Polar Bears Past Bedtime Read online

  “Can you wait just a minute?” Jack asked the seal hunter. “So we can check something?”

  The hunter nodded. His dogs whined as Jack and Annie climbed through the tree house window.

  Jack grabbed the scroll that held the riddle. He unrolled it. The riddle was gone. In its place was one shimmering word:

  “We did it!” said Annie. “The tree house will take us home now.”

  “Great!” said Jack. “Let’s say good-bye to the seal hunter and give him back his clothes.”

  They quickly pulled off their sealskin clothing and their boots.

  “Thanks for letting us borrow these!” Jack called through the window.

  The seal hunter walked to the tree house and took the clothes from Jack and Annie. They stood shivering in their pajamas and bare feet.

  “Th-th-thanks for everything!” said Annie, her teeth chattering.

  The seal hunter gave them a wave. Then he walked through the swirling snow to his sled.

  “Mush!” he shouted.

  The dogs took off through the stormy night.

  “Let’s get out of here!” said Jack. He hugged himself. “Before we freeze to death!”

  Annie grabbed the Pennsylvania book that always took them home. She pointed to a picture of the Frog Creek woods.

  “I wish we could go there!” she said.

  They waited for the tree house to start spinning.

  Nothing happened.

  Jack shivered.

  “I wish we could go there!” Annie said again.

  Again nothing happened.

  “Wh-wh-what’s going on?” said Jack.

  He looked around the tree house. The four scrolls with the solved riddle answers were in the corner.

  Then he saw it—a fifth scroll.

  “Where did th-th-that come from?” he said.

  Jack grabbed it and unrolled it. On it were the words:

  Look at the letters:

  the first, not the rest.

  Discover the place

  that you love the best.

  “Oh, no!” said Annie. “Another riddle!”

  “Okay, okay. Let’s stay c-c-calm,” Jack said, shivering. “Look at the letters: the first, not the rest. Okay, the first letters in this riddle are L-A-T-L-T—”

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” Annie broke in.

  Icy winds battered the tree house. Snow blew inside.

  “We have to hurry!” said Annie.

  Jack was freezing. He looked around wildly.

  “Letters, letters, letters. What letters?” he said.

  His gaze rested on the scrolls in the corner.

  “M-m-maybe we should look at the letters of the answers,” he said.

  “Right,” said Annie.

  They began unrolling the scrolls.

  The scroll from their adventure under the ocean said:

  The scroll from their trip to the Wild West said:

  The scroll from their journey to Africa said:

  Their scroll from the Arctic said:

  “Oyster, echo, honey, mask,” said Jack. “Their first letters are O-E-H-M.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense, either,” said Annie.

  “Yeah, but maybe we have to unscramble those letters,” said Jack. “O-E-H-M … They could spell hemo.”

  “Or meho,” said Annie.

  “Or home!” said Jack.

  “HOME!” cried Annie. “That’s the place we love the best!”

  Jack unrolled the fifth scroll again. The riddle was gone. In its place was one shimmering word:

  “Yay!” cried Annie. She grabbed the Pennsylvania book. “I wish we could go home! HOME! HOME! HOME!”

  The tree house started to spin.

  It spun faster and faster and faster.

  Then everything was still.

  Absolutely still.

  Warm air washed over Jack. It felt wonderful.

  “You have succeeded in your quest,” said a soft, soothing voice. “Are you glad to be home?”

  Jack opened his eyes. Morgan le Fay stood in the moonlight.

  “Yes,” he said.

  “We solved all our riddles,” said Annie.

  “Indeed,” said Morgan. “You have proved that you can find answers to very hard questions.”

  She reached into the folds of her robe and took out two thin pieces of wood.

  “A magic library card for each of you,” she said.

  She gave one to Annie and one to Jack.

  “Oh, man,” said Jack, feeling the card.

  The wooden card was as thin and smooth as an ordinary library card. On its surface shimmered the letters M and L.

  “These are your Master Librarian cards,” said Morgan. “You are the newest members of the ancient Society of Master Librarians.”

  “What do we do with them?” asked Jack.

  “Take them on your future journeys,” said Morgan. “Only a very wise person or another Master Librarian will be able to see the letters. These will be the people who can help you.”

  “Wow,” said Annie. “Can we go on a mission right now?”

  “Now you must go home and rest,” said Morgan. “I will come back for you soon.”

  Jack and Annie put their secret cards in their pockets. Then Jack took out the Arctic book and put it with the other books.

  “Good-bye,” he said.

  “See you soon,” Annie said to Morgan.

  Morgan gave them a little wave.

  Jack and Annie climbed down the rope ladder.

  As soon as they stepped onto the dark ground, they heard a roar. They looked up. They saw a blur of wind and light high in the oak tree.

  Then all was silent.

  Morgan and her magic tree house were gone.

  Jack reached for his magic library card. When he felt its tingly warmth, he knew that amazing adventures lay ahead.

  “Let’s go,” he said.

  He turned on his flashlight.

  “The woods don’t feel scary like they did before,” said Annie as they walked through the trees. “I’m not afraid anymore.”

