Jack couldn't speak.
"Our passports?" said Annie. "They -- um -- theygot destroyed in a fire-on the other side of the GreatBridge."The samurai narrowed his eyes. "Your passportsburned?"he said. "Why were you on the other side of theGreat Bridge?""We were with Master Basho," said Jack.
"Master Basho?" said the samurai.
"Yes," said Annie. "We are students of his.""Ah!" The samurai's expression brightened.
107"So you study poetry with Master Basho?""Yes," said Annie. "Would you like to hear somepoems?"Oh, no!
thought Jack.
Not again!
"Yes, please," said the samurai.
"No problem." Annie thought for a moment andthen said: "Here's a simple little poem." She recited:
Rain falls outside,But the tiny cricket on the hearthIs dry tonight.
The samurai nodded. "Hmm," he said. "Yes. Verysimple, but very lovely.""Thank you," said Annie.
The man turned to Jack. Jack could hardly breathe.
His mind was blank. He looked to Annie for help. ButAnnie just smiled, waiting to hear his poem.
Jack cleared his throat. He tried to stay calm. Heclosed his eyes and let his mind roam108over their visit to Japan. He opened his eyes. Helooked up at the cloudless sky and said:
The sun is shining,The day is hot.
But moonlightAnd cool breezesStill fill my heart,Left over from last night.
"Whoa!" whispered Annie. "Good!""Yes, very good!" said the samurai. He looked at thesky. "The moonlight, the cool breeze," he mused, "leftover from the night. Very good. Master Basho hastaught you well!"The samurai strolled away, shaking his head andmurmuring to himself. He let out a happy laugh, as ifdelighted with the day.
Jack couldn't believe it. They were free! "Hurry, let'sgo," he said. "Before someoneelsesees us!"Jack and Annie ran to the rope ladder and109started up. As soon as they climbed inside the treehouse, Jack grabbed the Pennsylvania book. He founda picture of the Frog Creek woods. "As the famoussamurai once said, `A journey of a thousand milesbegins with one step,"' said Jack.
"Or onesentence,"said Annie.
"Right," said Jack. He pointed at the picture. "I wishwe could go home."Annie gasped. "Wait a minute!" she said. "We forgotour mission!""What?" said Jack.
But the wind started to blow.
The tree house started to spin.
It spun faster and faster.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still.
***The early-morning air was cold.
Jack and Annie were back in Frog Creek,110wearing their own clothes. Jack's burlap bag was abackpack again. He looked inside to make sure theWand of Dianthus was there. It was. And Basho'sfrog poem was there, too.
"I can't believe it!" said Annie. "We didn't look for asecret of happiness for Merlin. How could we forgetthat?""Oh, man," said Jack. "We were so busy worryingabout the samurai and putting out the fire that weforgot our mission.""What will Morgan say?" said Annie. "We'veneverforgotten a mission before! And this one was themost important we've ever had! To help save Merlin!"Annie was near tears.
"Wait, wait. Calm down," said Jack. "Let's think aminute. Maybe we actually found a secret ofhappiness. Maybe we just don't know we found it.""You mean, like-were weextrahappy at any time?" asked Annie.
"Yeah, sort of," said Jack. "Were we?"111"I don't know, were you?" said Annie.
"I think a few times ... ," said Jack.
"Like when?" said Annie.
"Like when we were crossing the Great Bridge withBasho, I felt sort of happy then," said Jack.
"Me too," said Annie. "And I was pretty happyeating sushi.""Yeah, but I got scared when I saw the samuraiwatching me," said Jack.
"What about the sumo-wrestling match?" askedAnnie.
"That was fun," said Jack. "But I don't know if itreally made mehappy.""Riding the dragon and putting out the fire?" saidAnnie.
"That was great," said Jack. "But I was too worriedabout saving the city to be happy.""Making up poems for the samurai?" said Annie.
"Too nervous," said Jack.
112"Well, when were youpurelyhappy?" said Annie.
"I think it was when ..." Jack stopped. He felt sillysaying what he was about to say.
"Go ahead," said Annie.
"I think it was when I was lying on the mat inBasho's house," said Jack, "and I touched that littlepatch of moonlight on the floor and I listened to thebanana leaves in the wind.""Oh, yes!" said Annie. "Before we fell asleep, and Iheard the cricket and I felt like I was a cricket myselfgoing to sleep in a cozy place.""Yeah, like that," said Jack.
"It's like what Basho said about finding beauty inthe small things of nature," said Annie, "like his poemabout that frog splashing in the water.""I think that's it!" said Jack. "A secret of happiness ispaying really close attention to the small things innature."113"Wow," said Annie. "I think that's a great secret toshare with Merlin.""It is," said Jack, "and Basho's poem will help Merlinunderstand.""Right," said Annie.
"Let's go," said Jack.
Annie climbed down the rope ladder. Jack put hispack on his back and followed her.
As Jack and Annie started through the chilly woodstogether, Jack noticed things he hadn't seen before.
He saw tiny blue wildflowers sprouting up from thewinter-weary ground.
He saw fresh anthills in the dirt.
He saw leaf buds on twigs and green moss on arock, bright in the March sunlight.
"I feel like I'm seeing spring for the first time," saidJack.
"Me too," said Annie.
"Not just for the first time this year," said Jack. "Butfor the first time in my whole life." "Me too," said Annie.
Jack felt happy,reallyhappy, as he and Annie headed for home in thesparkling morning light. |