Author(s): Shogun Whamhower & Heath McKenzie

Fiction - junior

'When jumping backwards into a tree, a ninja should check first for the presence of birds or other ninjas. A startled bird could give away your location, whereas another ninja might get annoyed if you land on him.' - The Ninja Warrior's Handbook, Volume 27. Jake, Ben, Pongo and Veejay might seem like your average nerds. Yeah, Jake loves science, Ben loves playing the trumpet and Veejay loves singing opera. Yeah, Pongo has allergies and Veejay has a 27-page alphabetical list of activities he's not allowed to take part in (from aardvark acquisition and monitor lizard monitoring, to exposure to the non-specific word 'umpteen'). But when the local bully refuses to pick on them, declaring them too nerdy to bully, the four boys decide to take action. They come up with a plan - a plan that takes full advantage of their abilities to walk/wheel/twirl/hop across an open footy field without being noticed. They're about to become ninjas!