Free Monday with a Mad Genius by Mary Pope Osborne Page A

you?” he asked.
    “No thanks, we don’t mind walking,” said Jack. Their school was only three blocks away.
    “Annie,
hurry
!” their mom called again. “You’re going to be late!”
    The back door banged open. Annie rushed into the kitchen. She was out of breath.
    “Oh, I thought you were upstairs,” their mom said with surprise. “You were outside?”
    “Yes!” said Annie, panting. “Just taking a quick walk.” She looked at Jack. Her eyes sparkled. “Hurry, Jack. We really should go
now
!”
    “Okay, I’m coming!” said Jack. He leapt up from the table. He could tell Annie wasn’t talking about school.
The tree house must be back! Finally!
    Jack grabbed his backpack. Annie held the door open for him.
    “No breakfast?” their mom asked.
    “Too nervous to eat now, Mom,” said Jack.
    “Have fun,” their mom said.
    “Learn a lot,” said their dad.
    “Don’t worry, we will!” said Annie.
    Jack and Annie slipped out the door and walked quickly across their yard.
    “It’s back!” said Annie.
    “I figured it was!” said Jack.
    “Morgan must want us to look for another secret of happiness to help Merlin,” said Annie.
    “Yep!” said Jack. “Let’s run!”
    Jack and Annie dashed up the sidewalk. They crossed the street and headed into the Frog Creek woods. They ran between the trees, through shadows and light, until they came to the tallest oak.
    High in the tree was the magic tree house. The rope ladder was swaying in the chilly morning wind.
    “How did you know it was here?” asked Jack, catching his breath.
    “I woke up thinking about Teddy and Kathleen,” said Annie, “and I had this strange feeling.”
    “Really?” said Jack. “Teddy! Kathleen!” he shouted up at the tree house.
    Two young teenagers looked out the tree house window: a curly-haired boy with freckles and a big grin and a smiling girl with sea-blue eyes and dark wavy hair.
    “Jack! Annie!” the girl said.
    “Come up! Come up!” said the boy.
    Jack and Annie hurried up the rope ladder. When they climbed inside the tree house, they threw their arms around their friends.
    “Are we going to look for another secret of happiness?” said Annie. “To help Merlin?”
    “Yes, and this time you will travel back to Florence, Italy, five hundred years ago,” said Teddy.
    “Florence, Italy?” said Jack. “What’s there?”
    “An amazing person who will help you,” said Kathleen.
    “Who?” asked Annie. “Is this person magical?”
    Teddy grinned. “Some people might say so,” he said. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a book. The cover showed a drawing of a man wearing a purple cloak and floppy blue cap. He had a long nose, bright, kind eyes with heavy eyebrows, and a flowing beard. The title said:

    “Leonardo da Vinci!” said Jack. “Are you kidding?”
    “I’ve heard of him,” said Annie.
    “Who hasn’t?” said Jack. “He was an incredible genius!”
    “This biography of Leonardo will help you on your mission,” said Teddy.
    “And so will this rhyme from Morgan,” said Kathleen. She pulled a small piece of parchment paper from her cloak and gave it to Annie.
    Annie read the words on the paper aloud.
    To Jack and Annie of Frog Creek:
    Though the question is quite simple,
Simple answers might be wrong.
If you want to know the right one,
Help the genius all day long,
Morning, noon, and afternoon,
Till the night bird sings its song.
    “So to find the secret of happiness, we need to spend the whole day helping Leonardo da Vinci,” said Jack.
    “Yes,” said Kathleen. Teddy nodded.
    “I wish you could come, too,” said Annie.
    “And help
us,
” said Jack.
    “Never fear,” said Kathleen. “You will have the help of the great genius and the Wand of Dianthus.”
    “Oh!” Annie said to Jack. “Did you bring our wand?”
    “Of course,” said Jack. “I always carry it with me for safekeeping.” He reached into his backpack and pulled out a gleaming silver wand.
    “The Wand of