Free Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne Page B

whistle.
    â€œOh no! Now we’re in big trouble!” said Jack.
    The wind blew harder.
    The leaves shook.
    The tree house started to spin. Faster and faster!
    Jack squeezed his eyes shut. Then everything was still.
    Absolutely still.
    Jack opened his eyes.
    â€œToo late!” squawked Polly.

Jack felt hot sunlight streaming into the tree house.
    He smelled saltwater.
    He heard the sound of waves.
    He and Annie looked out the window.
    The tree house was in a palm tree. Beyond was a bright blue sea. A tall sailing ship was on the horizon. It was just like the picture in the book.
    â€œToo late!” squawked Polly.
    â€œLook!” said Annie.
    Polly was flying in circles above the treehouse. Then she swooped down to the ocean.
    â€œCome on, let’s follow her! Let’s go in the water!” said Annie. She took off her raincoat and dropped it on the floor.
    â€œWait, we have to study the book first,” said Jack. He started to reach for the book. But Annie grabbed it.
    â€œYou can read it on the beach,” she said. Without even looking at the cover, she shoved the book into Jack’s backpack.
    He sighed. Actually, the water
did
look wonderful.
    â€œOkay,” Jack said. He took off his raincoat, too.
    â€œCome on!” Annie handed Jack his backpack, then started down the ladder.
    Jack folded the raincoat and put it next to the stack of books. He put on his backpack. Then he went down the ladder.
    As soon as Annie hit the sand, she ran toward the ocean. Jack watched her wade into the water. She was still wearing her rain boots.
    â€œYour boots, Annie,” called Jack.
    She shrugged. “They’ll dry out,” she said.
    Jack took off his boots and socks. He put them beside his pack. Then he rolled up his jeans. And ran across the hot sand into the waves.
    The water was warm and clear. Jack could see shells and tiny fishes.
    He shielded his eyes against the sun. And peered out at the sea.
    The tall sailing ship seemed a bit closer.
    â€œWhere’s Polly?” said Annie.
    Jack glanced around. No sign of Polly. Not in the palm trees. Not on the sunlit sand. Not over the bright blue sea.

    When Jack looked out at the sea again, the ship seemed even closer. Now Jack could see its flag.
    As he stared at the ship’s flag, a chill went through him.
    The flag was black.
With a skull and crossbones
.
    â€œOh man,” he breathed. He started out of the water.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” said Annie. She splashed after him.
    Jack ran to his backpack. Annie followed.
    He grabbed the book from his backpack. He looked at the cover. For the first time, he and Annie read the title of the book.
    â€œYikes!” said Annie.
    â€œPirates of the Caribbean,”
Jack read aloud.

“We’ve come to the time of pirates!” Jack said.
    â€œPirates?” squeaked Annie. “Like in
Peter Pan
?”
    Jack flipped to the picture that showed the parrot, the sea and the ship.
    He read the caption under the picture:
    Three hundred years ago, pirates raided Spanish treasure ships in the Caribbean Sea.
    He grabbed his notebook and pencil from his pack. He wrote:

    He turned to the next page. There was a picture of a pirate flag. He read:
    The skull-and-crossbones flag was called the Jolly Roger.
    â€œLet’s go!” said Annie.
    â€œWait!” said Jack. “I want to make a drawing of the flag.”
    He propped the pirate book in the sand.
    He started drawing the Jolly Roger flag.
    â€œDon’t copy the picture in the book,” said Annie. “Look at the real thing.”
    But Jack pushed his glasses into place and kept drawing.
    â€œJack, some pirates are getting into a rowboat,” said Annie.
    Jack kept drawing.
    â€œJack, the boat’s leaving the big ship,” said Annie.
    â€œWhat?” Jack looked up.
    â€œLook.” Annie pointed.
    Jack looked. He saw the rowboat coming toward the shore.
    â€œRun!” said Annie. She