Jack held the paper out so they could both study it.
“It looks like a mouse,” said Annie.
“Yeah,” said Jack.
“Is there such a thing as a mouse constellation?” said Annie.
“I don’t think so … ” said Jack.
Squeak.
Annie and Jack looked at Peanut. She was standing on the M.
“Oh, wow. Jack,” Annie whispered, “I think I know what the fourth thing is—”
Jack grinned. “Me too,” he said. “It’s a—”
“Mouse!” they said together.
Squeak! Squeak!
“Maybe the spell is—Moonstone, mango, mammoth bone, mouse!” said Annie.
Jack touched each M thing in turn as he whispered, “Moonstone, mango, mammoth bone, mouse.”
“Let’s say it over and over and see what happens,” said Annie.
Together, they chanted:
“Moonstone, mango,
mammoth bone, mouse.
Moonstone, mango,
mammoth bone, mouse.”
Suddenly, a bright light filled the tree house.
The light got brighter and brighter and brighter.
The brightness was blinding and whirling.
The air spun with brightness.
Then everything was clear.
Peanut the mouse was gone.
And Morgan le Fay stood before Jack and Annie.
“Thank you,” Morgan said softly. “You have freed me from the magician’s spell.”
Jack just stared at her.
“You were Peanut?” Annie said.
Morgan nodded and smiled.
“Really? You were with us all the time?” said Jack. “On all our missions?”
Morgan nodded again.
“Why did we have to go on this mission to find a mouse?” said Jack. “If you were always with us?”
“To break the spell, we had to be on the moon,” said Morgan. “You could have broken it the minute we arrived.”
“Oh, that’s what Peanut—I mean you were trying to say!” said Annie. “We didn’t have to leave the moon base at all.”
Morgan nodded, smiling.
“But the moon man came along to help us,” said Annie. “He drew a constellation of a mouse! Is he a friend of yours?”
Morgan shrugged. “Let’s just say we had a little talk. He stopped by the moon base while you were out.”
“The same way you had a talk with the ninja master, right?” said Jack. “And the monkey and the sorcerer?”
Morgan nodded. “I always squeaked to the ones who helped you.”
“But how did they understand you—a mouse?” said Jack.
Morgan smiled again. “Certain wise ones understand the language of little creatures,” she said.
“I bet it was you who turned the pages of the books!” said Annie. “To show us where to go next!”
Morgan nodded.
“But who turned you into a mouse?” said Annie.
Morgan frowned. “A certain person who likes to play tricks on me,” she said. “His name is Merlin.”
“Merlin!” said Jack. “The greatest magician who ever lived.”
Morgan sniffed. “He’s not that great,” she said. “He doesn’t even know I have two brave friends who help me.”
“Us?” said Annie shyly.
Morgan nodded. “And I thank you both with all my heart.”
“You’re welcome,” said Jack and Annie.
Morgan handed Annie the Pennsylvania book. “Are you ready to go home now?” she asked.
“Yes!” said Jack and Annie.
Annie pointed to a picture of the Frog Creek woods. “I wish we could go there,” she said.
The tree house started to spin.
It spun faster and faster and faster.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still.
But only for a moment.
The midnight woods woke up.
A breeze rustled the leaves.
An owl hooted.
The sounds were soft, but very alive.
Jack opened his eyes. He pushed his glasses into place.
He smiled. Morgan was still with them. He could see her in the moonlight. Her long white hair was shining.
“Morgan, can you and the tree house stay here?” said Annie. “In Frog Creek?”
“No, I must leave again, I’m afraid,” said Morgan. “I’ve been gone from Camelot for a long time.”
She handed Jack his pack. She brushed his cheek. Her hand felt soft and cool.
“A bit of moondust still on you,” she said. “Thank you, Jack, for your great love of knowledge.”
“You’re welcome,” said Jack.
Morgan tugged on one of Annie’s braids. “And thank you, Annie, for your belief in the impossible.”
“You’re welcome,” said Annie.
“Go home now,” said Morgan.
Jack smiled. Home was Earth—that bright, colorful world where everything was alive and always changing.
“Bye, Morgan,” said Annie. She started out of the tree house.
Jack looked back at Morgan.
“Will you come back soon?” he said.
“Anything can happen,” said Morgan. “The universe is filled with wonders. Isn’t it, Jack?”
He smiled and nodded.
“Go now,” Morgan said softly.
Jack followed Annie down the rope ladder. He stepped onto the ground.
The wind started to blow.
The tree started to shake.
