Read Online Season of the Sandstorms: A Merlin Mission by Mary Pope Osborne - Free Book Online

J ack put his math homework aside. He opened the drawer beside his bed and pulled out a small, handmade book. For the hundredth time, he stared at the title on the cover:
10 MAGIC RHYMES FOR ANNIE AND JACK
FROM TEDDY AND KATHLEEN
    For weeks, Jack had kept the book hidden in his drawer, wondering when he and Annie would be able to use its magic again. The book’s ten rhymes were to be used on four missions, and each rhyme could be used only once. Jack andAnnie had already used two rhymes on a mission in Venice, Italy.
    “Jack!” Annie rushed into Jack’s room. Her eyes were shining. “Bring the book! Let’s go!”
    “Where?” said Jack.
    “You know where! Come on!” Annie called as she ran back downstairs.
    Jack quickly put Teddy and Kathleen’s book into his backpack. He pulled on his jacket and took off down the stairs.
    Annie was waiting on the front porch. “Hurry!” she cried.
    “Wait! How do you know it’s there?” Jack said.
    “Because I just saw it!” Annie shouted. She hurried down the porch steps and crossed the yard.
    “You saw it? Actually saw it?” yelled Jack as he followed Annie through the chilly afternoon air.
    “Yes! Yes!” Annie yelled.
    “When?” shouted Jack.
    “Just now!” said Annie. “I was walking home from the library and I had this
feeling
—so I went and looked! It’s waiting for us!”
    Jack and Annie raced into the Frog Creek woods. They ran between the budding trees, over the fresh green moss of early spring, until they came to the tallest oak.
    “See?” said Annie.
    “Yes,” breathed Jack. He stared up at the magic tree house. Its rope ladder dangled above the mossy ground. Annie started climbing up. Jack followed. When they got inside, Jack pulled off his backpack.
    “Look, a book and a letter!” Annie said. She picked up a folded letter from the floor, and Jack picked up a book with a gold cover.
    “Baghdad,” Jack said. He showed the book to Annie. Its title was:
THE GOLDEN AGE OF BAGHDAD
    “A golden age?” said Annie. “That sounds cool. Let’s go!”

    “Wait, we should read our letter first,” said Jack.
    “Right,” said Annie. She unfolded the paper. “Merlin’s handwriting,” she said. She read aloud:
    Dear Jack and Annie of Frog Creek,
Your mission is to journey to Baghdad of long
ago and help the caliph spread wisdom to
the world. To succeed, you must be humble
and use your magic wisely. Follow these—
    “Wait, what’s a
caliph
?
”
said Jack. “And what’s Merlin mean—‘spread wisdom to the world’? That’s a big responsibility.”
    “I don’t know,” said Annie. “Let me finish.” She kept reading:
    Follow these instructions:
   Ride a ship of the desert
   on a cold starry night.
   Ride through the dust
   and hot morning light.
       
Find a horse on a dome,
   the one who sees all,
   in the heart of the city
   behind the third wall.
       
Beneath birds who sing
   in the Room of the Tree,
   greet a friend you once knew
   and a new friend to be.
       
Remember that life
   is full of surprises.
   Return to the tree house
   before the moon rises.
    —M.
    “This sounds pretty easy,” said Annie.
    “No, it doesn’t,” said Jack. “All these instructions are so mysterious. We don’t know what any of them mean.”
    “We’ll find out when we get there,” said Annie. “But first we have to get there. Make the wish.”
    “Okay,” said Jack. He pointed to the cover ofthe book. “I wish we could go to the golden age of Baghdad,” he said.
    The wind started to blow.
    The tree house started to spin.
    It spun faster and faster.
    Then everything was still.
    Absolutely still.

J ack felt hot. He opened his eyes. Burning sunlight was flooding into the tree house. He and Annie were wearing long robes tied with cords. They wore white head cloths and pointy slip-onshoes. Jack’s backpack had turned into a leather shoulder bag.

    “We look like characters in that book Aunt