《神奇树屋》 第三十八册 Monday with a Mad Genius 02 Looking for Leonardo

　　A different bell was bonging in the distance. Brightearly sunlight poured through the tree house window.



Teddy and Kathleen were gone.



Jack 1 looked down at his clothes. He was wearing aknee-length tunic 2 and dark tights. Annie wore a longdress with puffy sleeves. Jack's backpack had changedinto a cloth bag.



Jack and Annie looked out the window. The treehouse had landed in a tall tree in a garden surroundedby green hedges. Beyond the garden was a sea of red-tiled roofs. A huge eight-sided24[picture]



25dome and a stone tower rose high above the redrooftops.



"Welcome to Florence, Italy," said Annie.



26Jack opened their book and read aloud:



In the early 1500s, many artists and craftspeoplelived in the city of Florence. The city was filled withsilk weavers 3, potters, and marble workers. Artistsmade sculptures, paintings, and tapestries 4.



"Cool," said Annie. "I love art." Jack read more:



But the most amazing genius of that time did a bitof everything. Leonardo da Vinci was not only a greatpainter but also an inventor, architect, stage andcostume designer, horseman, chef, geologist 5, andbotanist.



"What's a geologist and a botanist 6?" said Annie.



"They're scientists," said Jack. "A geologist studiesrocks, and a botanist studies plants." He turned thepage.



"Come on, we should go," said Annie. "The27tree house probably brought us right to Leonardo.



We have to find him before he gets away!""Oh, right," said Jack.



Annie started down the ladder. Jack packed up theirresearch book and climbed down after her.



Jack and Annie walked around the tall hedge andcame to a busy road that ran along a river. Theystared at all the people going by. There were womenin long silk dresses, priests in black robes ridingdonkeys, and soldiers in blue capes 7 riding horses.



"I don't see anyone who looks like the guy on thecover of our book," said Jack.



"Let's ask someone," said Annie. She walked over toa girl selling flowers by the road. "Excuse me. Do youknow a person named Leonardo da Vinci?""Of course! Everyone knows Leonardo!" said thegirl. "He was just here! He bought some28flowers from me. He said he was going to sketchthem later." Her eyes shone with excitement.



"Where did he go?" asked Jack.



"He headed toward the Old Bridge," the girl said.



She pointed 8 toward a covered bridge farther down theroad.



"Thanks!" said Annie.



Jack and Annie walked quickly along the bank ofthe river toward the bridge. "You were right," saidJack. "The tree house brought us right to Leonardo.



But while we were talking, he kept walking.""Don't worry," said Annie. "We'll catch up to him."The covered bridge was supported by three stonearches. It looked like a long house stretching over theriver.



As they crossed the bridge, it was hard to look forLeonardo. The light was dim and the walkway insidethe bridge was filled with people.



Jack and Annie squeezed through the crowd29to the other side of the bridge. The sunlight was sobright that Jack still couldn't see clearly. He shadedhis eyes with his hand. "I still don't see him," he said.



"We can ask again," said Annie. "That girl saideveryoneknows Leonardo!" She headed to a shop near theriverbank. Weavers were hanging colorful fabrics 9 ona line. The red and purple silks waved in the breeze.



"Excuse me!" Annie called. "Have you seenLeonardo da Vinci this morning?"A toothless old woman smiled. "Oh, yes! Leonardopassed by only a moment ago," she said. "On his wayto the bakery, I think." She pointed down a narrowlane. "He goes there every morning.""Thanks!" said Annie.



Jack and Annie hurried to the bakery. The delicioussmell of baking bread filled the air.



"Excuse me, did Leonardo da Vinci come in here?"Jack asked.



30"Yes, he just bought his daily loaf of bread," said thebaker. "He always goes to the cheese shop next." Hepointed across the street.



"Thanks!" said Jack.



Jack and Annie crossed the busy street to the cheeseshop. "Is Leonardo da Vinci here?" asked Annie.



