Free High Tide in Hawaii by Mary Pope Osborne Page B

opened his eyes. A gentle wind brushed against his skin. It smelled sweet and fresh.
    Annie looked out the window. “Nice!” she said.
    Jack looked out, too. The tree house had landed on top of a tall palm tree. The palm tree was at the edge of a flowery meadow.
    On one side of the meadow, a cliff dropped down to the beach and ocean. On the other side of the meadow were the rooftops of a small village.
    Beyond the village were tall gray mountains. Misty clouds hid their peaks. Waterfalls gushed down their sides.

    â€œI
told
you I loved Hawaii!” said Annie. “Don’t you?”
    â€œI have to learn about it first,” said Jack. He pushed his glasses into place and opened their research book. He read aloud:
    Hawaii is a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean. The largest island is Hawaii, which gives its name to the whole group. The islands were formed millions of years ago by volcanoes. The volcanoes erupted under the ocean. Over time, their craters rose above the water.
    â€œWow,” said Annie. “We’re on the top of a volcano.”
    â€œYeah,” said Jack. He read on:
    The volcanic rock crumbled and turned to soil. Over millions of years, wind and birds dropped seeds on the islands. Plants and trees began to grow, and birds and insects made their homes.
    â€œCool,” said Jack. He took out his notebook and pencil and wrote:

    He read some more:
    About two thousand years ago, people first came to Hawaii. They came in canoes from other islands in the Pacific. They rowed for thousands of miles across the ocean, guided only by the wind and stars.
    â€œHey, listen,” said Annie.
    Jack put down the book and listened. Sounds of music and laughter floated on the breeze.
    â€œThere must be a party in that village,” said Annie. “Let’s go.”
    â€œWhat about building that ship?” asked Jack.
    â€œWe’ll figure that out later,” said Annie. “Let’s meet some people at the party. Maybe they can help us.”
    She started down the ladder.
    Jack heard a whoop of laughter in the distance.
The party does sound fun,
he thought. He packed up his things and followed Annie down to the ground.
    The sun was low in the sky. They walked through the meadow toward the village. Everything was bathed in a golden red glow.
    â€œOh, man,” breathed Jack.
    There was beauty everywhere: purple flowers shaped like bells, white flowers that looked like stars, tall, feathery ferns, green spiky plants, big orange-and-black butterflies, and tiny yellow birds.
    When they got close to the village, they saw an open area filled with people. Jack and Annie slipped behind a palm tree. They peeked out at the party.
    There were about fifty people, including grown-ups, teenagers, and little kids. They were all barefoot and wore wreaths of flowers around their necks.
    A woman was chanting. Her words rose and fell like waves. She chanted about a volcano goddess named Pele.
    While she chanted, other people played music. Some blew on pipes that looked like flutes. Others shook gourds that sounded like baby rattles. Some hit sticks together to make clicking sounds.
    Most of the villagers were dancing to the music. They stepped from side to side. They swayed their hips and waved their hands.
    â€œThey’re doing the hula,” whispered Annie. She smiled and waved her hands, too.
    â€œDon’t get carried away,” whispered Jack.
    He took out their book and found a picture of Hawaiians dancing. He read:
    The early Hawaiians had no written language. They told stories with hula dancing. The hula is a blend of dancing and chanting poetry.
    Jack pulled out his notebook. He started a list about early Hawaii:

    Suddenly Jack heard loud laughter and clapping. He looked up. Annie was gone!
    Jack peeked out from behind the tree. Annie was doing the hula with the dancers! But no one seemed surprised. Everyone just smiled at her as they kept dancing.
    A girl caught