Children's Stories [Day 3, Early Morning, Open]

[Tonbo Misa]

Misa just smiled at the chattering, seeing no reason to stop them. She leaned a bit toward Suki to speak to her softly. "I apologize if I interrupted your lessons at all Suki-sensei. Though the children seem to enjoy it."

[Suki]

"Nothing to worry about Tonbo-sama. The children are interested, and they're learning. That's what matters. We can cover the basics anytime. Getting to ask questions of a samurai is a rare treat for them."

[Tonbo Misa]

Misa smiled brightly. "Good. I know these were Lion lands before the Unicorn came, and rarely patrolled, so it must have been rare indeed."

[Suki]

"Even in the lands they frequent, it's rare for the Lion to interact with those heimin that don't serve them directly. From what this one has seen anyway," she added.

[Tonbo Misa]

Misa's smile turned softly wry. "This one has seen nothing of the sort, in all senses, but I am less traveled. Regardless, there is no such luxury in my family, to ignore those who depend on us... and us on them."

[Suki]

"Of course, Tonbo-sama," Suki replied. "Wisdom is found in all places, for those that would seek it. Though this one may offer lessons to the children, there are certainly times that she learns from them."

[Tonbo Misa]

Misa nodded, turning her head toward the children and holding up a hand to silence them after a moment. "Of course. Minna, what do you think you could teach this one this morning?"

[Suki]

The children ponder this question for several seconds, Suki's gaze encouraging them not to all start talking at once.

"I know how to tie a special knot," one of them offers.

"She can't see," another criticizes, glaring at the first.

"She could still feel it," the first replies.

"I know where to find the best apples anywhere," another offers. "The Unicorn give them to their horses, but we can eat them too." A few other kids murmur in agreement.

"I know the story of The Stonecutter," another offers.

"Everyone knows the story of The Stonecutter," another chimes in.

While they refrain from talk over one another, it seems like they're not going to stop taking turns talking anytime soon.

[Tonbo Misa]

Oh so many choices! Misa gave a silent laugh into her sleeve. "Well, I've never heard that story. Is it a good one Hiro?"

[Suki]

Hiro shot a glance at the little girl that had criticized his offering, sticking out his tongue.

"It's a story the monks like to tell. It's about turning into things. And..." he hesitates, "other stuff." The child began his tale, stumbling at times, but still doing his best to give the main character a different voice in each segment of the story-

There was once a stone cutter who was sad with his life.

One day, he walked past a rich man's house. He looked in the gate and saw lots of nice things and important people. Like samurai," he added, nodding. "Look how great that rich merchant has it. I wish I could be him." And then the stone cutter turned into the rich merchant!

The stone cutter-merchant had lots of nice things. But he had less friends because poorer people didn't like him anymore. Then one day, a fancy courtier came by, carried by servants on his big chair. Soldiers walked with him, hitting gongs. Everyone, even the poorer people, bowed at him. "Look at that courtier," the merchant thought. "I wish I could be that courtier." So he turned into the courtier.

Every day, the servants carried the courtier in his chair. The soldiers hit gongs. But he was so important that other people were afraid of him. Some even hated him. So the courtier felt all alone. So when he was sitting in his chair on a hot, sunny day, he looked up and saw the proud sun. It sat high in the sky and didn't care about the courtier. "How powerful the sun is!" the courtier said. "I wish I could be the sun." So he became the sun.

The sun shined down on everybody. People prayed to it when they went to the temples. But in the fields, when it was really hot, people got mad at the sun for making the work harder. Then, when the big clouds would move in front of the sun, those people would be happier. The sun looked at the clouds and thought "the clouds are strong enough to block the sun. I wish I could be a cloud." So he turned into a cloud.

When he was a cloud, rain came from him. The rain flooded villages and fields. People got mad and they shouted at the cloud. Soon, the winds came, blew the cloud away, and made everyone happy again. "The wind is strong," the cloud thought. "I wanna be the wind." So he became the wind.

When he was the wind, sometimes he blew too strong. He knocked tiles off roots, pulled up trees, and people got scared when he got loud. But he was still strong and he liked it. Until one day when he came to something that he couldn't move, no matter what. It was a really big rock. He tried blowing on it, over and over, but it didn't move. "That rocks even stronger than me!" he thought. "I wish I could be that rock!" So he turned into the rock.

"I am the rock!" the child proclaimed in a booming voice. "Strongest thing on earth! Nothing can me me!" But then he felt parts of him moving and changing. "What is that?" he asked. "What is so strong that it could move the rock? I wish I could be that."

The rock became a stone cutter.

[Tonbo Misa]

By the end, Misa was almost grinning, but she softened it to a warm smile instead as she gave a seated bow to the young boy. "That was well told Hiro-kun, and very teaching. Thank you very much for telling it to me. Can someone else tell me what the lesson is?"

[Suki]

Several of the children quietly confer, trying to remember what the previously visiting monk had told them. Eventually they reach a conclusion-

"That you should be happy just the way you are," Hiro offers, nodding emphatically.

[Tonbo Misa]

The nod was missed, the empathetic tone less so. "Exactly right. Are you certain you are not a great sensei Hiro-kun?" She smiled brightly.

[Suki]

"Great sensei are old!" he replies, laughing along with several of the other children. Still, the pride in his voice is obvious. Several of the children chatter, referring to their peer as "Hiro-sensei", leading to more laughter.

Suki watches the exchange and smiles. "You are quite the teacher Tonbo-sama," she whispers, learning closer to the blind maiden. "Are you sure you're not the great sensei?"

[Tonbo Misa]

Miss gave a titter into her sleeve. "There are many things I don't know, but I am an advisor to my cousin because I can teach. Some among my sensei even believe me enlightened."