A bright little Jap is Tommi Taroo,
And he swings on a piece of round bamboo;
For round bamboo is the very best thing
That a boy can use as a seat for a swing.
He lives in the town of Hiogo—
A very nice place to live, you know,
Because it's such fun to go to Kobé,
The city of strangers, just over the way:
A city of Yankees and English too—
Comical fellows to Tommi Taroo—
French and Dutch and Portuguese,
And many another from over the seas.
Fish-day, fish-day in Hizen;
Fish for the women, but not for the men;
Fish for the girls, but not for the boys.
To-day only women know fishermen's joys.
And all on account of Queen Jungu,
Who once caught a fish as fishermen do;
The fish said, "Go and conquer Corea,"
And this she did within a year.
And that is the reason the girls to-day
Are all out fishing, instead of at play;
And I think the fish they show to you
Is as fine as that of Queen Jungu.
Lu-wen lived in Hakodadi;
Lu-wen was a little laddie.
Lu-wen's head was nicely shaved.
He was very well behaved.
Suzume was Lu-wen's mother;
Nakamura was his brother.
Very fine was Nakamura,
And his dress was silk of Surah.
His umbrella and his fan
Were the largest in Japan.
Once he gave them to Lu-wen,
But bade him bring them back again.
This Lu-wen was glad to do
When he'd gone a block or two;
For people left their tea and soy
To stare at him, and call out, "Halloo, big umbrella! where are you going with that little boy?"
