Page:The Japanese Fairy Book.djvu/31

18 crape. Beautiful vases and lacquer boxes adorned the tokonoma of every room.

The sparrow led the old man to the place of honour, and then, taking her place at a humble distance, she thanked him

with many polite bows for all the kindness he had shown her for many long years.

Then the Lady Sparrow, as we will now call her, introduced all her family to the old man. This done, her daughters, robed in dainty crape gowns, brought in on beautiful old-fashioned trays a feast of all kinds of delicious foods, till the old man began to