"He just left," said the cheese man. He pointed upthe street. "He was going to the blacksmith's.""Oh, brother," said Jack.



"Thanks!" said Annie, and they headed up thestreet.



"I can't wait to meet him!" said Annie.



"Me too," said Jack. "If we ever catch up to him."Loud hammering noises were coming from a shop.



Jack and Annie looked inside and saw a blacksmithpounding a horseshoe with a huge iron hammer. Afire was roaring in a hearth 10 nearby.



"Excuse me!" Jack shouted.



31The burly man stopped pounding.



"Was Leonardo da Vinci just here?" asked Jack.



"Yes, he paid me for his iron pots," the blacksmithsaid gruffly. "Finally.""Do you know where he was going next?" askedJack.



"Headed for the market, in a big hurry, as usual,"said the blacksmith, nodding toward the street. Thenhe went back to pounding.



Jack and Annie ran up the street. They rounded acorner and stepped into a huge square. Sunlight shonedown on hundreds of tents and stalls. The air smelledof fish and cinnamon and other spices.



"Oh, man," said Jack. "It's huge!"The market was jam-packed with shoppers. It washard to see over the heads of all the grownups. "Wecould spend all day looking for Leonardo here," saidJack.



"This is not good," said Annie. "We're32supposed to spend the dayhelpinghim, notlookingfor him! Remember the rhyme said, 'Help the geniusall day long, morning, noon, and afternoon, till thenight bird sings its song."'



"Yeah, whateverthatmeans," said Jack. "Hey, maybe we should use thewand now," said Annie. "This situation fits the rules.



Finding Leonardo is not just forourgood-it's to help Merlin. And I think we've tried ourhardest.""Okay, let's use it." Jack slipped the Wand ofDianthus out of his bag and handed it to Annie. "Fivewords," he said.



"I know, I know," she said. She held up the wandand counted her words on her fingers: "Help. Us.



Find. Leonardo. Now."Jack and Annie held their breath and waited. Butnothing changed. Everything around them lookedexactly the same.



"It's not working," said Jack. "What did we dowrong?""I don't know," said Annie. "I used five words.



33It's definitely good for others. Maybe we haven'treally tried our hardest yet."Jack sighed. "Okay, let's keep trying." He took backthe wand and slipped it into his bag.



"Oh, look at the birds over there!" said Annie. Shepulled Jack over to a stall that sold caged birds. Onlyone bird was singing: a brown bird with a reddishtail. He was very plain, but he sang beautifully withwhistles and trills.



"Hi, you," said Annie.



The bird tilted 11 his head and looked straight atAnnie. He chirped 12 softly.



"Come on, Annie, we can't waste time here," saidJack. "We have to keep looking for Leonardo.""But didn't you hear his song?" said Annie.



"He wants to fly away. He wants to be free."Jack looked around for the bird seller. He wasstanding nearby talking to a customer. "Forget it,Annie. We don't have money to pay for him," saidJack.



34"But he wants me to help him," said Annie. "I canfeel it." She reached toward the cage door.



"Annie, don't!" said Jack.



But Annie unlatched the door. The bird hoppedonto the ground.



"Oh, no!" said Jack. He grabbed for the bird, but hewas too late. The brown bird was already flying awayinto the blue sky.



"Yay!" said Annie.



"Hey!" shouted the bird seller, rushing over to them.



"Were you trying to steal my bird?""We weren't stealing him!" said Annie. "We weresetting him free!"The bird seller grabbed Jack by the arm. "You'llhave to pay for him, then!" he barked.



"But ...but ... ," stammered 13 Jack.



"Marco, unhand that boy!" a man's voice boomed.



Jack turned to see a tall man in a purple cloak andfloppy blue cap. He had a long nose, bright, kind eyeswith heavy eyebrows 14, and a flowing beard. He lookedexactlylike the man on the cover of their book.



"Leonardo!" said Annie. "The wand worked!"