The Magic Spinner

Mr. Ito is very friendly and quite happy that Parker has something Japanese to show him. He takes the scrolls to a clean table and carefully unrolls them. He can tell already that they are special.

"These are very old, Parker," he says. "Where did you get these?"

Parker explains how he found them in an old trunk belonging to his Grandfather.

"My Grandfather was in the navy and traveled all over the world," Parker explains proudly. "Now Mom says that they are mine!"

Mr. Ito studies the scrolls and then calls his wife over. Mrs. Ito comes over and puts on her reading glasses. She holds one of the scrolls closer to the light.

"I think this is from the mid-Edo period," she says. "It was a time in Japanese history when the Japanese closed themselves off from the world. During that time their own society and culture grew."

Mrs. Racoosin and Punky come over too. They stand back and let Parker do the talking.

Mr. and Mrs. Ito nod their heads as they read the Japanese scroll with the red ribbon. Mrs. Ito then tells Parker what it says in English.

"It's like a poem," she says and reads it out loud. First in Japanese, then in English.