THE GAME FISHES OF THE WOELD 



to catcli more than he could use ; and so became the immortal 

 of the anglers, for this was a wonderful virtue twenty-five hundred 

 years ago. 



Bbisu was so patient that he at last attracted the attention of 

 his mother, who said to him on the gentle winds of the morning, 

 which in this instance was the Kuro SMwo, ' Fish, fish, my son. 

 By fishing shalt thou live. By fishing shalt thou be made a 

 man.' So Ebisu became the great fisherman of the universe 

 to the Japanese. All things came to his net, and as a natural 

 consequence, he became a fish-god : and the big fish you may see 

 in the garden of the Prince, is an offering to Ebisu, who at least 

 took his catches inland where he met the god of good luck Daikoku. 

 It does not require much imagination to see the picture : Ebisu 

 with a big red tai or snapper beneath his arm, and Daikoku, 

 smiling with good luck, sitting on a bag of rice, ready to exchange 

 rice for fish, good luck for anything. If you wish proof of this, 

 you may turn to the books of the Japanese or to their wonderful 

 ivories, where you will see Bbisu with his fish and Daikoku with 

 his smile of good luck, so essential to the angler, every one of 

 whom ought to carry a little ivory figure of Daikoku, instead of a 

 rabbit's foot. 



These two gods appear to have struck up a happy companion- 

 ship and became the twin luck gods of Japan ; no two gods 

 are better known or more cheerful additions to the hfe of anglers 

 in Japan, or anywhere, as Ebisu is just as efficacious a god in 

 England as in Japan. Ebisu and Daikoku have had many trials 

 and experiences. Their combination of good luck and good 

 angling enabled them to take marvellous catches of tuna, conger, 

 bass, and all the fishes of the sea ; and as emblematic you may 

 see Ebisu everywhere in Japan with a big red tai under his arm 

 and Daikoku smiling good luck in ivory, wood and stone. 



The moral of all this, is that when the reader goes to Japan 

 to take Benisashi or Kajika, he shoidd first make his obligations 

 to Daikoku, then to Ebisu, and having the right bait, and a good 

 boatman, he will catch all the fishes of the sea. 

 346 



