Jack opened his eyes.
The air was hot and steamy.
“It looks like we landed in some bushes，” said Annie.
She was peeking out of the tree house window. Peanut was peeking out of Annie’s pocket.
Jack peeked out of the tree house too.
They had landed in a sea of shiny green leaves. Outside there were flowers， bright butterflies， and birds. Just as in the book.
“That’s strange，” said Jack. “I wonder why we didn’t land in a tree. The way we always do.”
“I don’t know，” said Annie. “But let’s hurry and find the thing
for Morgan. So we can get back home before we meet any big bugs.”
“Wait. This seems weird，” said Jack. “I don’t understand why we landed in bushes. I’d better read about this.”
“Oh， come on，” said Annie. “We don’t even need the ladder. We can just climb out the window.”
Annie put Peanut in her pocket. She stuck one leg out the window.
“Wait!” Jack grabbed Annie’s other leg. He read：
The rain forest is in three layers.Thick treetops， often over 150 feet in the air， make up the top layer. This is called the forest canopy.Below the canopy is the understory， then the forest floor.
“Get back in here!” cried Jack. “We’re probably more than 150 feet above the ground!In the forest canopy!”
“Yikes!” said Annie. She slipped back into the tree house.
“We have to use the ladder，” said Jack. He got on his hands and knees. He moved leaves away from the hole in the floor. He looked down.
The ladder seemed to fall between the branches of a giant tree. But Jack couldn’t see beyond that.
“I can’t tell what’s down there，” he said. “Be careful.”
Jack put the rain forest book in his backpack. Then he stepped onto the rope ladder.
He started down. Annie followed with Peanut in her pocket.
Jack pushed through the leaves.
He came to the understory below the canopy.
He looked down at the forest floor. It was very far away.
“Oh， man，” whispered Jack.
This world was completely different from the one above the treetops.
Now that they were out of the sun，it was cooler. It was also damp and very quiet.
Jack shivered. It was the spookiest place he had ever seen.
3妈呀!
杰克睁开了眼睛。
空气又热又湿。
“好像我们降落在一片灌木上了!”安妮说。她从树屋的窗户偷偷向外看，而花生呢，把头伸出安妮的口袋，也在到处张望。
杰克也在往外看。
他们降落在一片亮闪闪的绿色树叶组成的海洋里了!外面到处是花朵、漂亮的蝴蝶和鸟儿，就和书上画的一样。
“真奇怪!”杰克说，“我在想我们为什么没有像以前一样降落在一棵树上呢?”
“我不知道。”安妮说，“但是我们还是快点去帮摩根找东西吧，这样我们就可以在遇到那些大臭虫之前早点回家了!”
“等等，这看起来很不对劲!”杰克说，“我还是不明白我们为什么降落在灌木丛中了。我最好还是看看书上是怎么说的。”
“噢，快来呀!”安妮说，“我们甚至都不需要梯子啦!我们可以从窗户直接爬出去!”
安妮把花生放进她的口袋里，把一只腿伸出了窗户。
“等等!”杰克抓住了安妮的另一只腿。他读道：
热带雨林由三层组成：最上面是厚厚的树梢，一般高耸于150英尺[注]以上的高空，被称为树冠层。在树冠层的下面是灌木层，然后是雨林的地被层。
“快进来!”杰克大声喊道，“我们现在很可能在150英尺(注：1英尺=0.3048
米)的高空呢!在雨林的树冠层上!”
“妈呀!”安妮叫道。她赶快缩回了树屋。
“我们必须用绳梯。”杰克说。他跪下，把树叶从地板的洞口处拨开，朝下看了看。
梯子好像从一棵大树的枝条之间垂下去了，杰克看不到底。
“我不知道底下是什么!”杰克说，“我们要小心!”
杰克把那本热带雨林的书放回他的背包里，然后就踏上了绳梯。
他开始往下爬，安妮也跟着下去了，口袋里装着花生。杰克拨开树叶，穿过树冠层，来到下面的灌木层。他俯视着地面，那里看起来非常非常远。
“噢，我的老天。”杰克小声说。
底下这个世界和树冠层上面的那个可完全不一样。这里没有阳光，感觉更凉爽。
这儿也很潮湿很安静。
杰克打了个寒颤。这是他见过的最阴森的地方。
