ttle-fish, sat the lobster holding up
the light, like the _kurombo_, or black fellows who hold candles at the
end of long-handled candle-sticks on the stage of the theatres so that
the people may see the faces of the actors.

But the audience, or rather the orchestra was the funniest part of all.
They could hardly be called listeners, for they were all performers. On
the left was the lusty red-faced _tai_ fish with its gills wide open,
singing at the top, or rather at the bottom, of his throat, and beating
time by flapping his wide fins. Just back of him was a little gudgeon,
silent and fanning himself with a blue flat fan, having disgracefully
broken down on a high note. Next behind, on the right, was a long-nosed
gar-fish singing alto, and proud of her slender form, with the last new
thing in folding fans held in her fin. In the fore-ground squatted a
great fat frog with big bulging eyes, singing base, and leading the choir
by flapping his webbed fingers up and down with his frightful cavern of a
mouth wide open. Next, sat the stately and dignified mackerel who was
rather scandalized at the whole affair, and kept very still, refusing to
join in. At the mackerel's right fin, squeaked out the stupid flat-headed
_fugu_ fish with her big eye impolitely winking at the servant-maid just
bringing in refreshments; for the truth was, she was thirsty after so
much vocal exercise. The _fugu_ was very vain and always played the
coquette around the hooks of the fishermen who always liked to eat her
because she was so sweet, yet her flesh was poison.

"How strange it is that men will angle after that ugly hussy, when she
poisons them," was the oft-repeated remark of the gar-fish.

Just behind the herring, with one eye on Lord Cuttle-fish and one on the
coming refreshments, was the skate. The truth must be told that the
entire right wing of the orchestra was very much demoralized by the smell
of the steaming tea and eatables just about to be served. The suppon,
(tortoise with a snout like a bird's beak,) though he continued to sing,
impolitely turned his head away from Lord Cuttle-fish, and his back to
the frog that acted as precentor. The sucker, though very homely, and
bloated with fat, kept on in the chorus, and pretended not to notice the
waiter and her tray and cups. Indeed, Madame Sucker thought it quite
vulgar in the tortoise to be so eager after the cakes and wine.

In truth the concert had been long, and all were thirsty