Merlin! Morgan! shouted Annie. Teddy and Kathleen cried out in amazement. Annie rushed to Morgan and hugged her. Jack was filled with giddy relief. Hi! he said. Hi!Welcome back, sir! Teddy said to Merlin. Thank you, said Merlin. He looked at Jack and...
Jack and Annie walked through the front hall of thepalace, past the ice columns, and into the wizard'sthrone room. The walls and floor glittered with thebrilliant, cold light of dawn. Uh-oh, said Jack. The wizard was waiting for them--and the twowhit...
HUFFFF, HUFFFF, HUFFFFF... With each breathfrom the Frost Giant, a blast of cold wind sweptthrough the hollow. Jack trembled. He felt chilled to the bone. HUFFFF,HUFFFF, HUFFFFF.... The giant's breathing grew louder and stronger. Jack squeezed his ey...
Standing in the cold, Jack felt afraid again. Therewere big paw prints in the moonlit snow all aroundthe house. The wolves were here, said Kathleen. Perhaps we should go back inside, said Teddy. No, said Kathleen. We must walk with Jack andAnnie back...
Teddy slammed the door against the wolves. Jackcaught his breath. Welcome! the three Norns said in unison. They alllooked exactly alike, except they wore gowns ofdifferent colors--blue, brown, and gray. How are you, Jack, Annie, Teddy, and Kathleen?s...
Jack sat on the frozen ground. Annie, Teddy, andKathleen sat nearby. They were all too shocked tospeak. The night was quiet. Overhead the full moonshined brightly, and a few cold stars twinkled in theclear sky. Finally Annie broke the silence. I wond...
The air inside the palace was even colder than theair outside. Moonlight flooded through tall arches inthe walls. The floor shined like a skating rink. Thickcolumns of sparkling ice held up a domed ceiling. WELCOME, JACK AND ANNIE, boomed a voicefrom...
Jack felt the sharp bite of an icy wind. He lookedout the window with the others. Oh, man, hewhispered. The tree house was not in a tree--for there were notrees anywhere to be seen. Instead, it was sitting highon top of a steep snowdrift. Other drift...
A cold wind rattled the windowpanes. But insidethe house, it was warm and cozy. Jack and Anniewere making Christmas cookies with their mom. Jackpressed a star-shaped cookie cutter into the dough. Hey, it's snowing outside, said Annie. Jack looked out...
N ow what? Jack asked. Now I thank you, said a deep voice. Merlin! cried Annie. Merlin stepped out of the shadows. He wore his redmagician's cloak. His long white beard shined in theradiant glow of the sword. You brought the Sword of Light out of the...