Delivered by hand by a young Japanese man on a Honda motorcycle to the Governor's office, was a wooden storage box whose front panels are hand-painted with a marsh scene, complete with wading birds and water plants. Inside on the bottom of the box's shelves are two books, a parchment scroll, and a hand-written note. On the top shelf is a sake set and bottle of Chokaisan sake. The books are Sun Tzu's "The Art of War", and Miyamoto Musashi's "The Book of Five Rings". The scroll is a ukiyo-e print of two cranes on a snow-covered pine bough, by the artist Hiroshige. The note reads:
Ms. Helston Al-Amat,
I extend to you my heartiest congratulations on winning your second term in office. I look forward to seeing what exciting things you will accomplish as the elected leader of this fine city, which I have come to call my home.
I have sent these books in the hopes that you will find great knowledge and wisdom in them. They have helped me when waging war against my enemies and have helped strengthen my many friendships. Anyone in positions such as ours, where we find ourselves beseiged on all sides by those who work to bring us down and topple our accomplishments, often find solace in the words and thoughts of great men.
I would like to draw your attention to the most important bit of knowledge I have gleaned from years of meditation over Sun Tzu's writings. He wrote: "Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise; for the result is waste of time and general stagnation." I take this to mean those who want to make sure of succeeding in their battles must seize the favorable moments when they come and not be afraid of heroic measures. What they must not do, and what will prove ultimately fatal, is to sit still and simply hold to the advantages they have got.
Good luck to you in the coming months and I hope that these gifts bring you comfort, wisdom, and great knowledge.
Yours,
Kotetsu Tokishido
http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/0bQsCd2d3PktXUMBSHsRw/cid/51247473/id/7m_AIb0YTJSBXwgSsdDMPg/size/c600x959.jpg
Ms. Helston Al-Amat,
I extend to you my heartiest congratulations on winning your second term in office. I look forward to seeing what exciting things you will accomplish as the elected leader of this fine city, which I have come to call my home.
I have sent these books in the hopes that you will find great knowledge and wisdom in them. They have helped me when waging war against my enemies and have helped strengthen my many friendships. Anyone in positions such as ours, where we find ourselves beseiged on all sides by those who work to bring us down and topple our accomplishments, often find solace in the words and thoughts of great men.
I would like to draw your attention to the most important bit of knowledge I have gleaned from years of meditation over Sun Tzu's writings. He wrote: "Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise; for the result is waste of time and general stagnation." I take this to mean those who want to make sure of succeeding in their battles must seize the favorable moments when they come and not be afraid of heroic measures. What they must not do, and what will prove ultimately fatal, is to sit still and simply hold to the advantages they have got.
Good luck to you in the coming months and I hope that these gifts bring you comfort, wisdom, and great knowledge.
Yours,
Kotetsu Tokishido
http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/0bQsCd2d3PktXUMBSHsRw/cid/51247473/id/7m_AIb0YTJSBXwgSsdDMPg/size/c600x959.jpg