FIRST MONTH.
Little Good Boy had just finished eating the last of five rice cakes called "dango," that had been strung on a skewer of bamboo and dipped in soy sauce, when he said to his little sister, called Chrysanthemum:—
"O-Kiku, it is soon the great festival of the New Year."
"What shall we do then?" asked little O-Kiku, not clearly remembering the festival of the previous year.
Thus questioned, Yoshi-san[4] had his desired opening to hold forth on the coming delights, and he replied:—