儿童英语读物《神奇树屋》 第四册 Pirates Past Noon 01

神奇树屋4-海盗的藏宝图

1太晚了!

杰克注视着他卧室的窗外，雨还在没完没了地下着。

“电视上说雨中午就会停的。”安妮，他7岁的妹妹说。

“但现在中午已经过了。”杰克说。

“可咱们一定得去树屋啊!”安妮说，“我有种感觉，那个代号为M的人今天一定会在那儿!”

杰克把眼镜往鼻梁上推了推，深吸了一口气。他不知道自己是不是准备好了去见那位代号为M的人——那个把所有的书放进神奇树屋的神秘人士。

“走吧!”安妮说。

杰克叹了口气，说，“好吧。你去拿咱们的雨衣和靴子，我去取书签和金牌。”

安妮跑去拿他们的雨具。

杰克将手伸进他的抽屉，取出那块金牌。

奖牌是金子做的，上面刻有一个字母M。

然后他又拿出书签。书签是蓝色皮制的，上面也有一个相同的M。

这两个M和树屋地板上的那个M一模一样。

杰克将金牌和书签放进他的背包，然后又往包里扔进他的笔记本和铅笔。他可是个喜欢将重要事情都记下来的人。

“我把咱们的雨具都拿来了!”安妮喊道。

杰克拿起背包跑下楼，安妮已经在后门等他了。她一边往脚上穿靴子，一边说，“咱们外面见!”

杰克套上雨衣和靴子，背起背包，追上安妮。

风刮得很猛。

“好了吗?预备!冲啊!”安妮大声说。

他们低着头，冲入风雨中。

很快，他们来到了蛙溪树林里。

树枝摇曳着，将雨到处甩。

“讨厌!”安妮说。

他们劈里啪啦地淌过水洼，最后终于来到了林中那棵最高的橡树跟前。

他们抬头一看，卡在两个树枝之间的树屋在暴风雨中显得黑乎乎、孤零零的。从树屋吊下来的绳梯也在风中飘来荡去。

杰克想到了树屋里的那些书，希望它们没有被打湿。

“那个代号为M的人已经在那儿了。”安妮说。

“你怎么知道?”杰克屏住呼吸问。

“我能感觉到。”安妮小声说。

她抓住绳梯开始往上爬，杰克紧随其后。

树屋里面又湿又冷，但书却是干的，像头一天他们来时那样整齐地靠墙放着。

安妮捡起最上面的那本有关城堡的书，这本书曾把他们带入城堡时代。

“还记得那个骑士吗?”她问杰克。

杰克点了点头。他怎么会忘记那个曾经帮助过他们的骑士呢!

安妮放下那本有关城堡的书，又从那摞书中拿起另一本。

这是将他们带入恐龙时代的那本恐龙书。

“记得它吗?”她问。

杰克点点头。

他是永远也不会忘记把他从霸王龙嘴下救出的那只无齿翼龙的。

接着安妮拿起有关古埃及的那本书。

“喵。”她叫了一声。

杰克笑了。这本书曾把他们领进金字塔时代，一只黑猫曾跑到那里去救援。

“这一本是有关家的书。”安妮举起里面有他们家乡图片的那本书。他们的家——宾夕法尼亚的蛙溪镇。

杰克又笑了，每次历险这本书总在最后把他们带回家。

杰克叹了口气，好吧，他还有最后两个问题没有搞清楚：谁是那个把书弄到这儿的代号为M的人?那个骑士、无齿翼龙和猫都认识这位代号为M的人吗?

终于，杰克把手伸进背包，取出金牌和皮书签，把它们放在地板上，正放在地板上那淡淡发光的M上。

这时一阵寒风吹过，雨水飘进了树屋。

“呃。”安妮说，“今天可不暖和啊!”

杰克觉得她说的没错，天的确又冷又湿。

“看那儿。”安妮指着墙角一本打开的书说，“我不记得有书被翻开了啊!”

“我也不记得呀。”杰克说。

安妮捡起那本书，盯着那上面的图片说，“哇，这地方看起来真棒!”她把图递给杰克，只见那上面是一个阳光明媚的海滩，一只绿色的大鹦鹉坐在一棵棕榈树　　上，蓝色的海面上行驶着一只船。又一股寒风夹着雨吹进树屋，安妮指着那幅图片说，“真希望咱们在那儿而不是这里。”

“没错，但那儿是哪儿啊?”杰克问。

“太晚了!”这时突然传来一声刺耳的尖叫。安妮和杰克赶紧转身一看，只见树屋窗外的树枝上坐着一只绿鹦鹉，与图片上的那只鹦鹉简直一模一样。

“太晚了!”那只鹦鹉又尖叫了一声。

“一只会说话的鹦鹉!”安妮喊道，“你叫波利吗?我可不可以叫你波利?”

