embered how her
father had said of a certain neighbor who had lately been drinking hard,
"he swills sake like a Sh[=o]ji."

She also understood why picnic or "chow-chow" boxes were often decorated
with pictures of Sh[=o]ji, with their cups and dippers. For, at these
picnics, many men get drunk; so much so indeed, that after a while the
master of the feast orders very poor and cheap wine to be served to the
guests. He also replaces the delicate wine cups of egg-shell porcelain,
with big thick tea-cups or wooden bowls, for the guests when drunk, do
not know the difference.

She also now understood why it was commonly said of a Mr. Matsu, who had
once been very rich but was now a poor sot, "His property has all gone to
the Sh[=o]ji."

Just then the ship in which she was sailing struck a rock, and the sudden
jerk woke up Little Silver, who cried out, "Tapir, come eat; tapir, come
eat."

No tapir came, but if he had I fear Little Silver would have been more
frightened than she was by her dream of the ghosts; for next morning she
laughed to think how they had all their work a-dipping water for
nothing, and at her old nurse for thinking a picture of a tapir could
keep off dreams.

THE TENGUS, OR THE ELVES WITH LONG NOSES.

(After Hokusai.)

Curious creatures are the tengus, with the head of a hawk and the body of
a man. They have very hairy hands or paws with two fingers, and feet with
two toes. They are hatched out of eggs, and have wings and feathers,
until full grown. Then their wings moult, and the stumps are concealed
behind their dress, which is like that of a man. They walk, when grown
up, on clogs a foot high, which are like stilts, as they have but one
support instead of two, like the sort which men wear. The tengus strut
about easily on these, without stumbling.

The Dai Tengu, or master, is a solemn-faced, scowling individual with a
very proud expression, and a nose about eight finger-breadths long. When
he goes abroad, his retainers march before him, for fear he might break
his nose against something. He wears a long grey beard down to his
girdle, and moustaches to his chin. In his left hand he carries a large
fan made of seven wide feathers. This is the sign of his rank. He has a
mouth, but he rarely opens it. He is very wise, and rules over all the
tengus in Japan.

The Karasu or crow-tengu is a black fellow, with a long beak, in the
place where his nose and mouth ought to be. He looks as if s