Viking Ships at Sunrise - Mary Pope Osborne [1]
www.randomhouse.com/magictreehouse
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Osborne, Mary Pope.
Viking ships at sunrise / by Mary Pope Osborne; illustrated by Sal Murdocca.
p. cm. — (Magic tree house; #15) “A Stepping Stone book.” Summary: Their magic tree house takes Jack and Annie back to a monastery in medieval Ireland, where they try to retrieve a lost book while being menaced by Viking raiders.
eISBN: 978-0-375-89472-5
[1. Vikings—Fiction. 2. Monasteries—Fiction. 3. Ireland—Fiction. 4. Time travel—Fiction. 5. Magic—Fiction. 6. Tree houses—Fiction.]
I. Murdocca, Sal, ill. II. Title. III. Series: Osborne, Mary Pope. Magic tree house series; 15. PZ7.O81167Vh 1998 [Fic]—dc21 98-23602
Random House, Inc. New York, Toronto, London, Sydney, Auckland
A STEPPING STONE BOOK is a trademark of Random House, Inc.
v3.0
Cover
Dear Readers
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue
1. Before Dawn
2. The Steep Climb
3. Brother Patrick
4. Books of Wonder
5. Warships on the Waves
6. The Vikings Are Coming!
7. Fogbound
8. Lost at Sea
9. Sea Monster!
10. Sunrise
More Facts
Special Preview of Magic Tree House #16: Hour of the Olympics
For Benjamin Dicker
One summer day in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, a mysterious tree house appeared in the woods.
Eight-year-old Jack and his seven-year-old sister, Annie, climbed into the tree house. They found that it was filled with books.
Jack and Annie soon discovered that the tree house was magic. It could take them to the places in the books. All they had to do was to point to a picture and wish to go there.
Along the way, they discovered that the tree house belongs to Morgan le Fay. Morgan is a magical librarian from the time of King Arthur. She travels through time and space, gathering books.
In the Magic Tree House Books #8–12, Jack and Annie solved four ancient riddles and became Master Librarians. To help them in their future tasks, Morgan gave Jack and Annie secret library cards with the letters M L on them.
As Master Librarians, Jack and Annie must go on four missions to save stories from ancient libraries. They have already brought back a scroll from an ancient Roman town and a bamboo book from ancient China. Now, they are about to head out on their third mission …
Jack opened his eyes.
A thin gray light came through his window. His clock read 5 A.M. All was quiet.
Today we’re going to ancient Ireland, he thought, back more than a thousand years.
Morgan le Fay had told him that it was a very dangerous time, with Vikings raiding the coasts.
“You awake?” came a whisper.
Annie stood in his doorway. She was dressed and ready to go.
“Yeah, meet you outside,” said Jack as he climbed out of bed.
He pulled on his jeans, T-shirt, and sneakers. He put his secret library card into his backpack with his notebook and pencil. Then he hurried downstairs.
Annie was waiting for him in their yard.
The air was damp and misty.
“Ready?” she asked.
Jack took a deep breath.
“I guess,” he said. He was a little worried about the Vikings.
They walked silently over the dewy grass. Then they ran up their street and into the Frog Creek woods.
Mist clung to the trees as they walked through the dark woods.
“It’s hard to see,” said Jack.
“Where’s the tree house?” asked Annie.
“I have no idea,” said Jack.
Just then something fell in front of them.
“Watch out!” shouted Jack. He covered his head.
“The ladder!” cried Annie.
Jack opened his eyes.
The rope ladder from the magic tree house dangled in front of them.
Jack looked up. The tree house was hidden in the mist.
“Come on, let’s go,” said Annie.
She grabbed the ladder and started up. Jack followed.
They climbed through the wet air and into the tree house.
“Hello,” said Morgan. “I’m glad to see you.”
She was sitting in the corner. At her feet were the scroll they’d brought back from Roman times and the bamboo book from ancient China.
“I’m so glad to see you,” said Jack.
“Me too,” said Annie.