神奇树屋MTH38MondayWithaMadGenius.docx

神奇树屋MTH38MondayWithaMadGenius.docx

《神奇树屋MTH38MondayWithaMadGenius.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《神奇树屋MTH38MondayWithaMadGenius.docx（34页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

神奇树屋MTH38MondayWithaMadGenius

MondaywithaMadGenius

MagicTreeHouse,#38

MaryPopeOsborne

ForJamesQuinnCourts

DuringspringvacationwhenIwasinkindergarten,mybrothersandIdecidedwe'dtrytoflylikebirds.Weknewthatpeoplecouldn'tfly,butthatdidn'tstopus.Wewereexcitedbythethoughtthatwe'dbethefirsttodoso.Forourlaunchpad,wechosetheplaygroundnearourhouse.Wetriedswingingandthenleapingintotheair,flappingourarmswildly.Ofcourse,wekeptfallingtotheground.Nextweclimbedtothetopoftheslideandtookturnsjumpingoff,againflappingashardaswecould-onlytodropagainandagaintothesandbeneaththeslide.Wewereluckythatwedidn'tgethurt.Allmorningwetriedtofly,untilfinallywegaveupandwenthome,satisfiedthatwe'dgivenitourbestshot.

Thegreatthingaboutbeingakid,Ithink,isthatyourimaginationcanmakelifefullofwondrousadventures.LeonardodaVinci,oneoftheworld'sgreatestgeniuses,wasalotlikeakidwhonevercompletelygrewup.Evenwhenhewasworking,heseemedtobeplaying,alwayslookingattheworldandasking,"Iwonderwhatwouldhappenif..."Hehadgreatenthusiasmforexperimentingwithdifferentwaysofdoingthingsandforexploringnewideasincludingtryingtofly!

IhopethatwhenyoumeetLeonardointhisnewMerlinMission,youwillfeelthatyou'vemadeanamazingnewfriend.

"Iwishtoworkmiracles."

-fromthenotebooksofLeonardodaVinci

Prologue

OnesummerdayinFrogCreek,Pennsylvania,amysterioustreehouseappearedinthewoods.AbrotherandsisternamedJackandAnniesoonlearnedthatthetreehousewasmagic-itcouldtakethemtoanytimeandanyplaceinhistory!

AndnotimeatallwouldpassinFrogCreekwhiletheyweregone.

JackandAnniealsolearnedthatthetreehousebelongedtoMorganleFay,amagicallibrarianfromthelegendaryrealmofCamelot.AftertheywentonmanyadventuresforMorgan,MerlinthemagicianbegansendingJackandAnnieon"MerlinMissions"inthetreehouse.WithhelpfromtwoyoungsorcerersnamedTeddyandKathleen,JackandAnnievisitedfourmythicalplacesandfoundvaluableobjectstohelpsaveCamelot.

OntheirnextfourMerlinMissions,JackandAnnieonceagaintraveledtorealtimesandrealplacesinhistory.AfterprovingtoMerlinthattheyknewhowtousemagicwisely,heentrustedthemwiththeWandofDianthus.Withthehelpofthewand,JackandAnniewouldnowbeabletomaketheirownmagic.

Ontheirmostrecentadventure,TeddyandKathleentoldJackandAnniethatMerlinwasveryunhappyandnotwellandthatMorganwantedthemtosearchforfourofthesecretsofhappinesstosharewithMerlin.

NowJackandAnniearewaitingforthetreehousetoreturnandtakethemontheirsecondmissiontohelpMerlin....

CHAPTERONE

OldFriends

Jackpouredmilkoverhiscereal.Hisstomachfeltfluttery.ItwasMonday-thefirstdayofanewschoolyear.

Jackalwaysfeltnervousonthefirstday.Whatwouldhisnewteacherbelike?

Wouldhisdeskbeclosetoawindow?

Wouldfriendsfromlastyearbeinhisclassagainthisyear?

"Annie,hurry!

"Jack'smomcalledupstairs."It'sfifteenminutestilleight.Schoolstartsinhalfanhour."