  “Me neither,” said Jack.

  “Hey, the darkness is like a mask,” said Annie.

  “Yeah,” said Jack. “It hides the day, but it brings out your courage.”

  They came out of the woods.

  Jack saw their house in the distance. It looked warm and cozy.

  The porch light glowed. The moon shone overhead.

  “Home,” he whispered.

  “Home,” said Annie.

  She started running. Jack took off after her, running to the place that they both loved the best.

  Here’s a special preview of

  Magic Tree House #13

  Vacation Under the Volcano

  Available now!

  Excerpt copyright © 1998 by Mary Pope Osborne.

  Published by Random House Children’s Books,

  a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

  Jack reached into his drawer and took out his secret library card. He held the thin piece of wood and ran his finger over its shimmering letters: M L.

  “Master Librarian,” he whispered.

  Jack couldn’t believe that he and his sister, Annie, were finally Master Librarians.

  He wondered if he should pack the secret card to take on vacation. His family was about to leave for a week in the mountains.

  Just then Annie stuck her head into Jack’s room.

  “Want to check the woods?” she asked.

  Every morning, they looked in the Frog Creek woods to see if Morgan le Fay and her magic tree house had returned.

  “We can’t,” said Jack. “We’re leaving soon.”

  “But what if Morgan’s there?” said Annie. “What if she’s waiting for us?”

  “Oh, okay,” said Jack. “Let’s look fast.”

  He grabbed his backpack. He threw in his notebook, his pencil, and his secret library card. Then he followed Annie downstairs.

  �
��We’ll be back soon!” Annie called.

  “Don’t go far!” their dad called. “We’re leaving in twenty minutes.”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll be back in ten!” said Annie.

  Right, thought Jack. Five minutes to the woods, and five minutes back. Even if Morgan sent them on an adventure, they would return at exactly the same time that they left.

  Jack and Annie ran out their front door. In the bright morning sunshine, they hurried across their lawn and down the street.

  “I had a nightmare last night,” said Annie.

  “What was it?” said Jack.

  “I dreamed fires were burning,” said Annie. “Everything was smoky and dark, and the ground was shaking. Do you think it was a warning?”

  “Nah,” said Jack. “Nightmares never come true.”

  They left the sidewalk and headed into the Frog Creek woods. The woods were quiet and peaceful. They walked between sunlit trees until they came to the tallest oak in the woods.

  “Yay!” said Annie.

  There it was—the magic tree house. And Morgan le Fay was waving from the window.

  “Hail, Master Librarians,” she said.

  Jack and Annie bowed playfully.

  “At your service,” said Annie.

  “Then come on up!” said Morgan.

  They grabbed the rope ladder and started up. When they climbed inside the tree house, they found Morgan holding a book and a piece of paper.

  “I have an important mission for you,” she said. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes!” they both answered.

  Jack’s heart pounded. Ever since Morgan had made them Master Librarians, he had been longing for their first mission.

  “You know I collect books for Camelot’s library?” she said.

  Jack and Annie nodded.

  “Well, there have been many great libraries lost in history,” said Morgan. “And with them, we have lost many wonderful stories.”

  “That’s sad,” said Annie.

  “It is,” said Morgan. “But luckily, with the help of the tree house and you two Master Librarians, some of those stories can be saved. Such as this one—”

  Morgan showed them the piece of paper. There was strange writing on it:

  Vir Fortissimus in Mundo

  “Is that a secret code?” said Jack.

  Morgan smiled. “In a way,” she said. “Actually, it’s the title of a lost story. It’s written in Latin, the language of the ancient Romans of Italy.”

  “Ancient Romans?” said Jack. He loved anything to do with ancient Romans.

  “Yes,” said Morgan. “This story was in a library in a Roman town. I need you to get it before the library becomes lost forever.”

  “No problem!” said Annie.

  “Do you have your secret library cards?” asked Morgan.

  “Yes,” said Jack.

  “Good. Do not lose them. The right people will know what they mean,” said Morgan. “And, as usual, here is a book to help you.”

  Morgan handed Jack a book called Life in Roman Times. The cover showed a Roman town with people wearing tunics and sandals.

  “That looks great,” said Jack.

  “And take this—the name of the story I need,” said Morgan. She handed the piece of paper to Jack, and he put it in his pack.

  “Remember,” said Morgan. “Your research book will guide you. But remember: In your darkest hour, only the ancient story can save you. But first you must find it.”

  Jack and Annie nodded.

  “Go now,” Morgan said softly. “And don’t forget what I just told you.”

  “Thanks,” said Jack. He pointed at the cover of the book on Roman times. “I wish we could go there,” he said.

  The wind started to blow.

  “I almost forgot—I’m going to help you blend in!” Morgan shouted above the wind.

  “What do you mean?” shouted Jack.

  Before Morgan could answer, the tree house started to spin.

  It spun faster and faster and faster.

  Then everything was still.

  Absolutely still.

  “Oh, cool,” whispered Annie. “Look at us.”

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

  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: 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 MOON

  #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

 

 

 
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