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The Legend of Ninja Princess
Book One
The Bow and the Butterfly
written and illustrated by
Master Lee
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter One: The Castle and the Gardens
Chapter Two: The Forest and the Raven
Chapter Three: The Dojo and the Butterfly
Chapter Four: The Storm and the Bear
Chapter Five: Tea and Swords
Chapter Six: The Bandits and the River
Chapter Seven: Tea and Horses
Afterword
The Legend of Ninja Princess Glossary
chapter 1
chapter 2
chapter 3
chapter 4
chapter 5
chapter 6
chapter 7
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When your life is a graceful river
Flowing through darkness and light,
That is the way magic happens.
That’s how your spirit takes flight.
– The Ninja Princess Handbook
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For Siona.
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There are five parts to the world. Each part is a mirror of every other part. All the parts reflect each other. All the world is in each part. In each part, there is Energy Air Fire Water Earth. Know the way of the world and You will understand yourself. Understand yourself and You will find your Way through the world.
– The Ninja Princess Handbook
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Chapter One:
The Castle and the Gardens
Once upon a time there was a young princess who lived in a
kingdom ruled by her parents. Princess Maia was a joyful,
adventurous child with a calm soul. Her father King Jōnin was a
wise, kind man with a big heart. Her mother Queen Nokami was a
stern, intelligent woman with a fierce mind.
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King Jōnin, Queen Nokami and Princess Maia lived in a black
castle on a high cliff next to the sea. Ravens flew in the skies
above the black castle and waves crashed against the cliffs below.
The princess liked to listen to the waves and look at the endless
blue-green water. She liked to watch the sun rise over the sea.
But while she liked to watch the sun rise over the sea, she loved
to watch the sun set behind the mountains on the other side of the
black castle. On the other side of the black castle were the castle
gardens and the outer wall. Beyond the outer wall was a bright
meadow full of flowers. Past the bright meadow was a dark forest.
Far past the Dark Forest were the mysterious Shidoshi Mountains.
Princess Maia looked often at the mountains, and the forest, and
the meadow – but she looked at the castle gardens even more.
Most of all, she loved playing in the castle gardens.
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The castle gardens were her special place. She went to the
gardens when it was sunny, rainy, windy or snowy. She went to the
gardens when she was happy, when she was sad, when she was
confused or angry or lonely.
Princess Maia went to the gardens after she learned things in
the castle so she could think about or practice what she learned.
She went to the gardens when she needed time away from her
powerful parents. She loved her parents very much and she knew
they loved her too. But they were also king and queen and they
were so strong that sometimes it was hard to breathe when they
were around. Sometimes, Princess Maia needed fresh air and a
place where she could be herself. The castle gardens were the
perfect spot.
There were ponds and streams and waterfalls and open spaces
covered with thick grass. There were flowers and fruit trees and
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beautiful growing things of many kinds. There were also many
creatures in the castle gardens. There were rabbits and chipmunks
and foxes. There were snakes and frogs and toads. There were
small birds and bees.
And there were butterflies. Blue butterflies and red butterflies
and yellow butterflies. Green butterflies and orange butterflies and
purple butterflies. And white butterflies and grey butterflies and
most of all… big, black, beautiful butterflies. More black
butterflies than all the others together.
The black butterflies were bigger than Princess Maia’s hand
and they followed her everywhere. Maybe the black butterflies
followed her because they liked her long hair that was the same
color as their wings. Her long hair was so deep black and so long
that it seemed to go on forever it was so long.
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Maybe the black butterflies liked her because she loved the
garden flowers and fruit blossoms just as much as they did. Maybe
they liked her because she liked to wrap herself in her hair and sit
quietly in the garden like a shadow under the trees.
She would sit so quietly, so completely still, that the butterflies
and all the other garden creatures could not see her. Then they
forgot she was there. When she finally moved, they were always
surprised because it seemed to them that a shadow had turned into
a princess!
Then Princess Maia would laugh and the garden creatures
would scamper happily up to her and the butterflies would fly
around her like a rainbow cyclone. All the creatures that lived in
the castle gardens were always happy to see Princess Maia because
she was family.
Princess Maia was family because she spent more time in the
castle gardens than she did in the castle. The garden creatures did
not know or wonder why she spent so much time in the gardens –
they were just happy she did. The young princess was kind to
them. She learned what they knew. She was also a good scarecrow.
Garden creatures seldom became lunch when Princess Maia was
near. The eagles and the hawks all stayed far away, high in the
blue sky. Even the ravens were more cautious. That was a good
thing because the ravens liked to eat butterflies and chased them all
over the gardens when the princess was not there. Sometimes they
chased butterflies even when she was there.
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The ravens flew faster than the butterflies, but the butterflies
turned sharper than the ravens, so the ravens didn’t catch many
butterflies. But there was always a chance that they might – and
when they did, it was always a sad day.
And so it was that one day Princess Maia walked through the
castle gardens. As always, she had a bow and arrows because
Princess Maia was the daughter of warriors. As soon as she started
walking, her warrior mother had told her: “You must be ready at
every moment to defend yourself, your family and your kingdom.”
The princess tried to remember this, but she was young and
sometimes she forgot. On this day, she forgot the bow on her back
because she wasn’t thinking of weapons and warriors. She was
thinking about beauty and butterflies. She was enjoying the sun
and the trees and the flowers and the waterfalls. She laughed as the
garden creatures scampered and flew around her.
