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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781504977906 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 02/09/2016 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 78 |
| File size: | 3 MB |
Read an Excerpt
Pirates!
The Enchanted Tree #2
By Clare Jaget
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2016 Clare JagetAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5049-7789-0
CHAPTER 1
The sun was rising over the old mill in Red Hook. Emily stretched, yawned and opened her eyes. She groped around for her glasses on the bedside table and balanced them on her little snub nose. Within a second she had bounded out of bed and pulled back her curtains, letting the watery sunlight fill her bedroom. She looked out at the garden and to her delight the large, old oak tree was standing at the bottom of it. She laughed out loud, clapped her hands and ran off to find her cousin Thomas in the next room.
Thomas was still snoring in bed, with his big brown dog, Henry, snoring next to him. Emily jumped on top of them both, shouting and laughing. Poor Henry rolled over in his confusion and fell on to the floor, while Thomas pulled the covers over his head and told Emily to go back to England!
"But Thomas!" Emily cried, "The tree, it's still there! Standing up right like it always did!"
She rushed over to Henry, who tried to make an escape under the bed but she caught him at the last moment.
"And look! Henry is still wearing the collar with the shiny bone on it that the leprechaun gave him!" said Emily excitedly, as she prized open the aforementioned 'bone', which was really the case for a key. She gasped as she picked it up, turning it over and over in her hands, examining the ornate iron key.
"Thomas" she whispered, "The key is here! The key to our adventures!" Emily tumbled on to the bed in a breathless heap, eyes wide with wonder.
Thomas slowly pulled himself out from under the blankets and stared at the key and then at Emily. "So it was real Em? I didn't dream it all?"
"It really happened Tommy, the tree blew over in the storm and we climbed down the hole it left in the ground. We really did meet Queen Mab and go to her birthday party and meet all those fairie folk!"
"And Henry found the gold at the end of the rainbow! Those wishes then. ..." Thomas paused "They really did come true?"
"Well, I wished that the tree would stand up again, and it is, look," said Emily, leading Thomas to the window.
"Wow! It sure is!" he laughed "Henry asked for a new collar and he's wearing it and me? I asked that we could go back to the tree for more adventures, and here is the key! Oh Emily, this is awesome dude!"
The two cousins looked at each other and smiled, they could only begin to imagine the amazing adventures that awaited them.
"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" asked Emily
"Sure am!" exclaimed Thomas, "come on, let's get dressed and go visit Queen Mab again!"
The children hurriedly pulled on their clothes, cleaned their teeth, brushed their hair and rushed downstairs with Henry barking at their heels. There were some bagels left out on the kitchen table and grabbing one each the excited kids ran outside, down the garden and stopped at the foot of the enormous oak tree.
Emily took a deep breath and looked at the key in her hand.
"Here goes!" she said in barely a whisper, then looking up at the trunk she walked around the tree several times. Thomas watched quietly.
"Um..what are you doing Emily?" he asked, confused.
Emily stopped where she was and threw up her hands in disappointment.
"I can't find the key hole! Where is the key supposed to go?" she said.
"You are looking too high!" answered Thomas and on his hands and knees he searched for the opening around the base of the tree. When he found nothing, the children scrutinized every bit of the tree trunk, until their eyes hurt, but with no luck.
"This is hopeless!" yelled Emily, throwing the key across the lawn in frustration. She sat down on the grass and lent up against the tree taking an angry bite out of her bagel. Henry ran after the key and picked it up in his mouth.
"There's no point fetching it Henry, it's of no use," sulked Emily.
"But, I bet he knows where the keyhole is, don't you Henry?" said Thomas running over to the big brown dog.
"He can't answer you Tom, remember? He can only talk down there!" Emily buried her head in her hands and was on the verge of tears as Henry brushed passed her and held the key up to the trunk.
Thomas let out a loud whoop as he watched a keyhole materialize before his eyes.
"Emily! Emily! Look!" he cried, "You've got to hold the key up to the trunk and the key hole appears like magic! Good going Henry, you are a clever dog!"
CHAPTER 2The children watched in amazement. It was astonishing indeed. When Henry held the key up to the trunk a keyhole appeared, when he took it away the keyhole disappeared completely. The same thing happened on whichever part of the trunk the key was held up to.
Emily flung her arms around the unsuspecting dog, "This is terrific Henry! Of course you know the way back. I never doubted it for a moment!"
Henry pulled himself free and dropped the key in to Emily's lap, with such an air of canine superiority that any passer-by would have been suitably impressed.
"Come on Em! What are you waiting for? Come on, come on!" said Thomas, jumping up and down.
Emily stood up and let the key touch the gnarly old trunk. She slipped the key into the hole that appeared and turned it 'til it clicked. A door opened in the side, a door that hadn't been there before swung out to let them in. The spiral staircase was there, just as they'd left it.
"Quick, let's go!" cried Thomas "Before anyone sees us and discovers our secret!"
