History's Hotshots SAMURAI strong and Steady Warriors Elsie Olson Checkerboard Library An Imprint of Abdo Publishing abdopublishing.com
The BATTLE BEGINS 4
It’s the morning of a great battle You are dressed in your finest armor An intricate helmet protects your head Scaled metal plates protect your chest and thighs Two swords hang at your side Your bow is at the ready arrows strapped to your back You wait on your faithful horse side by side with the other samurai who serve your shogun If you are afraid you don’t show it In fact you have been trained to not show fear And you have been preparing for such a battle since you were only three years old This is what you were born to do Your fellow warriors also show no fear Like you they follow a strict code of loyalty and honor They have pledged to give their lives for their shogun if required You hope today’s battle will end in victory or death There is no room for defeat You hear your commander give the call to fight and you urge your horse forward as the battle begins You are part of the highest class in Japanese society You are a samurai warrior 5
