Day of the Dragon King
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
Dear Readers,
I have long wanted to send Jack and Annie to China, but I couldn’t figure out what period of history they should visit. Then one day, when I was reading in my local library, I stumbled across some amazing information. In the 1970s, archaeologists began excavating a great wonder in China: an ancient burial tomb with over 7,000 statues of soldiers and horses. The tomb was more than 2,000 years old and had been built for the first Chinese emperor.
After I learned this, I found other library books about that period of Chinese history, and I spent days reading and taking notes. From these notes, I fashioned Day of the Dragon King.
Have I told you before that libraries are very important to me? They are my magic places … where I dream and wonder … and spin my stories.
Visit your library and I bet you’ll find the same magic!
All my best,
Text copyright © 1998 by Mary Pope Osborne
Illustrations copyright © 1998 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.
www.randomhouse.com/kids
www.randomhouse.com/magictreehouse
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Osborne, Mary Pope.
Day of the Dragon King / by Mary Pope Osborne; illustrated by Sal Murdocca.
p. cm. — (Magic tree house; #14) “Stepping Stone book.”
SUMMARY: The magic treehouse takes Jack and Annie back two thousand years to ancient China where they must find the original copy of an old legend before the Imperial Library is burned down by the evil Dragon King.
eISBN: 978-0-375-89471-8
[1. Time travel—Fiction. 2. China—History—Han dynasty, 202 B.C.–220 A.D.—Fiction. 3. Magic—Fiction. 4. Tree houses—Fiction.] I. Murdocca, Sal, ill. II. Title. III. Series: Osborne, Mary Pope. Magic tree house series; #14.
PZ7.O81167Day 1998 [Fic]—dc21 97-49199
Random House, Inc. New York, Toronto, London, Sydney, Auckland
A STEPPING STONE BOOK is a trademark of Random House, Inc.
v3.0
Cover
Dear Readers
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue
1. The Bamboo Book
2. The Cowherd
3. The Silk Weaver
4. The Great Wall
5. The Scholar
6. The Dragon King
7. The Burning of the Books
8. The Tomb
9. The Silk Path
10. The Ancient Legend
More Facts
Special Preview of Magic Tree House #15: Viking Ships at Sunrise
For Peter and Andrew Boyce
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 that 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 point to a picture and wish to go there.
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 Magic Tree House #12, Polar Bears Past Bedtime, Jack and Annie solved the last of four ancient riddles and became Master Librarians. To help them in their future tasks, Morgan gave Jack and Annie secret library cards with the letters M L on them.
Jack and Annie’s first four missions as Master Librarians are to save stories from ancient libraries. When their first adventure ended (Magic Tree House #13, Vacation Under the Volcano), Morgan asked them to return to the tree house in two weeks to go to China and save another story.
Now the two weeks are over …
Annie peeked into Jack’s room.
“Ready to go to China?” she asked.
Jack took a deep breath.
“Sure,” he answered.
“Bring your secret library card,” Annie said. “I have mine in my pocket.”
“Yep,” said Jack.
He opened his top dresser drawer and took out a thin wooden card. The letters M L on it shimmered in the light. Jack dropped the card into his backpack. Then he threw in his notebook and a pencil.
“Let’s go,” said Annie.
Jack pulled on his pack and followed her.
What are we in for today? he wondered.
“Bye, Mom!” said Annie as they passed their mom in the kitchen.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“China!” said Annie.
“Great,” said their mom. She winked at them. “Have fun.”
Fun? thought Jack. He was afraid that fun wasn’t quite the right word.
“Just wish us luck,” he said as he and Annie headed out the front door.
“Good luck!” their mother called.
“If only she knew we aren’t pretending,” Jack whispered to Annie.
“Yeah,” said Annie, grinning.
Outside, the sun shone brightly. Birds sang. Crickets chirped. Jack and Annie walked up their street toward the Frog Creek woods.
“I wonder if the weather will be this nice in China,” Annie said.
“I don’t know. Remember, Morgan said this would be a very scary adventure,” said Jack.
“They’re always scary,” said Annie. “But we always meet animals who help us, or people.”
“True,” said Jack.
“I bet we meet someone great today,” said Annie.
Jack smiled. He was starting to feel excited now instead of scared.
“Let’s hurry!” he said.
They ran into the Frog Creek woods. They slipped between the tall trees until they came to a huge oak.
“Hello!” came a soft voice they knew well.
They looked up. Morgan was peering down from the magic tree house.
“Ready for your next mission as Master Librarians?” she asked.
“Yes!” said Jack and Annie.
They grabbed the rope ladder and started up.
“Are we still going to China?” asked Annie when they had climbed into the tree house.
“Indeed,” said Morgan. “You’re going to ancient China. Here is the title of the story you must find.”
She held up a long, thin strip of wood. It looked like a ruler, except
it had strange writing on it instead of numbers.
“Long ago, the Chinese discovered how to make paper. It was one of the world’s most important discoveries,” said Morgan. “But you are going to a time earlier than that, to a time when books were written on bamboo strips like this one.”
“Wow,” said Annie, pointing at the figures on the bamboo. “So this is Chinese writing?”
“Yes,” said Morgan. “Just as we have letters, Chinese writing is made up of many characters. Each one stands for a different thing or idea. These characters are the title of an ancient Chinese legend. You must find the first writing of the legend before the Imperial Library is destroyed.”
“Hurry, let’s go,” said Annie.
“Wait, we need our research book,” said Jack.
“Yes, you do,” said Morgan.
From the folds of her robe, she pulled out a book. On the cover was the title: The Time of the First Emperor.
Morgan handed the book to Jack.
