Afternoon on the Amazon Read online

  Here’s what kids have to say to

  Mary Pope Osborne, author of

  the Magic Tree House series:

  WOW! You have an imagination like no other.—Adam W.

  I love your books. If you stop writing books, it will be like losing a best friend.—Ben M.

  I think you are the real Morgan le Fay. There is always magic in your books.—Erica Y.

  One day I was really bored and I didn’t want to read … I looked in your book. I read a sentence, and it was interesting. So I read some more, until the book was done. It was so good I read more and more. Then I had read all of your books, and now I hope you write lots more.—Danai K.

  I always read [your books] over and over … 1 time, 2 times, 3 times, 4 times … —Yuan C.

  You are my best author in the world. I love your books. I read all the time. I read everywhere. My mom is like freaking out.—Ellen C.

  I hope you make these books for all yours and mine’s life.—Riki H.

  Teachers and librarians love

  Magic Tree House® books, too!

  Thank you for opening faraway places and times to my class through your books. They have given me the chance to bring in additional books, materials, and videos to share with the class.—J. Cameron

  It excites me to see how involved [my fourth-grade reading class] is in your books … I would do anything to get my students more involved, and this has done it.—C. Rutz

  I discovered your books last year … WOW! Our students have gone crazy over them. I can’t order enough copies! … Thanks for contributing so much to children’s literature!—C. Kendziora

  I first came across your Magic Tree House series when my son brought one home … I have since introduced this great series to my class. They have absolutely fallen in love with these books! … My students are now asking me for more independent reading time to read them. Your stories have inspired even my most struggling readers.—M. Payne

  I love how I can go beyond the [Magic Tree House] books and use them as springboards for other learning.—R. Gale

  We have enjoyed your books all year long. We check your Web site to find new information. We pull our map down to find the areas where the adventures take place. My class always chimes in at key parts of the story. It feels good to hear my students ask for a book and cheer when a new book comes out.—J. Korinek

  Our students have “Magic Tree House fever.” I can’t keep your books on the library shelf.—J. Rafferty

  Your books truly invite children into the pleasure of reading. Thanks for such terrific work.—S. Smith

  The children in the fourth grade even hide the [Magic Tree House] books in the library so that they will be able to find them when they are ready to check them out.—K. Mortensen

  My Magic Tree House books are never on the bookshelf because they are always being read by my students. Thank you for creating such a wonderful series.—K. Mahoney

  Text copyright © 1995 by Mary Pope Osborne.

  Illustrations copyright © 1995 by Sal Murdocca.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Osborne, Mary Pope. Afternoon on the Amazon / by Mary Pope Osborne;

  illustrated by Sal Murdocca.

  p. cm. — (The Magic tree house series; #6) “A First stepping stone book.”

  SUMMARY: Eight-year-old Jack, his seven-year-old sister, Annie, and Peanut the mouse ride in a tree house to the Amazon rain forest, where they encounter flesh-eating piranhas, hungry crocodiles, and wild jaguars.

  eISBN: 978-0-375-89423-7

  [1. Rain forests—Fiction. 2. Rain forest animals—Fiction. 3. Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. 4. Tree houses—Fiction. 5. Amazon River Valley—Fiction.]

  I. Murdocca, Sal, ill. II. Title. III. Series: Osborne, Mary Pope. Magic tree house series; #6.

  PZ7.O81167Af 1995

  [Fic]—dc20 95-3237

  Random House, Inc. New York, Toronto, London, Sydney, Auckland

  v3.0

  For Piers Pope Boyce

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Prologue

  1. Where’s Peanut?

  2. Big Bugs

  3. Yikes!

  4. Millions of Them!

  5. Pretty Fish

  6. Monkey Trouble

  7. Freeze!

  8. Vampire Bats?

  9. The Thing

  10. Halfway There

  Special Preview of Magic Tree House #7: Sunset of the Sabertooth

  One summer day in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, a mysterious tree house appeared in the woods.

  Eight-year-old Jack and his seven-year-old sister, Annie, climbed into the tree house. They found it was filled with books.

  Jack and Annie soon discovered that the tree house was magic. It could take them to the places in the books. All they had to do was to point to a picture and wish to go there.

  Jack and Annie visited the times of dinosaurs, knights, pyramids, pirates, and ninjas. Along the way, they discovered that the tree house belongs to Morgan le Fay. Morgan is a magical librarian from the time of King Arthur. She travels through time and space, gathering books.

