"Don't they have fresh milk at these inns?" someone asked.
"A few of them have it now," he replied, "but it is only in the last few years that the people of this locality have learned to use milk at all."
This reminded him of a story which he told us.
On one of his walking trips he had stopped at an inn which boasted of having been patronized by an Imperial Prince. The friend who accompanied the linguist on that trip wanted coffee for breakfast, and the innkeeper managed to supply it. The linguist had a can of "Bear Brand" Milk in his haversack, but he did not wish to open it if milk could be produced at the inn.
"Can you get me some milk?" he asked the nesan.
"What kind of milk?" she inquired.
Perceiving that she knew nothing of our custom of using milk in tea and coffee, he amused himself by replying:
"Whale's milk."
The nesan went downstairs and presently returned to say that there was no whale's milk to be had.
"This inn has been patronized by an Imperial Prince," exclaimed the linguist, affecting astonishment, "yet you have no whale's milk?"