“This research book will guide you,” she said. “But remember, in your darkest hour, only the old legend can save you.”
“But we have to find it first,” said Annie.
“Exactly,” said Morgan.
She handed Jack the bamboo strip, and he slipped it into his pack.
Jack pushed his glasses into place, then pointed at the cover of their research book.
“I wish we could go there!” he said.
The wind started to blow.
The tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still.
“Oh, wow,” Annie said. “These clothes feel so soft. And look, I have a pocket for my secret library card.”
Jack opened his eyes. Their clothes had magically changed.
They no longer wore jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers. Instead, they had on baggy pants, loose shirts, straw shoes, and round hats. Annie’s shirt had a pocket in it.
Jack saw that his backpack had become a rough cloth sack. Inside were his research book, his notebook, his library card, and the bamboo strip.
“Cows,” said Annie, looking out the window.
Jack looked out, too. The tree house had landed in a lone tree in a sunny field. Cows grazed, and a young man stood watching over them. At the edge of the field was a farmhouse. Beyond the house was a walled city.
“It looks so peaceful,” said Annie.
“You can never be sure,” said Jack. “Remember, Pompeii looked peaceful before the volcano went off.”
“Oh, yeah,” said Annie.
“Let’s see what the book says,” said Jack.
He reached in the sack and pulled out the China book. He opened it and read aloud:
Over 2,000 years ago, China was ruled by its first emperor. Because he chose the dragon to be his symbol, he was called the “Dragon King.” In China, dragons are seen as brave and powerful creatures.
“Dragon King? That sounds a little scary,” said Jack.
“I like his outfit,” said Annie.
Next to the writing was a picture. It showed a man wearing a rich, flowing robe with wide sleeves. He also wore a tall hat with beads hanging from it.
Jack pulled out his notebook and wrote:
“The book we need must be in the Dragon King’s library,” said Annie. “I bet his palace is in that city.”
Jack looked up.
“Right,” he said. “And that’s how to get there.” He pointed across the field to a dirt road that led to the walled city.
“Good plan,” said Annie.
She climbed out of the tree house and started down the rope ladder.
Jack threw the China book and his notebook into his sack. He slung the sack over his shoulder and followed Annie.
When they reached the ground, they started through the field.
“Look, that guy’s waving at us,” said Annie.
The man tending the cows was shouting and waving. He started running toward them.
“Uh-oh, what’s he want?” said Jack.
A moment later, the man stood in their path. He was young and handsome with a kind face.
“Can you do me a great favor?” he asked. “I would be most grateful.”
“Of course,” said Annie.
“Give a message to the silk weaver. You will see her at the farmhouse,” said the young man. “Tell her to meet me here at twilight.”
“Sure, no problem,” said Annie.
The young man smiled.
“Thank you,” he said. Then he started to leave.
“Wait, excuse me—” said Jack. “Do you know where we can find the Imperial Library?”
A look of horror crossed the man’s kind face.
“Why?” he whispered.
“Oh, I—I just wondered,” said Jack.
The young man shook his head.
“Beware of the Dragon King,” he said. “Whatever you do, beware.”
Then he turned and ran back to his cows.
“Oh, man,” whispered Jack. “Now we know one thing for sure.”
“What?” asked Annie.
“This place is not as peaceful as it seems,” Jack said.
Jack and Annie kept walking across the pasture toward the road. Annie stopped when they neared the farmhouse.
“We have to find the silk weaver and give her the message,” she said.
“Let’s do that on our way back,” said Jack. “I’m worried about finding the Imperial Library.”
“What if we don’t have time?” said Annie. “We promised. And he was so nice.”
Jack sighed.
“Okay,” he said. “But let’s find her fast. And remember to keep your head down so no one will notice us.”
Jack and Annie bowed their heads as they headed toward the house.
As they got closer, Jack peeked out from under his hat. An ox pulled a cart filled with hay. Men hoed the ground. Women pushed wheelbarrows piled high with grain.
“There!” said Annie. She pointed to an open porch where a young woman was weaving cloth on a loom. “That must be her!”
Annie ran to the silk weaver. Jack looked around to see if anyone was watching. Luckily, all the farmworkers seemed too busy to notice anything. Still looking around carefully, Jack walked toward the porch.
Annie was already talking to the silk weaver.
“What did he say?” the young woman asked. Her voice was soft but strong. Her dark eyes glowed with happiness.
“He said you should meet him in the field at twilight,” said Annie. “He’s so handsome!”
“Yes, he is.” The silk weaver gave Annie a shy smile. Then she reached down to a basket near her loom and picked up a ball of yellow thread.
“It was very brave of you to bring the message,” she said. “Please accept this silk thread as my thank-you.”
She handed Annie the ball of silk.
“It’s beautiful,” said Annie. “Feel.”
She handed it to Jack. The thread was smooth and soft.
“How do you make silk?” said Jack.
“It is made from the cocoons of silkworms,” said the weaver.
“Really? Worms? That’s neat,” said Jack. “Let me write that down.”
He reached into his sack.
“Please don’t!” said the silk weaver. “The making of silk is China’s most valuable secret. Anyone who steals the secret will be arrested. The Dragon King will have him put to death.”
“Oops,” said Jack.
He dropped the ball of silk into his sack.
“I think you must leave quickly,” whispered the silk weaver. “You have been seen.”
Jack looked over his shoulder. A man was pointing at them.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“Bye!” said Annie. “Good luck on your date!”
“Thank you,” the silk weaver said.
“Come on,” said Jack.
They hurried away from the silk weaver.
“Stop!” someone shouted.
“Run!” said Annie.
Jack and Annie ran around the farmhouse. At the back was an oxcart filled with bags of grain. There was no one in sight.