英语小说网

I'm teeny. I'm light. I'm fast, he thought. Then he darted across the branch.

He forgot the wild, freezing water. He forgot the smallness of the branch.

"We have to try to cross it," said Annie. "We're supposed to follow nature."

Jack stepped onto the branch.

"Oh brother," said Jack. "Not again."

"If you could be a rock, you can be a mouse," said Annie. "Just be teeny and light and fast."

"Okay," Jack said.

"Squeak," said Annie.

Jack and Annie stared at the tree branch.

"Say 'squeak,' " said Annie.

"Let's go! Hurry!" said Annie.

Jack groaned. "Okay," he said. "Squeak."

"You're nuts!" said Jack.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak," they said together.

"Forget it," said Jack. "It's too little. It'll crack in a second."

"We have to," said Annie.

Jack took a deep breath.

"Maybe if we pretend we're mice, we can do it," said Annie.

Jack moved so quickly, he didn't think about anything -- except getting to the other side.

"Just do it," said Annie. "It'll help you feel more like a mouse."

The mouse vanished into the tall grass on the other side of the stream.

"I guess it was big enough," said Jack. "I guess we just had to think the right way."

"Where's Peanut?" said Annie. "We can't leave Peanut."

"No, we don't," said Annie. She pointed up.

"The Peanut way," said Annie.

"Yeah," said Jack, smiling. He felt great.

The tree house was outlined against the moonlit sky. High in a tree. Surrounded by white flowers.

He was still wet from his fall into the stream. But he didn't mind anymore.

They laughed and fell together into the grass.

"Come on," Jack said. He grabbed Annie's hand. He pulled her toward the rope ladder.

In the distance came the sound of voices. Then Jack saw flames.

Jack pushed his glasses into place and stood up. "Okay, now we just have to find the tree house," he said.

"We have to," said Jack.

"The samurai are coming back," said Jack. "We have to go."

The voices of the samurai were getting closer. So were their torches.

"See! See! The branch didn't break!" said Annie.

Suddenly Jack was on the other side. Suddenly Annie was right beside him.

"And take this --" said the master. He held his hand out to Jack.

They climbed up and up.

"Go! Go!" Jack said

Annie started up the rope ladder.

The master was holding Peanut.

"You have followed the way of the ninja," he said.

"Oh man," breathed Jack.

"Take good care of your little helper," he said, handing the mouse to Annie.

He gave Jack a small, round stone.

Someone else was in the tree house, too.

"You have done well," the figure said.

It was the ninja master.

"Oh Jack --" she said sadly.

"This moonstone will help you find your missing friend," the master said.

Jack stared at the stone. Was this one of the four things?

Squeak.

"Oh wow!" cried Annie. "Peanut's inside!"

Just before they got to the top, Jack heard it.

He gasped.

Jack followed. He felt sad, too. He liked that little mouse now. He liked it a lot.

A dark figure was sitting in the corner.

Annie pulled herself into the tree house. Jack followed.

Squeak.

Annie kissed the mouse's tiny head.

Jack gripped the stone in his hand. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"You must go home now," said the master. He picked up the Pennsylvania book and handed it to Annie.

"Yes," said Jack. "We need help finding Morgan."

"Wait!" Jack called. There was so much he wanted to ask the master. About nature. About ninjas. About their mission.

It spun faster and faster!

The master smiled. "No, my friends. I must stay here. There will be more help along the way. But you must find the way on your own."

Annie opened the book. She found the picture of Frog Creek.

Then he swung silently down the rope ladder. He disappeared into the dark night.

The white flowers started to shake. Clouds covered the moon.

"Where did you find it?" asked Jack.

The wind started to blow.

Then everything was still.

"Remember," the master said, "keep a kind heart."

She pointed to it. "I wish we could go there," she said.

But the tree house started to spin.

"Here," said the master. "You did not see it before. Because your heart knew you had a mission to complete first."

Absolutely still.

"What about you?" said Annie. "Can you come with us?"