英语小说网

"We'd better look this up," said Jack. He pulled the rain forest book out of his backpack and flipped through it.

"I have to make some notes --" Jack said. He pulled his notebook out of his pack. He wrote: The Amazon rain forest is…

Annie patted the little mouse in her pocket.

"Maybe safe from the ants," said Jack. "But where is this canoe going?"

Soon he found a picture of a river. He read: The Amazon River stretches over 4,000 miles from the mountains of Peru, across Brazil, to the Atlantic Ocean. The river basin contains over half of the rain forests in the world.

Jack looked at Annie. "We're on the Amazon River," he said. "It's more than four thousand miles long!"

"Wow," Annie whispered. She looked at the river. She trailed her hand through the water.

"It's okay, Peanut. The ants can't get us in the river. We're safe," she said.

Squeak.

Jack and Annie stared at the river. Branches spread over the water. Vines and mosses hung down from them.

"Yikes," whispered Annie.

"We better get back on shore," said Jack, putting the books in his backpack.

"Watch it!" cried Jack. "Those aren't pretty fish. They're piranhas! They'll eat anything! Even people!"

Annie was pointing at some blue fish swimming near the boat. The fish had red bellies and razor-sharp teeth.

Jack reached for another thick vine.

"I'll grab a vine," said Jack. "And pull us to shore."

Jack tried to stay calm. "We need a plan," he said.

Jack stared at the river. The canoe would soon float under some vines.

"Balance the canoe," said Jack.

As they glided under the branches, Jack stood up.

The canoe floated under more branches.

It was cold and scaly. It wiggled and jerked!

"Good idea," said Annie.

The canoe rocked. He nearly fell out.

Annie leaned to one side. Jack reached -- he missed!

"What?" Jack glanced up from his writing.

He grabbed it!

"How?" said Annie. "We can't go in the water now. And we don't have any paddles."

"Jack, look at those pretty fish with the teeth," said Annie.

Jack and Annie jumped.

The snake fell from the tree. It splashed into the water and swam away.

"Oh, man," whispered Jack.

"Oh, man," said Jack.

"What now?" said Annie, making a face.

The vine was alive!

"Grab that branch near you," said Jack. "Maybe we can use it for a paddle."

The canoe floated closer to the branch. Annie reached for it.

"Help!" said Jack.

It was a crocodile!

"Well…" Jack looked at the river. There were no vines up ahead. But there was a big branch floating on the water.

But all he saw was a small brown monkey, hanging by its tail from a tree.

The crocodile opened and closed its huge, long jaws. Then it moved past the canoe and swam up the river.

"Help!" screamed Annie, and she fell back into the canoe.

"Ahhh!" Jack screamed and fell back into the canoe.

Suddenly the branch rose into the air!

A screeching sound split the air.

He and Annie stared in horror at each other.

It was a long green snake!

He expected to see another terrible creature.