“Good!” cried Billy. “You believe in spitting, eh? Well, now you just spit good and plenty at that!” He thrust the French flag before Alphonse, who spat at his country’s flag. Then shrugging his shoulders, he swore as little boys of some nationalities do not.
Fifteen times he was forced to bow to the Japanese flag, touching each time the ground with his head. Finally he cried as instructed at the top of his voice:
“Vive la Nippon! Banzai!”
He went home a very much wilted and bedraggled little Frenchman, but he did not tell his papa or mamma of the flag incident.
When his father read with apparent exultation further news of Kamrahn Bay, Alphonse raised his little thin shoulders and eyebrows to venture the astonishing remark:
“Was it wise of France, pa-pa?”