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It was a lovely moment on a fine day and then suddenly a
shadow crossed the sun and the butterflies scattered.
But one butterfly was too slow and a big raven crunched it in
his beak.
Quick as a flash, Princess Maia grabbed her bow. She nocked
an arrow and raised it to shoot the raven. Then she changed her
aim slightly as she let the arrow fly.
The arrow nicked the raven’s wing instead of hitting him in the
body. The raven swerved away from the arrow and flew toward the
Dark Forest. The dead butterfly was still in his beak.
Princess Maia lowered her bow and watched the raven
disappear into the Dark Forest. All the other butterflies scattered
and disappeared into the trees and bushes. Princess Maia was
alone. Her body was tense and her soul was sad. Her mind was
angry that she had not been ready when her family needed her.
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Tears trickled down her cheeks as she mourned her butterfly friend
who was no more.
Then the princess breathed deeply and slowly the way her
father had shown her. As she breathed deeply and slowly, her body
relaxed and her soul calmed. Her mind cleared. Then her clear
mind remembered something her father had told her the day he had
carried her in his arms to the castle gardens soon after she was
born. Princess Maia did not understand his words then – but she
had remembered them.
The princess wiped dead-butterfly tears from her face. Now she
understood her father’s words in the castle gardens as he had lifted
her toward the sky with a big laugh and a happy voice:
“Life is dangerous!”
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A light breeze came up at the very moment Princess Maia
recalled her father’s words. One big black butterfly coasted over to
her on the gentle air current. This butterfly was bigger, bolder and
more beautiful than all the others. It flitted around Princess Maia’s
head until she smiled.
“What is your name, little one?” the princess asked the
butterfly. The butterfly flitted around Princess Maia’s head again
and then floated away on the breeze.
“Mikkyō,” said the princess. “Is that what the wind whispered
to me?”
The big, black, beautiful butterfly came back and danced in the
breeze around Princess Maia’s head.
“Then Mikkyō you shall be, my new friend,” said the princess
to the butterfly, and held out her hand. The butterfly landed lightly
on her fingers. “And life is dangerous, so I promise to do better
next time.”
Mikkyō flexed her wings in answer.
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The music of the world plays two main notes: Danger and opportunity. Like the five parts of the world, The two notes reflect each other. In every danger, there is opportunity. In every opportunity, there is danger. The challenge is to See the danger, Understand the opportunity, and Figure out how to play the notes. Then you can decide: Is this the moment to Dare danger and Seize opportunity – Or a moment to do something else? Always remember the darkness. Never forget the light. That is The Way of it.
– The Ninja Princess Handbook
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Chapter Two:
The Forest and the Raven
King Jōnin sat at a window in the tallest tower of the black
castle. He drank tea and looked out at the castle gardens.
Sometimes, his eyes followed the ravens as they flew around the
castle on the air currents that rippled through the towers.
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Sometimes, he looked past the black castle gardens to the bright
meadow and the Dark Forest and the Shidoshi Mountains. Mostly,
he looked at the castle gardens so he could watch his daughter
play. The king also looked at the gardens when he wanted to
remember when he went there with Princess Maia to help her learn
about the world.
“We live in the world, not in the classroom,” he said to her.
“What you learn in the classroom doesn’t mean anything until you
use it to understand the way the world works.”
The king smiled as he sipped his tea and looked out the
window. He remembered the many things the young princess now
understood about the world that she had learned in the castle
gardens.
Sometimes, he had led her to the learning and the
understanding. Other times, she wouldn’t let him.
“Don’t tell me!” she often said to him when he said too much.
“I want to figure it out myself!”
And so he would let her figure things out. He even let her make
mistakes because sometimes making mistakes is the fastest way to
learn. Sometimes, Princess Maia made loud and messy mistakes
while she learned. Sometimes she even broke things while she
learned. But when it became loud or messy or something broke,
the king just smiled and said: “A little noise and mess and
destruction helps learning. As long as she isn’t about to seriously
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hurt herself or others, or break something really expensive, she can
make her own decisions.”
Naturally, Princess Maia loved it that her father let her learn
this way. Just as naturally, her more strict mother had a different
opinion.
The king looked away from the window toward the door. He
felt a glow of energy like a bright light coming up the tower’s
steep stairway. He set down his tea. Princess Maia was coming.
The princess glided into the room without a sound. She still
held her bow. She frowned when she saw her father looking right
at her.
“Oh Papa!” she scolded and pretended to pout. “How do you
always know when I’m coming?”
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“We already talked about that,” her father said.
“Oh yes, that’s right,” she said. Her pretend pout turned into a
smile. “Move like wind and shadow or someone’s mind will see
you, someone’s heart will feel you.”
“Did I see you or feel you?” the king asked.
Princess Maia pondered her father’s words.
“You felt me,” she said after a moment.
The king smiled his approval. The princess held up her bow.
“Can we go for a ride, Papa?” the princess asked. “One of my
arrows is out in the meadow.”
“Why is your arrow in the meadow?” he asked.
“A raven ate one of my butterflies. I was too late to save her so
I decided to just nick his wing instead of killing him.”
“But the butterfly was your friend,” said her father. “Why
didn’t you kill the raven in revenge?”
“You told me that fruit does not grow on the tree of revenge,”
replied the princess.
“You remembered that as you drew your bow in anger?” asked
her father.