They stepped inside and Emily popped the key back into Henry's collar. The door closed shut behind them and the two little kids and their dog stood in the chilly darkness as they'd done before, the damp smell of earth and nature swirled about. Emily shivered with excitement and grabbed the flash-light she had left there. Henry and Thomas rushed on ahead, slipping and sliding down the steps as they descended further underground.
"All the doors are still here!" remarked Emily on reaching the bottom. They found themselves once more in the large cavern, surrounded by doors of various shapes and sizes. The room was dimly lit with candles and the eerie silence shouted "Welcome!"
"Where are all the faeries? Where is Queen Mab?" wondered Thomas, rather disappointed.
"They are far too busy collecting lost teeth at the moment!' explained Henry "a considerable amount of children in the neighborhood have just turned six!"
The children were delighted to hear Henry talk again and soon got to discussing which door they should go through. Emily wanted to go through the pink one but Thomas, fearing that a pink door would perhaps lead to somewhere girlie, opted for the brown one. Just as they were about to quarrel Henry butted in with a deep cough.
"Ahem! You will notice Emily, that the key you are holding is now glowing!"
Emily looked down and jumped in surprise. The key was shining a beautiful royal blue.
"Oh my goodness! What does this mean?" she asked.
"Queen Mab has already determined which door you should visit.," answered Henry, scratching his floppy brown ear. "The key is blue, therefore you must find the blue door. The key won't unlock anything else."
"Wow! This is so cool!" said Thomas "Henry you're the dude!"
"I know" came his answer, but neither of the childern heard because they were already too busy searching for the blue door.
"Here it is! I've found it!" called Thomas, snatching the key from Emily he opened the door hanging in the middle of the cavern, and ran through, Henry following. Emily was a little more cautious as she looked around her. This was truly incredible.
They found themselves on a beautiful beach of white sand, the turquoise sea calm and clear as crystal. The sun shone high in a cloudless sky. It was the sort of day you'd hug if you could get your arms around it. Emily wiggled her toes in the sand. How extraordinary! Her feet were bare! Where were her sandals? Glancing down she saw that her pretty shorts and T-shirt had changed into ripped trousers and an old white shirt, several sizes too large, tied with a big, black belt. She noticed that Thomas was dressed in a similar way and was already wading in the ocean with Henry.
"Come on in Em!" called Thomas "the water is so warm, it's like a bath! And you should see these fish! All sorts of colors- like at the pet store!"
Emily laughed and took a deep breath of the refreshing sea air. How could she be surprised anymore? This was magic after all!
"In a minute Tommy! I'm collecting shells" she cried.
As Emily sifted through the sand something sparkled and caught her eye. It was a large gold hoop and on closer examination she realized that it was an earring. She was just holding it up when the others came bounding up the beach towards her.
"Emily, look out to sea!" cried Thomas all red in the face and panting. "Emily, look out there. An old fashioned ship."
He pointed to the horizon and Emily glanced up, the ship was a huge wooden vessel with square masts and rigging. She gasped as she saw the Jolly Roger blowing in the breeze. She looked back at the earring then at Thomas then at the ship with its infamous flag baring the skull and cross bones.
"Oh my goodness Tommy, this means only one thing!" she muttered.
Henry and Thomas looked at her.
"PIRATES!"
CHAPTER 3"Wow, this is cool Em! I've always wanted to meet real pirates!" laughed Thomas
"Goodness me! What ever for?" asked his cousin rather shocked "I've heard that they aren't very friendly and terribly mean and dirty!"
Thomas stared longingly out to sea, he could just make out the figures of men working on deck and climbing the rigging. Thomas was thinking about the exciting life they must lead when a roar of laughter interrupted his thoughts. He immediately turned around but no one was there. Emily and Henry were looking in the direction of a cave further along the beach.
"There are people in there!" exclaimed Henry "Let's go and see!"
Before Emily could utter a word in protest Henry was chasing up the sand with Thomas close behind. There was nothing left to be done but to follow on after them.
"Wait for me!" she cried, "Wait!"
Thomas and Henry stopped at the mouth of the cave when an out of breath Emily caught up to them. She was just about to rant when Thomas put up his hand and shushed her.
The sound of muffled conversation was coming from deep inside, and occasionally raucous laughter echoed around the walls.
"Come on! We've got to go and see who it is!" Thomas whispered
"Why on earth would we do that?" whispered back a startled Emily
"Cos it will be fun!" said Thomas with a smirk.
"Alright," agreed Emily "but just a quick peek."
They tiptoed around seaweed that lay at the entrance and crept in to the darkness. The air tasted salty, the moist walls of the cave decorated with vapor trails and crustacean fossils.
"I can see light coming around the corner," said Thomas softly from the lead and he edged himself against the wall to peep his head around. He suddenly sprang back to where he was with a gasp, and in a barely audible voice tried to explain what he'd seen.
"Let me see!" mumbled Emily growing impatient and she too peeped around the corner.
