dinosaurs.
âRemember the Tyrannosaurus?â asked Annie.
Jack shuddered. Of course he remembered! How could anyone forget seeing a real live Tyrannosaurus rex?
The light fell on a book about Pennsylvania. A red silk bookmark stuck out of it.
âRemember the picture of Frog Creek?â said Annie.
âOf course,â said Jack. That was the picture that had brought them home.
âThereâs my favorite,â said Annie.
The light was shining on a book about knights and castles. There was a blue leather bookmark in it.
Annie turned to the page with the bookmark.There was a picture of a knight on a black horse. He was riding toward a castle.
âAnnie, close that book,â said Jack. âI know what youâre thinking.â
Annie pointed at the knight.
âDonât, Annie!â
âWe wish we could see this guy for real,â Annie said.
âNo, we donât!â shouted Jack.
They heard a strange sound.
â
Neeee-hhhh
!â
It sounded like a horse neighing.
They both went to the window.
Annie shined the flashlight down on the ground.
âOh no,â whispered Jack.
âA knight!â said Annie.
A knight in shining armor! Riding a black horse! Through the Frog Creek woods!
Then the wind began to moan. The leaves began to tremble.
It was happening again.
âWeâre leaving!â cried Annie. âGet down!â
The wind moaned louder. The leaves shook harder.
And the tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster!
Jack squeezed his eyes shut.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still.
Jack opened his eyes. He shivered. The air was damp and cool.
The sound of a horseâs whinny came again from below.
â
Neeee-hhhh
!â
âI think weâre here,â whispered Annie. She was still holding the castle book.
Jack peeked out the window.
A huge castle loomed out of the fog.
He looked around. The tree house was in a different oak tree. And down below, the knight on the black horse was riding by.
âWe canât stay here,â said Jack. âWe have to go home and make a plan first.â He picked up the book about Pennsylvania. He opened it to the page with the red silk bookmark. He pointed to the photograph of the Frog Creek woods. âI wishââ
âNo!â said Annie. She yanked the book away from him. âLetâs stay! I want to visit the castle!â
âYouâre nuts. We have to examine the situation,â said Jack. âFrom home.â
âLetâs examine it here!â said Annie.
âCome on.â He held out his hand. âGive it.â
Annie gave Jack the book. âOkay. You cango home. Iâm staying,â she said. She clipped the flashlight to her belt.
Â
âWait!â said Jack.
âIâm going to take a peek. A teeny peek,â she said. And she scooted down the ladder.
Jack groaned. Okay, she had won. He couldnât leave without her. Besides, he sort of wanted to take a peek himself.
He put down the book about Pennsylvania.
He dropped the castle book into his pack. He stepped onto the ladder. And headed down into the cool, misty air.
Annie was under the tree, looking across the foggy ground.
âThe knightâs riding toward that bridge, I think,â said Annie. âThe bridge goes to the castle.â
âWait. Iâll look it up,â said Jack. âGive me the flashlight!â
He took the flashlight from her and pulled the castle book out of his pack. He opened it to the page with the leather bookmark.
He read the words under the picture of the knight:
This is a knight arriving for a castle feast. Knights wore armor when they traveled long and dangerous distances. The armor was very heavy. A helmet alone could weigh up to forty pounds.
Wow. Jack had weighed forty pounds when he was five years old. So itâd be like riding a horse with a five-year-old on your head.
Jack pulled out his
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