“Yes, Papa,” said the princess.
“Good thinking,” said her father.
“Besides,” said the princess. “I didn’t want the butterfly to go to
waste.”
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“Better thinking,” said her father. He stood up and spread his
arms. Princess Maia snuggled against him and sighed. The king
kissed the top of her head. “Now let’s ride, young thinker.”
King Jōnin and Princess Maia galloped out of the black castle
together on two long-limbed black horses with sleek muscles and
beautiful heads. The king rode a stallion named Ebony. The
princess rode a filly named Onyx.
They rode fast because it was fun. They rode fast so the
butterflies wouldn’t follow them. They rode fast because they
could – Princess Maia’s mother was the best rider in the kingdom
and she had taught her daughter to ride like a warrior.
Princess Maia could ride low in the saddle or hanging off to one
side. She could ride and shoot her bow at the same time. And she
loved to ride fast. She loved to hear the horse’s hooves thunder and
feel the horse’s strength under her. She loved to feel the wind blow
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through her long black hair. She loved to fly like the wind over the
bright meadow.
The princess led the way. Her father followed on Ebony as they
thundered through the grass. Then the princess slowed Onyx to a
walk. Then she stopped and looked around. Her father stopped
near her.
Princess Maia looked at the black castle, then traced a line in
the sky with one hand and looked again at the ground around her.
“It should be right here,” she said.
“Was there any wind?” asked her father.
“Oh yes, that’s right,” she laughed. Then she closed her eyes
and waved her hands like wind. Then she opened her eyes and
turned Onyx back the way they had come. She rode ten paces, then
stopped and looked around. She dismounted and led Onyx a few
steps. She picked her arrow out of the grass and held it up so her
father could see it.
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“Finding arrows is a good way to learn about the world,” said
the king as the princess remounted.
“Yes, Papa,” said the princess, “and so is a long ride. Can we
go into the forest for a while?” The king looked at the darkness
under the trees, then at the black castle.
“Mama won’t like it if we go into the forest without guards,” he
said.
“Mama will yell at us for not taking guards to get my arrow,”
she said, “so we may as well go to the forest too.” She started
Onyx toward the trees without waiting for her father to answer.
King Jōnin watched his daughter ride toward the Dark Forest until
she looked back to see if he was coming. Then he nudged Ebony
into motion and followed after her.
They rode without talking into the shadows under the trees at
the edge of the Dark Forest.
“The Danger Zone,” the princess whispered. “Always
remember the danger. Never forget the fun, right, Papa?”
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“Right,” her father whispered back. “And what fun do you seek
today?”
“I want to find the raven who ate my friend,” said the princess.
“And do what?” asked the king.
“I don’t know yet,” replied the princess. They rode on through
the shadows under the trees until they stopped in a glade where the
sun shone on the grass. The princess and the king sat on their
horses and enjoyed the sunshine. Then a shadow rippled over the
grass. Princess Maia looked up and saw a raven soar across the
treetops. The raven had a nicked wing feather.
“That’s him, Papa!” she whispered as the raven carved around a
big tree and settled onto a branch just above their heads.
“Grok!” quoth the raven.
“Grok!” echoed the king.
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“How is King?” asked the raven.
“He talks?” exclaimed the princess before her father could
answer. “You know him?” King Jōnin smiled at the dark bird
sitting on a tree limb in the Dark Forest.
“Old Grok and I go way back,” he said. “Grok was born in the
Dark Forest before you were born. Grok was born before I was
born. But Grok didn’t grow up in the forest; he grew up in the
gardens.
“Grok grew up in the gardens because he fell out of his nest in
the Dark Forest and your grandfather, King Hanzō, rescued him.”
“Why do you call him Grok?” asked the princess.
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“Because that’s the first thing he said when your grandfather
picked him up: ‘Grok!’ After that, King Hanzō taught Grok how to
talk. Grok learned very fast because ravens are the smartest birds
in the world and they have a great memory.”
“You played with Grok when you were little?”
“All the time. I learned many things about the world from Grok.
Now that I have introduced you to him, he can help you learn,
too.”
“Thank you, Papa,” she said, “but I don’t know if I want to
learn from him. He ate my friend.”
“Hungry!” said Grok. “Your friend, my food.”
“Maybe I’m hungry too!” she said, grabbing her bow and
reaching for an arrow. Quick as a flash, Grok swooped down and
knocked the bow from Princess Maia’s hand with his talons. Then
he landed lightly on King Jōnin’s shoulder.
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“Grok!” quoth the raven. “Hunter is who?”
The king watched the princess hang from the saddle and pick
up her bow without getting off her horse. Then he arched his
eyebrows at her.
“What mistake did you make?” he asked softly.
The princess put away her bow and pondered his question.
Then she pointed at the raven.
“I thought I was the only hunter,” she said.
“And?” asked her father.
Princess Maia thought again for a long moment. She looked
around to see if anything nearby held the answer. She looked at her
bow and there it was.
“I let him see me and feel me,” she said.
“Grok!” quoth the raven. “First do, then talk.”
Princess Maia laughed at the silly wonderfulness of sitting on
horses with her father in a sunny glade in the Dark Forest talking
with a raven. Then she bowed to the big black bird balancing on
her father’s shoulder.
“Thank you, sensei,” she said. “I will remember.”
“Grok!” quoth the raven. “Forevermore?”
“Yes, sensei,” said the princess. “Forevermore.”
