儿童英语读物《神奇树屋》第十八册 Buffalo Before Breakfast 01 Teddy's Back!
Arf! Arf.' Arf!
Jack finished tying his sneakers. Then he looked out hisbedroom window.
A small dog stood in the early sunlight. He had floppy earsand scruffy brown fur.
"Teddy!" said Jack.
Just then, Annie ran into Jack's room.
"Teddy's back!" she said. "It's time."It was time for their second mission to help free the little dogfrom a spell.
Jack threw his notebook and pencil into his backpack. Then hefollowed Annie downstairs and past the kitchen.
"Where are you two going?" their mom called.
"Outside," said Jack.
"Breakfast will be ready soon," she said.
"And Grandmother will be here any minute."'We'll be right back," said Jack. He loved his grandmother'svisits. She was kind and funny. And she always taught themnew things.
Jack and Annie slipped out the front door.
Teddy was waiting for them.
Arf! Arf! he barked.
"Hey, where did you go last week?" Jack asked.
The small dog wagged his tail joyfully.
Then he ran up the sidewalk.
'Wait for us!" Annie shouted.
She and Jack followed Teddy up the street and into the FrogCreek woods.
They ran between the trees. Wind rattled the leaves. Birdsswooped from branch to branch.
Teddy stopped at a rope ladder that hung from the tallest oaktree in the woods. At the top of the ladder was the magic treehouse.
Jack and Annie stared up at it.
"No sign of Morgan," said Annie.
"Let's go up," said Jack.
Annie picked up Teddy. She carried him carefully up theladder. Jack climbed after her.
Inside the tree house, Teddy sniffed a silver pocket watch onthe floor. Beside it was the note that Morgan had written to Jackand Annie.
Annie picked up the note and read it aloud:
This little dog is under a spell and needs your help. To freehim, you must be given four special things:
A gift from a ship lost at sea,A gift from the prairie blue,A gift from a forest far away,A gift from a kangaroo.
Be brave. Be wise. Be careful.
"We've got the first special thing," said Annie, "the gift from aship lost at sea.""Yeah," said Jack. He picked up the silver pocket watch.
The time on the watch was 2:20--the time the Titanic hadsunk.
Jack and Annie stared at the watch.
Arf! Arf!
Teddy's barking brought Jack back from his memories.
"Okay," Jack said. He sighed and pushed his glasses into place.
"Now it's time for the gift from the prairie blue.""What's that mean?" said Annie.
"I'm not sure," said Jack. He looked around the tree house.
"But I bet that book will take us there."He picked up a book in the corner. The cover was a picture ofa wide prairie. The title was The Great Plains.
"Ready?" Jack said.
Teddy yipped and wagged his tail.
"Let's go," said Annie. "The sooner we free Teddy, the better."Jack pointed at the cover.
"I wish we could go there," he said.
The wind started to blow.
The tree house started to spin.
It spun faster and faster.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still.
