CHAPTER X FIAMMIFERINO HAS A BATH

One evening—it was the night before we were to land—the officers with us were polishing their swords, trying to make them like mirrors. In order to enjoy themselves while they worked they had had saki brought, and invited me to drink with them. As they drank they sang. Then they put their swords in their scabbards and went to sleep. I was about to follow their example when I felt Fiam moving.

He had come out of his box, and was walking energetically about on my chest. I unbuttoned a button on my waistcoat and called to him: “Fiam!” I forgot to tell you that sometimes he didn’t like this nickname that I had adopted. He felt as if he had lost half his name, and would show his disapproval by completing the word.

“Fiam!”

“Miferino!” he added.

“What do you want?”

[86]

“What do I want?” he replied excitingly, stepping outside with an agility I had never observed in him before. “What do I want? How delightful! I smell saki, and you left me shut up in the box.”

“Well, what of it?”

“Saki, sakii, sakiii,” he began to sing, dancing around on my shoulder.

He was beside himself with excitement.

“Be careful,” I said, “or you will fall off.” I had never seen him so lively.

If Fiam had one fault it was that of being melancholy. Sometimes I scolded him for it.

“In this world you must be resigned,” I would say. “It is true you are no longer a beautiful willow in the woods, and I am sorry for you, but that is no reason for being so sad, and for grumbling all the time about everything and everybody.”

FIAM BEGAN TO DANCE

“But you don’t understand, my good friend,” he said now, “that the odor of saki, this delicious perfume, reminds me of the most delightful time of my life. When Prince Funato came with his court every year they poured saki on my trunk. I loved it. It made me want to dance. It is more than a hundred [87] years since I smelled this marvelous odor. I beg you to put me near the cup.”

I did so. The cup of saki from which I had drunk was as small as a doll’s cup. It was beautiful blue china with white dragons and was still half full of the good warm liquor which was something like Marsala wine.

Fiam began to dance around on the brim as children do on the edges of fountains in gardens. Then he leaned over and stirred the liquid. I could hear him singing in his mosquito voice.

Unfortunately the dry wood of Fiam’s arms absorbed the saki, which rose through the fibres till it reached his head. Then he indulged in the craziest antics. At last he took a little run and, turning a magnificent somersault, plunged into the cup.

I realized it all too late. I was perfectly distracted when I heard Fiam splashing in the saki, spinning around quite like a top. I drew him out and held him between two fingers to dry, but I couldn’t keep him still. He was so wet he slipped away and skipped about, [88] leaving drops of liquid everywhere, and if I held him tight he pricked me on the nails and kicked desperately.

Taking a good hold I raised him up so as to look at him near by. The phosphorus on his head had melted and shone palely through my fingers.

“What have you done?” I said. “A little more and you would have been drowned.”

“Who are you?” he answered, trying to make his voice heavy. “Who dares to place mortal hands on the body of a god? Let me down, barbarian,” and he twisted around. “Let me go or my vengeance will annihilate you! You are a coward! I will try the effect of my divine power! Tremble....”

I saw now what was the matter and whispered:

“Fiam, be good.”

“Shame on you! I am a Haji.”

[89]

“Yes, but you are also acting disgracefully. Let me put you in your box and to-morrow you will thank me.”

“You want to lock me up. You want to make me a prisoner. You aren’t satisfied to have me for a servant to carry around with you everywhere. You are the cause of all my woes, but my power is infinite. At a call from me all the animals in the world will come and tear you to pieces. My friend To, the Stork, will come and eat your eyes out. The Prince Funato will come and cut your head off with his sword.”

“Fiam, keep still; you are not used to wine. Don’t you see that if I were really your enemy I should light you, and burn you to the tips of your toes? I think I will now smoke a cigarette....”

These words quieted him, and in a little while I put him in his box and placed that in my pocket.