Tap, tap, tap.
Jack was dreaming that a white bird was pecking athis window.
Tap . . . tap.
A red bird appeared and pecked with the whitebird.
Tap ... tap.
"Jack, wake up!" said Annie.
Jack opened his eyes.
"They're here!" said Annie.
"Who? The birds?" said Jack.
"No! Teddy and Kathleen!" Annie rushed to thewindow and waved outside. "They're tossing pebblesat our windows."15"Teddy and Kathleen!" Jack jumped out of bed andjoined Annie at the window.
The two young enchanters of Camelot werestanding in Jack and Annie's front yard. They weredressed in long, dark cloaks. They smiled and wavedup at Jack and Annie.
"Merlin must have sent them!" said Jack. Teddymade a walking motion with his fingers and pointedtoward the Frog Creek woods.
Annie nodded eagerly. "They want us to meet themat the tree house!" she said to Jack. "Hurry and getdressed! Before Mom and Dad wake up!"Annie started out of Jack's room. When she got tothe door, she turned. "Oh, and don't forget to bringthe Wand of Dianthus!"Jack threw on his clothes. He grabbed his backpackand peeked inside. The wand was there. Jack put hispack on his back. Then he slipped quietly downstairsand out the door.
Annie was standing on the front porch. "Let's go!"she said.
16Jack and Annie ran across their yard and dashed upthe sidewalk.
"I wonder why they came for us!" said Annie. "Iwonder where we're going!" said Jack.
"I wondereverything!"said Annie.
Jack and Annie crossed the street and hurried intothe Frog Creek woods. The early-March trees lookedweary from winter, gray and brown with no leaveson them yet.
"Look-" said Annie, out of breath. "They're waitingfor us!"Jack looked up. Teddy and Kathleen were wavingfrom the window of the magic tree house. Jackgrabbed the rope ladder and started up.
Annie followed. When Jack and Annie climbedinside the tree house, they threw their arms aroundTeddy and Kathleen.
"We're so glad to see you!" cried Annie. "And weare happy to see you, also," said Kathleen. The seagirl's lovely water-blue eyes sparkled.
17"Indeed," said Teddy. "It has been too long.""What's our mission this time?" asked Jack.
"Where's Merlin sending us?"Teddy glanced at Kathleen. "I fear Merlin does noteven know we are here," said Teddy. "We have comenot at his bidding, but for his sake.""What doesthatmean?" asked Jack.
"Merlin is not well," said Kathleen. "He complainsthat he is getting old and feeble and that life is full ofsorrows. He does not eat or sleep.""Oh, no!" said Annie.
"All of Camelot wishes to help him," said Teddy.
"But no one knows quite how.""What canwedo to help?" asked Jack.
Teddy picked up a book from the corner of the treehouse. "Throughout the ages, people all over theworld have sought the secrets of happiness," he said.
"Morgan wants you to search for four of these secretsto share with Merlin. She believes that the first onemight be foundhere."18Jack took the book from Teddy. He read the titlealoud.
"Oh, wow, we've been to Japan before!" said Annie.
"Before we met you," Jack said to Teddy andKathleen. "We had an adventure with ninjas.""Yes, Morgan told us," said Teddy. "But she saidthat on that journey, you visited the countryside. Thistime you must travel to the capital city.""Are you guys coming with us?" asked Annie.
"I am afraid not," said Kathleen. "We must return toCamelot now to help Morgan. Since719Merlin has fallen ill, she has taken on much of hiswork.""You have the wand, do you not?" asked Teddy.
"Yep," said Jack. He reached into his backpack andtook out the Wand of Dianthus. The spiraled wandwas shaped like a unicorn's horn.
"With the help of the want, you will make yourown magic, "said Teddy.
"That's what Merlin said when he gave it to us,"said Annie.
"But he didn't sayhow,"said Jack.
"It is very simple," said Teddy. "The wand has threerules. First, it only works for the good of others. Thewand can never be used for selfish reasons.""Second, the wand works only after you have triedyour very hardest without its help," said Kathleen.
"Do not attempt to use its magic too quickly.""And third, the wand only works with a com20mand of five words," said Teddy. "So you mustchoose your words carefully.""Can we review all that, please?" asked Jack.
"Don't worry, I've got it," said Annie. "We have togo. We have to help Merlin as soon as we can.""If the tree house takes us to Japan, how will you goback to Camelot?" Jack asked Teddy and Kathleen.
Teddy and Kathleen held up their hands. They eachwore a sparkling blue ring. "Our magic rings will takeus home," said Kathleen.
"And this book from Camelot's library will bringyouback home to Frog Creek," said Teddy, "after youhave completed your mission." He picked up anotherbook lying in a corner. It was the book aboutPennsylvania that Jack and Annie had used on theirfirst magic tree house adventures.
"Thanks," said Jack.
"Good-bye," said Annie. "Take good care of Merlin."92122"We will try," said Kathleen. She and Teddy raisedtheir magic rings to their lips. They whispered wordstoo softly for Jack and Annie to hear, then blew onthe rings. As they blew, the young sorcerers began tofade into the cool morning air. In a moment, they haddisappeared completely.
Silence filled the tree house.
Annie turned to Jack. "Ready?" she said.
Jack nodded. He pointed to the cover of the Japanbook. "I wish we could gothere!"he said.
The tree house started to spin. It spun faster andfaster.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still. |