神奇树屋11 -Lions at lunchtime-第七章-第十章

  Hi, There

The forest was cooler than the sunny plains.  It was filled with shadows and bird calls.

“Where are you?” Jack shouted.

“Here!” said Annie.

He found her in a thick glade.

Bright rays streamed between the trees.  Green leaves and vines swayed in the dappled light.

The little gray bird sat in a tree, twittering at them.

“Yuck, what’s that?” said Annie.  She pointed at a round brown thing hanging from a low branch.  Bees buzzed around it.

“If that’s her nest, it’s a pretty weird nest,” said Annie.

“That’s not a nest,” said jack.  “It’s a beehive.  Don’t you see the bees?”

“Yikes,” said Annie.  She stepped back from the tree.

But the little bird darted at the beehive and pecked at it.

“What’s she doing?” said Annie.

The bird kept pecking at the hive.

“I don’t know.  Maybe she’s as nuts as you,” said Jack.

“Look her up in the book,” said Annie.  “See if it says she’s nuts.”

“Are you kidding?” said Jack.  “That nutty bird isn’t going to be in this book.”

“Just look.”

Jack opened his Africa book.  He kept turning the pages.  Just as he thought —there was no gray bird in the book.

“Forget it,” he said.

“Keep looking,” said Annie.

Jack turned one more page.  And there it was: a little gray bird, a beehive, and a tall, painted warrior with a spear.

“I don’t believe this,” said Jack.

Then he read aloud:

This bird is called a honey guide.  It’s both a friend and a helper to the Masai (muh-SI) people, an African tribe known for their fierce fighting skills and bravery.

“Hi, honey guide,” Annie called to the bird. “I knew you were important.”

Jack kept reading:

The honey guide leads a Masai tribesperson to a beehive.  The bird waits for him or her to scatter the bees and take the honey.  Then the bird feasts on the honeycomb.

“That’s cool,” said Jack.  “They work together, like the zebras and wildebeests and gazelles.”

“Yeah,” said Annie.  “And she wants us to be her helpers.  We have to scatter the bees and leave her the honeycomb.”

“How do we do that?” said Jack.  He looked back at the book.  It didn’t say how.

“Well, maybe we could wave those weeds at them,” said Annie.  She pointed to some bright green plants that looked like giant fans.

Jack put his book and backpack down.  He and Annie pulled up the weeds.  They waved them near the tree, and the bees scattered.

Next, jack grabbed the tree branch and jiggled it.  The hive fell to the ground and broke open.

Annie stooped and stuck her finger into the golden honeycomb.

“Yummy ,” she said when she tasted the honey.  “Try it.”

Jack stuck his finger in the honeycomb, too.  He licked off the golden honey.  It was the sweetest honey he had ever tasted.

“Now the honey guide can get to her honeycomb,” said Annie.

“Yeah, but she’d better hurry.  Before the bees come back,” said Jack.

“It’s weird,” said Annie.  “Honey’s so sweet and good.  But to get it, you have to go past a lot of dangerous bees.”

“Oh, man,” whispered Jack.  “That’s it.”

“That’s what?” asked Annie.

Jack said Morgan’s riddle:

I’m the color of gold and as sweetest can be. But beware of the danger that’s all around me. What am I?

“I get it,” Annie whispered. “Honey…”

“Honey,” said Jack, nodding and smiling.  “That’s it.  We’ve answered Morgan’s riddle.  Let’s go home.”

He stood up to leave.  He gasped.

Standing in the shadows was a tall man with a spear and a curved sword hanging from his belt.  His face was painted in fierce, bright colors.

Jack knew at once what he was.

A Masai warrior.

“Hi, there,” Annie said in a small voice.

 

  Yum

The warrior stared back at Jack and Annie.

“We were helping one of your honey guides,” said Annie.

The warrior was as still as a statue.

“We didn’t mean to steal anything,” Jack said.  “In fact, it’s all yours.  We’ve had enough.”

“Lots of good honey still there,” Annie said, smiling.

The warrior narrowed his eyes.

Is he angry?  Jack wondered.

“I’m sorry we were trespassing,” said Jack.  “We come in peace.  In fact, we bring gifts.”  He picked up his backpack and held it out to the warrior.

The warrior still didn’t move.

“This?” Jack held up his book.

Nothing.

“Uh—“ Jack reached into his pack.  He pulled out the big jar of peanut butter.

