Winter of the Ice Wizard Read online

  Jack and Annie moved out of the woods and down their street. They saw Christmas tree lights sparkling in people’s houses and candles shining in windows.

  Their boots squeaked as they crossed their snow-covered yard. When they got to the stairs of the porch, Jack stopped. He stared in astonishment.

  Annie’s red woolen scarf was draped over the railing of the porch.

  “I don’t believe it!” said Jack.

  “I do!” said Annie.

  They hurried up the stairs and Annie grabbed her scarf. “Look!” she said.

  She held up the scarf to show Jack. There was a tiny picture woven into it: a picture of him and Annie and two white wolves.

  Jack was speechless.

  “Cool, huh?” said Annie. She gave Jack back his scarf. Then she tied her scarf around her neck. She tucked the part with the picture under her jacket collar.

  The front door opened. A delicious smell wafted out from the house.

  “Hi!” said their mom. “The cookies are ready. Come inside and get warm!”

  Some time ago I wrote a book called Favorite Norse Myths. In that book, I retold the myths of the Viking people, who lived long ago in the icy, rugged lands of Scandinavia. While I was working on Winter of the Ice Wizard, several elements from the Norse myths inspired the plot of my story. For instance, the Norse myths tell about a god named Odin who traded his eye for all the wisdom of the world, and they tell about Frost Giants, who represent the most brutal forces of nature. There are also three sister goddesses known as the Norns who decide the future. (In Greek mythology, three sisters called the Fates determine the future.)

  While doing further research on the old legends of Nordic lands, I came across the swan maidens, women who could turn into swans, as well as wind-ropes (or wind-strings). I found out that wizards sold ropes with knots of wind to seafarers to help their ships sail across the ocean. Wind-strings are also mentioned in Hans Christian Andersen’s story “The Snow Queen.” The reindeer in “The Snow Queen” says that he can “twist all the winds of the world together in a knot. If a seaman loosens one knot, then he has a good wind.”

  Winter of the Ice Wizard closes this quartet of Merlin Missions. On these four missions, Jack and Annie find magical treasures for Merlin: water from the Cauldron of Memory and Imagination, the Diamond of Destiny, the Sword of Light, and the Staff of Strength. These four things were inspired by the Four Hallows of Camelot, which, according to Irish legend, were the four most sacred gifts of the ancient Celtic people.

  Here’s a special preview of

  Magic Tree House #33

  (A Merlin Mission)

  Carnival at Candlelight

  Available now!

  Excerpt copyright © 2005 by Mary Pope Osborne.

  Published by Random House Children’s Books,

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

  Dawn was breaking in the Frog Creek woods. Jack saw a light shining up ahead. He ran toward it. He ran so fast, he couldn’t hear his feet hitting the ground. He couldn’t feel the frosty winter air.

  As Jack got closer to the light, he could see the magic tree house at the top of the tallest oak. A girl and boy were looking out the window. The girl had dark, wavy hair and sea-blue eyes. The boy had tousled red hair and a big grin on his face. As the two kids waved at him, Jack felt incredibly happy.

  “Jack, wake up!”

  Jack opened his eyes. His sister, Annie, was standing beside his bed. She was wearing her winter jacket. It was barely light outside.

  “I just had a dream about the tree house,” she said.

  “Really?” Jack said sleepily.

  “I dreamed we were running through the woods at dawn,” said Annie, “and when we got to the tree house, Teddy and Kathleen were there waiting for us.”

  Jack sat up. “I just had the same dream!” he said.

  “Meet you downstairs,” said Annie.

  Annie left Jack’s room. Jack jumped out of bed, put on his glasses, and threw on his clothes. He grabbed his winter jacket and his backpack. Then he slipped quietly down the stairs and out the front door.

  Annie was waiting on the porch. The February air was chilly. Frost sparkled in the grass as the sun rose over the Frog Creek woods.

  “Ready?” asked Annie.

  Jack nodded and zipped his jacket. Without another word, he and Annie hurried up their street and headed into the woods. They ran through the long shadows of early morning, between the bare winter trees. Then they stopped.

  The tree house was back, just as Jack had seen it in his dream! It was high in the tallest oak tree, shining in the cold morning light.

  “Wow,” breathed Jack. “Dreams can come true.”

  “Yep,” said Annie. “Teddy! Kathleen!”

  No one answered.

  “I guess only part of this dream came true,” Annie said sadly. She grabbed the rope ladder and started up. Jack followed. Annie climbed into the tree house. “Oh, wow!” she said.

  “What is it?” said Jack.

  “They’re here!” said Annie in a loud whisper. Jack climbed in behind her. Their friends Teddy and Kathleen, apprentices to Morgan le Fay, were sitting under the tree house window. Wrapped in heavy woolen cloaks, they were both fast asleep.

  “Hey, sleepyheads!” said Annie. “Wake up!”

  Kathleen blinked and yawned. Teddy rubbed his eyes. When he saw Jack and Annie, he gave them a wide grin and leapt to his feet. “Hello!” he said.

  “Hello!” cried Annie. She threw her arms around Teddy. “We both dreamed you were here.”

  “Ah, then our magic worked!” said Teddy. “Kathleen suggested we send dreams to let you know we were here, and it seems our magic sent us to dreamland as well.”

