Season of the Sandstorms Read online

  The carpet zipped over the green dome with the horse on top. It flew over the courtyard, where the boys were still playing ball, over the third wall, and past the green field and the grand avenue.

  The carpet flew over the second wall, the houses, the hospitals, and the hundred lions in the zoo. It flew over the first wall, the arched bridge, and the moat.

  The carpet zoomed over the bazaar with the maze of stalls, the shoemakers, potters, and weavers. It sailed high over the road to Baghdad. Below, Jack and Annie saw the men driving donkey carts, the boys leading sheep, and the women carrying pots.

  The carpet flew faster and faster and faster—

  over the river, the grazing fields,

  and the dunes with the whistling sands,

  over the red glowing desert

  toward the setting sun

  and the small oasis

  in the middle of nowhere.

  The magic carpet slid smoothly onto the scrubby grass, near the small spring and the thorny shrubs, near the date palms and the rope ladder.

  The desert looked as if it were on fire with golden red light. Jack felt giddy. “That—that was so fast!” he said. “I can’t believe we made it all the way here.”

  “No kidding,” said Annie. “The magic must have helped us stay on.”

  She and Jack tried to stand. They teetered and fell against each other.

  “Steady,” said Annie, giggling. “You okay?”

  “Perfect,” said Jack. He put his bag over his shoulder and staggered off the carpet. Then he and Annie headed over to the tallest date palm. Jack pulled the rope ladder from behind the trunk, and they climbed up.

  When they got inside the tree house, Jack took out Merlin’s letter. He glanced out the window one last time.

  The sun was gone. The carpet looked small and ordinary in the shadows beneath the palm tree. The desert looked vast and silent and lonely. A thin crescent moon had appeared in the sky.

  “Return to the tree house before the moon rises,” said Jack.

  “That was our last instruction from Merlin,” said Annie. “We’re all done.”

  Jack looked down at Merlin’s letter. He pointed at the words Jack and Annie of Frog Creek. “I wish we could go home!” he said.

  The wind started to blow.

  The tree house started to spin.

  It spun faster and faster.

  Then everything was still.

  Absolutely still.

  The Frog Creek woods were chilly in the afternoon air. Jack and Annie were dressed in their jeans and jackets again. Jack’s shoulder bag was a backpack.

  “Good trip,” Jack said simply.

  Annie nodded. “Really cool,” she said.

  “I guess we should get home,” said Jack. “I have lots of homework to finish.”

  “Leave the research book. But don’t forget to take Teddy and Kathleen’s rhyme book for safekeeping,” said Annie.

  Jack reached into his backpack. He pulled out the book on the golden age of Baghdad and placed it on the tree house floor. Then he threw his pack over his shoulder and climbed down the ladder. Annie followed. Together they walked through the early-spring woods.

  “We passed Merlin’s second test,” said Annie. “We helped spread wisdom to the world…. That’s a pretty big deal.”

  “Be humble,” Jack reminded her.

  “Well, I guess Teddy and Kathleen’s book did the hard stuff for us,” Annie said humbly.

  “I miss them,” said Jack.

  “Me too,” said Annie. “But I think they might have been with us in Baghdad.”

  “What do you mean?” said Jack.

  “Remember that servant girl and boy who took us to the caliph?” said Annie. “They sort of came out of nowhere. And we never actually saw their faces, did we?”

  “No … ”, said Jack. “You think?”

  Annie shrugged. “Maybe.”

  Jack smiled and took a deep breath. “Maybe,” he said softly.

  “Two missions and five rhymes left,” said Annie. “I hope Merlin sends for us again soon.”

  “But not too soon,” said Jack. “I need to do my homework first.”

  Annie laughed. “Math with Arabic numerals?” she said.

  “Right,” said Jack. “And maybe tomorrow we’ll go to the library and see if they have any books of Aristotle’s wisdom.”

  “Good idea,” said Annie.

  A cool spring breeze rustled the trees, and Jack and Annie hurried toward home.

  More Facts About Baghdad

  Baghdad is an ancient city that lies between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Long ago, this area was called Mesopotamia, which means “between the rivers.” Today this land is called Iraq, and Baghdad is its capital.

  The character of Mamoon in this book was inspired by two caliphs of Baghdad in the ninth century—Harun al-Rashid and his son Abdullah al-Mamoon (often spelled al-Mamoun).

  It is said that Harun al-Rashid sometimes disguised himself and went to the bazaars to listen to his people. The world of al-Rashid was the inspiration for the collection of stories known as A Thousand and One Nights or Tales from the Arabian Nights.

  Abdullah al-Mamoon was the youngest son of Harun al-Rashid. He carried on his father’s work by honoring the arts and sciences. He also founded the House of Wisdom in Baghdad.

  The House of Wisdom was a home to scholars from all over the Eastern world. Two important thinkers who studied there were al-Kindi, who was called “the philosopher of the Arabs,” and the mathematician al-Khwarizmi, who introduced algebra (a kind of math) to the world.

