儿童英语读物《神奇树屋》 第五册 Night of the Ninjas 05

5 Flames in the Mist

The water grew shallow again. Then they were on dry land. The ninjas lowered Jack and Annie to the ground.

“Thanks，” said Annie.

“Thanks，” said Jack.

Squeak， said the mouse.

The ninjas said nothing， but they looked around.

Jack looked around， too. A full moon was rising in the sky. Dark rocks dotted the side of the mountain.

Then the ninjas started moving. They went silently up the slope， between the rocks.

Jack and Annie followed them. Jack wasn’t afraid of the ninjas now. In fact， he was starting to like them. Maybe they really could help find Morgan.

The ninjas moved silently. But Jack and Annie made plenty of noise.

They panted as they climbed the rocky hillside. Their wet sneakers made squishy sounds.

Suddenly the ninjas froze. Jack could see their eyes darting around. Voices were coming from the valley below. Jack saw torches flaming in the mist.

The ninjas started moving faster. Jack and Annie hurried after them.

“Who’s carrying the torches?” Annie asked.

Jack was too out of breath to speak. He also didn’t have an answer.

They came to a pine forest. Night birds called out. Wind rattled the branches.

The ninjas moved like ghosts through the forest. They appeared and disappeared， through moonlight and shadows.

Jack and Annie struggled to keep up.

Finally the ninjas came to a stop.

One ninja held out his hand， as if to say， Wait. Then both ninjas stepped away into the shadows of the trees. And were gone.

“Where did they go?” said Annie.

“I don’t know，” said Jack. “Maybe the book can tell us.”

He pulled the ninja book out of his pack.

He turned the pages until he came to a picture of a cave.

By the light of the full moon， he read：

Sometimes ninjas held meetings in hidden mountain caves to plan secret missions.

“Oh man，” said Jack， “I bet they went inside a hidden cave.”

He pulled out his notebook and pencil. He wrote：

meetings in hidde ncaves

Jack turned the page. He stared at a picture of a ninja sitting on a mat. He read：

Ninjas took orders from a ninja master. The master was a mysterious wise person who knew many secrets of nature.

“Wow，” whispered Jack.

Just then the two ninjas returned. Jack quickly put his books away.

The short ninja motioned for Jack and Annie to follow. In the shadows was the entrance of a dark cave.

“What’s in there?” Annie whispered.

“The ninja master，” Jack whispered back.

5迷雾中的火把

水渐渐浅了下去，他们又回到了干燥的地面上，忍者把杰克和安妮放下来。

“谢谢。”安妮说。

“谢谢。”杰克说。

吱吱。吱吱。小老鼠说。

忍者什么也没说，但是他们四处张望着。

杰克也四处张望，一轮满月升上了天空，黑色的岩石星星点点地分布在山的一侧。

这时忍者开始行动了，他们静悄悄地从岩石中间向山上走去。

杰克和安妮跟着他们，杰克现在一点也不怕那些忍者了，事实上，他开始喜欢上他们了。可能他们真的能够帮上摩根呢。

忍者的行动悄无声息，可杰克跟安妮弄得到处都是响声。他们气喘吁吁地在乱石嶙峋的山上爬着，而那两个浑身湿透的忍者只发出湿湿的摩擦声。

突然两个忍者不动了，杰克看见他们的眼睛飞快地四处扫着。有声音从下面的山谷传上来了，杰克看见很多明亮的火把出现在迷雾中。

忍者开始前进得更快了，杰克和安妮赶紧地跟在他们后头。

“那些拿火把的人是谁?”安妮问道。

杰克已经上气不接下气了，根本没法回答，而且他也不知道答案。

他们来到了一个松树林，晚上出没的鸟儿叫了起来。风把树枝吹得沙沙作响。

忍者在树林中的行踪神出鬼没，他们在月光和树影中一会儿出现一会儿又消失。

杰克和安妮拼命地跟上他们。

最终，那两个忍者停了下来。

一个忍者伸出他的手，好像在说：等等。两个忍者都朝树影里走去，然后消失了。

“他们去哪儿了?”安妮说。

“我不知道。”杰克说，“可能书能告诉我们。”

他把忍者的书从背包里拿出来，翻到一幅有山洞的图片。借着满月的月光，他读道：

有时候忍者在一些隐秘的山洞里开会，商讨一些秘密行动。

“我的老天爷。”杰克说，“我猜他们肯定进了一个隐秘的洞穴里去了。”

他拿出他的笔记本和铅笔，写道：

秘密山洞里的会议。

杰克翻了一页，他看见一幅图片，图片上一个忍者正坐在一张席子上。他读道：

忍者们都听从一个忍者头目的命令，这个头目是一个非常神秘的智者，他懂得很

多大自然的奥秘。

“真酷。”杰克轻声道。

就在这时，那两个忍者又回来了，杰克赶快把他的书放了回去。

矮个子忍者示意杰克和安妮跟上，在一个阴影处，一个黑暗的山洞入口出现在眼前。

“里面是什么?”安妮悄悄地说。

“忍者头头。”杰克也悄悄地回答。