The Battle for the Golden Egg (2 page)

It was midnight. A cricket chirruped.

He leapt over a rock,

‘Buta-Sama!' called the ninja, holding up a scroll. ‘The samurai have sent us a challenge!'

Buta-Sama removed his finger from his nostril. He was having dinner – two boiled brains, a bowl of rice and a sprinkling of snot.

‘Show it to me!' he barked.

The messenger shimmied up the legs of Buta-Sama's stool. Buta-Sama sat on a very tall stool. So tall it wobbled when he chewed.

Buta-Sama tore open the scroll. ‘I knew it,' he growled. ‘The samurai have challenged us to trial by Kenjutsu.'

The other ninja gasped.

‘K-K-Kenjutsu,' stammered one. ‘But that is the way of the sword. We cannot win!'

‘Silence!' spat Buta-Sama, cramming rice into his mouth. He munched and crunched, thinking as he chewed. He knew the ninja was right. No-one could defeat the samurai at swordsmanship.

There was nothing for it. He was going to have to cheat.

Buta-Sama swallowed, belched and tossed his bowl behind his head. Then he called:

It was the Festival of the Full Moon. A ghostly light shone through the windows of Castle Kemushi. The contest was about to begin.

The samurai gathered in the great hall. They were dressed in ō-yoroi – full-battle armour. Their helmets clinked and clanked as they walked.

On the other side of the hall sat the ninja, hands tucked under their legs. Some of them hid shurikens.

Others hid bags of lollies.

A few had simply forgotten to go to the loo.

In the centre of the room sat wise old Sensei Squirrel.

Sensei Squirrel was the grandmaster of Bushidō. He was older than a tortoise and wiser than an owl. He would decide the winner of the contest.

‘Warriors of Japan,' croaked Sensei Squirrel, ‘we are gathered here tonight to decide, once and for all, who is greater. Samurai or ninja!'

The samurai murmured and rattled their swords. The ninja tossed lollies at them.

‘Behold!' cried Sensei Squirrel. He pointed to the end of the room.

There, bathed in moonlight, sat the Golden Egg. The greatest prize in all of Japan.

‘Whoever claims the Golden Egg will be named the victor!' said Sensei Squirrel.

The Golden Egg sparkled and glimmered. The ninja stared at it greedily. The samurai pretended not to. But all of them silently agreed. Their side
had
to win.