Sam Samurai by Jon Scieszka

Author:Jon Scieszka [Scieszka, Jon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic
ISBN: 9780756967796
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: 2004-04-01T00:00:00+00:00

Page 11

"Very nice," said Fred. "But you know what would be nicer? Something with wheels. Honda, how are you guys going to make motorcycles and cars if you're not using wheels?"

"What is 'moto-syco'?" said Honda.

"No wheels on the Tokaido Road," said the little bald guy. "Because armies moving slowly is sometimes a good thing."

"Like when the army is not a friend's," said Honda.

The bald guy laughed again. "Exactly, samurai." He looked us all over. "I don't believe I have seen you before. May I ask, what is your name?"

"Honda," said our samurai, and nothing more.

"I am known as Bakana Zou," said the man.

"Silly Elephant?" translated Honda.

"But you may call me Zou," said the smiling little man.

Everyone in front of us suddenly stopped.

"And that is also why we have so many gates and passport checks," said Zou.

"Gates?" said Fred.

"Passport checks?" said Sam.

"But of course," said Zou. "When were you born? As it has always been on the Tokaido Road, just as this notice says." Zou tapped a wooden sign at the side of the road and read it aloud:

"Passports are required of all persons.

Persons suffering from insanity, prisoners, decapitated heads (male or female), and corpses (male or female)

must show passports."

Honda looked concerned. "You have no passports from your province of Bookalin?"

"Uh ... no ... not exactly," I said.

"Oh now we are toast," said Sam. "I told you we should have stayed."

"Can't we just sneak around through the fields?" said Fred.

"Oh no," said Honda. "Guards." He made a slicing sword motion.

"Forget it," said Sam. "We are turning around right now."

"But you know

The Book is probably at this shogun's castle," I said. "That's always the way The

Book works. And it's the only way we'll really get home."

The line of people moved up. Now we could see the gate across the road. Everyone was showing a passport.

"Does everyone have to show a passport?" I asked Zou. "Aren't there any exceptions?"

"Forget it," said Sam. "If even bodyless heads need passports, we are cooked."

"Sumo," said Zou. "Sumo never need passports. Not easy to hide sumo. Are you sumo today?"

Zou cracked himself up again with his own bad joke. "Or performers. If you can show a good enough trick. Are you performers today?"

Fred and Sam looked at me.

The line moved forward.

It all became painfully clear. Once again I had one chance to come up with a good trick.

The line moved forward.

And this time it looked like it was going to have to be something a little better than the Magic Finger

Rings trick.

I looked ahead and saw an awful lot of swords and spears up at the passport check gate.

I remember thinking, "Something way better than the Magic Finger Rings trick."

EIGHT

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