“Grok!” quoth the raven. “My king, I go to river.”
“Oh Papa!” said Princess Maia. “Can we go to swimming?”
“Not today,” said the raven.
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“I didn’t ask you, sensei,” said the princess. She spoke more
sharply than was proper when speaking to a teacher.
“Not today,” Grok said again. Then he hopped from the king’s
shoulder back to his branch. The princess put her hands on her hips
and pouted for real this time.
“Why not?” asked Princess Maia.
“Listen to forest and know,” said Grok. He took off and flew
away over the trees.
“Please don’t eat the butterflies,” Princess Maia whispered to
Grok as he disappeared into the Dark Forest. “I wish I could save
them all – even though I know that’s not how the world works.”
“And who do you save first?” said her father.
“Oh yes, that’s right,” she said, “myself, so I better do what
sensei Grok says, yes, Papa?”
“Yes, and how will you listen?” asked the king.
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“Let my mind see. Let my heart hear,” said the princess. She
closed her eyes. She took a deep, focusing breath. Then she opened
her eyes and looked at everything and nothing. She looked at her
father after a few moments with wide eyes. “I think someone’s
coming, Papa.”
“There is no ‘think,’” her father said. “You either know – or
you don’t.” The princess pondered his words, then: “Something’s
coming.”
“And that something is…” asked her father.
“Feels sort of like… wolves,” said the princess.
“Do you want to see them?” asked the king.
“Yes, Papa,” answered the princess.
“Are you ready for danger?” asked her father.
“Yes, Papa,” she said, and hefted her bow. The king
dismounted. The princess dismounted, too. They led their black
horses from the sunny glade into the dark shadows under the trees.
“What do you see when you look at the forest?” the king asked
the princess.
“It is dry and crackly,” the princess replied to the king. “We
must be extra careful to move quietly.”
The king nodded his approval. They wove their way quietly
through the trees. The horses moved almost as quietly as the
humans because Ebony and Onyx were war horses; they were
trained to move quietly and very patiently, and to never, ever,
whinny at another horse when they were “working.”
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Princess Maia and King Jōnin soon arrived at a thick stand of
trees and bushes that overlooked a path through the Dark Forest.
They settled the horses into the best hiding spot, then settled
themselves into the best viewing spot.
The princess sat with her bow in hand, arrow already nocked.
The king kneeled with his sword in front of his knees. He listened
to the forest. He pointed down the trail.
The princess looked where he pointed and saw two men on
horses riding toward them.
“Are they bandits, Papa?” she asked.
“Probably,” he answered. “Look like scouts.”
“What if I have to shoot them?” she whispered.
“What did your mother teach you?” he asked.
“Think centerpoint and unwrap to a surprise break,” recited the
princess. Her father nodded. Then he reached down and touched
his sword to make sure it was exactly where he wanted it.
Princess Maia felt her heart beat harder and harder as the
bandits came closer and closer.
This is more danger than I wanted to deal with today, she said
to herself, but I’m in it now, so I must pay attention and do the best
I can. Then the bandits rode right past her.
They were so close she could smell them. They smelled bad.
They smelled as if they hadn’t had a bath in a very long time.
Then the thought of shooting arrows into these stinky bandits
disappeared from Princess Maia’s mind. She thought instead about
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catching them alive and unhurt – and giving them a bath whether
they wanted one or not. She grinned at the idea until she saw the
well-used swords and spears and bows that hung from both bandits
and both of their horses.
Maybe not, she said to herself.
And then they were gone. They had disappeared as quickly as
they had appeared. Her heart quit pounding as soon as they were
gone. She felt much braver after they were gone.
“Why didn’t you go after them, Papa?”
“Me? You’re the one with the bow,” said the king. “Why didn’t
you shoot?”
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“Because it didn’t seem like the right thing to do at the
moment,” replied the princess.
“Good thinking,” her father said.
“But Mama says we should fight the bandits. Hunt them down.
Chase them the kingdom.”
“That is one way,” said the king as he stood up and put his
sword back in its scabbard, “but there are other ways, too.”
“Mama says fighting is the best way, and that you are always
looking for ways to get out of a fight, even if it’s a good fight.”
Princess Maia’s father waited until she had put away her arrow and
slung her bow over her back before he answered.
“Young princess,” said King Jōnin, “the way of it is this: Most
fights are bad. Most fights that seem to be good turn out to be bad.
Which means what?”
“That there aren’t many good fights?”
“That is correct,” said the king. He placed his hands on his
daughter’s shoulders. “Please do not misunderstand me, Maia.
Your mother is an honorable queen and a great warrior. In a fight
there is no man or woman I would want at my side more.”
“Then why don’t you fight the bandits together, Papa?” the
princess asked the king.
“When you are a leader, fighting is sometimes the easy way
out,” the king replied to the princess. “That’s because the hardest
thing to do is not to fight and win. The hardest thing to do is to win
without fighting.”
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Princess Maia pondered her father’s words as they remounted.
“Okay,” said King Jōnin with a playful grin. “Are you ready to
go get yelled at?”
“Yes, sir!” laughed Princess Maia. “It will be worth it. Thank
you for a wonderful adventure, Papa!”
“Thank you, young lady,” said King Jōnin. “It was my
pleasure.”
Then they headed their horses for home.
