Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-09

household duties with the baby on her
back. Our manner of carrying child In
the arms seems very wasteful of time and
strength to a Japanese mother, who keeps
her arms free and cares for her baby at the
same time. Meanwhile the baby learns to
cling with it's toes and fingers like a little
animal. 1t unconsciousiy learns what its
elders know. and the precocity of the Jap
anese children in taking care of shops, in
selling and carrying on that exercise of
mental shrewdness which farmers call a
"dicker" is the establishment of every for
eigner.
Every boy and girl in Japan has the same
birthday, regardless of dates of birth.
These the whole country unites in cele-
brating
The girls birthday is called the Feast
of Dolls, and takes place in March. On
that day all the dolls of the family for gen.
erations back are brought out and ranged
| on red-covered shelf. Among these are
| the emperor and empress. Little lacquer
tables are put before the dolls, and for
three days food * served to them ire
mendous amount of visiting goes on and
the streets are filled with gaily dressed
children going to see one anothers dolls
and sharing in candy and rice cakes At
the close of the festival the dolls are care
fully packed away with new additions to
their company.
There IS common belief that if dolls
have enough coapaniorshp, in time they
will acquire souls. Tara had bare pole j
"
day she bathed its eyes in hot water
Wherefore. o Tara" | asked. ut has
eyes, but sees not
No. augustly honorable foreign lady.
But IL Tara loves enough, baby see"
Feast Of Flags.
The boys birthday is May ), and IS called
the Feast of Flags Sacred to the boy
is the carp, the fish of greatest strength
and courage. The country bristles with
flag poles, and from each wave brilliantly
colored paper fish. These fish are mad
double. and the wind entering the VIDE
mouths swell them out until they seem to
be swimming in the air. Each pole Will
have a half dozen fish of different hues
and the color effect of this forest of gay
masts viewed from some friendly hill is
one of those beautiful results that this ar
tistic people know so well how to produce
The children enter into almost every form
! of japanese life. When the mother goes to
the temple to pray. she brings home gifts
for tie children. Many of the tempe
grounds are like continual fair with toy
, and candy booths and open air entertain
ments.
japanese toys are innumerab,e and cheap
One sen is half cent. Ten rim make one
sen; many of these toys cost no more than
one rim. Here is o Saru. the honorable
| monkey. He is of red cotton, concc IL ng a
bamboo spring. Press the string and he
runs up a pole This costs two rim. A
box of soldiers. samuri in full amor est
nine rim.
One of the simplest toys is the '"Tombe "
or dragon fl. Imagine two pieces of wood
shaped like a Il. The upper bar is dauted
with color. By twisting the lower piece and
suddenly letting 60 the toy darts into his
air. dipping. rising, lowering. in its rapid
motion looking like dragon fly, and m TX
ing the same humming sound.
children
grounds initiating their parents devotions
by shooting prayer arrows, firing" rolled
up prayer papers. as our children throw
spit balls, piling up votive stones and send