英语小说网

Jack opened his eyes.

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

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

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

The air was hot and steamy.

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

Jack peeked out of the tree house, too.

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

"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."

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

"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.

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

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

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

"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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Oh, man," whispered Jack.

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