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

Dianthus,” Teddy said in a hushed voice.
    The wand looked like the horn of a unicorn. It burned in Jack’s hand—with cold or warmth, he couldn’t tell which. He carefully put the wand back into his pack.
    “Remember the three rules of the wand?” said Kathleen.
    “Sure,” said Annie. “You can only use it for the good of others. You can only use it after you’ve tried your hardest. And you can only use it with a command
of five
words.”
    “Excellent,” said Kathleen.
    “Thanks,” said Annie. “Ready?” she asked Jack.
    Jack nodded. “Bye, Teddy. Bye, Kathleen.”
    “Good-bye,” said Teddy.
    “And good luck,” said Kathleen.
    Jack pointed at the cover of the book. “I wish we could go to Leonardo da Vinci!”
    In the distance, the school bell started to ring, letting kids know that school would start in ten minutes. But in the Frog Creek woods, the wind started to blow.
    The tree house started to spin.
    It spun faster and faster.
    Then everything was still.
    Absolutely still.

A different bell was bonging in the distance. Bright early sunlight poured through the tree house window. Teddy and Kathleen were gone.
    Jack looked down at his clothes. He was wearing a knee-length tunic and dark tights. Annie wore a long dress with puffy sleeves. Jack’s backpack had changed into a cloth bag.
    Jack and Annie looked out the window. The tree house had landed in a tall tree in a garden surrounded by green hedges. Beyond the garden was a sea of red-tiled roofs. A huge eight-sideddome and a stone tower rose high above the red rooftops.

    “Welcome to Florence, Italy,” said Annie.
    Jack opened their book and read aloud:
    In the early 1500s, many artists and craftspeople lived in the city of Florence. The city was filled with silk weavers, potters, and marble workers. Artists made sculptures, paintings, and tapestries.
    “Cool,” said Annie. “I love art.”
    Jack read more:
    But the most amazing genius of that time did a bit of everything. Leonardo da Vinci was not only a great painter but also an inventor, architect, stage and costume designer, horseman, chef, geologist, and botanist.
    “What’s a
geologist
and a
botanist
?” said Annie.
    “They’re scientists,” said Jack. “A geologist studies rocks, and a botanist studies plants.” He turned the page.
    “Come on, we should go,” said Annie. “Thetree house probably brought us right to Leonardo. We have to find him before he gets away!”
    “Oh, right,” said Jack.
    Annie started down the ladder. Jack packed up their research book and climbed down after her.
    Jack and Annie walked around the tall hedge and came to a busy road that ran along a river. They stared at all the people going by. There were women in long silk dresses, priests in black robes riding donkeys, and soldiers in blue capes riding horses.
    “I don’t see anyone who looks like the guy on the cover of our book,” said Jack.
    “Let’s ask someone,” said Annie. She walked over to a girl selling flowers by the road. “Excuse me. Do you know a person named Leonardo da Vinci?”
    “Of course!
Everyone
knows Leonardo!” said the girl. “He was just here! He bought someflowers from me. He said he was going to sketch them later.” Her eyes shone with excitement.
    “Where did he go?” asked Jack.
    “He headed toward the Old Bridge,” the girl said. She pointed toward a covered bridge farther down the road.
    “Thanks!” said Annie.
    Jack and Annie walked quickly along the bank of the river toward the bridge. “You were right,” said Jack. “The tree house brought us right to Leonardo. But while we were talking, he kept walking.”
    “Don’t worry,” said Annie. “We’ll catch up to him.”
    The covered bridge was supported by three stone arches. It looked like a long house stretching over the river.
    As they crossed the bridge, it was hard to look for Leonardo. The light was dim and the walkway inside the bridge was filled with people.
    Jack and Annie squeezed