“Peanut butter!” He pulled out the loaf of bread.  “Bread!  Hey.  Hey!  How about a peanut butter and honey sandwich?”

“Yum!” Annie said, watching the warrior.

The warrior stared at the food.

“We’ll show you,” said Jack.

As Jack unwrapped the bread, his hands shook.

Annie opened the jar.

“We don’t have anything to spread it with,” she said.

“Use your fingers,” said Jack.

“Excuse me,” Annie said to the warrior.  “I have to use my fingers.  But they’re pretty clean.  An elephant just—“

“Just do it, Annie!” said Jack.

“Okay, okay.” 

She spread the peanut butter onto a slice of bread with her fingers.  At the same time.  Jack spread the honey from the beehive on another slice.

Jack and Annie put their pieces of bread together.

“Ta-da!” said Annie, handing the sandwich to the warrior.

The warrior took the sandwich, but he didn’t eat it.  He just looked at it.

“Let’s make sandwiches for us, too,” Jack said.  “So he doesn’t have to eat alone.”

They quickly made two more sandwiches.

“See, like this,” said Annie.  She bit into her sandwich.  “Mmm…yum.”

Jack took a bite, too.  “Mmm…” he said.  It was really good.

Finally, the warrior bit into his sandwich.  He chewed slowly.

“This is called a picnic,” said Annie.

They ate their sandwiches in silence.

When they finished, Jack screwed they lid back on the peanut butter jar.

“Not bad, huh?” he said.

The warrior smiled.  He had a kind, dignified smile.

Jack and Annie smiled back at him.

Then the warrior turned gracefully and vanished into the trees.

“Oh, man,” said Jack.  Part of him wanted to follow the silent warrior through the shadowy forest.

“Ready?” Annie asked softly.

Jack nodded.

Annie started to go.

“Wait,” said Jack.  He put away the peanut butter and bread.  “We’re going back to the tree house, right?  We’re not going to do anything silly, like rescue anything or chase birds.  Right?”

“Those things aren’t silly,” said Annie.  “Don’t forget that the bird gave us the answer to the riddle.”

“Oh.  Right,” said Jack.

He looked at the little honey guide.  She was on the ground, pecking at the honeycomb.

“Thanks,” Jack said to the bird.

“Have a good feast,” said Annie.

Jack put on his pack.  Then he and Annie started out of the forest.

When they passed the pond, they saw the elephant still splashing in the water.  He lifted his trunk.  He seemed to be waving at them.

“See ya!” Annie shouted, waving back.

They rounded the bend in the river, then started through the tall grass.

As they walked back toward the tree house, they saw the wildebeests in the distance.  There were still some crossing the river.

They saw a family of zebras grazing together.

They saw lone giraffes walking from tree to tree, eating the leaves.

And they saw a bunch of lions sleeping in the shade of a tree—the same tree that the tree house was in.

“Whoops,” said Annie.

Jack’s heart gave a jump.

“So there they are,” he said.

 

  Tiptoe

Jack and Annie crouched in the tall grass.   There was a big lion, three lionesses, and a bunch of cubs.

“I think they’re sleeping,” whispered Annie.

“Yeah,” said Jack.  “But for how long?”

He pulled the Africa book from his pack and opened it.  He found a picture of lions sleeping under a tree.

He read in a whispery voice:

After a pride of lions has eaten, they rest for a few hours.  The other—

“What did they have for lunch?” Annie broke in.

“Don’t ask,” said Jack.  He kept reading:

Sensing that the lions are not hunting at the moment, the other animals graze nearby.

“If they can graze, then we’re safe,” said Annie.  She started to stand.

“Wait!” Jack pulled her down.  “Not so fast.”

He peered around.  The words in the book seemed true: the zebras and giraffes didn’t seem to be bothered by the lions at all.

“They might be safe.  But I’m not sure about us,” said Jack.  “We need a plan.”

“What if we wait till they leave?” said Annie.

“That could take hours,” said Jack.  “Plus they might be hungry again by then.”

“Oh, right,” said Annie.

“So here’s the plan—we tiptoe,” said Jack.

“Tiptoe?”

“Yeah?”

“That’s your whole plan?” said Annie.

“Yeah, tiptoe to the rope ladder,” said Jack.  “Very quietly.”

“Good plan,” Annie teased.

“Just do it,” said Jack.  He stood up slowly.  Annie stood with him.

They began tiptoeing through the grass very slowly.

The lion flicked his tail.

