Japan and the Japanese illustrated . the tambourine which announce its approach is never resisted. Four actors come out of a neighbouring street ; three form the orchestra, andthe fourth gives the representation. Pie is wi-apped in a very large striped cloaksurmounted by an enormous lions head. The monster can make himself longer or THE LION OF COREA. 301 shorter at will, and sutldonly raise himself up two yards above the people who are withhim. The children utter cries of mingled admiration and fear. Some, bolder than therest, venture to lift iip the skirts of his cloak, and even to pinch the
Japan and the Japanese illustrated . the tambourine which announce its approach is never resisted. Four actors come out of a neighbouring street ; three form the orchestra, andthe fourth gives the representation. Pie is wi-apped in a very large striped cloaksurmounted by an enormous lions head. The monster can make himself longer or THE LION OF COREA. 301 shorter at will, and sutldonly raise himself up two yards above the people who are withhim. The children utter cries of mingled admiration and fear. Some, bolder than therest, venture to lift iip the skirts of his cloak, and even to pinch the legs of themysterious tumbler. He sometimes frightens them, by turning his head towards them,opening moutli, and shaking the thick mane of scraps of white paper which surroundshis scarlet face ; then he will begin to dance to the sound of the instruments of hiscompanions. He carries his tambourine himself, but as soon as he leaves off dancinghe sets it down, and, suddenly stooping, transforms himself into a quadruped, executes. IliTKr some grotesque gambols, and finishes by stripping off his accoutrements. Then th(^.monster vanishes, but the juggler remains. He seizes a drumstick and balances it onthe thumb of the left hand ; he puts a second stick on the end of the first, anda third crosswise above the other two ; finally, he throws them into the air, catchesthem ill his hands, and spins them about more and more rapidly and uninterruptedly,adding one, two, or three balls, which come from no one knows where. The admiration of the spectators is at its height. One of the musicians passes rounda plate—that is to say, a fan. The repiesentation is finished, and the juggler lights his 302 LIFE IN JAPAN. pipe from that of some benevolent neighbour. It is not uncommon to see him negligentlyputting on his costume again, and sitting calmly smoking, with his head covered downto his nose with the enormous and grotesque mask of the monster. The latter is themost picture
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidjapanjapanes, bookyear1874