Jack'sdadwalkedintothekitchen."AreyousureyouandAnniedon'twantmetodriveyou?

"heasked.

"Nothanks,wedon'tmindwalking,"saidJack.Theirschoolwasonlythreeblocksaway.

"Annie,hurry!

"theirmomcalledagain."You'regoingtobelate!

"

Thebackdoorbangedopen.Annierushedintothekitchen.Shewasoutofbreath.

"Oh,Ithoughtyouwereupstairs,"theirmomsaidwithsurprise."Youwereoutside?

"

"Yes!

"saidAnnie,panting."Justtakingaquickwalk."ShelookedatJack.Hereyessparkled."Hurry,Jack.Wereallyshouldgonow!

"

"Okay,I'mcoming!

"saidJack.Heleaptupfromthetable.HecouldtellAnniewasn'ttalkingaboutschool.

Thetreehousemustbeback!

Finally!

Jackgrabbedhisbackpack.Annieheldthedooropenforhim.

"Nobreakfast?

"theirmomasked.

"Toonervoustoeatnow,Mom,"saidJack.

"Metoo,"saidAnnie."Bye,Mom!

Bye,Dad!

"

"Havefun,"theirmomsaid.

"Learnalot,"saidtheirdad.

"Don'tworry,wewill!

"saidAnnie.

JackandAnnieslippedoutthedoorandwalkedquicklyacrosstheiryard.

"It'sback!

"saidAnnie.

"Ifigureditwas!

"saidJack.

"MorganmustwantustolookforanothersecretofhappinesstohelpMerlin,"saidAnnie.

"Yep!

"saidJack."Let'srun!

"

JackandAnniedashedupthesidewalk.TheycrossedthestreetandheadedintotheFrogCreekwoods.Theyranbetweenthetrees,throughshadowsandlight,untiltheycametothetallestoak.

Highinthetreewasthemagictreehouse.Theropeladderwasswayinginthechillymorningwind.

"Howdidyouknowitwashere?

"askedJack,catchinghisbreath.

"IwokeupthinkingaboutTeddyandKathleen,"saidAnnie,"andIhadthisstrangefeeling."

"Really?

"saidJack."Teddy!

Kathleen!

"heshoutedupatthetreehouse.

Twoyoungteenagerslookedoutthetreehousewindow:

acurly-hairedboywithfrecklesandabiggrinandasmilinggirlwithsea-blueeyesanddarkwavyhair.

"Jack!

Annie!

"thegirlsaid."Comeup!

Comeup!

"saidtheboy.

JackandAnniehurrieduptheropeladder.Whentheyclimbedinsidethetreehouse,theythrewtheirarmsaroundtheirfriends.

"Arewegoingtolookforanothersecretofhappiness?

"saidAnnie."TohelpMerlin?

"

"Yes,andthistimeyouwilltravelbacktoFlorence,Italy,fivehundredyearsago,"saidTeddy.

"Florence,Italy?

"saidJack."What'sthere?

"

"Anamazingpersonwhowillhelpyou,"saidKathleen.

"Who?

"askedAnnie."Isthispersonmagical?

"

Teddygrinned."Somepeoplemightsayso,"hesaid.Hereachedintohiscloakandpulledoutabook.Thecovershowedadrawingofamanwearingapurplecloakandfloppybluecap.Hehadalongnose,bright,kindeyeswithheavyeyebrows,andaflowingbeard.Thetitlesaid:

LeonardodaVinci

"LeonardodaVinci!

"saidJack."Areyoukidding?

"

"I'veheardofhim,"saidAnnie.

"Whohasn't?

"saidJack."Hewasanincrediblegenius!

"

"ThisbiographyofLeonardowillhelpyouonyourmission,"saidTeddy.

"AndsowillthisrhymefromMorgan,"saidKathleen.ShepulledasmallpieceofparchmentpaperfromhercloakandgaveittoAnnie.

Anniereadthewordsonthepaperaloud:

Jack,andAnnieofFrogCreek;

Thoughthequestionisquitesimple,

Simpleanswersmightbewrong.

