儿童英语读物《神奇树屋》 第七册 Afternoon on the Amazon 01

Prologue

One summer day in Frog Creek，Pennsylvania，a mysterious tree house appeared in the woods.

Eight-year-old Jack and his seven-year-old sister，Annie，climbed into the tree house.They found it was filled with books.

Jack and Annie soon discovered that the tree house was magic.It could take them to the places in the books.All they had to do was to point to a picture and wish to go there.

Jack and Annie visited dinosaurs，knights，an Egyptian queen，pirates，ninjas，and the Amazon rain forest.

Along the way，they discovered that the tree house belonged to Morganle Fay.Morgan was a magical librarian.She traveled through time and space，gathering books for King Arthur’s library.

On their fifth adventure，in Night of the Ninjas，Jack and Annie found a little mouse in the tree house.Annie named their new friend “Peanut”.

Jack and Annie also found a note from Morgan.The note told them that she was under a spell.To free her，Jack and Annie must find four special things.

They found the first thing in old Japan，and the second in the Amazonrain forest.

Now Jack and Annie and Peanut are about to set out in search of the third thing...in Sunset of the Sabertooth.

1　　The“M”Things

“Let’s go to the tree house，”said Annie.

She and Jack were passing the Frog Creek woods on their way home from their swinmming class at the Y.

“No.I want to go home and change out of my bathing suit，”said Jack.

“Oh，that’ll take too long，”said Annie.“Don’t you want to save Morgan as soon as possible?”

“Of course，”said Jack.

“Then come on!Before the sun sets!”said Annie.

She darted into the woods.

Jack sighed.He gave up on the idea of chang-ing out of his bathing suit.

He pushed his glasses into place.He followed Annie into the Frog Creek woods.

The warm air smelled fresh and green.

He moved through patches of sunlight and shadow.Soon he came to a small clearing.

He looked up.There it was.The magic tree house in the tallest tree in the woods.

“Hurry!”called Annie.She was climbing the rope ladder up to the tree house.

Jack grabbed the ladder.he started up after her.

Finally they reached the tree house.

Squeak.A mouse sat on the window sill.

“Hi，Peanut!”cried Annie.

Jack patted the tiny head.

“Sorry we didn’t come sooner，”Annie said.“But we had to go to our swimming lesson.”

Squeak.

“What happened while we were gone?”asked Annie，looking around the tree house.

Jack stared at the large M carved into the wooden floor.

On the M were a moonstone and a mango，the special things they’d found on their last two journeys.

“Hey，guess what?”said Jack.“Moonstone and mango start with the letter M.Just like Morgan.”

“You’re right，”said Annie.

“I bet all four things start with an M，”said Jack.

“Right，”said Annie.“I wonder where we’ll find the next one.”

She and Jack stared at the stacks of books in the tree house.Books on the Amazon rain forest，ninjas，pirates，mummies，knights，and dinosaurs.

All of them were closed.Only one book lay open in the corner.

“We’re just about to find out，”said Jack.

They walked over to the open book.

They looked at the page the book was opened to.It showed a picture of rocks and snow.

“Wow，”said Annie，running her finger over the picture.“I love snow.I wish we could go there right now.”

“Wait，”said Jack.“We’re not prepared.”Then he had another thought.“And we’re wearing our bathing suits!Stop!”

“Oops，”said Annie.

Too late.The wind started to blow.

The leaves started to shake.

The tree house started to spin.

It spun faster and faster!

Then everything was silent.

It was as silent as the falling snow.

引　　子

夏季的某一天，在宾夕法尼亚州一个叫蛙溪镇的地方，一个神秘的树屋出现在了树林中。

八岁的杰克和他七岁的妹妹安妮爬进了那个树屋，发现屋子里面堆满了书。

他们不久就发现那个树屋是有魔法的。只要他们指着书中的一幅图并许愿，树屋就会带他们去那儿。

杰克和安妮已经去过了恐龙的时代、骑士的时代、埃及王后的时代、海盗的时代、日本忍者的时代，还深入了亚马孙雨林。

沿途中他们发现，这个树屋属于一个叫摩根·拉菲的人。摩根是一个会魔法的图书管理员。她可以在时间与空间中任意地穿梭，为亚瑟王的图书馆收集各种书籍。

在他们的第五次冒险中，在《忍者的秘密》的故事里，杰克和安妮在树屋里发现一只小老鼠。安妮给他们的新朋友取名“花生”。

杰克和安妮还发现摩根留下的一张纸条。纸条上说，摩根被施了一个魔咒。要想解救她，杰克和安妮必须找到四样特殊的东西。

他们在古老的日本找到了第一样东西，在亚马孙雨林找到了第二样。

现在，杰克、安妮和花生正准备出发去找第三样东西……就在《冰原上的剑齿虎》的故事中。

1　带“M”的东西

“我们去树屋吧。”安妮说。

她和杰克上完游泳课走在回家的路上，这时正经过蛙溪树林。

“不。我想回家，把游泳衣给脱掉。”杰克说。

“啊，那样要耽误好久呢。”安妮说，“你难道不想尽快地救出摩根吗?”

“当然想啦。”杰克说。

“那就走吧!赶在太阳落山之前!”安妮说。

她冲进了树林。

杰克叹了口气，只好放弃了换掉游泳衣的念头。

他推了推眼镜，跟上安妮进了蛙溪树林。

暖洋洋的空气闻起来新鲜、清爽。

他穿过交错斑驳的树影，不一会儿就来到一块小空地上。

他抬头一看。它在那儿。神奇树屋还在树林中最高的树上。

“快!”安妮大叫着。她已经登上绳梯往树屋上爬了。

杰克也抓住绳梯，跟在她后面开始往上爬。

最后他们爬上了树屋。

吱吱。一只老鼠坐在窗台上。

“你好，花生!”安妮大叫着。

杰克轻轻地拍了拍它的小脑袋。

“对不起，我们来晚了。”安妮说，“因为我们得去上游泳课呀。”

吱吱。

“我们不在的时候发生了些什么事?”安妮一边问，一边环顾了一下树屋。

杰克盯着刻在木地板上的一个大M。

在这个大M上躺着一块月亮石和一个芒果，这两样特殊的东西是他们在之前的两次旅行中找到的。

“嘿，你猜怎么样?”杰克说，“‘月亮石’和‘芒果’的首字母都是M。同样，‘摩根’这个词开头也是M。”

“你说得对。”安妮说。

“我敢打赌，四样特殊东西的首字母都是M。”杰克说。

“没错。”安妮说，“我在想，下一个特殊的东西我们要上哪儿去找。”

她和杰克盯着树屋里一堆堆的书，有关于亚马孙雨林的书、日本忍者的书、海盗的书、木乃伊的书、骑士的书，还有恐龙的书。

所有这些书都是合上的。只有角落里的一本书是打开的。

“我们马上就可以知道了。”杰克说。

他们奔向那本打开的书，看到书中翻开的那页。那页的画面上是岩石和冰雪的世界。

“哇噻。”安妮边说边用手指在那幅画上划着，“我喜欢雪，我希望我们马上就去那里。”

“等一等。”杰克说，“我们还没做准备呢。”突然他又想到了什么，“而且我们还穿着游泳衣呢!别!”

“啊呀。”安妮说。

太迟了。风吹了起来。

树叶开始颤抖。

树屋开始打转。

转得越来越快。

然后一切都平静了。

平静得像无声的落雪。