Of course they stayed there so long, feeding first one fish and then another, and watching them spread their fan-like tails and glide away to nibble the bits of rice-cake, that Tei's father came to look for them. "We have no more time," he said gently to them. "Unless we are soon at our unworthy house, all the honorable guests will be there before us." The jinrikisha runners were told to hurry home, and they obeyed so well that Umé and Tei clung to one another and gave little shrieks of delight. Hardly had they reached home when the guests really did begin to arrive. All the relatives and friends came by ones and twos and threes; some in jinrikishas and some on foot,--all who had sent presents and all who had waited to bring them. Umé and Tei counted the different pairs of clogs that were left at the veranda steps, and there were over one hundred pairs. "Such an illustrious crowd!" said Tei, drawing in her breath with excitement. But there was little time to count and look. The two children were needed to help pass tea and cakes to the visitors. It was dark before everybody was at last gone and the baby's first party was over. "Baby Onda is tired with so much looking and holding and praising," said Umé to her mother as they went home through the gardens. "He will never go to sleep again, or else he will sleep for a week of days." "He is an honorable boy child," answered her mother. "A boy must learn early to bear hardships." "It is no hardship to receive honorable praise," said little Umé. CHAPTER VI CHERRY-BLOSSOM TIME "The cherry trees in Ueno Park are in full blossom to-day," read Umé's father in the morning paper. "The Emperor visited the park yesterday to see the beautiful flowers." [Illustration: "The Cherry Trees in Ueno Park are in full Blossom." _Page 42._] Umé turned from looking at the cherry blossoms in the garden to look at her mother who stood on the veranda. "Something will honorably give way in my heart, O Haha San," she said. "What do you mean, Umé-ko?" asked her mother. "My heart is greatly joyous over so many blossoms," answered the little girl. "It has grown so big that I would feel better if it should take itself to the godown and leave me without it." "Foolish Umé!" said her mother, but she smiled at the child's fancy. "The joy began to grow with the first pink buds," Umé went on, "and now that all the cherry trees everywhere are in blossom,--in our garden, in Tei's garden, and in all the gardens; along the streets and river banks, and in all the parks, my heart is bursting with gladness." "When hearts feel that way," said her mother, "it is because they wish to offer thanks to the gods. We will all go to the temple to-day and leave a gift, and then we will go to the beautiful Ueno Park, where there will be many others who feel the way that you do in their hearts."