Day of the Dragon King - Mary Pope Osborne [8]
“Let’s—go—home,” he said, out of breath.
He reached for the Pennsylvania book.
“Wait,” said Annie, looking out the window. “They found each other.”
“Who—found—who?” said Jack, panting.
He dragged himself to the window and looked out.
Two figures embraced at the edge of the field.
“The silk weaver and the man who takes care of the cows!” said Annie.
“Oh, yeah,” said Jack.
“Bye!” Annie called to them.
The couple waved back.
Annie sighed happily.
“We can leave now,” she said.
Jack opened the Pennsylvania book and pointed at the picture of the Frog Creek woods.
“I wish we could go there,” he said.
The wind started to blow.
Jack looked out one last time at the Chinese couple. They seemed to be glowing like stars.
The tree house started to spin.
It spun faster and faster.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still.
Jack opened his eyes. He was wearing his own clothes and his sneakers. The cloth sack had turned back into his backpack.
“Welcome home, Master Librarians,” said Morgan.
She stood in the tree house, smiling at them.
“Hi!” said Annie.
“We brought you the ancient legend,” said Jack.
“Wonderful!” said Morgan.
Jack reached into his pack. He took out the China book. Then he pulled out the bamboo book. He handed them to Morgan.
“What’s the legend about?” said Annie.
“It’s called The Silk Weaver and the Cowherd,” said Morgan. “It’s a very famous Chinese tale.”
“Guess what, Morgan?” said Annie. “We actually met them! We helped them get together!”
“Oh, did you?” said Morgan.
“Yes!” said Jack. “The silk weaver’s ball of silk saved us!”
“What does the legend say about them?” asked Annie.
“It says that long ago they were heavenly beings who lived in the sky,” said Morgan. “When they came to earth, they fell in love.”
“That’s when we met them!” said Annie.
“Yes, I imagine so,” said Morgan. “The book you brought back tells about their happiness on earth. But I’m afraid a later legend tells us that when they returned to the sky, the king and queen of the skies separated them by a heavenly river called the Milky Way.”
“Oh, no,” said Annie.
“They get back together once a year,” said Morgan. “On that night, birds make a bridge in the sky over the Milky Way.”
Jack and Annie gazed up at the bright summer sky.
“Go home now,” said Morgan. “Come back two weeks from today. Next you’re going to find a book in the country of Ireland, over a thousand years ago.”
“That sounds like fun,” said Annie.
Morgan frowned.
“I’m afraid it was a very dangerous time,” she said. “For Viking raiders often attacked the seacoasts.”
“Vikings?” said Jack. He’d had enough danger to last a long time.
“Don’t worry about it now,” said Morgan. “Just go home and rest.”
Jack nodded.
“I’ll try,” he said, pulling on his backpack.
“Bye,” said Annie. “See you in two weeks.”
“Thank you for your help,” said Morgan.
“Anytime,” said Annie.
They headed down the rope ladder.
From the ground, they waved to Morgan. Then they started for home.
As they got to the edge of the woods, Annie stopped.
“Listen to the crickets,” she said.
Jack listened. The cricket chirps sounded louder than usual.
“Their ancestors lived in the time of the Dragon King,” said Annie.
“Oh, brother,” said Jack.
“Right now the grownups are telling the little crickets a legend,” said Annie.
“Yeah, sure,” said Jack.
“A legend passed down from their ancestors,” said Annie.
Jack smiled. He didn’t want to admit it, but the cricket noise did sound like storytelling. He could almost hear them saying, Dragon King, Dragon King, Dragon King.
“Jack! Annie!” came a voice.
It was their mother calling them.
The spell was broken. The cricket stories were just plain old cricket sounds again.
“Coming!” Jack shouted.
Jack and Annie ran down their street and across their yard.
“Did you have a good time in China?” their mom asked.
“It was pretty scary,” said Annie.
“We got lost in a tomb,” said Jack. “But we were saved by an ancient book.”
Their mom smiled and shook her head. “My, books are wonderful,