Jack froze.
Basho stepped forward. When the two samurai sawhim, they bowed. "Good afternoon, Master," one said.
"Good afternoon," said Basho. "These are mystudents, Koto and Baku. I am afraid they left theirpassports at home today.""They are your students?" said the samurai with thescar.
"Yes, excellent students," said Basho. "They havemuch natural talent."60"Ah." The two samurai looked at Jack and Anniewith interest. "Will you share your talent with us?"one asked, smiling.
What talent?
Jack wondered frantically.
Some samurai-warrior talent?
Basho saw Jack's confusion. "Perhaps you wouldeach recite one of your poems," he said.
"One of our poems?" squeaked Jack.
Whatkind of samurai talent is that? he wondered.
Do samurai warriors have to know poems?
"Sure," said Annie. "Here's a poem." She took a deepbreath and then recited:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,Like a diamond in the sky.
The samurai with the scar nodded. "Very good,Koto," he said. "The little star twinkles like adiamond."The other samurai closed his eyes as if he61were seeing the star. "Yes, yes, very good!" he said.
"A sparkling diamond high above the world!
Excellent."Both samurai then turned to Jack. "And you, Baku?"one said.
62Jack stared at them. He couldn't rememberanypoem-not even a nursery rhyme!
"Uh ... a poem? Right," said Jack. "Um. Let's see....
Okay." He took a deep breath and said:
I love Japan.
Oh, man.
I really love Japan.
The land of JapanIs cool.
63Jack bit his lip. He knew his poem was bad. Heglanced at Annie. She looked as if she were trying notto laugh.
The dark-eyed samurai turned to Basho. "Anexcellent student?" he said.
Basho nodded. "Well, yes.... Baku has a-a specialtalent. He needs work, but the talent is there."The samurai frowned. "You say he left his passportat home, Master Basho? Where is his home?"Just then the drumbeat started again. The samuraiturned to look. A new sumo match was beginning.
The two samurai moved closer to the ring to get abetter look.
Basho turned to Jack and Annie. "We should leavenow," he said calmly. "I will take you to my home,where you will be safe."Jack, Annie, and Basho quickly left the sumo crowdand blended in with shoppers walking down a busystreet. Peddlers carried long poles64over their shoulders with baskets swinging on theends. They shouted about their wares: "Shoes andsocks!" "Cakes and pastries!" "Rope and twine!"One woman had a large box strapped to her back.
"Books! Books!" she shouted.
"No thank you," said Jack. He loved books, but hekept going. He was afraid the samurai might show upagain at any moment.
A boy carried birdcages and shouted, "Birds! Birds!"Suddenly Jack felt a hand on his shoulder. Henearly had a heart attack! But it was just Basho. "Ilivethatway," said Basho, pointing. "Over the bridge."Jack and Annie walked with Basho over a small,narrow bridge that crossed a canal.
Basho led them past a temple, then past smallbamboo houses with chickens in their yards. Littlechildren were spinning tops on the dusty ground. Onecalled out, "Hello, Master Basho!" Basho smiled andwaved.
65Then Jack and Annie walked with Basho along thedirt path bordering the river. Tall pine trees lined theriverbank. A dry wind blew leaves and pine needlesinto the shallows. Jack started to breathe more easily.
He felt safer now.
The trail grew more narrow. The sun slippedbehind the tops of the trees. Jack was eager to get toBasho's castle. He looked for a steep roof and highstone walls like the castles of the samurai.
Through the deepening shadows of twilight, Basholed them to a clearing not far from the river.
At the center of the clearing was a pond overgrownwith weeds. On the far side of the pond, moss-covered stones led to the door of a tiny hut. The hutwas made of bamboo and had a roof of woodshingles. Next to the small hut was a large plant withdroopy green leaves.
"Welcome to my castle," said Basho. |