Good Morning, Gorillas (2 page)

Tap-tap-tap.

Jack sat up in bed. Rain tapped against his window. His clock said 5
A.M.
It was still dark outside.

Annie peeked into his room.

“Are you awake?” she whispered.

“Yep,” said Jack.

“Ready to find some special magic?” she asked.

“Maybe we should wait,” said Jack. “It’s so dark and rainy.”

“
No
waiting,” said Annie. “I’ll get an umbrella. You bring a flashlight. Meet you downstairs.”

“Okay, okay,” said Jack.

He jumped out of bed. He pulled on his clothes and put on a jacket. Then he grabbed his backpack and flashlight.

Jack slipped downstairs and out the front door. Annie stood on the porch in jeans and a T-shirt. The air was chilly and breezy.

“Don’t you need a sweater or something?” said Jack.

“I’m okay,” she said. “Let’s go.”

Annie raised the umbrella. Jack turned on the flashlight. They followed a circle of rainy light down their street into the woods.

They headed through the Frog Creek woods. The flashlight lit up the trees—the wet leaves and dark branches. Then it shined on a dangling rope ladder.

Jack raised the flashlight beam.

“There it is,” he said.

A circle of light lit the magic tree house.

“Morgan’s not there,” said Annie. “I can tell.”

“Maybe she left us a message,” said Jack.

Jack grabbed the rope ladder and started up. Annie put the umbrella down and followed. When they climbed inside, Jack shined the flashlight around the tree house.

Morgan le Fay wasn’t there. But the scrolls from their trip to old England were.

“Here’s proof we found a special magic yesterday,” she said.

“Yeah,” said Jack, smiling. “
Theater
magic.” He had great memories of acting in a play by their friend William Shakespeare.

“Did Morgan leave us a new secret rhyme?” asked Jack.

He shined the flashlight on a book lying under the window. A piece of paper was sticking out of the book.

“Yes!” said Annie. She picked up the book and pulled out the paper.

Jack shined his light on the paper while Annie read aloud:

Dear Annie and Jack,

Good luck on your second journey to find a special magic. This secret rhyme will guide you:

To find a special kind of magic

in worlds so far apart,

speak a special language,

talk with your hands and heart.

      
Thank you,
          
Morgan

“What kind of language does she mean?” Jack asked.

“I guess we’ll find out,” said Annie. “Where are we going?”

Jack shined the flashlight on the cover of the book. It showed huge trees partly hidden by mist. The title was:

AN AFRICAN RAIN FOREST

“
Rain
forest?” said Jack. “Good thing we brought our umbrella and flashlight. Remember the rain in the
Amazon
rain forest? Remember how dark it was under the treetops?”

“Yeah,” said Annie. “Remember the spiders and scary ants?”

“Well … ,” Jack said, “not all rain forests have the same bugs.”

“Remember the river snakes?” said Annie. “And the crocodiles?”

“Well … ,” said Jack, “not all rain forests have big rivers. There are different kinds of rain forests, you know.”

“Right,” said Annie. She pointed to the cover of the book. “I wish we could go there.”

The wind started to blow.

“Oh, remember the jaguar?” said Annie. “And the vampire bats?”

“Wait!” said Jack.

But it was too late. The wind was blowing harder. The tree house started to spin.

It spun faster and faster.

Then everything was still.

Absolutely still.

Jack opened his eyes.

“I can’t tell
what
kind of rain forest this is,” said Annie. She stared out the window.

Jack looked out, too. It seemed to be daytime, but he couldn’t see much of anything. The quiet forest was covered with fog.

Jack opened their research book and read:

“Oh, I get it,” said Annie. “We’re up so high, it’s like we’re in a cloud.”

“Cool,” said Jack. He pulled out his notebook and wrote:

Then he read more:

Jack looked up.

“Black leopards?” he said.

“Don’t worry,” said Annie.

Jack cleared his throat and kept reading:

“Gorillas?”
said Annie.

“Don’t worry,” said Jack.

“I’m not worried. I
love
gorillas,” said Annie. “They’re totally great!”

“I don’t know about that,” said Jack. He pictured huge apes pounding their chests. “I’d like to study them, though. Write down their habits and behavior, just like a real scientist.”

“Whatever,” said Annie. “Let’s just go. This’ll be a fun adventure!” She took off down the ladder.

Jack threw his notebook, the research book, and the flashlight into his pack. He hooked the umbrella over his arm. Then he followed Annie.

When they stepped onto the ground, Jack could see better. The fog had turned into a fine mist.

Jack and Annie started through the cloud forest. They walked around huge trees draped with moss. They pushed past tall shrubs and leafy plants.

“Wow, look at
that
tree,” said Annie.

She pointed to a fat tree. It had wide lower limbs padded with thick cushions of moss.

“It looks like a piece of furniture,” said Annie, “like an armchair.”

“Yeah,” said Jack. “I better draw it.”

He put the umbrella on the ground. He pulled the flashlight out of his pack and put it next to the umbrella. Then he took out his notebook and pencil.

As Annie walked ahead, Jack started to draw a simple picture of the fat tree.

“Hey, Jack,” Annie called in a whispery voice. “Come here. Quick!”

Jack grabbed his pack. He moved around the tree and caught up with Annie.

“Listen,” she said.

Jack heard branches snap.

Crack!

A leopard?
he wondered.

Crack! Crack!

Jack nervously looked around the forest.

“Maybe we should go back up to the tree house,” he said. “We could read a little more and learn a little more.”

Annie didn’t answer. Jack turned to her. She was grinning from ear to ear as she stared into the bushes. Jack followed her gaze.

A dark, shaggy little head was peeking out from a cluster of leaves.

“Bu, bu?”
a small gorilla asked.

The gorilla’s fur was very black against the green leaves. She had large nostrils and small ears. Her bright brown eyes were full of mischief.

“Bu, bu, bu,”
she said.
“Bu, bu.”

“
Bu, bu
yourself,” said Annie.

The gorilla hid behind the leaves again. Then she poked her head out.

“Peekaboo!” said Annie.

The gorilla clapped her hands together. She stuck out her tongue.

Jack and Annie both laughed.

“
Bu, bu, bu!
” the gorilla said. Then she bounded away through the misty forest.

“Hey, Bu-bu! Don’t leave us!” Annie called.

Jack rolled his eyes. “Don’t name her Bu-bu,” he said to Annie. “You don’t have to—”

“Wait, Bu-bu!” Annie shouted. She took off after the small gorilla.

“—turn every animal into your best friend,” Jack finished. He shook his head. Then he made a list in his notebook.