The Springdale news., 1907-11-08
JAPANESE STORY,

 which every Japanese child knows as inevitably as an English hoy knows his Robinson Crusoe," is the story of The Faithful Ronins.'
 "Robinson Crusoe" is tale of wan dering and adventure and that is be cause the English are Il wandering race Until Il short time ago the .Japa- nese never travelled. They We're even forbidden to build iunks above Il cer- tain size lest they might be tempted to go too far in them. Nowadays there are fine Japanese steamers. bnt at the time when the good stories grew their theme ia Japan ZWas almost always coura ge and devotion.
 In the year 1701 the head Of the Eez nin family, or clan-for this tale. like "Eobnson erusoe" is founded on fact -was insulted by Il superior officer and attacked him with Il sword For this crime the chief konin was condemned to slay himself. that being the usual punishment in Japan; also it was de eided that his castle and property should Be taken away and his people driven off Accordingly the chief Ronin killed himself.
 The new head Of the Ronins WAS named kurarosuke. He is the national popular hero of Japan. much like Ethan AiIen or Francis Marion in this country. II was Kurarosuke.s duty to ayenge lis masters death in some way. So he called the elan together to de fend the castle against the soldiers who were to take it. This was quite proper according to Japanese ideas.
 When they were all gathered togeth- ec kurafosnke said. We have not met to defend the castle. for that would be useless. We should only ill the end be taken and slain. Let us all slay ourselves after the old Japanese man. Ter and thus die with oHr beloved master"
 To this sixty-thfee of the Ronins agreed. but the rest went away shak- ing their heads
 The cunning Kurarosuke,. however. had no notion of killing himself. When tie sixty=three We're all together he was sure they at least would Hot reyea!
 
 shall neither defend the castle. which would be useless. nor kill ourselves. which would be no better But We shall be patient and wait wait. wait until We can kill the man whose insult caus- ed our masters death" Then he eX plained his plan, and forty-seven of the siXty-three agreed to it.
 According 10 Japanese ideas, what they endured was worse even than suicide, for they did nothing Instead of trying to avenge the insult they wandered about and became mere vag- abondS IL looked as if they were go ing to make no effort to avenge their master and this made every one de spiSe them. Even the children would call out after one of them as he staggered past Hey There goesZa Ronin Drunkard. Cowar1 'Fraid eat. Fraid cat or something Japanese to the game effect
 The Japanese children are usually very polite-beCause they eat no meat. some say-but nobody thought it worth while to he polite to d coward Of course all this was terribly hard for the Ronins to bear They knew they were not towards. but they could only wait some day. though. and some day came at last. When everybody had come to the conclusion that tie Ronins had no pluck at all, these forly seven vagabonds came together one night and carried the castle of their enemy by assault Then they put him to death and quietly awaited their own fate. They were taken, of course. and condemned to kill themselves, as their master had done.
 As they were led away in three par ties a servant of the house called First Companion q man of too little consequence to take part in the fight ing stood to see them pass that he might carry home the news. One of the Ronins was q real drunkard. vaga- bond and without need of making be lieve. His name was Red Hedge" and he was a pretty low down fellow. so that First Companion" feared that Red Hedge might have been drunk the night before and have been left out of the attack.
 But no. At the head of the third di- vision of the captured Ronins marched Red Hedge" very proud in his ar nor. Seeing the servant kneeling in the snow, Red Hedge" gave him mes sages and threw him the pennon of his l lance for memento.
 Then First Companion" turned to the lockers on and cried Look at him. Gentlemen that is Sir Red Hedge, the brother of my master He is a Ronin by adoption only. But see i him today among the avengers
 And in his delight the faithful old