Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve

troops.” In a collection of stories from
The Arabian Nights
, I came across a magnificent bird called the Roc. All these legends stirred my imagination—and thenext thing I knew, I was writing a story in which my characters transformed into ravens and saved the life of an amazing bird named Rok.
    When researching the ancient world of the British Isles, I learned that it was common for people to have awe and respect for sacred stones. I learned, in particular, about a famous stone in Scotland known as the “Stone of Destiny,” which is surrounded by myth and legend. The stone was once used in sacred ceremonies for enthroning kings. This information inspired me to create Merlin’s “Diamond of Destiny.” And where did I get my idea for Teddy’s magic hazel wand? For many years, I have loved a certain poem by the Irish poet William Butler Yeats. In the first stanza of “The Song of Wandering Aengus,” Yeats writes:
I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.
    Old tales and poetry from around the world are a constant source of inspiration for story-tellers. Creating something new from something old allows us to link hands with people of the past. Or, as Morgan le Fay once said to Jack and Annie (in Magic Tree House #16,
Hour of the Olympics)
, “The old stories are always with us. We are never alone.”

Mary Pope Osborne is the award-winning author of many novels, picture books, story collections, and nonfiction books, including
Adaline Falling Star, Kate and the Beanstalk, New York’s Bravest, Favorite Medieval Tales, Favorite Greek Myths
, and
One World, Many Religions.
Her bestselling
Magic Tree House
series has been translated into many languages around the world. Highly recommended by parents and educators everywhere, the series introduces young readers to different cultures and times in history, as well as to the world’s legacy of ancient myth and storytelling. Mary Pope Osborne is married to Will Osborne, a co-author of many of the Magic Tree House Research Guides. They live in northwestern Connecticut.

Here’s a special preview of
Magic Tree House #31
(A Merlin Mission)

Summer of the Sea Serpent

    Available now!
    Excerpt copyright © 2004 by Mary Pope Osborne.
Published by Random House Children’s Books,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

J ack was sitting on the porch reading the newspaper. It was a warm summer day, but the porch was shady and cool.
    Annie poked her head out of the screen door. “Hey, Mom says she’ll drive us to the lake this afternoon,” she said.
    Jack didn’t raise his eyes from the weather page. “Did you know today is the summer solstice?” he said.
    â€œWhat’s that?” asked Annie.
    â€œIt’s the official first day of summer,” saidJack. “There’s more daylight today than on any other day of the year.”
    â€œCool,” said Annie.
    â€œStarting tomorrow, the days will get shorter and shorter,” said Jack.
    A loud screech came from overhead.
    â€œLook,” said Annie, “a seagull!”
    Jack looked up. A large white gull was circling in the bright noon sky. “What’s he doing here?” asked Jack. “The ocean’s two hours away.”
    The gull swooped down and screeched again.
    â€œMaybe he’s a messenger from Morgan or Merlin,” said Annie. “Maybe one of them sent him to tell us the tree house is finally back.”
    Jack’s heart began to pound. He put down the newspaper. “You think so?” he asked.
    Jack and Annie hadn’t seen the magic tree house since their Merlin Mission to a haunted castle last Halloween. Jack had begun to worry that the tree house might never come back.
    â€œLook, he’s flying toward the woods,” said Annie.
    Jack jumped up. “Okay,” he said. “Let’s go.”
    â€œWe’ll be back soon, Mom!” Annie called. Then she and Jack dashed across their yard. They ran down their street and into the Frog Creek woods.
    The shady woods were dappled with sunlight. The air smelled fresh and clean. Jack and Annie hurried past the leafy trees, until they came to the tallest oak. High in the oak branches, the magic tree