In the Kura was a long bamboo pole. The Twins' Father took the pole and set it up in the street before their house. Then he brought out two great paper fish. They were almost larger than Taro. They had great round mouths and round eyes. A string was fastened to their mouths.
"There's one fish for Taro and one for Bot'Chan," said the
Father. "We have two boys in our house."
He tied the fish to the pole. The wind filled the great round mouths and soon away up in the air the two fish were bobbing and blowing about just as if they were alive!
There was a bamboo pole with one or two—and sometimes three or four—fish on it before every house in the street!
"My! how many boys there are in the world!" Take said; "more than
I can count!"
The street was as gay as a great flower-garden. There were not only fish flags; there was the flag of Japan, with a great round red disk on it. And there was the flag of the navy, which was a great round red sun like the other, only with red rays around it, and there were banners of all colors waving in the breeze.
"Why are the fish flags all made just like the carp in the pond at the Temple?" asked Take.
"Because the carp is such a plucky fish," the Father answered. "He isn't a lazy fish that only wants to swim downstream, the easy way. He swims up the rivers and jumps up the falls. That's the way we want our Japanese boys to be. Their lives must be brave and strong, like the carp."
"And clean and bright like the sword, too?" Taro said.
"Yes," said his Father. "I'm glad you remember about the sword."