Maybe I should be a vampire instead of a princess,"said Annie.
She and Jack were sitting on their front porch. Acool breeze rustled the trees. Autumn leaves twirledto the ground.
"But you already have your princess costume, " saidJack. "Besides, you were a vampire last Halloween.""I know, but I want to wear my big teeth again,"said Annie.
"So wear your big teeth and be a vampire110princess," said Jack. He stood up. "I'm going to goput on my ghoul makeup now."KRAW!
"Oh, man!" said Jack.
A giant black bird swooped down to the ground.
The bird strutted through the fallen leaves. Itsfeathers glistened in the golden afternoon light.
"Wow, is that a crow?" asked Annie.
"It's too big for a crow," said Jack. "I think it mightbe a raven.""A raven?" said Annie. "Cool."The raven lifted its sleek head and stared atthem withbrighteyes. Jack held his breath. The bird hopped forward.
It flapped its greatblack wings and lifted into the air. Then he glidedinto the autumn sky and headed toward the FrogCreek woods.
Annie jumped up. "It's a sign! Morgan's back!" shesaid.
"I think you're right!" said Jack. "Let's go!"11Jack and Annie hurried across their front yard,crunching through the leaves. They ran up their streetand into the Frog Creek woods.
When they came to the tallest oak, they saw therope ladder swaying in the wind. The magic treehouse was waiting for them.
"Just as we thought," Annie said, smiling. Jackfollowed her up the ladder. When they climbed insidethe tree house, they saw no sign of Morgan le Fay,the enchantress from the kingdom of Camelot.
"That's weird, " said Jack, looking around. The windblew hard again, shaking the tree branches. A hugeyellow leaf fluttered through the open window andcame to rest at Jack's feet.
"Oh, man," he said. "Look at this." "What?" saidAnnie.
Jack picked up the leaf. There was writing on it.
The letters were curvy and old-fashioned. "Wow,"whispered Annie. "What does it say?" Jack held theleaf up to the tree house12window. In the fading light, he read aloud:
"M!"said Annie. "Morgan never signs her messages withM.
.
. .""Right . . . " said Jack. "But . .
"Merlindoes!" they said together.
"Like when he sent us the invitation to spendChristmas in Camelot, " said Annie. She pointed tothe Royal Invitation that still lay in the corner of thetree house.
"Now he's inviting us on Halloween!" said13Jack. "Halloween was called 'All Hallows Eve' along time ago.""I know," said Annie. "We have to go!""Of course, " said Jack. There was no way theycould turn down an invitation from the mastermagician of all time. "But how do we get there?""I'll bet our invitation will take us, " said Annie,"like when we went to King Arthur's castle onChristmas Eve.""Good idea," said Jack. He pointed to the fancywriting onthe leaf. "I wish we could go""To where this leaf invitation came from!" saidAnnie.
"Right!" said Jack.
The wind began to blow.
The tree house started to spin. It spun faster andfaster.
Then everything was still. Absolutely still. |