7. The great day of the year for Jap boys is the fifth day of the fifth
month. On this day the Feast of Flags is held. Over each house where
there is a boy you see big paper fish floating in the air.

[Illustration: {Flags on poles outside houses}]

8. The shops are then full of toys. Most of the toys are soldiers, and
sometimes they are like the soldiers of olden days. Some are on foot,
and some are on horseback; some are generals, and some are drummers.

[Illustration: The Toy Seller.

(From the water-colour painting by H.E. Tidmarsh.)]

9. The boys love to play at war. You can always make Jap boys happy by
giving them a toy army to play with.

10. The greatest day of the year for the girls is the Feast of Dolls. On
this day the girls give doll parties to their little friends. All the
dolls, however old, are brought out and dressed up in fine new clothes.
The Feast of Dolls is a time of great fun and laughter.

11. Jap children now play many of our games. They are very fond of
"prisoner's base," "fox and geese," and "tag." The boys love
kite-flying.

[Illustration: {Children at play}]

12. Sometimes they put glass on the strings of their kites, and with it
try to cut the strings of other boys' kites. They are very clever at