The Japanese Ninja Surprise by Jeff Brown Page B

around and around—apparently kimonos were not styled for people with his shape—until finally he could tie the sash.
    Then, one of the ninjas, the one who had thrown a flying kick at Stanley, appeared at the door. He gestured for Stanley to follow him.
    At the end of a long sunlit hallway, the ninja slid open a rice paper door. There was Oda Nobu, seated on a straw mat in front of a low table. The movie star smiled as the ninja showed Stanley how to sit at the table, with his legs folded beneath him. For once, Stanleywas grateful to be flat.

    Oda Nobu gestured over the objects laid upon the table: ceramic bowls, a small scoop, a ladle, and a covered jar. Beside these, water boiled in an iron pot above a flame.
    “This is the tea ceremony, Stanley-san,” he said. “It is a very ancient and very important tradition for Japanese people.”
    Stanley watched as Oda Nobumeasured powdered leaves into one of the ceramic bowls. Next, he ladled hot water into the bowl. He used the whisk to stir the tea. Stanley could tell that the careful motions had taken a lot of practice to learn.

    The movie star bowed to Stanley and held the bowl out to him. Stanley bowed and took the bowl. Oda Nobu made a drinking gesture, and Stanley took a sip.
    Stanley had never had tea before. It tasted…
    Stanley searched for a word. Mrs. Lambchop always said, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Thinking about his motherreminded Stanley of the delicious hot chocolate she often made for special occasions. For an instant, homesickness washed over him, but he fought it, because this was a special occasion! And he wanted to tell Oda Nobu how much he appreciated the tea ceremony, even if the tea tasted…
    And then a solution came to him: The tea tasted interesting !
    He started to say this, but his host held a finger to his lips. “We will talk soon,” he said, and reached for the bowl of tea. Stanley passed it to him, and Oda Nobu drank.
    When they were finished, Oda Nobu cleaned all the tea ceremony’s objectsand arranged them neatly on the table. He and Stanley bowed to each other once again. Then Oda Nobu stood and motioned for Stanley to follow him out of the tearoom and into a garden. They sat on a bench next to a fountain. Around the fountain were the smallest trees Stanley had ever seen.
    “Bonsai,” Oda Nobu explained, as if he had read Stanley’s mind. “The art of training plants into pleasing miniature shapes. Another important tradition to my people. Yet another one is…” Oda Nobu looked directly at Stanley. “Stanley-san,” he said, “do you know the history of the ninja?”
    “Sure,” Stanley said. “Well, that is,I’ve seen all of your movies several times!”
    Oda Nobu laughed. “Ah, yes, of course! But permit me to tell you a little more.” He picked up a stick, and in the sand he drew what looked like a charging seahorse. “In the old times,” he said, “Japan had many rulers. Each had his own kingdom, his own army, his own people and lands to protect.”
    Oda Nobu drew small circles inside the larger outline, which Stanley now realized was the shape of Japan.
    “Often these rulers would fight one another,” Oda Nobu continued. “Like people everywhere, I am sorry to say. If you have something I want, and Ibelieve I am more powerful than you, I just might decide to take it from you.”
    Oda Nobu drew a line between two circles in the sand. “Of course, a ruler could use his army to take what he wanted,” he said. “But often he believed it was better to use ninjutsu . Do you know what that word means, Stanley-san?”
    “Well,” Stanley said, “it sounds a little like ninja .”
    “Yes, it does,” Oda Nobu said. “ Ninjutsu means ‘the art of stealth.’ Ninjas are trained in the art of going undetected, of not being seen.”
    “But,” Stanley said, “I could see your ninjas pretty clearly.”
    “Stanley-san, you are a very funnyyoung man,” Oda Nobu said. “And