What an amazing sight met her eyes. There were several pirates sitting around a campfire, telling jokes and gnawing on chicken bones. Another wandered about on rickety legs, swaying from side to side, the consequence of spending so long on board a heaving deck. Some lent against the walls, others lay down.
They were a motley looking crew. Their hair was uncut and tangled, bushy beards covered their faces, their arms were burned and weathered from months at sea. Their clothes were a carnival of colors and fabrics, stolen from captured ships or acquired from exotic lands. Some had found red waistcoats, and tied scarves loosely around their necks. Others donned velvet hats with bright feathers or wore highly embroidered silk and lace.
Then someone else caught her eye. Sitting off to the side was an older leaner pirate, dressed more like an English gentleman, with extra finery. He had an extremely long, black beard that he had twisted all about with colored ribbons, some reaching down to his chest. He carried three pistols in a brace slung over his shoulders. He was busy examining the contents of a wooden chest with a snarling grin on his face. Emily knew who he was immediately and she staggered backwards.
"What's wrong Em?" asked Thomas
"Thomas! That pirate! His name is Blackbeard and he is the most infamous, legendary pirate in history! We haven't only traveled to another country but a different time as well! We've got to get out of here!"
In her haste Emily tripped over Henry standing behind her and fell on the sand with a muffled thud, the children froze and held their breath. They stared at each other in desperate silence, it seemed as though their eyes were performing the function of hearing as well as seeing. It seemed that nobody had heard them and when Emily was sure of this she pulled herself up against Henry. His tail wagged against her face. ...
"Ah, Ah, Atishoo" she sneezed loudly!
CHAPTER 4"Bless you!" said an exceedingly grubby pirate to the friend he was playing cards with.
"What ya blessing me for Kruddy? I didn't sneeze," answered his merry friend whose cheery face was as round and as red as a cherry.
"Blisterin' barnacles you did, I heard you!" yelled Kruddy, standing up and throwing his cards all about.
"AAAARRR! You did not!" yelled back the jolly chap, also rising to his feet and snarling with his fists clenched.
Emily tried not to laugh, the two pirates looked so funny. Kruddy was very tall and thin, wearing a stripy blue shirt, tatty old pants that stopped short of his ankles and a crumpled top hat that had seen better days. Whereas his friend was as round as he was long, he barely reached up to Kruddy's arm-pit as he now stood next to him! His head was bald, his teeth were gold and his trousers were held up with a piece of old string.
"So ya wanna fight do ya Briggs?" growled Kruddy and smiled a bitter smile, which dragged all the flesh of his forehead into a corrugated heap at the centre. With that he drew his sword and made a stab at the merry pirates' waistcoat: which, if the sword had gone any further, would have let out a little more merriment than could have been easily replaced.
Unfortunately the children were so preoccupied watching this strange pantomime that they failed to notice someone creeping up on them.
"Ah ha! We've got visitors Blackbeard!" yelled a scrawny pirate as he pounced out of the shadows in front of them, laughing. He had a large meaty nose covered in blackheads and a dusty looking parrot sitting on his shoulder.
Emily cried out in alarm, Thomas nearly jumped out of his skin and Henry lay down with his paws over his eyes. Blackbeard looked up from his treasure and slowly rose to his feet. He was over six feet tall and looked even meaner than before, the children watched in horror as he walked nearer. All the other pirates stopped what they were doing and closed in around them.
"Good job Jake," hissed Blackbeard as he glared at the strangers. He bent down to Thomas and looked him in the eye. Blackbeard's breath stank of moldy cheese, his clothes reeked of rotting fish, and he gave the overall impression of being unpleasant to touch, like something going bad inside.
"Now might you tell me what you are doing in my cave?" he asked.
Thomas gasped for breath "Yuk, you stink!" he shouted, "You need to take a bath or something!"
"What?!" exclaimed Blackbeard, quite taken aback.
"Thomas!" Emily cried, hardly believing her ears.
After a moment of stunned silence all the other pirates started to roar with laughter and soon even Blackbeard saw the funny side. In fact he laughed so hard that his jaw ached and tears rolled down his whiskers.
"Bless my soul! I haven't laughed like that for ages" sniffed Blackbeard, drying his eyes.
"Young man, however you got here I don't care, but you, ya friend and ya dog must dine with me on me ship, come on, the boats are awaiting!"
The children daren't say no. Blackbeard barked orders at his crew and they all headed out of the cave. Across the beach at the water's edge were four little rowing boats, the first three the pirates pushed and shoved their way into, while Blackbeard sat alone in the fourth. He beckoned to Thomas and Emily to join him and Henry jumped in behind. Kruddy and Briggs took the oars and on Blackbeard's command they all set off. Emily watched in alarm as the other boats wobbled precariously to and fro, stuffed too full with ill-mannered pirates, shouting and belching at one another.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Pirates! by Clare Jaget. Copyright © 2016 Clare Jaget. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
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