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There are two paths through the world: Predator and Prey. Predators eat others. Prey are the others. Like the five parts of the world, Like the world’s two main notes, The two paths reflect each other. Predators can be eaten. Prey can kill. And each needs the other to live. Know the way of the world and You will know each moment Which path you walk. Know which path you walk and You will understand yourself.
– The Ninja Princess Handbook
35
Chapter Three:
The Dojo and the Butterfly
Queen Nokami crouched in the middle of the castle training
room. She wore practice armor and held a practice naginata – a
wooden shaft with a long bamboo sword blade on the end.
Princess Maia faced her. She also wore practice armor and held
a practice naginata. The queen slashed the air with her blade and
hit her daughter’s naginata near the hilt. The princess absorbed the
blow. Then quick as a flash she lunged forward and thrust her own
blade at her mother’s chest.
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Whisssh! Crack! went her mother’s blade as she blocked her
daughter’s thrust. Then the queen stepped forward and whacked
her daughter in the facemask with her naginata shaft. Princess
Maia went down hard but she kept her weapon pointed at her
mother. The queen stepped back. She stood up straight and rested
the butt of her naginata on the floor.
“Again,” the queen said sternly. The princess jumped up and
stood the same way her mother did. She didn’t take her eyes off
her opponent for a moment – even when they bowed to each other.
Then they went at it again. They crouched and held their
naginatas slightly forward. They circled each other like cats
fighting over food.
The princess stepped toward her mother and thrust her blade
slowly forward. Her mother knocked it aside hard – and the
princess instantly used the energy her mother gave her to spin
around as fast as lightning. She sank to the ground at the same
moment and chopped across her mother’s legs with the shaft of her
naginata. Queen Nokami went down. She rolled through the fall
and was instantly back on her feet with her naginata ready.
“Excellent,” Maia-san,” said her mother. She stepped back and
stood up straight. She rested the butt of her naginata on the floor.
Then she bowed to her daughter. “Now tell me what happened.”
“Yes, Mama,” said Princess Maia, as she stood up straight like
her mother. “You always spank my blade hard when I’m slow so I
used it to drop and spin faster.”
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“How did you think of that?” asked the queen.
“Because you told me one of the best techniques is to pretend to
be weak, then strike. Right, Mama?” Queen Nokami took off her
helmet and looked sternly at her daughter for a long moment. Then
she smiled, just a little.
“So you were listening after all,” said the queen.
“Yes, Mama,” said the princess. She took off her own helmet.
Her long black hair was messy. “I try always to listen.”
“Then why do you disobey me and go into the forest without
The Royal Guard?” asked the queen.
“I said I try always to listen, Mama,” she said carefully. “I
didn’t say I always agreed with you.”
“You sound like your father.”
“And my mother!” said the princess brightly. She grinned at her
mother with a twinkle in her eye.
Her mother tried to frown. She failed. A smile spread across her
face, too. Then she spread her arms. Princess Maia snuggled up
against her and they embraced, naginatas still in hand.
“Now, let’s go eat, young warrior,” said the queen to the
princess, “but do something with that hair first.”
“Yes, Mama,” said the princess to the queen.
Princess Maia went to her room before she joined her parents
for dinner. She ran the royal hairbrush through her long black hair
many times until it was shiny and smooth again. It was a lot of
work to keep it neat and clean but she loved her long black hair.
38
She loved to feel it blow in the wind when she rode her horse. She
liked to wrap herself in it when she sat quietly in the castle
gardens. The princess joined her parents in the castle dining hall
when she finished brushing her long black hair.
A fire crackled in the fireplace on one end. The dinner
conversation crackled, too.
“You cannot risk yourself or Maia like that,” Queen Nokami
said sharply to King Jōnin. “You are both too important to be
outside alone.”
“If the sheepdog is always around,” said King Jōnin, “the sheep
forgets how to take care of itself.”
“She is not a sheep!” said the queen.
“I wasn’t talking only about her,” said the king.
39
“She is a child,” the queen continued without missing a beat,
“and you need to teach her to be responsible, not act like a child
yourself.”
The king looked at his daughter and frowned.
“What’s that on your lip?” asked the king.
“A fun spot, Papa,” said the princess, as she touched it lightly
with her fingers. “Mama gave it to me when were playing in the
dojo.”
“Let your guard down, did you?” asked the king.
“Yes, but I beat her next time,” replied the princess. “I tricked
her!” Her father arched his eyebrows at his wife. Queen Nokami
nodded without smiling for her daughter to finish the story.
“I pretended to attack slowly,” said Princess Maia. “I knew she
would get mad and spank my blade, then I used that energy to spin
faster and leg sweep her. It was fun!” The king glanced at his wife
for confirmation. The queen nodded.
“Good thinking, young princess,” said the king.
“Don’t change the subject,” said the queen.
“The forest is a dojo too,” said the king.
“That’s not the point,” said the queen. “It’s too dangerous out
there with all the bandits. You almost had to fight some of them
yourselves.”
“No, we didn’t,” said the king to the queen.
“They didn’t even know we were there,” said the princess to the
queen.
40
“Next time you may not be so lucky,” said the queen, “and you
are not yet a good enough fighter to win against grownups. Your
father would use energy protecting you as well as himself.”
“Yes, Mama,” Princess Maia said respectfully. Then she
focused on finishing her dinner. Queen Nokami turned back to
King Jōnin.
“If bandit scouts are that close to the castle,” she said, “then we
must discuss what to do about it at the next council meeting.”
