358ToKUGAwAPERToDadditionto carryingon hisregular business,ekepta seParateledger,boundfrom odd scraps fpaper,nwhich,ashe satall dayin hisshop,pen n handhe entered varietyofchancenformation.Astheclerksfromthemoneyexchangesassedyhe noteddownthe marketratioofcopperandgold;he inquiredabouthe currentquotationsofthe rice brokers;he soughtqformationfromdrug-gists' andhaberdashers'ssistants nthe stateofthemarketatNagasaki;or the latest newson the pricesofginnedcotton,salt,andsak6,henotedhevariousdaysonwhichthe Kyotodealers e-ceiveddispatchesrom the Edobranchshops.Everydayathousandthingswereenterednhisbook, andpeoplecameoFuji-ichiiftheywereever ndoubt. He becamevaluableasseto the citizensof Kyoto.Invariablyhis dress onsistedfan unlinedvestnextto hisskin,and ontop ofthat a cottonkimono, stufiedonoccasionwiththreetimesthe usualamount ofpadding. Heneverput onmorethanoneayerof kimono.t was he whofuststartedhe wearingof de-tachableuffson the sleeves-adevicewhichwasbothfashionableandeconomical.is sockswereof deerskinndhisclogswereittedwithhighleathersoles, utevenso hewascarefulnottowalktooquickly alongthe hard mainroads.Throughoutlife hisonlysilkgarmentswereof pongee,yedplain darkblue.Therewasone,tistrue, whichhehad dyed apersistentlyundisguisableeaweedbrown,butthis wasayouthfulerrorofjudgment,and he wastoregretit forthe oext twentyyears.Forhisceremonialdresshehadnosettledcrests, eingcontentwitha tfuee-barredircleora smallconventionalwhirl,but evenduring thesummerairingtime hewascarefulto keepthem from direct contactwiththe floor.Hispanta'loonswereofhemp,and his starchedacketofan eventoughervarietyofthe sameloth, sohat theyremainedorrecdyreasedomatterhowmanytimeshe worethem.Whenthere wasafuneral processionhichhiswholewardwasobligedojoin,hefollowedt perforceothe cemetery,ut comingbackhe hung behindthe othersand,on thepathacrosshe moorat Rokuhara,heand hisapprenticesulledupsourherbs bytheroots.
THEETERNALSTOREIIOUSE3'9
"Driedin the shade,"heexplained,theymake excellentstomactrmedicine."FIenever passedby anythingwhich might beofuse.Even i{ hestumbledhe usedhe opportunity topick up stonesor fireJighters,andtuckedhem in his sleeve.he headofa household,f he is tokeephe smoke isingsteadily romhis kitchen,mustpay attentiontoathousand hings ikethis.Fuji-ichiwasnotamiser by nature. twas merelyhis ambitiontoservesa model or others n the managementfeverydayffairs.Evenn thedaysbeforehe made hismoney he neverhad the NewYearrice cakesprepared nhisownlodgings.He considered hattobotherover the variousutensils,nd tohire a man topound therice,wastoo muchtrouble at such a busytime ofthe year; so heplacedan order with therice-cakedealer in frontof theGreatBuddha.However,with his intuitivegrasp of good business, e in-sistedonpaying by weight-somuchper pound.Earlyonemorning,twodays before theNew Year, aporter fromthe cake-maker,hur-ryingabout his rounds,arrivedbefore Fuji-ichi'sshop and settingdownhisload, shoutcdor someoneo receivehe order. The newlypoundedcakes,nvitingly arrayed,were asresh andwarm as springiaelf.The master,pretending not to hear, continuedhis calculationsonthe abacus,ndthecake-man,whobegrudgedevery moment atthisbusytime of theyear, shoutedagain andagain. At length ayoung clerk,anxioustodemonstratehis businesslikeapproach,chec.kedheweight of the cakeson thelarge scaleswith a show ofgreatprecision, ands€nt the manaway.Abouttwohours laterFufi-ichi said:"Hasanyoneaken in thecakeswhicharrivedustnowl""Themrngave them to meand leftlong ago,"said thc clerk."[Jselessfellowl"criedFuji-ichi."Iexpectpeople n*y servicetohavemore senselDon'tyoureahz.ehatyou took them in beforethcyhad cooledoffl"Heweighedthemagain, andto everyonCsastonishmcntthcirweighthad decreased.ot oneof thecakeshad bcen eaten,andtheclerkstoodgazrngat them inopen-mouthedamazemcnt.Itwasthe carlysummerofthe followingycar.Thclocal peoplc
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interesting. similar to The Richest Man in Babylon. it was obviously a lesson to people of its day.