Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-10-15
"Chirps" ~
from the
Democrats Pen

Well. Sir, the hOCdrldiiS ASVoAOU w
a very interesting talk last MONDAY
evening, made by gentleman OF the
cloth who is doing missionary work
in Japan; but, SEEM as how the jap
anese mind is fully occupied by ex-
traneous matters of the body, it is
thought best, at present, for all those
not Japanese please to retire.
The gentleman began his talk with
a few sentences of English-that's
what supposed they were-translated
into Japanese. Of course, all the Ro-
tary boys agreed with what he said,
they couldn't do anything else. But
blest if it didn't sound to me like that
tobacco auctioneer I heard over the
radio the other night. Seemed to me
all he said was "ping-pong" and he
was getting that off repeatedly and
in double-quick time. If I had to talk
like that, I wouldn't, that's all.
Among the recitals of Oriental ways
and means, the speaker told fish
story. I really don't know whether he
told it for us to believe or not. /
hadn't been able to relieve my brain
of that Japanese jargon before he
plunged into the tale, so I don't know
whether it was a true-to-life state
nent of an Eastern industry, or just
an imitation of western fiction. Any
how one doesn't have to stick to truth
to tell fish story. So the missionary
hasn't sinned away his day of grace
if he did embellish just wee bit
it will all come out in the wash.
He said that over there on the east
coast of nowhere, there was very
long-necked bird, something like our
swan, and l suppose enjoyed diet
of fish, also like our feathered speci-
men. ".- yo .,++I
The Orientals being an ingenious
sort of people and, at the same time,
willing to adopt all labor-saving devi-
ces, made use of the aforementioned
bird in their angling excursions. They
put a ring around the neck of the
thing, not too small to cut off breath
ing but small enough to reduce the
size of passage from mouth to nav.
Lights were arranged in the stern
of the fishing boats and the birds
taken in tow, slowly, tethered by
small ropes. The lights attracted the
fish; the birds gulped them down, but
the finny boys couldn't go any fur
Their than the encircling ring. When
the necks got full, the fishermen gath
cred the birds in, made them disgorge
their catch and then were put over
board to repeat their little act.
And, sir, do you know, the speak
er had just previously told us how the
Japs ate their fish raw" and consid-
cred them just as much delicacy as
we do over salt water oyster. 1 sup
pose the fabrication received in the
birds throat, made the fish slip down
as easily as the oyster, but outside of
that / hesitated to make comparisons.
The guest-speaker and the rest of us
had finished our dinenrs. I haven't
heard of anybody's having to go to
the side of the boat; we are hardy
race over here.
But, 1 ask you in all fairness and
squareness, what do you think of that
story-it sounds fishy, doesn't it e? But,
as said before, you don't have to
split the plate when you are telling
piscatorial yarns; just cut the corners
and the public will call 'em all right.
So, all we got to say, that one was
daisy, Parson. If you have any
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