  In their last adventure, Night of the Ninjas, Jack and Annie learned that Morgan was under a spell. To free her, Jack and Annie have to find four special things.

  In old Japan, they found the first thing: a moonstone.

  Now Jack and Annie are about to set out in search of the second thing … in Afternoon on the Amazon.

  “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.

  “Wow,” said Jack, picking up the book. “The ninja book was open yesterday. Now this one. Who opened them?”

  Jack closed the book and looked at the cover.

  It showed a picture of a green forest. The trees were very tall and close together.

  On the cover were the words The Rain Forest.

  “Oh, wow,” said Jack.

  “Oh, no,” said Annie.

  “What’s wrong?” said Jack.

  “I learned about the rain forest in school,” said Annie. “It’s filled with big bugs and spiders.”

  “I know,” said Jack. “Half of them have never even been named.”

  “It’s creepy,” said Annie.

  “It’s neat,” said Jack. He wanted to take lots of notes in the rain forest. Maybe he could even name some unknown bugs.

  “Neat? Yuk,” said Annie. She shivered.

  “I don’t get it,” said Jack. “You weren’t afraid of dinosaurs.”

  “So?”

  “You weren’t afraid of the castle guards or the mummy’s ghost.”

  “So?”

  “You weren’t afraid of pirates or ninjas.”

  “So?”

  “You’re not afraid of really scary things. But you’re afraid of little bugs and spiders. That doesn’t make sense.”

  “So?”

  Jack sighed. “Listen,” he said. “We have to go there. To help Morgan. That’s why the book was left open.”

  “I know that,” said Annie, frowning.

  “Plus, the rain forests are being cut down,” said Jack. “Don’t you want to see one before it’s too late?”

  Annie took a deep breath and slowly nodded.

  “Okay, then, let’s go,” said Jack.

  He opened the book again. He pointed to a picture that showed blue sky, green leaves, and bright flowers.

  “I wish we could go there,” he said.

  The wind began to blow.

  Squeak.

  “Stay here, Peanut,” said Annie as she put the mouse in her pocket.

  The wind picked up. The tree house started to spin.

  Jack squeezed his eyes shut.

  The wind was whistling now. The tree house was spinning faster and faster.

  Then everything was still.

  Absolutely still.

  Wild sounds broke the silence.

  Screeeeeech!

  Buzzzzzzz!

  Chirp! Chirp!

  Jack opened his eyes.

  The air was hot and steamy.

  “It looks like we landed in some bushes,” said Annie.

  She was peeking out of the tree house window. Peanut was peeking out of Annie’s pocket.

  Jack peeked out of the tree house, too.

  They had landed in a sea of shiny green leaves. Outside there were flowers, bright butterflies, and birds. Just as in the book.

  “That’s strange,” said Jack. “I wonder why we didn’t land in a tree. The way we always do.”

  “I don’t know,” said Annie. “But let’s hurry and find the thing for Morgan. So we can get back home before we meet any big bugs.”

  “Wait. This seems weird,” said Jack. “I don’t understand why we landed in bushes. I’d better read about this.”

  “Oh, come on,” said Annie. “We don’t even need the ladder. We can just climb out the window.”

  Annie put Peanut in her pocket. She stuck one leg out the window.

  “Wait!” Jack grabbed Annie’s other leg. He read:

  The rain forest is in three layers. Thick treetops, often over 150 feet in the air, make up the top layer. This is called the forest canopy. Below the canopy is the understory, then the forest floor.

  “Get back in here!” cried Jack. “We’re probably more than 150 feet above the ground! In the forest canopy!”

  “Yikes!” said Annie. She slipped back into the tree house.

  “We have to use the ladder,” said Jack. He got on his hands and knees. He moved leaves away from the hole in the floor. He looked down.

  The ladder seemed to fall between the branches of a giant tree. But Jack couldn’t see beyond that.

  “I can’t tell what’s down there,” he said. “Be careful.”

  Jack put the rain forest book in his backpack. Then he stepped onto the rope ladder.

  He started down. Annie followed with Peanut in her pocket.

  Jack pushed through the leaves.

  He came to the understory below the canopy.

  He looked down at the forest floor. It was very far away.

  “Oh, man,” whispered Jack.

  This world was completely different from the one above the treetops.

