Ch5-An Excellent Student

CHAPTER FIVE An Excellent Student? Jack froze. Basho stepped forward. When the two samurai saw him, they bowed. "Good afternoon, Master," one said. "Good afternoon," said Basho. "These are my students, Koto and Baku.

I am afraid they left their passports at home today." "They are your students?" said the samurai with the scar. "Yes, excellent students," said Basho. "They have much natural talent." "Ah." The two samurai looked at Jack and Annie with 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 would each recite one of your poems," he said.

"One of our poems?" squeaked Jack. What kind of samurai talent is that? he wondered. Do samurai warriors have to know poems? "Sure," said Annie. "Here's a poem." She took a deep breath 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 a diamond."

The other samurai closed his eyes as if he were 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. Jack stared at them. He couldn't remember any poem—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 Japan Is cool. Jack bit his lip. He knew his poem was bad. He glanced at Annie. She looked as if she were trying not to laugh.

The dark-eyed samurai turned to Basho. "An excellent student?" he said. Basho nodded. "Well, yes…. Baku has a—a special talent. He needs work, but the talent is there." The samurai frowned. "You say he left his passport at home, Master Basho? Where is his home?" Just then the drumbeat started again. The samurai turned to look. A new sumo match was beginning. The two samurai moved closer to the ring to get a better look. Basho turned to Jack and Annie. "We should leave now," he said calmly. "I