Sagebrush
    
My great-grandfather was nine years old when the Japanese occupied a large area of northern China. The soldiers came out of their fort to the surrounding villages from time to time to rob the poor villagers, set fire to their shabby houses, and kill for fun.
    
One day, Great-Grandfather was playing with his friends while shepherding at the edge of their village. Suddenly, the chirping birds in the trees stopped. In the ominous stillness, they heard the thundering of the soldiers marching become louder and louder. All the kids scampered to the village, yelling, “Here come the Japanese ghosts! Here come the Japanese ghosts!”
    
Wearing clay-yellow uniforms and black boots, the soldiers marched into the streets, their guns and long swords holding in front of them. People screamed and scattered, trying to escape.
    
Among all the chaos, Great-Grandfather hid behind a large sagebrush and remained deathly still and quiet, moving only to breathe or blink. He watched in horror, unable to do anything, as his friends, his family, and everyone he ever knew were dragged away by the Japanese, screaming.
    
Suddenly, a soldier called to his companions in Japanese, and they came closer . . . and closer . . . to the sagebrush. They were so close that he could see the sunlight glimmering off their shiny black boots and the dirt on their sickly yellow uniforms. Great-Grandfather’s heart pounded in his chest as the soldier reached for his sword only feet away from the bush. One swing and he would be done for. But then, another soldier barked an order at him, probably “There’s no one there!” or “Hurry up!” As Great-Grandfather watched, they left, menacing and scary as ever.
    
Long after everything went silent, Great-Grandfather stood up, shivering, alone in the ruins of his home and the bodies of the villagers.
    
From then on, Great-Grandfather never chopped down any sagebrush for as long as he lived. When he let his sheep out to graze, he kept them away from the small, leafy tree to which he owed his life.