  Now that they were out of the sun, it was cooler. It was also damp and very quiet.

  Jack shivered. It was the spookiest place he had ever seen.

  Jack didn’t move. He kept staring down at the forest floor.

  “What’s wrong?” Annie called from above.

  Jack didn’t answer.

  “You don’t see any giant spiders, do you?” Annie said.

  “Well … no.” Jack took a deep breath.

  We have to keep going, he thought. We have to find the special thing for Morgan.

  “No spiders. Nothing scary,” Jack called. And he started down the ladder again.

  Jack and Annie climbed down through the understory. Finally they stepped onto the forest floor.

  Only a few rays of light slanted through the gloom.

  The trees were very, very tall and very wide. Vines and moss were hanging everywhere. The ground was covered with dead leaves.

  “Before we do anything, I’d better check the book,” said Jack.

  He pulled out the rain forest book. He found a picture of the dark world under the treetops.

  He read:

  In the rain forest, many living creatures blend in with their surroundings. This is called camouflage.

  “Oh, man,” said Jack. He closed the book and looked around. “There’re tons of creatures down here. We just can’t see them.”

  “Really?” whispered Annie.

  She and Jack peered around at the quiet forest. Jack felt unseen eyes watching them.

  “Let’s hurry and find the special thing,” whispered Annie.

  “How will we know when we find it?” Jack said.

  “I think we’ll just know,” said Annie. She headed off through the gloom.

  Jack followed. They crept between the huge trees and past hanging vines.

  Annie stopped. “Wait—what’s that?”

  “What’s what?”

  “Listen—that weird sound.”

  Jack listened. He heard a crackling sound. It sounded like a person walking over leaves.

  Jack looked around. He didn’t see anyone.

  But the sound got louder.

  Was it an animal? A giant bug? One that had never been named?

  Just then the silent forest came alive.

  Birds took off into the air. Frogs hopped over the leaves. Lizards ran up the tree trunks.

  The weird noise grew louder and louder.

  “Maybe the book explains it,” said Jack. He opened the book. He found a picture of different animals running together. He read:

  When animals hear a crackling sound, they flee in panic. The sound means that 30 million flesh-eating army ants are marching through the dead leaves.

  “It’s army ants!” cried Jack. “Millions of them!”

  “Where?” cried Annie.

  Jack and Annie looked around wildly.

  “There!” Annie pointed.

  Army ants—millions and millions of them—were marching over the leaves!

  “Run to the tree house!” cried Annie.

  “Where is it?” said Jack, whirling around. All the trees looked the same. Where was the rope ladder?

  “Just run!” cried Annie.

  Jack and Annie took off.

  They ran over the dead leaves.


  They ran between wide tree trunks.

  They ran past the hanging vines and mosses.

  They climbed over thick roots.

  Jack saw a clearing ahead. It was filled with sunlight.

  “That way!” he cried.

  Jack and Annie hurried toward the light. They pushed their way through the bushes.

  They burst onto the bank of a river.

  They stared at the slow-moving brown water.

  “Do you think the ants will come this way?” Annie said, panting.

  “I don’t know,” said Jack. “But if we wade a few feet into the river, we’re safe. The ants won’t go into the water. Come on.”

  “Look!” said Annie.

  She pointed to a big log rocking at the edge of the river. The inside of the log was dug out.

  “It looks like a canoe,” said Jack. He listened to the crackling sound in the distance. “Let’s get in it. Quick!”

  Jack shoved the book into his backpack. Then he and Annie carefully climbed into the dugout log.

  Annie leaned out of it. She pushed away from the bank with her hands.

  “Wait!” said Jack. “We don’t have paddles!”

  “Oops,” said Annie.

  The canoe started moving slowly down the muddy river.

  Squeak.

  Annie patted the little mouse in her pocket.

  “It’s okay, Peanut. The ants can’t get us in the river. We’re safe,” she said.

  “Maybe safe from the ants,” said Jack. “But where is this canoe going?”

  Jack and Annie stared at the river. Branches spread over the water. Vines and mosses hung down from them.

  “We’d better look this up,” said Jack. He pulled the rain forest book out of his backpack and flipped through it.

  Soon he found a picture of a river. He read:

  The Amazon River stretches over 4,000 miles from the mountains of Peru, across Brazil, to the Atlantic Ocean. The river basin contains over half of the rain forests in the world.