A loud roar filled Jack’s ears. He squeezed his eyes shut. He covered his ears.
Then everything was silent and still.
Jack opened his eyes. The ladder was gone. He looked through the leaves and branches of the giant oak tree. Where the tree house had been was only moonlight now.
“Bye, Morgan,” he whispered sadly.
“Bye, Peanut,” said Annie.
Jack and Annie stared at the top of the tree for a long moment.
“Ready?” said Annie.
Jack nodded.
They started for home.
The midnight air felt cool and moist. It was filled with the soft sounds of earth life.
Jack and Annie left the Frog Creek woods. They started down their street.
Annie glanced up at the sky. “The moon looks really far away, doesn’t it?”
It did, thought Jack. It was.
“I wonder how the moon man can be up there all alone,” said Annie.
“What do you mean?” said Jack.
“I mean, who helps him put on his spacesuit?” said Annie. “Who helps him get up when he falls down?”
“And who is he?” added Jack.
“Who do you think he was?” said Annie.
“He must be a scientist or an astronaut from Earth,” said Jack.
“No. I think he’s an alien,” said Annie, “from another galaxy.”
Jack scoffed. “What makes you say that?”
“I just feel it,” said Annie.
“Wrong,” said Jack. “There’s no proof that aliens exist.”
“Maybe not now,” said Annie. “But don’t forget—we were in the future.”
“Oh, brother,” said Jack.
They crossed their yard and climbed their back steps. Annie tiptoed inside the house. Jack followed her.
Before he shut the door, he glanced up at the moon.
Was Annie right? he wondered. Could the moon man have come from another galaxy?
Morgan’s words came back to him: The universe is filled with wonders. Isn’t it, Jack?
“Goodnight, moon man,” Jack whispered. Then he closed the door.
Here’s a special preview of
Magic Tree House #9
Dolphins at Daybreak
Available now!
Excerpt copyright © 1997 by Mary Pope Osborne.
Published by Random House Children’s Books,
a division of Random Hous
e, Inc., New York.
Jack stared out the kitchen window.
The sun was not up yet. But the sky was growing lighter.
Jack had been awake for a long time. He had been thinking about the dream he’d had—the dream about Morgan le Fay.
The tree house is back, Morgan had said. I’m waiting.
Jack wished that dreams were real. He missed Morgan’s magic tree house.
“Jack!” His little sister Annie appeared in the doorway. “We have to go to the woods now!” she said.
“Why?” Jack asked.
“I had a dream about Morgan!” exclaimed Annie. “She said the tree house is back and she’s waiting for us!”
“That was my dream,” said Jack.
“Oh, wow,” said Annie. “She told you, too? So it must be important.”
“But dreams aren’t real,” said Jack.
“Some dreams aren’t. But this one is,” said Annie. “I can just feel it.” She opened the back door. “I’ll see you later!”
“Wait—wait. I’m coming!” said Jack.
He raced up the stairs. Having the same dream must mean something, he thought.
He grabbed his backpack and threw his notebook and pencil into it.
Then he ran downstairs.
“We’ll be back soon, Mom!” Jack called into the living room.
“Where you going so early?” his dad called.
“Just for a quick walk!” said Jack.
“It rained last night,” called his mom. “Don’t get your shoes wet.”
“We won’t!”
Jack slipped out the door. Annie was waiting for him.
“Let’s go!” she said.
The sky was pale gray. The air felt freshly washed.
Jack and Annie ran up their quiet street to the Frog Creek woods.
They headed between the trees. Soon they came to the tallest oak in the woods. There was a wooden house high in the treetop.
“It is back!” whispered Jack.
Someone looked out the window of the tree house—a lovely old woman with long white hair. Morgan le Fay.
“Come up,” called the magical librarian.
Jack and Annie climbed up the rope ladder and into the tree house.
In the dawn light, they stared at Morgan le Fay. She looked beautiful in a red velvet robe.
Jack pushed his glasses into place. He couldn’t stop smiling.
“We both had dreams about you!” said Annie.
“I know,” said Morgan.
“You do?”
“Yes, I sent them to you,” said Morgan, “because I need your help.”
“What kind of help?” said Jack.
“Merlin the Magician has been up to his tricks again,” said Morgan. “So I haven’t had any time to collect books for Camelot’s library.”
“Can we collect them for you?” asked Annie.
“Yes, but in order to gather books through time you must be Master Librarians,” said Morgan.
“Oh, well,” Annie said sadly.
“But you can become Master Librarians,” said Morgan, “if you pass the test.”
“Really?” said Annie.
