Ch6-The Banana Tree

CHAPTER SIX The Banana Tree "This is your castle?" said Jack. Basho smiled. "In my heart, my humble cottage is grander than all the castles of the samurai," he explained. "And my banana tree is more beautiful

to me than all the beauty of the Imperial Garden." Jack and Annie stared at the large plant with the long, droopy leaves. "I like this tree so much I have taken my name from it," said Basho. "Basho means 'banana tree.'" "Cool," said Annie. She looked around. "It's nice here." Not really, thought Jack. The cottage was shabby and the droopy banana tree looked scrawny and sad to him.

"Please come inside," said Basho. He slipped off his sandals and left them outside. He picked up a bundle of wood, then ducked through the low door that led into his hut. Jack and Annie took off their shoes, too, and followed Basho into a small, shadowy room. Basho opened his shutters to let in the evening air. "Please sit," he said.

"Thank you," said Jack and Annie. Jack looked around the room for chairs, but there weren't any. The only furniture was a low wooden table and a bamboo chest. Three straw mats covered the earthen floor. Jack and Annie sat down on one of the mats. Basho lit a small oil lamp. Then he made a fire in his fireplace. "I will prepare tea for us," he said. "Rest while I draw water from the river." He picked up one of the two wooden buckets near the door and headed outside. When Basho was gone, Jack and Annie looked at each other. "I guess this

is a three-mat house," said Annie. Jack nodded. "You'd think a famous teacher of the samurai would have a hundred-mat house… or at least a fifty-mat house," he said. "I like this house, though," said Annie. "It's cozy." "I wonder who Basho is exactly," said Jack. "If he's famous, maybe he's in our book," said Annie. "Look him up." "Good idea," said Jack. He pulled the research book out of his bag. By the light of the crackling fire, he looked up

Basho in the index. "He is here!" Jack turned to the right page and read aloud. Basho is one of Japan's greatest poets. He wrote short, beautiful poems that speak to people as clearly today as they did during the Edo period of Japan. "Basho's a great poet!" said Annie. "That explains everything!" "Sort of…," said Jack. "It explains why we had to recite poems to the