The Song of the Old Spouses

Toto-San and Kaka-San, husband and wife. They were old, old; they had always been known; the elders of Nangasaki did not remember not even having seen them young. They were begging in the streets. Toto-San, who was blind, was dragging around in a small crate on wheels Kaka-San, who was paralyzed. Formerly they had been named Hato-San and Oumé-San (Monsieur Pigeon and Madame Prune), but no one remembered them. In the Japanese language, Toto and Kaka are very sweet words that mean "father" and "mother" in the mouths of children. No doubt because of their great age, everyone called them that; and in this country of excessive politeness, these familiar names were followed by the term San, which is honorific like sir or madam (mister papa and madam mama); the little ones Japanese babies never neglect these label formulas.