
other countries. and many . bright para
graph and iauEhter-proso,king dialogue II
translated FROM the American press and NJ
printed in the native papers.s Japanese
Jokes are artistic. subtle and 10 be ea1Oyed
thoroughly must be understood In the orig
iial. A foreigner examining the Japanese
language and noting It's peculiar c0natruc-
ton and idioms. might think It rather la
bcrious matter to Joke intcil.Ecntiy In that
tongue. For instance. where We ask, aHoWs
Is your motherT' the polite Japanese would
PROFOUND query. which. ON being literally
rendered into English. runs - foaiows:
your mother as for honorabiy wen being
is?" Where we say. Please speak louder"
he would say, in effect. 'Aore hig voice
my-means-of Designing 10 speak coude-
scend;' and wneSS we might ohseeyA I'VE
shall have thunder Storm" his REMARKS.
again literally Interpreted would be 10 THE
effect: Thunder emitting sound storm to
appears like to become being -" And yet
the rarest kind OK humor and fun are saally
and delicateiy Expressed by him.
A good example OF Japanese humor n tho
story OF two men who were stone deaf. and
who, meeting each other one mornin.. an
duiged In the following dialogue:
First Deaf Man--Good morning. Are you
going to buy sake (something to drink?
Second Deaf Man-I am going to buy
sake
First Deaf Man-oh. excuse NE: 7
thought you were going to buy sake.
Neither had heard or understood & syllar
bic of what the other was saying.
The story OF an iliiferate dog - tod plain.
lively by one who was bitten:
You told me that when dog barked at
one he would leave OK doing % II one wrote
tiger on the palm Of ones hand and Kept
ones fist clenehed. Well. have had
fIndeed. How SOP
"A European dog began barking and n.y..
Ing al me "a I was coming home late last
night. So stuck my clenched ilst out To.
ward him. and just look how rot bitten, =
"oh. Then probably e was dog Who.
had not vet learned Japanese writing"
In THE Pursuit OF Fashion Ne obtain
a glimpse OF the Japanese satirtst. Two
young men having come across each ether
in front ola haherdasher's shop. oue e
them waved his hand hurriedly and cried
out:
II have much to say to you, but a. ms
gent business calls me hdme at present +
must put or the conversation for 4 fev.
days. when will come and see you ~ your
house."
The other. astonlshed Il his frlend,s
strange excitement. asked him what thio
urgent business might BE-; whether ~
meant TO say. for instance. that any Of hin
family had been taken III
"Oh. no. replied the first young man.
with laugh; II have just been getting e
this shop kind OF kerchief which my Wifo
commissioned me TO buy FOR her. The
reason why said couldn't stop ana TAX
to you now Is that II would De IN awful
thing for her 10 fail behind the fashion
while was lettering on the way"
The story OF the smells and tfng.ep % on
that has been enjoyed by many kenerat1oflo
of Japanese 1t Is told as follows:
An old fellow In Ye3p named Kfchshef
kept an eel shop. where ne served up eele
smoking hot 10 his customers K!sah,irn.
his neiEhbor, wishing 10 save money. USED
to sit and eat his boiled rice next 10 the ~
merchants door and rexale himself With
the smell OF the hro.ied cells. The mar
chant, finding this out. presents Z bin for
smelling the eeis Kisaburo, not "a 50
outwittcd, brings out his cash box and jiu.
gies II. saying:
You have charged me for the su,<lf Or
your cells and I have paid you with the
sound OF my money. we are now SQUARE,
A somewhat similar story may be found
n Rabelais. third hook. thirty-seventh
chapter: but he Japanese Is undoubtcdIy
the older version.