Squeak.
The master was holding Peanut.
“Take good care of your little helper,” he said, handing the mouse to Annie.
Annie kissed the mouse’s tiny head.
“And take this—” said the master. He held his hand out to Jack.
He gave Jack a small, round stone.
“This moonstone will help you find your missing friend,” the master said.
Jack stared at the stone. Was this one of the four things?
“You must go home now,” said the master. He picked up the Pennsylvania book and handed it to Annie.
“Where did you find it?” asked Jack.
“Here,” said the master. “You did not see it before. Because your heart knew you had a mission to complete first.”
“What about you?” said Annie. “Can you come with us?”
“Yes,” said Jack. “We need help finding Morgan.”
The master smiled. “No, my friends. I must stay here. There will be more help along the way. But you must find the way on your own.”
Annie opened the book. She found the picture of Frog Creek.
She pointed to it. “I wish we could go there,” she said.
The wind started to blow.
The white flowers started to shake. Clouds covered the moon.
“Remember,” the master said, “keep a kind heart.”
Then he swung silently down the rope ladder. He disappeared into the dark night.
“Wait!” Jack called. There was so much he wanted to ask the master. About nature. About ninjas. About their mission.
But the tree house started to spin.
It spun faster and faster!
Jack gripped the stone in his hand. He squeezed his eyes shut.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still.
Jack opened his eyes.
Then he opened his fist. He stared at the moonstone in his hand. It was clear and smooth. It almost seemed to glow.
“We’re home,” said Annie.
Squeak.
Annie and the mouse were looking out the window.
Jack looked with them.
The sun was setting in the distance.
No time at all had passed in Frog Creek.
They heard their neighbor’s dog, Henry, bark. They heard crickets chirping.
In the distance, they could see their dad step out of their house. He stood on their porch.
“Ja-ack! An-nie!” he called.
Time for dinner.
“Com-ing!” Annie shouted.
Jack sat back on his heels. He looked at the moonstone again.
“I guess we have one of the four things,” he said.
“We’ll look for the other three tomorrow,” Annie said.
Jack nodded. They had a lot more work to do.
He put the moonstone in his pocket.
He pulled on his pack.
“Ready?” he said.
“Wait,” said Annie. She took off one of her sneakers. She pulled off her sock. Then she put her sneaker back on.
“What are you doing?” said Jack.
“I’m making a bed,” she said.
“A what?”
“Bed! You know, for Peanut to sleep in.” Annie picked up the mouse. She tucked it inside her sock.
“’Night, Peanut,” she said softly.
Squeak.
“Oh brother,” said Jack.
Annie held the mouse close to Jack.
“Kiss it goodnight, Jack,” she said.
“Don’t be silly,” he said. “Let’s go.”
“Thanks for helping us,” Annie said to the mouse.
She put Peanut gently down on the glowing M. She pulled Morgan’s message out of her pouch. And put it next to the mouse.
“See you tomorrow,” she said. Then she started down the ladder.
Jack stared at the mouse. It looked back at him.
For a moment, its dark eyes looked old and wise.
“Come on, Jack!” called Annie.
Jack kissed its tiny head.
“Night-night, Peanut,” he whispered.
Then Jack headed down the rope ladder.
It got darker and darker as he went down.
By the time he stepped onto the ground, it was almost completely black.
“Where are you?” said Jack.
“Here,” said Annie. Her hand bumped his. He took it.
“Careful,” he said.
“Careful yourself,” she said.
Together they took off through the cool, dark woods.
They moved silently and swiftly—two shadow warriors returning home.
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Magic Tree House #6
Afternoon on the Amazon
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Excerpt copyright © 1995 by
Published by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
“Hurry, Jack!” shouted Annie.
Annie ran into the Frog Creek woods.
Jack followed her.
“It’s still here!” Annie called.
Jack caught up with Annie. She stood beside a tall oak tree.
Jack looked up. The magic tree house was shining in the afternoon sunlight.
“We’re coming, Peanut!” Annie called.
She grabbed the rope ladder and started up.
Jack followed. They climbed and climbed. Finally they climbed into the tree house.
“Peanut?” said Annie.
Jack took off his backpack. He looked around.
Sunlight slanted across a stack of books—books about ninjas, pirates, mummies, knights, and dinosaurs.
The letter M shimmered on the wooden floor. M for Morgan le Fay.
“I don’t think Peanut’s here,” said Jack.
“I wonder where she is,” said Annie.
“How do you know Peanut’s a she?” asked Jack.
“I just know it,” said Annie.
“Oh, brother,” said Jack.
Squeak!
Annie laughed. “Look, Jack!”
A small pink sock was moving across the floor. Yesterday Annie had turned her sock into a bed for Peanut.
Annie picked up the tiny lump.
Squeak.
A brown-and-white mouse peeked out of the sock. She looked from Annie to Jack with her big eyes.
Jack laughed. “Hi, Peanut,” he said.
“Will you help us again today?” asked Annie.
In old Japan, Peanut had helped them when they’d gotten lost.
“We have to find three more things for Morgan,” said Annie.
Jack pushed his glasses into place. “First we have to find a clue that tells us where to begin,” he said.
“Guess what,” said Annie.
“What?” said Jack.
“We don’t have to look very far.” She pointed at a corner of the tree house.
In the shadows was an open book.
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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 MOO
N
#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
GHOSTS
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
Night of the Ninjas Page 3