  “But now we are all awake,” said Kathleen. “And I am very glad to see you.” She stood up, drawing her cloak around her. Her blue eyes sparkled like seawater in the dawn light.

  “I’m glad to see you, too,” Jack said shyly.

  “Are you taking us on another Merlin Mission?” said Annie.

  “Not exactly,” said Teddy. “Merlin has a most important mission for you. But this time, we will not be going along.”

  “Oh, no!” said Annie. “What if we need your magic to help us?”

  Teddy and Kathleen looked at each other and smiled. Then Kathleen turned back to Jack and Annie. “Morgan thinks you may be ready to use magic on your own,” she said.

  “Really?” said Jack.

  “Yes,” said Teddy, “but Merlin is very cautious about sharing magic powers with mortals, even with two as worthy as you. He is also wary of magic being used outside the realm of Camelot. Nevertheless, Morgan has convinced Merlin to let you prove yourselves. You will be tested on four missions.”

  “But we don’t know any magic,” said Jack.

  “Remember what I told you on our last adventure?” said Teddy. “If we all work together—”

  “Anything is possible!” said Annie. “But you just said you weren’t coming with us.”

  “That is true,” said Kathleen. “And that is why we bring you this.” She reached into a pocket of her cloak and pulled out a small handmade book. She gave the book to Annie.

  The cover of the book was made of rough brown paper. Written on it in neat, simple handwriting was the title:

  “You made this for us?” said Annie.

  “Yes,” said Kathleen. “One line of each rhyme is in Teddy’s language, and one is in mine, the language of the Seal People.”

  Annie opened the book to the table of contents. She and Jack skimmed the list of rhymes, and Jack read some of the entries aloud:

  “Fly Through the Air Make. Metal Soft.

  Turn into Ducks—”

  Annie giggled. “These are so cool!” she said. “Let’s all turn into ducks!”

  “Not now,” said Kathleen. “You must use these rhymes very sparingly. There are only ten rhymes in the book, and each can only be used once. They are meant to last you for four
journeys.”

  “Four?” said Jack.

  “Aye,” said Teddy. “Merlin has agreed that if you can use our magic wisely on four missions, he will teach you the secrets that will allow you to make magic on your own.”

  “Oh, boy!” said Annie.

  Jack put the book of magic rhymes in his backpack. “So where are we going on our first mission?” he asked.

  “This research book from Morgan will tell you,” said Teddy. He took out a book and handed it to Jack. The cover showed a bright, colorful city surrounded by water.

  Jack read the title aloud:

  A VISIT TO VENICE, ITALY.

  “I’ve heard of Venice,” said Annie. “Last year Aunt Gail and Uncle Michael went there on vacation.”

  “Aye, ’tis a city that has long welcomed travelers,” said Teddy. “But you and Jack will travel to the Venice of two hundred sixty years ago.”

  “What will we do there?” asked Jack.

  “Merlin has prepared careful directions for you,” said Teddy. He pulled a letter out of a pocket in his cloak and gave it to Jack. “Read this when you get to Venice.”

  “Okay,” said Jack. He put Merlin’s letter and Morgan’s research book into his backpack.

  “Wait a minute,” said Annie. “If we take the tree house to Venice, how will you guys get back to Camelot?”

  Teddy and Kathleen smiled and held up their hands. They each wore a ring made of pale blue glass. “These magic rings belong to Morgan,” said Kathleen. “They will take us home.”

  “Remember,” Teddy said to Jack and Annie. “Follow Merlin’s directions carefully. If you prove yourselves to be wise and brave helpers, he will call for you again soon.”

  Kathleen nodded. “Good-bye now,” she said to Jack and Annie. “Good luck.”

  Kathleen and Teddy raised their glass rings to their lips. Together they whispered words too softly to be heard, then blew on the rings.

  Before Jack and Annie’s eyes, the two young sorcerers began to fade into the cool morning air. In an instant, they had disappeared completely.

  “They’re gone,” breathed Jack.

  “I guess it’s time for us to go, too,” said Annie.

  Jack took a deep breath. Then he pointed at the cover of the Venice 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.

  Mary Pope Osborne is the award-winning author of many novels, picture books, story collections, and nonfiction books, including Adaline Falling Star, Kate and the Beanstalk, New York’s Bravest, Favorite Medieval Tales, Favorite Greek Myths, and One World, Many Religions. Her bestselling Magic Tree House series has been translated into many languages around the world. Highly recommended by parents and educators everywhere, the series introduces young readers to different cultures and times in history, as well as to the world’s legacy of ancient myth and storytelling. Mary Pope Osborne is married to Will Osborne, a co-author of many of the Magic Tree House Research Guides. They live in northwestern Connecticut.

  Sal Murdocca is best known for his amazing work on the Magic Tree House series. He has written and/or illustrated over two hundred children’s books, including Dancing Granny by Elizabeth Winthrop, Double Trouble in Walla Walla by Andrew Clements, and Big Numbers by Edward Packard. He has taught writing and illustration at the Parsons School of Design in New York. He is the librettist for a children’s opera and has recently completed his second short film. Sal Murdocca is an avid runner, hiker, and bicyclist. He has often bicycle-toured in Europe and has had many one-man shows of his paintings from these trips. He lives and works with his wife, Nancy, in New City, New York.

  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: 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