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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

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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.

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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.

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“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!”

50

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

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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

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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

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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

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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