“That is something we would not know,” he replied, “if Maia
and I hadn’t played in the forest today.” The queen fake-snarled at
the king, then smiled reluctantly at the princess.
“Thank you, Maia-san,” she said. “Now maybe we can
convince the council to act.”
“Yes, Mama,” said the princess, “but what if Papa still thinks
we should wait?”
“I think,” said the queen as she turned a stern eye on the king,
“that your father will see the wisdom of doing something before it
is too late.”
“Well, if you’re going to keep talking about that, may I be
excused?” asked Princess Maia as she finished her dinner and
emptied her glass.
“Good thinking,” said her father.
“Yes, you may,” said her mother.
“King, queen and princess pushed back from the table and
stood. The daughter hugged her father, then faced her mother.
41
“You are a good daughter,” said Queen Nokami as they
embraced. “I am proud to be your mother.”
“Thank you, Mama,” the princess said. “It is an honor to be
your daughter.”
Her mother smiled again and kissed her daughter gently on the
forehead.
“And you bring honor to our family,” said the queen. “Just
remember, my wild child, that even the greatest warrior cannot win
a battle alone.”
“I will remember, Mama,” said the princess. Then Princess
Maia walked out of the dining room. By the time she went through
the door, the king and queen were talking about the bandits again.
The princess walked out of the black castle into the castle
gardens. A brisk breeze blew through her long black hair as she
stepped into the twilight. The princess had missed sunset, but
42
twilight was a quiet, gentle, magic time between bright day and
dark night. The princess loved to walk in the twilight. She loved to
walk through paths and ponds and streams and trees and grassy
open spaces.
Princess Maia also liked to walk in the wind. The brisk breeze
had turned to wind as she walked through the castle gardens. The
wind was so strong that it bent flowers and fruit trees and every
other beautiful thing in its path. The wind was so strong that most
of the garden creatures hid from it.
The princess saw no rabbits or chipmunks or foxes. She saw no
snakes and frogs and toads. The birds and bees were not flying and
neither were the butterflies – except for Mikkyō. The big, black,
beautiful butterfly cruised through the castle gardens on the wind
and danced around Princess Maia’s head.
43
“Hello, Mikkyō,” said the princess to the butterfly. “You like
the wind as much as I do.” She held out one hand to her new
friend. “Would you like to dance?”
Mikkyō fluttered over to Princess Maia’s hand and perched on
her fingers. Princess Maia started dancing, spinning and twirling.
Her long black hair flew in the wind. Leaves floated on the wind
and Mikkyō surfed the wind from Princess Maia’s hand.
The butterfly and the princess danced in the wind for a long
time. The wind grew even stronger as they danced. Princess Maia
stopped dancing. Mikkyō fluttered away and found shelter in a
bush.
44
“Thank you for dancing with me, Mikkyō,” said the princess to
the butterfly, “but I must go. It is too cold to stay out here without
a coat.”
The princess walked straight through the castle gardens to the
black castle. Mikkyō darted in through the door with her. She
fluttered happily around Princess Maia’s head.
“Let’s go see what Mama and Papa are doing,” said the princess
to the butterfly. “I hope the drama is finished by now.”
Mikkyō followed Princess Maia down the long hallway on the
black castle’s first stone level. The princess went up a stairway to
another stone level. She walked down a smaller hallway to the
stone staircase that led to the dining room on the black castle’s
highest stone level.
45
Princess Maia started to climb the stone steps but she stopped
on the first one when she heard the voices of her mother and father.
Mikkyō explored the stone walls in the hallway behind the
princess.
The princess heard her parents still talking about the bandits
and what they should do about them.
Their voices were fierce, not gentle. She could tell by their
voices that they were tense, not relaxed. She turned to the butterfly.
“I think it is calmer out in the storm,” she said, “and more fun.
Come.” She turned away from the stone staircase and walked back
down the hallway. Mikkyō glided over and perched on the base of
her ponytail like a hair ornament.
Princess Maia took a different path after she left the black
castle’s highest stone level. They entered a narrow passageway that
ran beneath the first stone level. They reached a heavy iron and
wood door with a large lock. A lighted torch blazed from a mount
on one wall. Several unlit torches lay in a nearby bin.
46
“Here we are,” the princess said to the butterfly. The butterfly
fluttered up from the princess and away from the torch.
The princess pushed on one stone in the stone wall by the torch
bin. It slid back several inches, revealing a small recess. In the
small recess was a large key. Princess Maia took the key and
waved it at Mikkyō.
“It looks like this key fits the door lock, doesn’t it?” the
princess said to the butterfly, “but that’s a trick.” She walked
several steps up the hallway away from the door. She stuck the key
into a crack between two large stones in the wall and twisted the
key. It turned just the way it would in a normal lock. The heavy
iron and wood door made an unlocking sound at the same time.
Princess Maia removed the key from the wall. She put it back in
the recess and pushed again on the covering stone. It slid back into
place on the wall. She picked up three unlit torches and pushed on
the door. It opened easily. Beyond the door was complete
darkness.
Princess Maia lit one of her torches from the burning torch on
the wall. She gestured at Mikkyō. The big, black, beautiful
butterfly fluttered anxiously and did not follow.
“Come,” the princess said to the butterfly. “This is the Royal
Passage. This is the secret way the king’s family uses in case of
need. Papa showed it to me.” She stepped through the open door
and held her torch against the wall so Mikkyō would have enough
room to pass her safely.
