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Authors: Mary Pope Osborne

Eve of the Emperor Penguin (9 page)

BOOK: Eve of the Emperor Penguin
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J
ack was sitting at the computer in the living room. He was doing research on penguins for a school project. His mom and dad were cooking in the kitchen. Jack could smell bread baking in the oven and spaghetti sauce bubbling on top of the stove.

“Jack!” Annie burst into the living room. “Come with me!” she said.

“What’s going on?” said Jack.

“They’re here!” said Annie.

“Teddy? Kathleen?” asked Jack.

Annie nodded, her eyes shining.

“Oh, man!” Jack whispered. He jumped up from his chair and grabbed his jacket and backpack. “Mom, Dad—we’ll be back soon!” he called.

“Dinner’s in thirty minutes,” their mom called from the kitchen.

“No problem!” said Annie. Then she and Jack headed out the front door into the cool spring air.

“Where did you see them?” said Jack.

“At the edge of the woods!” said Annie. “I was riding my bike home from my piano lesson. When they saw me, they waved.”

“You didn’t stop and talk to them?” said Jack.

“No, I pointed to the house,” said Annie, “to let them know I had to get you first.”

“Oh! Thanks!” said Jack. “We’d better hurry!”

“I wonder where they’re sending us!” said Annie as they crossed their yard and headed up the sidewalk. “I wonder what our next mission is! Hey, did you bring the Wand of Dianthus?”

“Yep, it’s in my backpack!” said Jack.

Jack and Annie ran into the Frog Creek woods. They hurried through the shadowy light of late afternoon, until they came to the tallest tree. Jack looked up. The tree house
was
back. The two young enchanters from Camelot were looking out the window.

“Hi!” yelled Jack and Annie.

“Hello!” Teddy and Kathleen shouted.

Annie grabbed the rope ladder and climbed up into the tree house. Jack followed.

“We’re so glad you’re back!” said Annie. She hugged Teddy and Kathleen. Jack hugged them, too.

“How’s Penny?” Jack asked. He’d been missing the little penguin they had given Merlin on their last adventure.

“Oh, Penny and Merlin have become the best of friends,” said Kathleen. “She has brought him much joy and laughter.”

“Cool,” said Jack. He wasn’t surprised. Penny had made him really happy, too.

“What do you want us to do now?” said Annie.

“On your last missions, you found secrets of happiness to help Merlin,” said Kathleen.

Jack and Annie nodded.

“Now, on your next mission, Merlin wants you to help bring happiness to
millions
of people,” said Kathleen.

“Whoa,” said Jack. “That’s a big job.”

Teddy and Kathleen laughed.

“How do we do that?” asked Jack.

“Simple,” said Teddy. “You must seek out a brilliant artist—”

“Do you mean like a painter?” asked Annie.

“It could be,” said Teddy. “But it could also be any person who uses passion and imagination to create something beautiful.”

“Merlin wants you to help put that artist on the right path,” said Teddy, “to share his or her gifts with the world.”

“Oh, cool!” said Annie. “Where do we start?”

Kathleen took a creamy white envelope from
her cloak. It was sealed with melted red wax. In fancy writing, it said:
For Jack and Annie of Frog Creek.
“‘Tis a royal invitation,” said Kathleen.

Jack took the envelope. He carefully broke the seal and pulled out a thick card with gold edges and gold script. He read aloud:

“A party at a summer palace! In 1762!” said Annie.

“Yes,” said Teddy. “The palace is in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the most splendid palaces in all the world.”

“That sounds like fun,” said Annie.

“Indeed, it should be,” said Kathleen. “But you must watch your manners. And beware of unexpected dangers.”

“What kind of dangers?” asked Jack.

“I do not know,” said Kathleen. “But Merlin believes you will need magic to keep safe. Did you bring the Wand of Dianthus?”

“Yes,” said Jack. He reached into his backpack and pulled out the silvery wand. It was shaped like the horn of a unicorn.

Kathleen took the wand from Jack. She closed her eyes and spun it through the air, as if she were spinning a baton. In a blur of light and movement, the wand changed into a small silver flute.

“Wow,” said Annie.

“A flute?” asked Jack.

“A
magic
flute,” said Teddy. “Playing this flute will deliver you from danger.”

“But Jack and I don’t know
how
to play the flute,” said Annie.

“Do not worry,” said Kathleen. “If the time is right, the flute will make its own music.”

“Just blow over the mouthpiece,” said Teddy. “And while one of you plays, the other must make up a song. Whatever you sing will come true.”

“Cool!” said Annie.

“But when your song has ended, the flute’s magic will end, too,” said Kathleen. “You can only use the flute’s magic once, so choose the time wisely.”

“Okay, got it!” said Annie.

“Are you ready to go?” asked Kathleen.

“Uh, wait,” said Jack. “Party invitation … magic flute … Is that all? Don’t you have a research book for us?”

“On this journey, Merlin wants you to rely only on your wits and your talents,” said Teddy.

“Oh. Okay,” said Jack, though he wasn’t sure he had many talents.

“Tell the magic tree house where to go by pointing to the words on the invitation,” said Kathleen.