  Many ancient writings were stored and translated at the House of Wisdom. Some of the most important writings included the work of the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Aristotle’s teachings helped lay the foundation for modern science.

  Harun al-Rashid helped start a golden age, in which Baghdad would be an important center of learning and culture for the next four hundred years. In 1258, the city was destroyed by Mongol invaders.

  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 with their Norfolk terriers, Joey and Mr. Bezo.

  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.

  Here’s a special preview of

  Magic Tree House #35

  (A Merlin Mission)

  Night of the New Magicians

  Available now!

  Excerpt copyright © 2006 by Mary Pope Osborne.

  Published by Random House Children’s Books,

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

  Jack sat on the porch, reading in the summer twilight. Crickets chirped in the Frog Creek woods. The bell of an ice cream truck jingled down the street.

  Annie stepped out the front door. “Let’s go,” she said.

  “Where?” said Jack.

  “Mom gave us money for ic
e cream,” said Annie.

  “Cool,” said Jack. He pulled on his backpack. Then he followed Annie down the porch steps. As they headed up the sidewalk, the smell of damp leaves and moss wafted from the woods.

  Annie stopped walking. “Listen,” she said.

  Jack listened. “What?” he said. “I don’t hear anything.”

  “That’s the point,” said Annie. “A minute ago, the crickets were blaring away. Now everything’s super quiet.”

  Jack listened again. Annie was right. All the Frog Creek woods seemed to be holding its breath.

  “Do you think …?” said Jack.

  “Maybe,” said Annie, grinning. “Let’s go check!”

  Jack and Annie hurried across the street and into the dimly lit woods. They walked quickly between the leafy trees, until they came to the tallest oak. A rope ladder dangled from the tree-top. The magic tree house sat high in the branches, catching the last light of day.

  Jack smiled. “I guess ice cream will have to wait,” he said.

  “Yep,” said Annie. She grabbed the ladder and climbed up. Jack climbed up after her.

  Inside the tree house, dusky light filtered through the window. Lying on the wooden floor was a folded piece of paper and a slim book with a red cover.

  Annie grabbed the paper. Jack picked up the book. “This must be a research book from Morgan,” he said.

  The book’s title was written in gold letters:

  “Paris World’s Fair?” said Jack.

  “That sounds like fun!” said Annie.

  “Yeah, but I wonder why we’re going there,” said Jack.

  “This should tell us,” said Annie. She unfolded the paper. “It’s Merlin’s handwriting.” She read aloud:

  To Jack and Annie of Frog Creek: I have discovered that an evil sorcerer is plotting to steal the secrets of four new magicians at the Paris World’s Fair.

  Your mission is to find the magicians, warn them, and learn their secrets for me. The four new magicians are:

  The Magician of Sound—

  his voice can be heard

  for a thousand miles.

  The Magician of Light—

  his fires glow,

  but they do not burn.

  The Magician of the Invisible—

  he battles deadly enemies

  no one can see.

  The Magician of Iron—

  he bends the metals of earth

  and triumphs over the wind.

  Good luck,

  M.

  “Our mission sounds more like a fairy tale than real life,” said Jack. “An evil sorcerer. Magicians of the Invisible, Light, Sound, and Iron. They sound like they belong in a magical place like Camelot, not a real place like Paris, France.”

  “But we’re going to a World’s Fair,” said Annie. “That sounds kind of magical, doesn’t it?”

  “Maybe,” said Jack. “But why do such powerful magicians need our help in the first place? Why can’t they defeat the evil sorcerer with their own powers?”

  “Maybe the sorcerer’s power is stronger than theirs,” said Annie.

  “So maybe we can help them with Teddy and Kathleen’s rhymes,” said Jack.

  Annie gasped. “Oh, no! We need the rhyme book! We have to go back home and get it!”

  “Don’t worry, I have it,” said Jack. “Ever since we got back from Baghdad, I’ve been taking it with me everywhere I go—-just in case Merlin sends for us.”

  “Whew,” said Annie. “Let’s take a look.”

  Jack reached into his backpack. He pulled out the small book written by their two young sorcerer friends from Camelot:

  10 MAGIC RHYMES FOR ANNIE AND JACK FROM TEDDY AND KATHLEEN

  Jack turned to the table of contents. “Okay, we’ve used five rhymes on our last two missions,” he said. “So we have five left for the next two. We haven’t used Spin into the Air, or Make Something Disappear, or Pull a Cloud from the Sky, or Find a Treasure You Must Never Lose, or Turn into Ducks.”

  “Quack! Quack!”

  Jack looked up.

  “Just kidding,” said Annie.

  “You’d better not make jokes about these rhymes,” Jack said. “You might end up saying the wrong one at the wrong time and really get us in trouble.” He closed the rhyme book. “Ready to go?”

  “Ready,” said Annie.

  Jack took a deep breath and picked up the guide book to the 1889 Paris World’s Fair. He pointed to the title. “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.

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  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 D
A 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