Basho led Jack and Annie off the Great Bridge anddown a crowded road. They passed huge stacks oflumber. Then they came to a row of stages built alongthe riverbank. On one stage women were dancing.
Their faces were painted white. They woreshimmering kimonos and waved fans.
Musicians played on a second stage. They pluckedthree-stringed instruments and blew on bambooflutes. Their music was high-pitched and strange, butJack liked it.
48On another stage was a puppet show. Puppeteerswearing black clothes moved a giant dragon puppetaround the stage. A man stood to the side and told astory to the audience. From the back of the crowd, itwas hard to hear him.
"What's he saying?" said Annie.
"He is telling the legend of the Cloud Dragon," saidBasho. "The Cloud Dragon is one of the guardiananimals of the four directions. She has the power offlight and commands the rain clouds.""Cool," said Annie.
49Basho led them on past rows of stalls wherecraftspeople sold beads, cloth, kites, and paperlanterns. Some boys were holding up yo-yos for sale.
Jack was surprised to see yo-yos in old Japan.
Beyond the craft stalls was a row of inns and cafes.
The smell of spices and grilled fish filled the air.
"Yum," said Annie. Jack was hungry, too.
"Would you like to stop at a teahouse?" Bashoasked them.
"Yes!" Jack and Annie said together.
Basho led them toward a small building with anopen front. At the entrance, Basho slipped off hissandals. Jack and Annie did the same. They placedtheir sandals in a row of shoes that other people hadleft by the door.
Inside the teahouse, cooks stirred steaming potsover a wood-burning stove. People sat at long lowtables, eating with chopsticks and drinking from smallcups. Several customers smiled shyly and bowedbefore Basho.
50Basho must be a really famous teacher of thesamurai,thought Jack. It made Jack feel important to be withhim.
Basho led them to a table and sat cross-legged on astraw mat. Jack and Annie did the same. A waiterwith a kerchief around his head hurried to the table.
"Welcome to our humble teahouse, Master Basho!" hesaid.
"Thank you," said Basho.
Everyone is so polite in Japan!
Jack thought.
The waiter handed Jack, Annie, and Basho warmwet towels. "Thank you," said Jack and Annie.
Jack watched Basho wipe his hands on the towel.
He and Annie did the same. Then they all gave theirtowels back to the waiter.
"I would like plates of sushi for me and my twostudents, please," said Basho.
"Thank you," said the waiter, bowing.
While they waited for their food, Jack studied thepeople in the room. Jack noticed that even little kidswere eating with chopsticks. He and3951Annie had never had much luck using chopsticks inAsian restaurants back home.
Soon the waiter brought over three plates of smallcakes of sticky rice wrapped in dark green, paper-likestrips. He also brought napkins and three pairs ofchopsticks.
When the waiter had gone, Basho spoke to Jack andAnnie in a soft voice so no one else could hear. "Wecall thissushi,"he said. "It is rice with pieces of raw fish in themiddle.""Raw fish?" said Jack. He gulped.
"And what's this part?" Annie pointed at the paperywrapping.
"Seaweed," said Basho.
"Seaweed?" said Jack.
"It is very good," said Basho.
Jack was so hungry he was willing to try anything,even raw fish and seaweed. His only problem was thechopsticks.
"Try it this way, Jack," said Annie. She carefullypicked up a piece of sushi between the52wooden ends of her chopsticks. Jack copied her. Butas they both tried to bring their food to their mouths,their pieces of sushi fell onto the table.
53Jack and Annie laughed and tried a second time.
Annie was successful. But Jack dropped his sushiagain. Without thinking, he grabbed it with hisfingers and popped it into his mouth.
"Mmm!" said Jack. The vinegar-tasting rice, the rawfish, and the green, salty seaweed were delicious!
But Jack stopped in mid-chew. Two samurai atanother table were glaring at him. One of the menhad a big scar on his face. The other had fierce darkeyes.
Jack's throat was dry as he swallowed.
They saw me mess up with my chopsticks!
he thought.
They can tell I'm not from Japan!
He picked up another piece of sushi with hischopsticks. He glanced again at the samurai. Theywere watching him like hawks.
Jack's hand felt shaky. He tried to stay calm. Heremembered a passage from their research book:
Samurai did not show their feelings. They had greatpowers of concentration.
Jack tried very hard not to show his fear. He54concentrated on holding the sushi with hischopsticks. He raised the sushi to his mouth and ate itcalmly. He lowered his chopsticks and picked upanother piece of sushi. He ate it calmly.
When Jack looked back at the samurai, they wereno longer watching him. Jack let out his breath. Hepicked up his last piece of sushi with his chopsticksand ate it calmly.
"Very good," said Basho, smiling at him.
"Thanks," said Jack.
"Let us go now," said Basho.
Basho folded his napkin neatly and left it beside hisplate. Jack and Annie did the same. Basho paid fortheir meals, and then they stopped at theentranceway to put on their shoes. As they steppedoutside, a drum began beating loudly. A huge crowdhad gathered on the grassy riverbank.
"What's happening?" Annie asked.
"Come, I will show you," said Basho.
People moved aside so Basho could lead Jack andAnnie to the front of the crowd.
55A large ring had been marked off on the groundwith straw. In the middle of the circle,56two enormously fat men squatted at opposite sidesof the ring. Each man looked as if he57weighed more than four hundred pounds. Theyclapped their hands. Then each began stomping hisfeet.
"Who arethey?"said Annie, her eyes wide.
"Sumo wrestlers," said Basho. "Sumo wrestling hasbeen our most popular sport for over a thousandyears."The two wrestlers were now perfectly still.
Crouching down with clenched fists, they wereglaring at one another. The whole crowd seemed tohold its breath as the wrestlers stared into eachother's eyes. Suddenly one wrestler lunged forwardand grabbed the other. Then the hugely fat menbegan pushing each other around.
"They are trying to force each other out of the ring,"said Basho.
Grunting and groaning, the two men movedbackward and forward as spectators cheered wildly.
Then one wrestler made a quick move and shoved hisrival out of the circle. The crowd roared. Jack foundhimself cheering, too.
58When the noise died down, Basho turned to Jackand Annie. "The first match is over," he said. "Shallwe go now?"Before Jack and Annie could answer him, twosamurai stepped in front of them. One had a big scaron his face. The other had fierce dark eyes.
"Excuse me," the scar-faced man said. "May we seeyour passports, please?" |