The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1954-01-16
Q BY HUGO YAMAMOTO

tive passage describing the footsteps
of little children as the pitter pat
ter of tiny feet" but as far as
he was concerned, this was the gross
understatement of the year To Iso
land Sonoko). Ichiro's "pitter pat
ter" sounded more like the stomp
ing of elephants on a rampage
through chinaware shop
Each day Ichiro would leave a
trail of broken toys, cups, saucers
chairs, and even twisted chrome ia
BILE legs There wasn't single
piece of furniture around the house
that didn't have Ichiro's trademark
in the way of Clipped paint (where
he often took Iso's hammer to make
major repairs purely concocted from
his imagination.
But, parents love their little child
rem. even when all that remains of
Sonoko's priced dinner set consists
of three Clipped plates, two saucers,
and one handleless cup she now us
es for scooping sugar from the can.
AS for Isos tools, every other teeth
in his saw are missing after Ichiro
tried to cut through a 6-inch spike /;
and how Ichiro managed to jam his
wise was mystery to ESQ.
OF course a child can create some
differences Of opinion around the
house as far as mother and father
are concerned. Sonoko insists that
there were no destructive kids on
her side of the family while Iso ar
gued back, defending his family by
insisting that none, no. not even one
person he can remember on his side
of the family that did anything
closely resembling what Ichiro could
accomplish in the course of day.
This argument continued way into
the night until both secretly con-
fessed to themselves that their child
was just plain "ernery"
One day just before Christmas
came around Sonoko got the bright
idea of threatening Ichiro with IF
you're not a good boy, Santa Claus
won't bring you presents. 1t
seemed to work. Ichiro stepped
quietly around the house. He no
longer stomped around pretending
he was "Tookawaga" who or who
ever it was) but instead found HIM
self a nice spot right beside the
cupboard and stacked mama's lard
er of tin goods. Sonoko was happy
At last she had the solution fol
tempering Ichiro's overactiveness.
at least till Christmas.
Sonoko sat in the front room knit
ting knitting for the new arriva
that was expected in April, while
Ichiro entertained himself in thu
kitchen Everything was quiet fol
a minute. The usual banging O.
cans suddenly ceased. The nevel
ending "hmm hmm. hmmmm'
humming Ichiro always emitted wa
stilled Sonoko smiled and continu'
ed to knit. All at once the realiza'
ton of reading once. When
childs quiet then there is some
thing afoot". struck her She quick
ly got up from her seat and hasten
ed to the kitchen. By the time sh'
got there, the damage was done
There was nothing she could do. 1
chiro had neatly and efficiently ia
ken off all the labels on every cal
in the cupboard. Now instead o
tin goods with its colorful labels
marking soup vegetable, juice
meat, and cleanser. stood nondes
cript shiny tin cans all looking tn
same except for the odd variation
of size.
For the next, two weeks she ha
to say a prayer whenever she open
ed a can. Neither ESQ nor Sonok
(and Ichiro. too never really kne'
what they we're going to have 10
supper until the can was opened
Once when Sonoko was in hurr!
she had forgotten about the label
less tin. She wanated peas for tn
soup and with her mind preoccup
pied with preparing supper IN
hurry had oened tin of cubed pine
apples and dumped the contents IN
to the simmering pot. This was IN
first time the Satoroman family ma
pineapple soup land as an after
thought, Iso thought it tasted quit
good.
OF course. the whole problem wa
not completely devoted to Opera
ton Ichiro'. but some serlo'
thought had to be given to the CON
ing arrival Both Sonoko and Is
read volumes Of books on Gnu
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