突然，风呼啸起来。

“噢，糟糕!现在我们遇到大麻烦了!”杰克说。

风越刮越大。

树叶在颤抖。

树屋开始打转，而且越转越快。

杰克把眼睛闭得紧紧的，然后一切都平静了。

绝对的平静。

杰克睁开眼睛。波利又尖叫着说，“太晚了!”

1 Too Late!

Jack stared out his bedroom window. The rain kept falling. And falling.

“The TV said it would stop by noon，” said Annie， his seven-year-old sister.

“It’s already past noon，” said Jack.

“But we have to go the tree house，” said Annie. “I have a feeling the M person will be there today.”

Jack pushed his glasses into place and took a deep breath. He wasn’tsure he was ready to meet the M person yet.The mysterious person who had put all the books in the magic tree house.

“Come on，” said Annie.

Jack sighed. “Okay，” he said. “You get our raincoats and boots.I'll get the medallion and bookmark.”

Annie ran to get their rain gear.

Jack reached into his drawer. He took out the medallion.

It was gold. The letter M was engraved on it.

Then he took out the bookmark. It was made of blue leather. It had the same M on it.

Both M’s matched the M that was on the floor of the tree house.

Jack put the medallion and bookmark into his backpack. Then he threw in his notebook and pencil. Jack liked to take notes about important things.

“I got our rain stuff!” called Annie.

Jack picked up his pack and went downstairs. Annie was waiting by the back door. She was putting on her boots. “Meet you outside，” she said.

Jack pulled on his raincoat and boots. Then he put on his backpack and joined her.

The wind was blowing hard.

“Ready! Set! Go!” shouted Annie.

They kept their heads down and charged into the rainy wind.

Soon they were in the Frog Creek woods.

Tree branches swayed，flinging rainwater everywhere.

“Yuck!” said Annie.

They splashed through puddles.Until they came to the tallest oak tree in the woods.

They looked up.

Tucked between two branches was the tree house.It looked dark and lonely against the stormy sky.

Hanging from the tree house was a rope ladder. It was blowing in the wind.

Jack thought of all the books up there. He hoped they weren’t getting wet.

“The M person’s been there，” said Annie.

Jack caught his breath. “How can you tell?” he said.

“I can feel it，” she whispered.

She grabbed the rope ladder and started up. Jack followed.

Inside the tree house it was chilly and damp.

But the books were dry. They were all neatly stacked along the wall. Just the way they had been the day before.

Annie picked up a castle book on top of one stack. It had taken them to the time of castles.

“Remember the knight?” she said.

Jack nodded. He would never forget the knight who had helped them.

Annie put down the castle book. She picked up the next book on the stack.

It was the dinosaur book that had taken them to the time of dinosaurs.

“Remember?” she said.

Jack nodded.

He’d never forget the pteranodon who had saved him from the Tyrannosaurus rex.

Then Annie held up a book about ancient Egypt.

“Meow，” she said.

Jack smiled.The Egypt book had taken them to the time of pyramids. A black cat had come to the rescue there.

“And here’s the book about home，” Annie said.

She held up the book with the picture of their hometown in it.

Frog Creek， Pennsylvania.

Jack smiled again. The Pennsylvania book had brought them back home at the end of each of their adventures.

Jack sighed. Okay. He still had two main questions.

Who was the M person who had put all the books here?

And did the knight， the pteranodon， and the cat all know the M person?

Finally Jack reached into his backpack.He took out the gold medallion and the leather bookmark. He placed them on the floor. Right over the spot where the M glowed faintly in the wood.

Rain blew into the tree house.

“Brr!” said Annie. “It’s not very cozy today.”

Jack agreed with her. It was too wet and cold.

“Look.” Annie pointed to an open book lying in the corner.“I don’

t remember a book being open.”

“Me neither，” said Jack.

Annie picked up the book. She stared at the picture on the page.

“Wow， this place looks great.” She showed the picture to Jack.

He saw a sunny beach. A big green parrot sitting in a palm tree. And a ship sailing on a blue sea.

Another gust of rainy wind blew into the tree house.

Annie pointed to the picture. “I wish we were there instead of here，” she said.

“Yeah，” said Jack.“But where is there?”

“Too late!” came a squawk.

Jack and Annie turned quickly.

Sitting on a branch outside the window ledge of the tree house was a green parrot. Exactly like the parrot in the picture.

“Too late!” the parrot squawked again.

“A talking parrot!” said Annie.“Is your name Polly?Can I call you Polly?”

Suddenly the wind started to whistle.

“Oh no! Now we’re in big trouble!” said Jack.

The wind blew harder.

The leaves shook.

The tree house started to spin. Faster and faster!

Jack squeezed his eyes shut. Then everything was still.

Absolutely still.

Jack opened his eyes.

“Too late!” squawked Polly.