47
The big, black, beautiful butterfly approached the door
cautiously. Then she darted past the wall torch through the door
and past Princess Maia’s torch. She landed on a stone ledge in the
passageway.
The princess pulled the door shut. She heard it re-lock. She
walked deeper into the darkness. Her torch lit up the rough rock
walls. Mikkyō followed at a distance safe from the flame.
It was very quiet inside. There was no sound except for
Princess Maia’s footsteps as she walked.
The passage sloped downward until it reached another heavy
iron and wood door. There was a large alcove on one side. She put
her torch in a wall mount and looked at several large shapes in the
alcove. Mikkyō landed gently on her shoulder.
“These are supplies if we ever need to run away from the
castle,” the princess explained to the butterfly. “Everything we
need to survive is here.”
She left the torch where it was and walked to the door. It was
like the other door but it had no lock on the inside. This door had
only a big latch.
She unlatched the door and pushed it open. Noise and wind
instantly filled the passage. Mikkyō fluttered her wings to stay on
Princess Maia’s shoulder. The princess looked through the door.
The wind bent the trees and bushes around her. Grey clouds
covered the darkening sky above her. Lightning flashed in the
distance.
48
Thunder rumbled across the Dark Forest that loomed a short
distance from the door.
“Wooo-hooo!” the princess shouted into the wind, loving every
moment. Mikkyō rode her shoulder. The big, black, beautiful
butterfly was not as excited about the wild weather.
Princess Maia left the door open and walked back to the alcove.
The wind blew through the door and made the torch flame sputter
and flare up from moment to moment.
“Okay, let’s see here,” said the princess to the butterfly as she
looked over the supplies. “First things first.”
She picked up a bow and strung it. She tested it and set it aside
with a quiver of arrows. She took a long cloak from a hook on the
49
wall. She put it on and tucked her long black hair inside it. Then
she pulled a pack with a letter “M” on it from the pile.
“Here we go,” she said, and opened it up. “Water, food, flint,
knife, blanket… and this!” She held up a hair brush to Mikkyō.
“Very important!”
The princess closed the pack and put it on. She slung her quiver
and arrows over her shoulder and picked up her bow. Then she put
out the torch and stuck it in the wall mount. Then lightning flashed
so close that it lit up the Royal Passage and startled Mikkyō into
flight. Then thunder boomed so loudly it seemed to shake the rock
walls. Princess Maia laughed at the thunder.
“Okay, Mikkyō. Let’s go have some fun!”
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Afterword
Thus ends The Bow and the Butterfly. Find out where Princess Maia’s
adventures lead her when The Legend of Ninja Princess continues in:
Look for it soon on Kindle!
51
The Legend of Ninja Princess Glossary
A note to readers
The words and phrases in this glossary are listed by chapter and
in order of appearance for easier reference. Sometimes, the same
word will appear in more than one glossary chapter; this is also for
easier reference and smoother reading.
The words and phrases that appear in this glossary were chosen
by Master Lee because they are words and phrases that may not be
familiar to young readers. Some words are defined simply, much
like a dictionary definition. Other words are explained in a way
that shows how and why they were used in that specific place in
The Legend of Ninja Princess, or how the word can have different
meanings if it is used in a different way. Then there are places
were two or more words make a “phrase” – a word combination
that has a special meaning. Finally, Master Lee sometimes includes
his own thoughts about what some words and phrases mean, and
what they show about how the world works and how life is.
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chapter 1
fierce: adjective: from the Latin word ferus : 1. wild and
intense, dangerous and determined 2. given to fighting first,
asking questions later
mysterious: adjective: from the Latin mysterium : curious and
wonderful but hard to explain or understand
blossoms: noun: from the Old English blostma : this noun can
name any flower but it usually names flowers that turn into fruit,
not just seeds
scamper: verb: from Middle French escamper, to run away : to
run quickly and joyfully
cyclone: noun: from the Greek kyklon, moving in a circle : air
that spins around in a circle very fast
scarecrow: noun: from the Latin scurra, silly person : anything
put in a field to scare birds away from something valuable such as
food crops or other animals
53
warrior: noun: from the Old Norman French werrier, to make
war : a person who takes part in war or fighting who knows how to
kill – and when not to kill
nock: verb: from the Swedish nokke, notch : there is a notch at
the end of an arrow that fits into the bowstring, so the English
version of the Swedish word nokke is used as a verb to show when
the archer fits the arrow to the string and makes it ready to shoot
air current: adjective and noun: from the Latin currere, to run
: running or flowing; in this case, the air is flowing (also known as
breeze or wind) and Mikkyo uses the air current to fly through the
gardens almost without moving her wings
54
chapter 2
danger: noun: from the Latin dominus, a master : 1. a chance
to be hurt or killed 2. anything that can hurt or kill you 3.
