Ch2-The Imperial Garden

CHAPTER TWO The Imperial Garden Jack opened his eyes. Soft morning light shone across the floor of the tree house. Pink flowers bloomed on a branch outside the window. Jack and Annie were wearing brown baggy pants and brown silk robes with blue sashes. On their feet were stiff white socks and straw sandals. Jack's backpack had turned into a burlap bag.

"Are we wearing bathrobes?" asked Jack. "I think they're called kimonos," said Annie. "Oh, right," said Jack. "Where'd we land exactly?" Jack and Annie looked out the window.

Below the tree house was a beautiful garden filled with cherry trees and longleafed willows. A waterfall tumbled into a sparkling green pool. "Wow," said Annie. Jack opened the Japan book and found a painting that looked like the garden. He read aloud to Annie: In the 1600s, the Imperial Garden surrounded the Imperial Palace in the capital city of Japan. The city was called Edo (say EE-doh). In the mid-1800s, its name was

changed to Tokyo (say TOH- kee-oh). "Tokyo?" said Annie. "I've always wanted to go to Tokyo!" "Me too," said Jack. He read on: The late 1600s in Japan were years of peace and prosperity. Art and culture thrived. But it was a time when the country was completely closed to the outside world. No one was allowed to come in. The citizens of Edo were frequently checked

to make sure they had passports. "What's a passport exactly?" said Annie. "It's an official booklet that says who you are," said Jack. "It also lists the different countries you traveled to." He read more: Anyone who did not have a passport was considered a spy and punished severely. "Uh-oh," said Annie. "We don't have passports." "Yeah, that's a problem," said Jack.

"Hey! What if we use the Wand of Dianthus to make passports?" said Annie. "Good idea!" said Jack. He peeked inside his bag. Good, the Wand of Dianthus was there. "Wait, wait," said Annie. "We can't. Remember the rules. We can only use the magic wand for the good of others." "Oh, right," said Jack. "And we have to try our hardest before we use the wand," said Annie. "We haven't tried anything yet," said Jack.