Earthquake in the Early Morning

you,” said Morgan. “I told him that two special messengers would soon arrive.”
    â€œWhere is he?” asked Annie.
    Morgan pointed to a man dressed in dark blue in a corner of the library. He sat in a chair. His head was bowed. His hair was black streaked with silver.
    â€œHe looks tired,” Annie whispered.
    â€œYes, he and his knights have been defeated,” Morgan said quietly. “He has given up all hope for his kingdom.”
    â€œHow can we help him?” asked Annie.
    Morgan looked down at the special writings that Jack and Annie held.
    â€œWould it help if we showed him these?” Jack asked.
    Morgan smiled.
    â€œCome on, let’s show him!” said Annie.
    They crossed the room and knelt before the tired-looking man.
    â€œExcuse me,” Annie said.
    The man looked up. He had sad gray eyes.
    â€œWe’re Morgan’s messengers. We’ve come to help,” said Jack.
    The man shook his head.
    â€œI don’t understand,” he said in a deep, tired voice. “You are children. How can you help?”

    â€œSometimes children can help a lot,” said Annie. “Jack and I have helped a general, and we helped wounded soldiers.”
    â€œWe helped people caught in an earthquake and a twister,” Jack added.
    The man straightened up a little. “That is brave,” he said.
    â€œWe want to share how we did it,” said Annie. She held up the list from the Civil War.
    â€œThis tells you how to help wounded people,” she said. She held up the letter from the Revolutionary War.
    â€œAnd this tells you that even when things look their worst, you shouldn’t give up,” she said.
    Jack held up the slate from the pioneer schoolhouse.
    â€œThis says, ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,’” he said. Then Jack held up the piece of wood from the San Francisco earthquake.
    â€œAnd this says that when you’ve lost everything, you can still have hope,” he said.
    The man studied the four special writings. Then he looked at Jack and Annie with piercing gray eyes.
    â€œYou were both very kind to find all these things and bring them to me,” he said. “Are you magic?”
    â€œOh no,” said Annie. “
Morgan
is magic.
We’re
just ordinary kids.”
    The man smiled. He seemed less sad and weary now.
    â€œAnd I am just an ordinary king,” he said softly. “I suppose if two ordinary kids can findcourage and hope, then an ordinary king can find it, too.”
    The man slowly stood up.
    â€œI will go now and speak to my knights,” he said. “I will share the wisdom you have brought me.”
    He wrapped his cape around him. He bowed to Jack and Annie.
    â€œThank you,” he said. Then he strode bravely out of Morgan’s library.
    â€œYes, thank you,” said Morgan, walking over to Jack and Annie.
    â€œYou’re welcome,” they said.
    â€œThese are for your library,” said Jack. He and Annie gave Morgan the four special writings.
    Morgan smiled.
    â€œTheir wisdom will help many readers who come here,” she said.
    â€œGreat,” said Annie.
    â€œIt’s time for you to go home now,” said Morgan.
    Jack looked around Morgan’s library. He hated to leave. It was the most wonderful room he’d ever seen.
    â€œDon’t worry. You can come back,” said Morgan, reading his mind. “You must come back, for you both have helped save Camelot. Good-bye for now.”
    Before Jack or Annie could speak, there was another blinding flash.
    Then they were home again, in the tree house, in Frog Creek, in the early morning.

“I can’t believe we took a trip to Morgan’s library,” said Annie.
    Jack smiled and nodded.
    â€œIt was incredible, wasn’t it?” said Annie.
    â€œYeah,” said Jack.
    A strong breeze gusted through the tree house window. It blew open their research book about San Francisco. Annie reached for the book.
    â€œJack!” she said. “Look at this!”
    She pointed to a photograph in the research book. It showed a boy and a girl covered with dirt. The boy held a sign. It was the poem about hope.
    Annie read the caption aloud:
    After the earthquake, while fires raged through the city, two brave children tried to give hope to others.

    Annie laughed.
    â€œThose brave children are us!” she said. “That’s the picture Fred took of us before