The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1905-01-14
THE HUMOR OF JAPAN
JOKES THAT AMuse THE NATIVES
OF DAl NIPPON.

JOKES THAT AMUSE THE NATIVES
OF DAl NIPPON.
Some Samples of Their Character
tstic Funny Stories The Doctor
Who Didn't Fear Burglars - The
Writing Critic Who Couldn't Write.
In a review Of a collection of funny
stories called "Kokkei Hyaku Showa"
by Mr.. Kubo Tendzui the Japan
Weekly Mail quotes the following rs
being peculiarly characteristic of Japa-
nese humor:
A certain government official who in
olden times used to be called n "daik-
wan," but now is known as q "gun-
cho" (head of a districO, having been
recently appointed to Il certain district,
was engaged in q tour Of inspection
when his notice vas attracted by the
approach of an old man who was too
tipsy to walk straight.
Wondering who the intoxicated man
could be, the district officer accosted
him and after much difficulty ascer-
tained that he was the head of the
village which he had come to inspect.
Thinking it to be his duty to make use
of the occasion for obtaining reliable
information, the district officer asked
the topper how many houses and how
many people there were in the village.
''There are 100 houses and, males and
females. included. 90 persons in the
village replied the man. Puzzled, the
officer asked, How can that be!::
'".There is nothing wrong about that"
replied the head of the village. BE.
sides these sixty there are any amount
Of people i'll the village, but since they
are creatures who ..now not what it is
to drink they are not, l take'it worthy
Of being mentioned I.
Once upon at%time it happened that
FIVE or six burglars, armed with
swords and shouting like men attack:
ing an enemy on the battlefield, came
bouncing into the house of a certain
DOCTOR; The whole household, with the
exception of the master, were para
lyzed. They felt rs though iron chains
had been placed around them, and not
one of them moved hand or foot. They
watched in terror to see what would
happen, when, 10 and behold, the rob
bers took their departure without
stealing a thing. Though they could
not tell what was tile meaning of this
strange proceeding, certain it was that
the family was. safe. But where was
the head Of the house? After search
ing through the rooms they found him
in Ills dispensary- There he stood In
the midst Of the drugs, medicine spoon
in hand, looking fierce and triumphant.
what are you doing here?" inquired
one of the members of his household.
! Smiling, he replied: "Those robbers
were perhaps as noted as Kumasaka
Chohan, but they. may thank their
stars that they have got off with their
lives! Had they pushed matters a lit
tie further and entered this ~dispensary
not one of them would have left it
alive" Amused by this remark, one Of
the members Of the family rejoined:
without a sword or a pistol how
could you have killed these robbers?
Can you kill robbers with a spoon?"
Whereupon the doctor, with fine self
assurance, replied: "Iow. many thou
sands of lives have l taken by mean
Of this spoon! What to me are the
lives of five or six robbers? Lucky
chaps to get off as they did,"
The son Of an extremely illiterate
peasant vas in the habit Of bringing
his copies home day after day, his
hands and face covered with the ink
that should have gone on his copy.
Thinking it well to exercise his pater-
nal authority over the lad even i'll re-
gard to his school lessons, the father
one day commanded the boy to show
him his writing. Looking it over with
the air Of an expert pennlan, he criti-
cised various strokes: This stroke Is
too long; this one too short. These two
strokes are too far apart" observed
the father.
"But," said the boy. "the writing
master tells us to write them as l have
DONE" Show me the copy" jerked
out the father. The boy produced the
copy. which his father began to ex-
anime closely upside down. why,
you are holding it upside down. ex-
claimed the lad. Not to be beaten, the
father replied: Don't be so conceited:
I am holding it for you to look at, of
course. You could not read it were
1t turned the other way. Listen to
what is said to you and don't fancy
you know everything"
The above reminds us Of a story that :
concerns Taira Kiyomori. 1t is re-
lated that In the time Of the Heiji re-
bellion the rebels attacked Kiyomori's
camp very suddenly one day. Losing
presence of mind, Kiyomori put
ON his armor in a great hurry, the back
part front. Some persons near pointed
out the mistake he had made. "You
have put your armor OH the wrong
they exclaimed. at is not So"
calmly answered Kiyomori. LAS tho"
emperor is coming behind I have put
Oh the armor SO as to have tho front
|,art facing him. 1t would be impolite
10 have the back part of ones armor