Annie pointed to the words
Summer Palace.
But before she made her wish, she looked at Teddy
and Kathleen. “I hope we see you again very soon,” she said. “Say hi to Merlin and Morgan when you go back to Camelot.”

“And Penny, too,” said Jack.

Kathleen and Teddy both smiled.

“Yes, we will,” said Teddy.

Annie took a deep breath. “Okay. I wish we could go
there
!” she said. “To the summer palace!”

The wind started to blow.

The tree house started to spin.

It spun faster and faster.

Then everything was still.

Absolutely still.

Are you a fan of the Magic Tree House
®
series?

Visit our
 
Web site
at

MagicTreeHouse.com

Exciting sneak previews of the next book.
Games, puzzles, and other fun activities.
Contests with super prizes.
And much more!

Guess what?

Jack and Annie have a musical CD!

 For more information about
 MAGIC TREE HOUSE: THE MUSICAL
 (including how to order the CD!),
 visit
www.mthmusical.com
.

Discover the facts
behind the fiction with the

Magic Tree House
®
Books

  #1: D
INOSAURS
B
EFORE
D
ARK

  #2: T
HE
K
NIGHT AT
D
AWN

  #3: M
UMMIES IN THE
M
ORNING

  #4: P
IRATES
P
AST
N
OON

  #5: N
IGHT OF THE
N
INJAS

  #6: A
FTERNOON ON THE
A
MAZON

  #7: S
UNSET OF THE
S
ABERTOOTH

  #8: M
IDNIGHT ON THE
M
OON

  #9: D
OLPHINS AT
D
AYBREAK

#10: G
HOST
T
OWN AT
S
UNDOWN

#11: L
IONS AT
L
UNCHTIME

#12: P
OLAR
B
EARS
P
AST
B
EDTIME

#13: V
ACATION
U
NDER THE
V
OLCANO

#14: D
AY OF THE
D
RAGON
K
ING

#15: V
IKING
S
HIPS AT
S
UNRISE

#16: H
OUR OF THE
O
LYMPICS

#17: T
ONIGHT ON THE
T
ITANIC

#18: B
UFFALO
B
EFORE
B
REAKFAST

#19: T
IGERS AT
T
WILIGHT

#20: D
INGOES AT
D
INNERTIME

#21: C
IVIL
W
AR ON
S
UNDAY

#22: R
EVOLUTIONARY
W
AR ON
W
EDNESDAY

#23: T
WISTER ON
T
UESDAY

#24: E
ARTHQUAKE IN THE
E
ARLY
M
ORNING

#25: S
TAGE
F
RIGHT ON A
S
UMMER
N
IGHT

#26: G
OOD
M
ORNING
, G
ORILLAS

#27: T
HANKSGIVING ON
T
HURSDAY

#28: H
IGH
T
IDE IN
H
AWAII

Merlin Missions

#29: C
HRISTMAS IN
C
AMELOT

#30: H
AUNTED
C
ASTLE ON
H
ALLOWS
E
VE

#31: S
UMMER OF THE
S
EA
S
ERPENT

#32: W
INTER OF THE
I
CE
W
IZARD

#33: C
ARNIVAL AT
C
ANDLELIGHT

#34: S
EASON OF THE
S
ANDSTORMS

#35: N
IGHT OF THE
N
EW
M
AGICIANS

#36: B
LIZZARD OF THE
B
LUE
M
OON

#37: D
RAGON OF THE
R
ED
D
AWN

#38: M
ONDAY WITH A
M
AD
G
ENIUS

#39: D
ARK
D
AY IN THE
D
EEP
S
EA

#40: E
VE OF THE
E
MPEROR
P
ENGUIN

#41: M
OONLIGHT ON THE
M
AGIC
F
LUTE

#42: A G
OOD
N
IGHT FOR
G
HOSTS

#43: L
EPRECHAUN IN
L
ATE
W
INTER

#44: A G
HOST
T
ALE FOR
C
HRISTMAS
T
IME

Magic Tree House
®
Research Guides

D
INOSAURS

K
NIGHTS AND
C
ASTLES

M
UMMIES AND
P
YRAMIDS

P
IRATES

R
AIN
F
ORESTS

S
PACE

T
ITANIC

T
WISTERS AND
O
THER
T
ERRIBLE
S
TORMS

D
OLPHINS AND
S
HARKS

A
NCIENT
G
REECE AND THE
O
LYMPICS

A
MERICAN
R
EVOLUTION

S
ABERTOOTHS AND THE
I
CE
A
GE

P
ILGRIMS

A
NCIENT
R
OME AND
P
OMPEII

T
SUNAMIS AND
O
THER
N
ATURAL
D
ISASTERS

P
OLAR
B
EARS AND THE
A
RCTIC

S
EA
M
ONSTERS

P
ENGUINS AND
A
NTARCTICA

L
EONARDO DA
V
INCI

G
HOSTS

L
EPRECHAUNS AND
I
RISH
F
OLKLORE

R
AGS AND
R
ICHES:
K
IDS IN THE
T
IME OF
C
HARLES
D
ICKENS

More Magic Tree House
®

G
AMES AND
P
UZZLES FROM THE
T
REE
H
OUSE

BOOK: Eve of the Emperor Penguin
8.05Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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