Sunset of the Sabertooth (4 page)

The huge mammoth walked across the open plain.

“Look!” said Annie. She pointed to a herd of elk in the distance. They had great, wide antlers.

“There!” said Jack as a herd of reindeer came into view. They pranced gracefully across the snow.

Then a woolly rhino joined them on the open plain. Then a bison!

The elk, reindeer, rhino, and bison moved along with them, at a distance.

They seemed to be escorting Jack and Annie back to the tree house.

The snow sparkled with sunlight.

This is a great parade
, Jack thought.
Fantastic
.

They were getting closer and closer to the grove of tall trees.

“I told you,” said Annie. “Lulu’s taking us home.”

But just then the mammoth let out a cry. All the other animals bounded off.

Peanut started to squeak.

Jack looked around.

Behind them the sabertooth was slinking across the sunlit snow!

The woolly mammoth roared and plunged forward.

Jack and Annie nearly fell off.

Jack clutched Annie. She and Peanut clutched the mammoth’s shaggy hair.

The mammoth thundered wildly over the ground.

“Ahhh!” Jack and Annie yelled.

The mammoth charged to the grove of trees.

But the tiger had circled around the trees. He stood between the tallest tree and the mammoth.

They were trapped.

The sabertooth began moving slowly toward the mammoth.

The woolly mammoth roared fiercely.

But Jack knew a sabertooth could kill any creature, including a mammoth.

The huge tiger’s head was down. His burning eyes were fixed on the mammoth. His long white fangs glinted in the sunlight.

The sabertooth crept forward.

Jack stared in horror.

“Play the flute,” whispered Annie.

Is she nuts?
Jack thought.

“Try!” said Annie.

Jack held the mammoth-bone flute to his lips. He blew.

The flute made a strange sound.

The tiger froze. He glared at Jack.

Jack’s hands shook.

The tiger growled. He took another step.

The mammoth roared and stomped the ground.

“Play it!” said Annie. “Keep playing!”

Jack blew again.

The sabertooth froze again.

Jack kept blowing until he ran out of breath.

The tiger snarled.

“He’s still here,” whispered Annie. “Keep it up.”

Jack closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. Then he blew as hard and as long as he could. He covered and uncovered the holes on the bone.

The music sounded strange—as if it were coming from another world.

“He’s leaving!” Annie whispered.

Jack raised his eyes. The sabertooth was slinking off toward the cliffs.

“We did it!” said Annie.

Jack lowered the flute. He felt very tired.

The mammoth waved her trunk happily.

“To the tree house, Lulu,” said Annie.

The woolly mammoth snorted. Then she lumbered over to the tallest tree.

From the back of the mammoth, Jack grabbed the rope ladder. He held it for Annie.

She stroked the mammoth’s giant ear. “Bye, Lulu. Thank you,” she said.

Annie grabbed the rope ladder. Then she started up. Peanut climbed up, too.

After they disappeared into the tree house, Jack climbed onto the ladder.

He looked back at the woolly mammoth. “Bye, girl,” he said. “Go home now. And watch out for the sabertooth.”

The mammoth walked away into the sunset.

When Jack couldn’t see her anymore, he started up the lope ladder. He pulled himself into the tree house.

“Ta-da!” said Annie. She handed the Pennsylvania book to Jack.

Jack smiled. Now he was positive they had found the third M thing. Their mission was complete.

“Before we leave, we have to give our coats back,” said Annie.

“Oh right,” said Jack.

They took off their reindeer-skin coats and dropped them to the ground.

“Brrr!” said Annie. “I hope the Cro-Magnon people find them.”

Jack stared out the window. He wanted to take one last look at the prehistoric world.

The sun was setting behind the hills. Four people were crossing the snowy plain. It was the Cro-Magnon family.

“Hey!” shouted Annie.

“Shhh!” said Jack.

The Cro-Magnons stopped and peered in Annie and Jack’s direction.

“We left your reindeer skins! Down there!” Annie pointed to the ground.

The tallest person stepped forward and raised a spear.

“Time to go,” said Jack.

He grabbed the Pennsylvania book. He found the picture of Frog Creek and pointed at it. “I wish we could go home,” he said.

“Good-bye! Good luck!” Annie called, waving out the window.

The wind started to blow. And the tree house started to spin.

It spun faster and faster.

Then everything was still.

Absolutely still.

Birds sang. The air was soft and warm.

“I hope they find their coats,” said Annie.

“Me too,” said Jack. He pushed his glasses into place.

Squeak
.

“Hey, you—how did you find the sorcerer?” Annie asked Peanut.

Squeak
.

“It’s a secret, huh?” said Annie. She turned to Jack. “Where’s the flute?”

He held up the mammoth bone. Then he placed it on the M carved into the floor. Next to the mango from the rain forest. Next to the moonstone from the time of ninjas.

“Moonstone, mango, mammoth bone … ” Annie said. “We need just one more M thing. Then Morgan will be free from her spell.”

“Tomorrow,” said Jack.

Annie patted Peanut on the head. “Bye, you,” she said.

She started down the rope ladder.

Jack gathered his things.

He paused and glanced at the mouse. She stared at him with big brown eyes.

“Thanks again for helping us,” he said.

Then he climbed down the rope ladder and jumped onto the ground.

Jack and Annie ran through the Frog Creek woods onto their street.

Their neighborhood looked rosy in the sunset.

It’s great to be back in
this
age
, Jack thought.
Warm and safe and almost home
.

“I’m glad we don’t have to go hunting for dinner,” he said.

“Yeah, Mom and Dad already did that,” said Annie, “at the supermarket.”

“I hope they trapped some spaghetti and meatballs,” said Jack.

“I hope they trapped a pizza,” said Annie.

“Hurry, I’m starving,” said Jack.

They ran up their sidewalk and through their front door.

“We’re home!” shouted Annie.

“What’s for dinner?” shouted Jack.

Here’s a special preview of
Magic Tree House #8
Midnight on the Moon

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Excerpt copyright ©
1996
by
Published by Random House Children’s Books,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.