“What kind of test?” Jack asked.
“You must show that you know how to do research,” said Morgan, “and show that you can find answers to hard questions.”
“How?” said Annie.
“By solving four riddles,” said Morgan. She reached into the folds of her robe and pulled out a rolled-up paper.
“The first riddle is written on this ancient scroll,” she said. “This book will help you find the answer.”
She held out a book. On the cover were the words Ocean Guide.
“This is where you have to go,” said Morgan.
“The ocean! Oh, boy!” said Annie. She pointed at the cover. “I wish we—”
“Stop!” Jack grabbed Annie’s hand. “How will we know if we’ve found the right answer to the riddle?” he asked Morgan.
“You will know,” Morgan said mysteriously. “I promise you will know.”
Jack let go of Annie’s hand. She pointed again at the cover and finished her wish: “I wish we could go there.”
The wind started to blow.
“Are you coming with us, Morgan?” Jack said.
Before Morgan could answer, the tree house started to spin.
Jack squeezed his eyes shut.
The tree house spun faster and faster.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still.
Jack opened his eyes.
Morgan le Fay was gone.
Only the ancient scroll and the ocean book were left in her place.
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Discover the facts
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Magic Tree House® Books
#1: DINOSAURS BEFORE DARK
#2: THE KNIGHT AT DAWN
#3: MUMMIES IN THE MORNING
#4: PIRATES PAST NOON
#5: NIGHT OF THE NINJAS
#6: AFTERNOON ON THE AMAZON
#7: SUNSET OF THE SABERTOOTH
#8: MIDNIGHT ON THE MOON
#9: DOLPHINS AT DAYBREAK
#10: GHOST TOWN AT SUNDOWN
#11: LIONS AT LUNCHTIME
#12: POLAR BEARS PAST BEDTIME
#13: VACATION UNDER THE VOLCANO
#14: DAY OF THE DRAGON KING
#15: VIKING SHIPS AT SUNRISE
#16: HOUR OF THE OLYMPICS
#17: TONIGHT ON THE TITANIC
#18: BUFFALO BEFORE BREAKFAST
#19: TIGERS AT TWILIGHT
#20: DINGOES AT DINNERTIME
#21: CIVIL WAR ON SUNDAY
#22: REVOLUTIONARY WAR ON WEDNESDAY
#23: TWISTER ON TUESDAY
#24: EARTHQUAKE IN THE EARLY MORNING
#25: STAGE FRIGHT ON A SUMMER NIGHT
#26: GOOD MORNING, GORILLAS
#27: THANKSGIVING ON THURSDAY
#28: HIGH TIDE IN HAWAII
Merlin Missions
#29: CHRISTMAS IN CAMELOT
#30: HAUNTED CASTLE ON HALLOWS EVE
#31: SUMMER OF THE SEA SERPENT
#32: WINTER OF THE ICE WIZARD
#33: CARNIVAL AT CANDLELIGHT
#34: SEASON OF THE SANDSTORMS
#35: NIGHT OF THE NEW MAGICIANS
#36: BLIZZARD OF THE BLUE MOON
#37: DRAGON OF THE RED DAWN
#38: MONDAY WITH A MAD GENIUS
#39: DARK DAY IN THE DEEP SEA
#40: EVE OF THE EMPEROR PENGUIN
#41: MOONLIGHT ON THE MAGIC FLUTE
#42: A GOOD NIGHT FOR GHOSTS
#43: LEPRECHAUN IN LATE WINTER
#44: A GHOST TALE FOR CHRISTMAS TIME
Magic Tree House® Research Guides
DINOSAURS
KNIGHTS AND CASTLES
MUMMIES AND PYRAMIDS
PIRATES
RAIN FORESTS
SPACE
TITANIC
TWISTERS AND OTHER TERRIBLE STORMS
DOLPHINS AND SHARKS
ANCIENT GREECE AND THE OLYMPICS
AMERICAN REVOLUTION
SABERTOOTHS AND THE ICE AGE
PILGRIMS
ANCIENT ROME AND POMPEII
TSUNAMIS AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS
POLAR BEARS AND THE ARCTIC
SEA MONSTERS
PENGUINS AND ANTARCTICA
LEONARDO DA VINCI
GHOS
TS
LEPRECHAUNS AND IRISH FOLKLORE
RAGS AND RICHES: KIDS IN THE TIME OF CHARLES DICKENS
More Magic Tree House®
GAMES AND PUZZLES FROM THE TREE HOUSE
Midnight on the Moon Page 3