Ifyouwanttoknowtherightone,

Helpthegeniusalldaylong,

Morning,noon,andafternoon,

Tillthenightbirdsingsitssong.

"Sotofindthesecretofhappiness,weneedtospendthewholedayhelpingLeonardodaVinci,"saidJack.

"Yes,"saidKathleen.Teddynodded.

"Iwishyoucouldcome,too,"saidAnnie.

"Andhelpus,"saidJack.

"Neverfear,"saidKathleen."Youwillhavethehelpofthegreatgenius.AndtheWandofDianthus."

"Oh!

"AnniesaidtoJack."Didyoubringourwand?

"

"Ofcourse,"saidJack."Ialwayscarryitwithmeforsafekeeping."Hereachedintohisbackpackandpulledoutagleamingsilverwand.

"TheWandofDianthus,"Teddysaidinahushedvoice.

Thewandlookedlikethehornofaunicorn.ItburnedinJack'shand-withcoldorwarmth,hecouldn'ttellwhich.Hecarefullyputthewandbackintohispack.

"Rememberthethreerulesofthewand?

"saidKathleen.

"Sure,"saidAnnie."Youcanonlyuseitforthegoodofothers.Youcanonlyuseitafteryou'vetriedyourhardest.Andyoucanonlyuseitwithacommandoffivewords."

"Excellent,"saidKathleen.

"Thanks,"saidAnnie."Ready?

"sheaskedJack.

Jacknodded."Bye,Teddy.Bye,Kathleen."

"Good-bye,"saidTeddy.

"Andgoodluck,"saidKathleen.

Jackpointedatthecoverofthebook."IwishwecouldgotoLeonardodaVinci!

"

Inthedistance,theschoolbellstartedtoring,lettingkidsknowthatschoolwouldstartintenminutes.ButintheFrogCreekwoods,thewindstartedtoblow.

Thetreehousestartedtospin.

Itspunfasterandfaster.

Theneverythingwasstill.

Absolutelystill.

CHAPTERTWO

LookingforLeonardo

Adifferentbellwasbonginginthedistance.Brightearlysunlightpouredthroughthetreehousewindow.TeddyandKathleenweregone.

Jacklookeddownathisclothes.Hewaswearingaknee-lengthtunicanddarktights.Annieworealongdresswithpuffysleeves.Jack'sbackpackhadchangedintoaclothbag.

JackandAnnielookedoutthewindow.Thetreehousehadlandedinatalltreeinagardensurroundedbygreenhedges.Beyondthegardenwasaseaofred-tiledroofs.Ahugeeight-sideddomeandastonetowerrosehighabovetheredrooftops.

"WelcometoFlorence,Italy,"saidAnnie.

Jackopenedtheirbookandreadaloud:

Intheearly1500s,manyartistsandcraftspeoplelivedinthecityofFlorence.Thecitywasfilledwithsilkweavers,potters,andmarbleworkers.Artistsmadesculptures,paintings,andtapestries.

"Cool,"saidAnnie."Iloveart."Jackreadmore:

Butthemostamazinggeniusofthattimedidabitofeverything.LeonardodaVinciwasnotonlyagreatpainterbutalsoaninventor,architect,stageandcostumedesigner,horseman,chef,geologist,andbotanist.

"What'sageologistandabotanist?

"saidAnnie.

"They'rescientists,"saidJack."Ageologiststudiesrocks,andabotaniststudiesplants."Heturnedthepage.

"Comeon,weshouldgo,"saidAnnie."ThetreehouseprobablybroughtusrighttoLeonardo.Wehavetofindhimbeforehegetsaway!

"

"Oh,right,"saidJack.

Anniestarteddowntheladder.Jackpackeduptheirresearchbookandclimbeddownafterher.

JackandAnniewalkedaroundthetallhedgeandcametoabusyroadthatranalongariver.Theystaredatallthepeoplegoingby.Therewerewomeninlongsilkdresses,priestsinblackrobesridingdonkeys,andsoldiersinblue