Читать книгу Kibun Daizin; Or, From Shark-Boy to Merchant Prince онлайн

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The master, who was much struck by his fearless determination, worthy of the boy’s descent, said to him, “Indeed, your magnanimity is greater than ours, but for that very reason we should be all the more sorry to lose you.”

Saying this, he turned round to his wife, who whispered in his ear: “I quite agree with you: if he be swallowed up by the shark, we couldn’t possibly get another like him; send some other one instead!”

Just then in came the girl, attended by Sadakichi, who had long been waiting for the boy, and said, “Bunkichi, please be quick and make me another dragon-fly.”

Her mother, however, at once stopped the girl, saying: “Come, come; Bunkichi has something else to think about besides dragon-flies: he’s just saying that he wants to go out to sea and kill the wanizame.”

The girl was startled, for she was only a child. “Does he go alone?”

“Yes, that is what he says he will do.”

“Don’t, please, mother; I don’t like your sending him to sea.”

“Why, my child?”

“I want him to make me a bamboo dragon-fly.”