Good grief," breathed Jack. "That family hasproblems.""Maybe we should help them," said Annie.
"No, we can't," said Jack. "Right now we have ourown problem. We have to start working on ourmission. Darn! I should have asked Nan's dad aboutthe artists in the palace.""I think he's too upset to think about that now," saidAnnie.
"You're right," said Jack. "So we need to find somefriendly people who work here and ask them."58"Let's go look for help," said Annie.
As Jack and Annie started toward the door, Nanrushed into the room again. "Has Wolfie come back?"she asked frantically.
"I'm afraid not," said Annie.
"Oh, dear! Papa will die if Wolfie doesn't returnsoon!" said Nan, near tears. "Can you help me findhim, please?""Well, we'd reallylike to," said Jack, "but--""Please!" said Nan again. "Please?"Jack sighed. "Okay," he said. "Sure.""Thank you!" said Nan. "The palace is very large. I'llgo this way, and you go that way. Surely one of uswill find him!" She hurried out of the room.
"I'll bet I know where Wolfie is," said Annie. "Thegarden. Remember he kept talking about the garden?""Oh, yeah. I think the garden is below that terracewhere I went after everyone laughed at me," saidJack. "Let's go check."Jack led Annie back through one of the elegant59palace rooms and into the party room. Everyonewas still seated, eating dinner and talking loudly. Noone noticed as Jack and Annie hurried through thedouble doors and slipped into the room off the terrace.
Jack opened the door, and he and Annie steppedoutside. The air was chilly, but it felt good. Jackpulled off his hat and his wig. He gave his head agood scratch.
Annie looked down at the moonlit garden. "Do youthink that's the garden Wolfie was talking about?" shesaid.
The silver light of the full moon shone on a largesquare with flower beds and fountains. Woodsbordered the square. Cricket sounds filled the night.
"Probably," said Jack. "Wolfie!"There was no answer.
"Let's go down and look for him," said Annie.
Leaving his wig and hat behind, Jack followedAnnie down the stone stairway. As they started60across the square, a strange sound came from thewoods: AI-YEE!
"What was that?''said Jack.
Two creatures scampered out from the trees.
"Ahh!" said Jack.
"Don't worry," said Annie. "It's just a squirrel and acat."The squirrel dashed over the flower beds anddisappeared. The cat ran after it.
"Yeah, but what was that noise from the woods?"said Jack. "I've never heard a squirrel or a cat make asound like that."Another sound came from behind the trees:
WHOOP-WHOOP-WHOOP!
"What was that?''Jack said.
"An owl maybe?" said Annie.
"I've never heard an owl make a noise like that!"said Jack. "Have you?"KER-LOO! KER-LOO!
"Yikes! What was that?''said Annie.
"I don't know. Those woods sound like a jungle,"said Jack.
61"Wolfie!" yelled Annie.
There was no answer. Wind shook the treetops. Thecricket chirps grew louder.
"This place feels really weird. Let's go back inside,"said Jack. "I don't think Wolfie's out here.""Wait a minute," said Annie. "I think I just heardhim."Jack and Annie both listened. A faint little cry camefrom the woods. "Annie! Jack!""Wolfie is out there!" said Annie. "Wolfie!" Shepicked up her hoopskirt. She hurried across the squareand disappeared down a path that led into the woods.
"Annie, wait!" Jack called. He started after her, butthen-WHOOP-WHOOP-WHOOP!
Jack froze. He was surethe whooping sound wasn'tcoming from an owl.
EEE-EEE!
Was that Annie screaming? Jack wondered.
"Annie?" he yelled. He dashed across the moonlitgarden and ran down the path to the woods. He6162stopped between the trees. "Annie?" he called again.
EEE-EEE! Something leapt down from a treebranch and landed on the path. "Ahhh!" said Jack,jumping back. It looked like a baboon! EEE-EEE!Thebaboon bounded away!
KER-LOO! KER-LOO!Jack looked up. Overhead ahuge crane glided through the air. KER-LOO! KERLOO!
AI-YEE! A crowned peacock stood in themoonlight, fanning its green and gold tail feathers.
What's going on?Jack thought. This is crazy!
AI-YEE!the peacock cried again.
Jack heard a rustling in the bushes. Something wasmoving through the woods, grunting, snorting, andgrowling. A huge bear lumbered onto the moonlitpath! Standing on its hind legs, the bear looked aboutten feet tall. It growled.
"Hi?" Jack croaked.
The bear growled again. It stepped toward Jack,raking the air with its huge claws.
63[Image: Jack seeing the Bear]
64Jack began backing away. Then he turned and ranas fast as he could. As he wound his way between thetrees, he could hear the bear crashing through thewoods behind him.
WHOOP-WHOOP-WHOOP!
A dog-like animal bounded across Jack's path. Jackrecognized it. It was a laughing hyena--a creature heand Annie had seen on the plains of Africa! What'sgoing on? Jack wondered again. Where are theseanimals coming from?
"Jack!" yelled Annie. "Over here!"Annie was hiding behind a tree. Jack ran over andcrouched beside her. He could hear the bear growlingand thrashing through the brush.
"A huge bear's chasing me!" Jack said.
"I know! He was chasing me, too!" said Annie.
"I saw a baboon, a hyena, and a crane!" sputteredJack. "What's happening?""I don't know!" whispered Annie. "Look!"From behind the tree, they watched an ostrichprance through the moonlight. Behind the ostrich,65a gazelle stepped softly over the path in the woods,looking from side to side. Then the peacock struttedback into sight, fanning its luminous feathers.
"It's like a zoo in these woods," said Jack.
"Oh, wow, that's it!"said Annie.
"What do you mean?" said Jack.
"The zoo! That's where they're from!" said Annie.
"Remember our coach driver said the palace had azoo!""But zoos have cages!" said Jack. "The animals don'tjust roam around free!""Jack! Annie!" Wolfie's voice was close by.
"That's Wolfie again!" said Annie. "Oh, wow. I'll betWolfielet the animals out of their cages.""Help!" Wolfie called.
"Oh, man, that kid's crazy," said Jack.
"I know, but we have to help him!" said Annie.
Annie picked up her skirt. She and Jack crept fromtheir hiding place and walked cautiously down thepath.
"Jack! Annie! Help me!"6566Jack and Annie kept going, stepping in and out ofthe shadowy moonlight. Suddenly Annie gasped andpointed. Wolfie was sitting in the crook of a tree upahead.
A large spotted animal was crouched below him.
"A leopard!" whispered Jack.
The leopard looked up at Wolfie and growled. |