Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve

house was waiting for them.
    â€œWow,” Jack and Annie said together. The tree house looked exactly the same as when they’d last seen it.
    Annie grabbed the rope ladder and started up. Jack followed. When they climbed inside the tree house, no one was there.
    â€œLook, our Royal Invitation is still here,” said Annie. She picked up the card that had taken them to Camelot on Christmas Eve.
    â€œAnd our leaf from Merlin is still here,” said Jack. He picked up the yellow autumn leaf that had sent them on their Halloween mission.
    â€œThis is new,” said Annie. She picked up a pale blue seashell. The shell was shaped like a small fan. There was writing on it.
    â€œHey, this looks like Merlin’s handwriting!” said Annie. “We must be going on another mission for Merlin!” She read aloud the message from the magician:

    Annie looked up. “What rhyme?” she said.
    â€œLet me see.” Jack took the shell from her and turned it over. On the other side was a poem. Jack read the poem aloud:
    Before night falls on this long summer day,
    A shining sword must find its way
    Into your hands and out of the gloom—
    Or Camelot’s king shall meet his doom.
    To begin your quest for this Sword of Light,
    Call for the help of the Water Knight.
    Then pass through the Cave of the Spider Queen—
    â€œSpider Queen?” Annie interrupted. She frowned. Spiders were about the only thing she was afraid of.
    â€œDon’t think about it now,” said Jack. “Let’s keep going.” He read on:
    Â â€¦Â pass through the Cave of the Spider Queen
    And swim with a selkie clothed in green.
    Enter the Cove of the Stormy Coast,
    Dive ’neath the Cloak of the Old Gray Ghost—
    Jack stopped reading. “Old Gray Ghost?” he said.
    â€œDon’t think about it now,” said Annie. “Keep going.”
    Jack read more:
    Answer a question with love, not fear.
    With rhyme and sword, your home is near.
    Both Jack and Annie were silent for a moment. “That’s a lot to do before nightfall,” Jack finally said.
    â€œYeah,” said Annie, “and I’m a little worried about the spider part.”
    â€œAnd the ghost part,” said Jack.
    â€œHey,” said Annie, “if we’re going on another Merlin Mission, I’ll bet Teddy will come with us! He can help us get through the scary parts.”
    â€œRight,” said Jack. Just hearing Teddy’s name made him feel braver.
    â€œSo,” said Annie. “Onward?”
Onward
was Teddy’s favorite word.
    â€œOnward!” said Jack. He pointed to the handwriting on the pale blue shell. “I wish we could go to the time before Camelot!”
    The wind started to blow.
    The tree house started to spin.
    It spun faster and faster.
    Then everything was still.
    Absolutely still.

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Discover the facts
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Magic Tree House ® Books
    Â Â #1: D INOSAURS B EFORE D ARK
    Â Â #2: T HE K NIGHT AT D AWN
    Â Â #3: M UMMIES IN THE M ORNING
    Â Â #4: P IRATES P AST N OON
    Â Â #5: N IGHT OF THE N INJAS
    Â Â #6: A FTERNOON ON THE A MAZON
    Â Â #7: S UNSET OF THE S ABERTOOTH
    Â Â #8: M IDNIGHT ON THE M OON
    Â Â #9: D OLPHINS AT D AYBREAK
    #10: G HOST T OWN AT S UNDOWN
    #11: L IONS AT L UNCHTIME
    #12: P OLAR B EARS P AST B EDTIME
    #13: V ACATION U NDER THE V OLCANO
    #14: D AY OF THE D RAGON K ING
    #15: V IKING S HIPS AT S UNRISE
    #16: H OUR OF THE O LYMPICS
    #17: T ONIGHT ON THE
T ITANIC
    #18: B UFFALO B EFORE B REAKFAST
    #19: T IGERS AT T WILIGHT
    #20: D INGOES AT D INNERTIME
    #21: C IVIL W AR ON S UNDAY
    #22: R EVOLUTIONARY W AR ON W EDNESDAY
    #23: T WISTER ON T UESDAY
    #24: E ARTHQUAKE IN THE E ARLY M ORNING
    #25: S TAGE F RIGHT ON A S UMMER N IGHT
    #26: G OOD M ORNING , G ORILLAS
    #27: T HANKSGIVING ON T HURSDAY
    #28: H IGH T IDE IN H AWAII
    Merlin Missions
    #29: C HRISTMAS IN C AMELOT
    #30: H AUNTED C ASTLE ON H ALLOWS E VE
    #31: S UMMER OF THE S EA S ERPENT
    #32: W INTER OF THE I CE W IZARD
    #33: C