something that can take your freedom or your property
opportunity: noun: from the Latin opportunus, literally, at or
before the port : a chance to do something good for yourself or
others
seize: verb: from the Frankish sakjan, to lay claim to one’s
rights : 1. to take hold of something quickly and sometimes
unexpectedly 2. To grab something before it gets away – for
example, an opportunity
ponder: verb: from the Latin ponderare, to weigh : 1. to think
carefully and deeply 2. to try and understand something before
acting
gallop: verb: from the Frankish walahlaupan, to run well : the
gait of a horse when it is running as fast as it can
Danger Zone: noun: from Master Yin Yang : any place there is
a good chance to be hurt or killed
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soar: verb: from the Latin ex-, out + aura, air : to fly high in the
air, especially, using the currents to glide without using power
glade: noun: from the French clairiere, clear : a small open
spot or meadow in a forest
quoth: verb: from the Gothic quithan, to say : an old-fashioned
way of saying “said”
sensei: noun: from the Japanese, literally, one who has gone
before : a teacher or any wise person or creature from whom you
can learn
forevermore: adverb: 1. an old-fashioned way to say forever
2. a more formal way to say forever
steed: noun: from the Old English steda, stallion : old-
fashioned fancy name for an adult male horse
whinny: verb: what a horse does when it calls out to another
horse some distance away
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centerpoint: verb: a word that means aiming your arrow at the
exact middle of your target so that you will probably hit it even if
your aim is not quite right
uncurl to a surprise break: phrase: if you want to hit your
target when using a bow and arrow or any device that must be
aimed and released, it is important to concentrate on the release
flow, not the release point, so that you are “surprised” when release
actually happens and don’t disturb the path of the device you
released
scabbard: noun: from Old High German scar, sword, cutting
tool + bergan, to hide, protect : a sheath or case to hold the blade
of a sword or knife
honorable: adjective: from the Latin honos, official dignity,
repute, esteem : from the Latin honorablis: having or showing a
sense of right and wrong; characterized by honesty and integrity
57
chapter 3
dojo: noun: from the Japanese : a training place, where you go
to learn things. For example, a classroom, gymnasium, library,
swimming pool, ballet studio, forest, mountain, river or almost any
place you can think of. If you can learn there, it’s dojo, so show
respect and pay attention wherever you are
predator: noun: from the Latin praedari, to plunder: a person
or animal that lives by taking the lives or property of others by
force
prey: noun: from the Latin praeda, to seize : a person or animal
whose life and/or property is taken from them by force
practice: verb: from the Greek prassein, to do : to do
repeatedly in order to learn or become skilful at what you are doing
bamboo: noun: from Bahasa bambu : a tribe of flowering
evergreen plants in the grass family Poaceae, subfamily
Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae; bamboo is grass but it looks like
trees with hard, segmented stems that are usually hollow and can
grow more than 100 feet high
58
naginata: noun: from the Japanese naginata, mowing down
sword, reaper’s sword : a 1- to 3-foot-long curved sword blade
fixed to the end of a 4- to 6-foot-long wooden shaft. It is a weapon
and symbol of women samurai (see samurai, Chapter Five).
Samurai women did not usually fight in war like normal soldiers,
but they defended their homes and families, and sometimes
performed special missions. The naginata is a perfect weapon for
women and young people because it allows its user to keep
opponents at a distance, which reduces the advantages a bigger and
stronger swordsman would have over a woman or a child
hilt: noun: from the Old English hild, battle : the handle of a
sword, knife or tool
opponent: noun: from the Latin opponere : someone or
something that stands in the way of you getting what you want or
doing what you need to do
thrust: verb: from the Old Norse thrysta : 1: to push or shove
with sudden force 2: to pierce or stab
sternly: adverb: from the Old English styrne, stiff, rigid : strict,
grim or intensely
59
technique: noun: from the Greek technē, an art : a method or
way of performing basic moves or procedures to accomplish
something
excellent: verb: from the Latin excellere, to raise or surpass :
better than good and way better than average
risk: noun: from the French risque : the chance of injury,
damage, death or loss
confirmation: noun: from the Latin confirmare, to strengthen
or make firm : something that makes you certain that something
has happened, or been done, or is true
honor: noun: from the Latin honos, official dignity, repute,
esteem; from the Latin honorablis : having or showing a sense of
right and wrong; characterized by honesty and integrity
wild: adjective: from the German wild : living or growing in a
natural state, not tame or domesticated
twilight: noun: from the German zwielicht, the light between :
the dim, soft light just after sunset but before it gets really dark –
or just before sunrise
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twirl: verb: from the Old English thwirel, a stirring rod : to spin
or turn very fast
fierce: adjective: from the Latin word ferus : 1. wild and
intense, dangerous and determined 2. given to fighting first,
asking questions later
ornament: noun: from the Latin ornare, to adorn : anything
that decorates or adds prettiness or beauty to something
reveal: verb: from the French revelare, to draw back the veil :
to show, expose or make known something that was hidden
anxious: adjective: from the Latin angere, to choke or give
pain : being nervous or twitchy or unsure or uncertain of yourself
recess: noun: from the Latin recedere, to move back : a small
hole or hollow place in a wall
alcove: noun: from the Arabic al-qubba, arch or vault : a small
space inside a larger space that’s bigger than a recess but smaller
than a room
Strung the bow: phrase: This phrase means to attach the
bowstring to the bow so you can shoot arrows
61
loom: verb: to suddenly appear or take shape or come into
sight, usually in a scary or dangerous way
sputter: verb: from the Middle Dutch spotten, to spit : when a
flame goes up and down, bigger and smaller, and almost goes out
flare up: verb phrase: when a fire stops sputtering and grows
stronger again
quiver: noun: from the German kocher, from the Hun language
: a case for arrows
flint: noun: from the Norwegian flint, stone splinter : a very
hard, smooth gray rock that makes sparks when hit with steel or
something else hard, used to start fires when you have no matches