Jack and Annie froze.

When his tail was still again, they moved again.

Suddenly, high-pitched laughter split the air.

Jack and Annie stopped.

The hyenas were back.  They were standing off to the side, watching Jack and Annie.

Jack and Annie made silent monster faces and shook their fists.  But the hyenas only laughed some more.

The big lion stirred lazily.  He opened his golden eyes.

Jack felt the hair rise on the back of his neck.  But he didn’t move an inch.

The lion lifted his head and yawned.  His giant teeth gleamed in the sunlight.  The lion turned his head as he looked around sleepily.

Jack held his breath as the lion’s gaze rested on him.  The lion sat straight up.  His piercing yellow eyes met Jack’s.

Jack’s heart raced.  His mind raced.  He remembered something he’d read —lions avoid giraffes.

Jack looked around.  There was a giraffe walking toward the tree that the magic tree house was in.

Suddenly, he had a new plan.

“Get under that giraffe,” he whispered.

“Now you’re the one who’s nuts,” Annie whispered back.

But Jack grabbed her hand.  He pulled her over to the giraffe and underneath it.

The giraffe’s legs were so long, Jack and Annie could stand up under it.  Jack’s head barely brushed the giraffe’s golden belly.

The tall creature froze for a few seconds.  Then she moved slowly toward the tree.

Jack and Annie walked in the same rhythm as the giraffe.

They got closer and closer to the tree house—and closer and closer to the pride of lions.

The big lion had stood up.  He watched them moving under the giraffe.

When the rope ladder was just a few feet away, Jack and Annie dashed out from under the giraffe to the rope ladder.

Annie scrambled up first.

Jack followed right behind her.

As they climbed, the lion growled and leaped at the ladder.

The hyenas laughed.

Jack climbed faster than he’d ever climbed.  He leaped after Annie into the tree house.

Annie had already unrolled the scroll.  The riddle was gone.  In its place was one shimmering word: Honey

Jack grabbed the Pennsylvania book.  He opened it and found the picture of the Frog Creek woods.

“I wish we could go there!” he said.

Just then, the giraffe stuck her head through the window.

“Bye, honey!” said Annie, and she kissed the giraffe on the nose.

The wind started to blow.

The tree house started to spin.

It spun faster and faster.

Then everything was still.

Absolutely still.

 

After Lunch

Jack opened his eyes.  His heart was still racing.  Hyena laughter still rang in his ears.

“We made it,” said Annie.

“Yes,” said Jack.  “but it was very close.”

Jack took another moment to calm down.  Then he pulled the Africa book out of his pack and put it with the other books.

Annie put the scroll with the other two scrolls.

“The giraffe was the true honey on that trip,” she said, “sweet and golden, with danger all around it.”

“Yep,” Jack said.  “And now we have just one riddle to go.”

“Yep,” said Annie.  “Ready?”

“Ready.”

She started down the ladder.  Jack followed.  When they hit the ground, they walked through the sunlit woods.

“It’s time for lunch,” said Jack.

“I’m full from our picnic,” said Annie.

“Same here,” said Jack.

“What do we tell Mon?” said Annie.

“We say we ate our sandwiches coming back from the store,” said Jack.

“What if she asks why?” said Annie.

“Oh…just say we had a picnic with a Masai warrior in Africa,” said Jack.

Annie laughed. “Right,” she said, “because we didn’t want him to be mad at us for taking his honey.”

“Right,” said Jack, “the honey from a beehive that a honey guide led us to.”

“Right,” said Annie, “and that happened after an elephant gave me a shower.  And we scared off two hyenas.”

“Right,” said Jack, “and after you fell into a mudhole because you were helping a million wildebeests migrate across a river.”

“Right,” said Annie.  “and all that was before a giraffe saved us from a lion.”

“Right,” said Jack.

Jack and Annie left the Frog Creek woods and started up their sunny street.

They were silent for a moment.

Then Jack pushed his glasses into place.  “We better just say we ate our sandwiches on the way home from the store,” he said.

“Right,” said Annie.

“And if Mom asks why—“ started Jack.

“We’ll just say it’s a really long story,” said Annie.

“Right,” said Jack, “with, like—ten chapters.”

Annie laughed.  “Good plan,” she said.

“Very good plan,” said Jack.

They crossed their yard.  They went up their steps and through their front door.

“We’re back!” Annie shouted.

“Great!” called their mom.  “Ready for your lunch?”