Respect, Honor and Ninjas
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians and their rat Master. I do however own Rama.
Author's Note: For those of you who have not read my story " The Legacy" Rama or Ramiela happens to be Mike's daughter. She is four years old for this story as this story takes place during that same time frame and no fans I give nothing away in here. Please R & R thanks.
I sighed I hadn't been expecting this. I should have known better then to give my niece and only student what I thought was an easy assignment before dismissing her from yesterday morning's lesson.
" Ramiela you know
that respect and honor are very important to ninja but I want to know what you
know about those things."
Rama had scowled at me. I smiled at her tenderly for surely growing up as a
ninja in our clan she had to have some idea of what those words meant. She
heard them often enough I just wanted to know what she herself made of those
words what they might mean to her.
" You think about it and I want your answer tomorrow morning. Just something simple is fine." I told her.
" Okay I try Sensay Leonardo," she promised me.
At that time I had only been expecting a couple of spoken sentences about her views on Respect and honor.
I should have known better I was dealing with a child who insisted on calling all of us except her own father by our full names and I should also have taken into account what Splinter says quite frequently about her " Ramiela knows far more than she let's on."
Still I hadn't been expecting what I received. Mike had convinced me that if I didn't look at it I would have one very upset student on my hands and one very ticked off brother for upsetting his daughter after all she had gone through for me. The very least I could do was to read it and enjoy the pictures she had drawn to go along with it. Three pages of drawings three pages of writing on what she was suppose to know.
Rama didn't know how to write so she must have convinced daddy to help her and when I glanced at the drawings with Mike's helpful explanations of each drawing written under each I knew I was going to be in for some fun.
One drawing was supposed to be me only it had a very large shell and Raph. Mike had written- Raph gives no respect to Leo because his shell is too big- I didn't understand that reference but I had a feeling I was going to.
The second drawing was a picture of a ninja and was marked as a ninja looking for honor and he can't find it- Oh boy I was really in trouble with this I could tell that right now.
The third drawing was of a ninja turtle with lots of weapons on him and Mike had written Don't mess with Ninja-Uh-huh definitely in trouble here.
I set the drawings aside and turned to the written pages on the top page was Mike's easily recognizable handwriting.
Leo I know this isn't what YOU wanted but YOU are to blame for this because you DID tell Rama you wanted to know what she knew and typical Rama she knows a lot.
She was worried she might forget some of this so I told her I would write it down for you and I ended up writing her wonderful snippets of information for the rest of the day. Since it was awfully messy and I know how strict you sensei's can be I decided to rewrite it for you and while I was at it I put it all into categories for you just to make it simpler for you. I am just too good for you bro.
I tried to write it out exactly as she said it to me so forgive the spelling errors and I couldn't help but to add my own two cents worth here or there which I conveniently placed in brackets and have marked as M/C for Mikey comment.
Anyway read it. Enjoy it. You better after all I put into this never mind all the information Rama dredged from out of her brain just for you. This is a case of you asked for it you got it bro. M.
Respect, Honor and Ninjas- as told by Ramiela and lovingly written by her dad.
RESPECT AND HONOR:
'Espect and honor are big words. My family likes big words but 'espect and honor are words I hear lots. Every day lots of 'espect and honor.
'Espect and honor mean almost the same thing but different. I know this cause 'espect is for people and things. Like 'especting weapons cause they can hurt ya. That is why I can't have weapons yet. Sensay Leonardo say I don't 'espect them coz I keep taking Uncle Raphiel's sai. ( M/C She admits to it but she keeps doing it. Crazy kid of mine.)
Honor is only for people. No one say I gotta honor a weapon. Just 'espect them.
Honor and 'espect are different too cause you can have one without the other. ( M/C Sorry bro she won't tell me how or where she came up with that conclusion. "Kids!")
Some people get honor and 'espect. Some get one or the other and some get none at all. ( M/C she does have that much right.)
Splinter he got both 'espect and honor from the whole clan that's why he's Master. Leonardo is only a sensay cause Uncle Raphiel give him no 'espect or honor. Sensay needs Raphiel's 'espect and honor and then he be a Master to. ( M/C observant child ain't she? She knows Raph gives you no respect and she even told you what you got to do to become a Master. Cinch right?)
RESPECT:
Sensay Leonardo wants Uncle Raphiel's 'espect and Uncle Raphiel won't 'espect him at all. I asked Uncle Raphiel once why? And he say that he got one Master all ready and he don't need two of 'em and he say Sensay's shell is too big. It don't look big to me but that what he say.
Uncle Raphiel 'espects only Master Splinter.
Sensay Leonardo most people look at him and he git their 'espect.( M/C I never knew you had that sort of power bro.)
Daddy say I hafta 'espect my sensay and I do I just don't listen to him all the time. ( M/C No I have no idea how she can respect you and not listen to you. I suppose Raph is being a bad influence. Of course we must take into account that she is MY daughter.)
Daddy also say I gotta 'espect my elders. Only thing is every one is elder then me.(M/C I don't think she meant this as a joke or a pun for that matter. But I love it!)
HONOR AND NINJAS:
The more ninja in a clan the more honor there is cause Ninja got honor for each other and their clan.
Ninja do things for honor.
Ninja can have no 'espect but they gotta have honor.
A ninja with no honor is not a ninja. Don't know what he is but he is not ninja.
A ninja gets no honor by being veeerrry bad.
Sometimes a ninja can get honor back but daddy won't tell me how. ( M/C I am NOT going to explain seppuku to her at this age. I don't even know where she heard about it or learned it from. Must have overheard it somewhere.)
When you are a ninja with no honor you got no clan. Clan won't have a ninja with no honor. ( M/C I think she means banishment hmmm?)
Ninja don't want to be very bad just some bad so they can stay in da clan.
Ninja who lose honor hafta go out and find it. Bring it back to show the clan they gots honor again. ( M/C Don't you love this Leo? This is my favorite. I had the hardest time keeping a straight face when I was writing it the first time let me tell you.)
NINJA:
Ninja like big words. My Uncle Donatello likes lots of big words. Ninja really like 'espect and honor or honor and 'espect.
Ninja talk about it a lot so 'espect and honor are veeerrry important to Ninja even sensay say so.
Ninja give honor and 'espect to Masters, Sensay and weapons so don't mess with Ninja who got lots of honor and 'espect. ( M/C Ain't that the truth?)
M/C – Well bro there it is all little Rama knows about honor and respect and ninja. I got a kick out of listening to what she had to say as you can probably tell by my comments and I personally am hoping you give her another assignment so I can hear her knowledge on a new subject.
Now I know why she was worried about forgetting some thing.
LOL hope you have enjoyed this as much as I have- Mike.
I sat back in my chair laughing partly from Rama's comments and partly from my brother's comments. Splinter would have to see this one. I went back and reread it realizing as I did so that it was a good thing Rama didn't tell me to my face what she knew about all of this. I don't think I would have been able to keep from laughing at her comments and serious face as she talked.
At long last I knew why Raph had no 'espect for me and I had a strange feeling Mike would be bugging me for some time to come about my " Big shell".
At least I now knew what to do when I was in desperate need of a good laugh. Just give Rama an assignment and look at things through her eyes.
I wiped a tear from my own eye and smiled to myself. I would have to tell Rama what a great job she had done on that and how much I enjoyed her ideas and view points about respect, honor and ninja.
Author's note: For those of you unfamiliar with seppuku it means to commit suicide and ninja will do it to regain honor. It is for them honorable suicide.