Mummies in the Morning (5 page)

Late-morning sunlight shone through the tree house window. Shadows danced on the walls and ceiling.

Jack took a deep breath. He was lying on the floor of the tree house.

“I wonder what Mom’s making for lunch,” said Annie. She was looking out the window.

Jack smiled. Lunch. Mom. Home. It all sounded so real. So calm and safe.

“I hope it’s peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” he said.

He closed his eyes. The wood floor felt cool.

“Boy, this place is a mess,” said Annie. “We’d better make it neater. In case M comes back.”

Jack had almost forgotten about M.

Would they ever meet the mysterious M? The person who seemed to own all the books in the tree house?

“Let’s put the Egypt book on the bottom of the pile,” said Annie.

“Good idea,” said Jack. He needed a rest before he visited any more ancient tombs.

“Let’s put the dinosaur book on top of the Egypt book,” said Annie.

“Yeah, good,” said Jack. And a
long
rest before he visited another Tyrannosaurus rex.

“The castle book can go on the very top of the pile,” said Annie.

Jack nodded and smiled. He liked thinking about the knight on the cover of the castle book. He felt as if the knight were his friend.

“Jack,” said Annie. “Look!”

Jack opened his eyes. She was pointing at the wooden floor.

“What is it?” he asked.

“You have to see for yourself.”

Jack groaned as he got up. He stood next to Annie and looked at the floor. He didn’t see anything.

“Turn your head a little,” said Annie. “You have to catch the light just right.”

Jack tipped his head to one side. Something was shining on the floor.

He tipped his head a bit more. A letter came into focus.

The letter M! It shimmered in the sunlight.

This proved the tree house belonged to M.

Absolutely for sure. No question. No doubt about it.

Jack touched the M with his finger. His skin tingled.

Just then the leaves trembled. The wind picked up.

“Let’s go down now,” he said.

Jack grabbed his backpack. Then he and Annie climbed down the ladder.

As they stood on the ground below the tree house, Jack heard a sound in the bushes.

“Who’s there?” he called.

The woods grew still.

“I’m going to bring the medallion back soon,” Jack said loudly. “And the bookmark, too. Both of them. Tomorrow!”

“Who are you talking to?” asked Annie.

“I feel like M is nearby,” Jack whispered.

Annie’s eyes grew wide. “Should we look for him?”

But just then their mother’s voice came from the distance. “Ja-ack! An-nie!”

Jack and Annie looked around at the trees. Then they looked at each other.

“Tomorrow,” they said together.

And they took off, running out of the woods.

They ran down their street.

They ran across their yard.

They ran into their house.

They ran into their kitchen.

They ran right into their mom.

She was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

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Magic Tree House #4
Pirates Past Noon

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Excerpt copyright ©
1994
by
Published by Random House Children’s Books,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

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 to 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’t sure 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.