Jack couldn't move.
"He's beautiful!" said Annie.
"Beautiful?" cried Jack.
The serpent's neck was as tall as a two-storybuilding. Its green scales were covered with sea slime.
"Go away!" shouted Jack.
"No--stay! Help us!" shouted Annie.
The great serpent glided closer to the ship. Jackducked.
"Come on!" said Annie. "You can do it! Get us toshore before the ship sinks!"Jack closed his eyes. He felt the ship jerk, thenmove forward.
He looked up. They were gliding over the giantwaves.
Jack turned. The great serpent was pressing its longneck against the back of the ship, pushing it towardthe shore.
As the serpent pushed them, the wind grew calmer.
The clouds lifted and the water glittered withsunlight.
The rocky shore grew closer. Jack could see the treehouse on the ledge above it.
"Hurry!" Annie called to the serpent monster. Thegreat serpent gave the ship one last push. The shipswooshed onto a sand bar near the shore.
Jack put the jeweled book carefully back into hisbag. Then he and Annie climbed out of the ship ontothe wet sand. They looked back at the sea.
The great serpent was rearing its long neck into theair. Its scales glittered pink and green in the sunlight.
"Bye!" shouted Annie. "Thanks a lot!"The monster seemed to nod at her. Then he doveinto the sea and was gone.
Jack and Annie headed toward the rocks. All of asudden, Annie gasped.
"Uh-oh," she said, pointing to the top of the cliff.
Two Vikings were staring down at them! "To thetree house!" cried Jack. The Vikings shouted andstarted down the steep stairs.
Jack and Annie began scrambling up the rocks.
They reached the tree house and climbed inside.
Jack grabbed the Pennsylvania book.
Annie stuck her head out the window.
"Go home! Stop causing trouble!" she yelled to theVikings, who were almost to the ledge.
Jack pointed at the picture of the Frog Creek woods.
"I WISH WE COULD GO THERE!" Jack shouted.
Just as the Vikings reached the ledge, the windbegan to blow.
The tree house started to spin.
It spun faster and faster.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still.
