《神奇树屋》 第三十册 Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve 05 Ghosts!

　　"AHHH!" yelled Teddy. "AHHH!" yelled Jack 1.



"AHHH!" yelled Annie.



Still screaming, they all ran toward the door. Thebone came after them.



Teddy led the way as they tore through thearchway and scrambled 2 up the winding 3 staircase.



Jack looked behind them.



"It's still coming!" he shrieked 4. "AHHH!" they allscreamed again.



(5- to ---a44On the next landing, Teddy charged into a nearbyroom.



"Make haste!" he yelled.



He pulled Jack and Annie into the room andslammed the door behind them. Out of breath, theyall leaned against the door, panting and trembling.



"Safe-" Teddy gasped 5. "Safe from the bone!" Thenhe started laughing.



Jack laughed, too. He laughed out of sheer terror.



He couldn't stop.



"Listen, guys! Listen!" said Annie. "I hear a noise!"Teddy stopped laughing. Jack clapped his hand overhis mouth. He listened. He heard a faint clickingsound, but he couldn't see anything.



Teddy used the fire from his lantern to light torchesnear the door. Then they all looked about.



"Looks like a nursery," said Teddy.



(E- 4z --a45The torchlight showed a kids' room. The room hadthree small beds. Wooden toys were scattered 6 acrossthe floor. A long white curtain fluttered from an openwindow.



The clicking noise seemed to be coming from a darkcorner.



"What is that?" whispered Annie. She startedtoward the noise.



Jack and Teddy followed her. Teddy held up hislantern. His light shone on a child-sized spinningwheel. It sat in the corner near a basket of wool and atall, dusty mirror.



The spinning wheel was spinning thread. But noone was touching 7 it.



It wasspinning all byitself.



"Look!" whispered Annie.



She pointed 8 to a low table near the spinning wheel.



On the table was a chessboard. Large wooden chesspieces sat on the squares of the board.



But some of the pieces weren't just sitting!



E_ 4A5 _D46They bolted across the room. Teddy threw open thedoor. The white bone was hanging in the air, rightoutside the door!



"AHHH!"they all screamed.



Teddy slammed the door shut. They huddledtogether. afraid to leave and afraid to stay. Jack'sheart was beating wildly. He couldn't breathe.



"I-I thought you weren't afraid of ghosts!" he said toTeddy, gasping 9.



"Yes, well, I believe I just discovered that I am!" saidTeddy.



"What'll we do?" said Jack.



"A rhyme-a rhyme," said Teddy. He gave Annie hislantern. He threw out his arms and started a rhyme:



Spirits of the earthand air!



He looked at Jack and Annie. "Quick, what rhymeswith air?""Bear!" said Jack.



Teddy shook his head. "I fear a bear might makethings worse."47g Caun-&cCrC,134(c . -6v,Jack tried hard to think of a better word to rhymewith air.



"Wait a minute!" said Annie. "I get it now! I get it!"She grinned at Jack and Teddy.



Has she lost hermind? Jack wondered.



"Remember what old Maggie said?" asked Annie.



Then she recited:



"Where is the girlwho spins wool into thread?"Annie pointed at the spinning wheel in the corner.



"There she is!" she said. "She's spinning at thatwheel."Annie recited more:



"Where are the boyswho play chess before bed?"Annie pointed at the chess table. "There they are!"she said. "They're probably her brothers! They'replaying chess!"She recited more:



"Where is the houndwho waits to befed?"Annie threw open the door to the nursery.



E3- 47 ---048The bone was still hanging in the air. Jack andTeddy jumped back in fear.



"Don't be afraid!" said Annie. "It's just a dog-ahound! He's carrying a bone in his mouth. Don't yousee? The girl, the boys, the hound-they're all here!



They're justinvisible!"