序幕 Prologue

    One summer day in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, a mysterious tree house appeared in the woods.

     Eight-year-old Jack and his seven-year-old sister, Annie, climbed into the tree house. They found it was filled with books.

     Jack and Annie soon discovered that the tree house was magic. It could take them to the places in the books. All they had to do was to point to a picture and wish to go there.

     Jack and Annie visited the times of dinosaurs, knights, pyramids, pirates, and ninjas. Along the way, they discovered that the tree house belongs to Morgan le Fay. Morgan is a magical librarian from the time of King Arthur. She travels through time and space, gathering books.

     In their last adventure, Night of the Ninjas, Jack and Annie learned that Morgan was under a spell. To free her, Jack and Annie have to find four special things.

     In old Japan, they found the first thing: a moonstone.

     Now Jack and Annie are about to set out in search of the second thing… in Afternoon on the Amazon.

。。。

第一章: 花生在哪儿？ Where's Peanut?     "Hurry, Jack!" shouted Annie.

     Annie ran into the Frog Creek woods. Jack followed her.

     "It's still here!" Annie called.

     Jack caught up with Annie. She stood beside a tall oak tree.

     Jack looked up. The magic tree house was shining in the afternoon sunlight.

     "We're coming, Peanut!" Annie called.

     She grabbed the rope ladder and started up. Jack followed.

     They climbed and climbed. Finally they climbed into the tree house.

     "Peanut?" said Annie.

     Jack took off his backpack. He looked around.

     Sunlight slanted across a stack of books -- books about ninjas, pirates, mummies, knights, and dinosaurs.

     The letter M shimmered on the wooden floor. M for Morgan le Fay.

     "I don't think Peanut's here," said Jack.

     "I wonder where she is," said Annie.

     "How do you know Peanut's a she?" asked Jack.

     "I just know it," said Annie.

     "Oh, brother," said Jack.

     Squeak!

     Annie laughed. "Look, Jack!"

     A small pink sock was moving across the floor. Yesterday Annie had turned her sock into a bed for Peanut.

     Annie picked up the tiny lump.

     Squeak.

     A brown-and-white mouse peeked out of the sock. She looked from Annie to Jack with her big eyes.

     Jack laughed. "Hi, Peanut," he said.

     "Will you help us again today?" asked Annie.

     In old Japan, Peanut had helped them when they'd gotten lost.

     "We have to find three more things for Morgan," said Annie.

     Jack pushed his glasses into place. "First we have to find a clue that tells us where to begin," he said.

     "Guess what," said Annie.

     "What?" said Jack.

     "We don't have to look very far." She pointed at a corner of the tree house.

     In the shadows was an open book.

第二章: 巨大的臭虫 Big Bugs

     "Wow," said Jack, picking up the book. "The ninja book was open yesterday. Now this one. Who opened them?"

     Jack closed the book and looked at the cover.

     It showed a picture of a green forest. The trees were very tall and close together.

     On the cover were the words The Rain Forest.

     "Oh, wow," said Jack.

     "Oh, no," said Annie.

     "What's wrong?" said Jack.

     "I learned about the rain forest in school," said Annie. "It's filled with big bugs and spiders."

     "I know," said Jack. "Half of them have never even been named."

     "It's creepy," said Annie.

     "It's neat," said Jack. He wanted to take lots of notes in the rain forest. Maybe he could even name some unknown bugs.

     "Neat? Yuk," said Annie. She shivered.

     "I don't get it," said Jack. "You weren't afraid of dinosaurs."

     "So?" said Annie.

     "You weren't afraid of the castle guards or the mummy's ghost."

     "So?"

     "You weren't afraid of pirates or ninjas."

     "So?"

     "You're not afraid of really scary things. But you're afraid of little bugs and spiders. That doesn't make sense."

     "So?"

     Jack sighed. "Listen," he said. "We have to go there. To help Morgan. That's why the book was left open."

     "I know that," said Annie, frowning.

     "Plus, the rain forests are being cut down," said Jack. "Don't you want to see one before it's too late?"

     Annie took a deep breath and slowly nodded.

     "Okay, then, let's go," said Jack.

     He opened the book again. He pointed to a picture that showed blue sky, green leaves, and bright flowers. "I wish we could go there," he said.

     The wind began to blow.

     Squeak.

     "Stay here, Peanut," said Annie as she put the mouse in her pocket.

     The wind picked up. The tree house started to spin.

     Jack squeezed his eyes shut.

     The wind was whistling now. The tree house was spinning faster and faster.

     Then everything was still.

     Absolutely still.

     Wild sounds broke the silence.

     Screeeeeech!

     Buzzzzzzz!

     Chirp! Chirp!

第三章: 妈呀！ Yikes!

    Jack opened his eyes.

     The air was hot and steamy.

     "It looks like we landed in some bushes," said Annie.

     She was peeking out of the tree house window. Peanut was peeking out of Annie's pocket.

     Jack peeked out of the tree house, too.

     They had landed in a sea of shiny green leaves. Outside there were flowers, bright butterflies, and birds. Just as in the book.

     "That's strange," said Jack. "I wonder why we didn't land in a tree. The way we always do."

     "I don't know," said Annie. "But let's hurry and find the thing for Morgan. So we can get back home before we meet any big bugs."

     "Wait. This seems weird," said Jack. "I don't understand why we landed in bushes. I'd better read about this."

     "Oh, come on," said Annie. "We don't even need the ladder. We can just climb out the window."

     Annie put Peanut in her pocket. She stuck one leg out the window.

     "Wait!" Jack grabbed Annie's other leg. He read: The rain forest is in three layers. Thick treetops, often over 150 feet in the air, make up the top layer. This is called the forest canopy. Below the canopy is the understory, then the forest floor.

     "Get back in here!" cried Jack. "We're probably more than 150 feet above the ground! In the forest canopy!"

     "Yikes!" said Annie. She slipped back into the tree house.

     "We have to use the ladder," said Jack. He got on his hands and knees. He moved leaves away from the hole in the floor. He looked down.

     The ladder seemed to fall between the branches of a giant tree. But Jack couldn't see beyond that.

     "I can't tell what's down there," he said. "Be careful."

     Jack put the rain forest book in his backpack. Then he stepped onto the rope ladder.

     He started down. Annie followed with Peanut in her pocket.

     Jack pushed through the leaves. He came to the understory below the canopy.

     He looked down at the forest floor. It was very far away.

     "Oh, man," whispered Jack.

     This world was completely different from the one above the treetops.

     Now that they were out of the sun, it was cooler. It was also damp and very quiet.

     Jack shivered. It was the spookiest place he had ever seen.

第四章: 成千上万的军蚁！ Millions of Them!

    Jack didn't move. He kept staring down at the forest floor.

     "What's wrong?" Annie called from above.

     Jack didn't answer.

     "You don't see any giant spiders, do you?" Annie said.

     "Well… no." Jack took a deep breath.

     We have to keep going, he thought. We have to find the special thing for Morgan.

     "No spiders. Nothing scary," Jack called. And he started down the ladder again.

     Jack and Annie climbed down through the understory. Finally they stepped onto the forest floor.

     Only a few rays of light slanted through the gloom.

     The trees were very, very tall and very wide. Vines and moss were hanging everywhere. The ground was covered with dead leaves.

     "Before we do anything, I'd better check the book," said Jack.