兒童英語讀物《神奇樹屋》 第二冊 Knight At Dawn 02 Leaving Again

2再度出發(fā)

“這兒一個人也沒有!”安妮朝著地面大聲喊道。

杰克想著回家。接著，他又想著樹屋里那所有的書。

他開始爬繩梯。當他快到樹屋時，他看到遠處天空中的亮光。天開始破曉了。

他從樹屋地板上的一個洞口爬進樹屋，然后放下了他的背包。

樹屋里很暗。

安妮用手電筒在散落一地的書上照來照去。

“書還在這兒。”她說。

她把燈光停在那本恐龍書上。正是這本書，把他們帶到了恐龍的時代。

“記得霸王龍嗎?”安妮問。

杰克哆嗦了一下。他當然記得霸王龍。有誰能忘記見過活生生的霸王龍?

燈光落在關(guān)于賓夕法尼亞的書上。紅色的絲綢書簽從里面露出頭來。

“記得蛙溪鎮(zhèn)的那幅畫嗎?”安妮問。

“當然記得。”杰克說。正是那幅畫，把他們帶回了家。

“還有我最喜歡的。”安妮說。

燈光照在一本關(guān)于騎士和城堡的書上。藍色的皮書簽插在里面。安妮翻到插書簽的那一頁。那幅畫上是一個騎士騎在一匹黑馬上。他正向一座城堡奔馳。

“安妮，關(guān)上那本書。”杰克說，“我知道你想干什么。”

安妮指著騎士。

“別，安妮!”

“我想我們可以見到這個真騎士。”安妮說。

“不，我們不去!”杰克大叫著。

他們聽到一種奇特的聲響。

“咴咴咴咴!”

這好像是馬的嘶鳴聲。

他們都向窗口走去。

安妮把手電筒照向地面。

“啊，不。”杰克小聲說著。

“一個騎士!”安妮說。

一個身著閃閃盔甲的騎士!一個騎著黑馬的騎士!正在穿過蛙溪樹林!

接著風開始呻吟，樹葉開始顫抖。

事情又一次發(fā)生了。

“我們要出發(fā)了!”安妮喊叫著，“快趴下!”

風的呻吟聲更大了。樹葉顫抖得更厲害了。

樹屋開始打轉(zhuǎn)，轉(zhuǎn)得越來越快。

杰克緊緊地閉上雙眼。

然后一切都平靜了。

絕對的平靜。

杰克睜開了眼睛。他顫抖不已。空氣濕漉漉、涼颼颼的。

馬的嘶鳴聲從下面?zhèn)鱽怼?/p>

“咴咴咴咴!”

“我想我們到了。”安妮低聲說道，手里仍然攥著那本城堡書。

杰克向窗外望去。

一座巨大的城堡在霧中若隱若現(xiàn)。

他看了看四周。樹屋落在另一棵橡樹上。樹屋下面，騎著黑馬的騎士正從旁馳過。

“我們不能呆在這兒。”杰克說，“我們得先回去，制定一個計劃。”他撿起那本關(guān)于賓夕法尼亞的書。他翻開插著紅色絲綢書簽的那一頁，指著蛙溪樹林的那幅照片。“我希——”

“不!”安妮說。她從他手中奪過那本書。“我們留下來!我要拜訪那座城堡!”

“你是大傻帽。我們得仔細研究一下形勢。”杰克說，“回家研究。”

“我們就在這兒研究!”安妮說。

“快來。”他伸出手，“把書給我。”

安妮把書還給他。“好吧!你可以回家，我要留下來。”她說。她把手電筒別在皮帶上。

“等一等!”杰克說。

“我打算去看看，就看一眼。”她說。她飛快地溜下繩梯。

杰克一聲嘆息。行，她贏了。他不能單獨離開，把她留下。另外，其實他自己也想去親自看上一眼。

他放下賓夕法尼亞的那本書。

他不聲不響地把那本城堡書放進背包里，跨上繩梯，下到地面。那冰涼涼、朦朧朧的霧氣迎面撲來。

2 Leaving Again

“No one’s here!” Annie shouted down.

Jack thought about going home. Then he thought about all the books in the tree house.

He started up the ladder. When he was nearly to the tree house， he saw light in the distant sky. Dawn was starting to break.

He crawled through a hole in the floor and took off his backpack.

It was dark inside the tree house.

Annie was shining her flashlight on the books scattered about.

“They’re still here，” she said.

She stopped the light on a dinosaur book. It was the book that had taken them to the time of the dinosaurs.

“Remember the Tyrannosaurus?” asked Annie.

Jack shuddered. Of coures he remembered! How could anyone forget seeing a real live Tyrannosaurus rex?

The light fell on a book about Pennsylvania. A red silk bookmark stuck out of it.

“Remember the picture of Frog Creek?” said Annie.

“Of course，” said Jack. That was the picture that had brought them home.

“There’s my favorite，” said Annie.

The light was shining on a book about knights and castles. There was a blue leather bookmark in it.

Annie turned to the page with the bookmark. There was a picture of a knight on a black horse. He was riding toward a castle.“Annie， close that book，” said Jack. “I know what you’re thinking.”

Annie pointed at the knight.

“Don’t， Annie!”

“We wish we could see this guy for real，” Annie said.

“No， we don’t!” shouted Jack.

They heard a strange sound.

“Neeee-hhhh!”

It sounded like a horse neighing.

They both went to the window.

Annie shined the flashlight down on the ground.

“Oh no，” whispered Jack.

“A knight!” said Annie.

Aknight in shining armor! Riding a black horse! Through the Frog Creek woods!

Then the wind began to moan. The leaves began to tremble.

It was happening again.

“We’re leaving!” cried Annie. “Get down!”

The wind moaned louder. The leaves shook harder.

And the tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster!

Jack squeezed his eyes shut.

Then everything was still.

Absolutely still.

Jack opened his eyes. He shivered. The air was damp and cool.

The sound of a horse’s whinny came again from below.

“Neeee-hhhh!”

“I think we’re here，” whispered Annie. She was still holding the castle book.

Jack peeked out the window.

A huge castle loomed out of the fog.

He looked around. The tree house was in a different oak tree. And down below， the knight on the black horse was riding by.

“We can’t stay here，” said Jack. “We have to go home and make a plan first.” He picked up the book about Pennsylvania. He opened it tothe page with the red silk bookmark. He pointed to the photograph of the Frog Creek woods. “I wish—”

“No!” said Annie. She yanked the book away from him. “Let’s stay!

I want to visit the castle!”

“You’re nuts. We have to examine the situation，” said Jack. “From home.”

“Let’s examine it here!” said Annie.

“Come on.” He held out his hand. “Give it.”

Annie gave Jack the book. “Okay. You can go home. I’m staying，” she said. She clipped the flashlight to her belt.

“Wait!” said Jack.

“I’m going to take a peek. A teeny peek，” she said. And she scooted down the ladder.

Jack groaned. Okay， she had won.　He couldn’　t leave without her. Besides， he sort of wanted to take a peek himself.

He put down the book about Pennsylvania.

He dropped the castle book into his pack. He stepped onto the ladder.

And headed down into the cool， misty air.