Ninjas

“It’s a lovely day today” sang Gramps as he swung up the garden path knocking on the front door.

It was immediately opened by Felix his great grandson.

“Oh Gramps we’re just finishing breakfast, would you like some.” enquired Hector who was sitting at the kitchen table with their friend Innis who lived next door.

“Thank you but Mini is impatient to be off on our next adventure.

“Can I take my Ninja with us?” asked Felix, opening his hand revealing a tiny black plastic figure.

“Of course you can.” smiled Gramps.

“Let’s go ” said Hector.j

The three children and Holly their scotty dog, after hugs and kisses and waves of goodbye stepped into the purring mini waiting in the roadside.

“Thinking of your Ninja, Felix, did you know they lived in Japan in the seventeen hundreds a secret sect, that it was said to have powers to disappear, and re-appear they were warriors hired by the nobles for protection against their enemies.

“Press the gold button Felix, “

Using his Ninja in his fingers Felix pressed the button down.

Og og inim og, they all chanted. The usual mists enveloped them buzzing was as noisy as ever and lights of different colours flashed on and off.

As suddenly as it started the noise, lights and mist disappeared. Hector looked at the time panel ” it reads 1792.”

he told them.

“Where are we?” asked Innis. Then she shrank back into her seat; there before her stood a real Ninja a real warrior; exactly the same as Felix’s plastic one he had used to press the time panel button. Mini’s magic had transform a play thing into a real man, a soldier.

“Are we in Japan?” asked Innis, ” and are you a friend?”

“I’m your friend and you are mine.” replied the man behind his black mask, ” I know we are on the South Island and it was in May 1792 when the biggest natural disaster in our history hit this country over fifteen thousand people perished. An earth quake caused by an eruption of Mount Unzen, also causing a tsunami, waves of over fifty two meters high.

“I don’t want to perish” exclaimed Innis

“We won’t, all will be well, you’ll see.” re-assured the old man.

“We must be in Japan I’ll go and investigate; put on your costumes and be ready.” said Gramps.

“Oh look at my beautiful Kimono” cried Inis, she had opened the wicker hamper and pulled her dress out.

It was lovely, a gentle flower pattern from hem to neck made of silk with wide sleeves and wide soft belt.

” It seems Hector Gramps and I; we must wear long frocks with dressing gowns over the top, grumbled Felix.

“Never mind Felix, better luck next time retorted the old man as he re- appeared.

“We must hurry.” Mini opened all four doors and they leaped out onto grey compressed cooled lava. They were on the lip of a great creator, looking down they could see bubbling gold molten lava, gasses escaping from the Earth’s core.

The great sea of throbbing lava seemed to be increasing alarmingly; but they were all mesmerised by the sheer power and beauty of the spectacle before them.

“Without volcanoes there would be no life on earth.” Gramps said, ” I will explain anther time we must move.”

“We must warn the farmers working on the slopes and those in villages to run for their lives. The children looked behind them, a river of thick amber coloured mud; lava, was catching them up; terrible rumbling could be heard, the peasants on their terraced land, dropped their hoes and ran.

There in front of the children was Mini with her doors open for them to leap in, and they did, into the cool quietness, safely together.

Suddenly the car moved, with no help from them,” we are in the earthquake now, how exciting,” said Gramps, “but we had better get out of this.”

“I would like to return to my home” said Ninja, “wouldn’t you like to see it?”

“Yes please” they all agreed.

Mini moved just a little, then came to a spot and stopped. Ninja was so excited, he flung open the door and was gone followed by the rest of the party.

“It seems we have landed in mummy’s blue willow pattern that’s painted on her teapot.”

“You are right, Chinese and Japanese architecture is similar.

The house before them was a long low structure, with a tall striking sloping roof with pointed ends, the wooden door was open exposing an inner garden where a band of men were practicing marshal arts.

“Oh no!” cried Ninja “my father’s enemies must have taken my house whilst I was away.”

“Don’t worry Ninja, we will help you get it back” proclaimed Gramps.

“How?”said Felix who was always practical. “There are so many of them!”

“All we have to do is think, I know there are only five of us and Holly but we will find a way.” assured Gramps.

After a few moments Gramps spoke again, what if we had torches and mirrors, we’ll get them from the car and change into black Ninja costumes; when they are eating dinner, we could extinguish all light in the house, leaving the dinning room until last, with mirrors we can illuminate ourselves in flashes and reflections of ourselves, thus they will believe we are an army of Ninjas with our powers of appearing and disappearing according to beliefs.

That should put the fear of hell into them, they will all run away, never to be seen again, anyway certainly not in your house.”

The plan was put into action, the last light in the dinning room was put out by Ninja, the diners shouted when they saw him.

Holly played her part too, in the pitch dark, running hither and thither brushing up against their legs and breathing her warm breath against their skin, the usurpers could see nothing except lights illuminating the family whom they thought to be many mystical Ninjas they believed the Devil himself was upon them. They all ran from the house in a great hurry, leaped onto their horses and galloped away into the distance.

“Thank you so much I’m so grateful to you all, I have my house back and I’m home; I want you all to have a present from me, so you will remember my country and our adventure.” in each of the children’s hands he placed a little plastic ninja.

They embraced each other warmly and said goodbye sadly because they thought they may never see Ninja again.

“We must get home now” declared Gramps, and away they went.