Winter of the Ice Wizard

gloves and untied a knot. He held his breath and waited. Nothing happened. He gave Annie a little smile. “I guess in ourworld, it’s just a piece of string,” he said.
    Jack put the string back in his pocket. He and Annie started walking over the snowy ground between the trees. As they walked, Jack looked for Teddy’s and Kathleen’s footprints. But they were completely gone.
    Jack and Annie moved out of the woods and down their street. They saw Christmas tree lights sparkling in people’s houses and candles shining in windows.
    Their boots squeaked as they crossed their snow-covered yard. When they got to the stairs of the porch, Jack stopped. He stared in astonishment.
    Annie’s red woolen scarf was draped over the railing of the porch.
    â€œI don’t believe it!” said Jack.
    â€œI do!” said Annie.
    They hurried up the stairs and Annie grabbed her scarf. “Look!” she said.
    She held up the scarf to show Jack. Therewas a tiny picture woven into it: a picture of him and Annie and two white wolves.
    Jack was speechless.

    â€œCool, huh?” said Annie. She gave Jack back his scarf. Then she tied her scarf around her neck. She tucked the part with the picture under her jacket collar.
    The front door opened. A delicious smell wafted out from the house.
    â€œHi!” said their mom. “The cookies are ready. Come inside and get warm!”



Some time ago I wrote a book called
Favorite Norse Myths.
In that book, I retold the myths of the Viking people, who lived long ago in the icy, rugged lands of Scandinavia. While I was working on
Winter of the Ice Wizard,
several elements from the Norse myths inspired the plot of my story. For instance, the Norse myths tell about a god named Odin who traded his eye for all the wisdom of the world, and they tell about Frost Giants, who represent the most brutal forces of nature. There are also three sister goddesses known as the Norns who decide thefuture. (In Greek mythology, three sisters called the Fates determine the future.)
    While doing further research on the old legends of Nordic lands, I came across the swan maidens, women who could turn into swans, as well as wind-ropes (or wind-strings). I found out that wizards sold ropes with knots of wind to seafarers to help their ships sail across the ocean. Wind-strings are also mentioned in Hans Christian Andersen’s story “The Snow Queen.” The reindeer in “The Snow Queen” says that he can “twist all the winds of the world together in a knot. If a seaman loosens one knot, then he has a good wind.”
    Winter of the Ice Wizard
closes this quartet of Merlin Missions. On these four missions, Jack and Annie find magical treasures for Merlin: water from the Cauldron of Memory and Imagination, the Diamond of Destiny, the Sword of Light, and the Staff of Strength. These fourthings were inspired by the Four Hallows of Camelot, which, according to Irish legend, were the four most sacred gifts of the ancient Celtic people.

Here’s a special preview of
    Â 
Magic Tree House #33

 
(A Merlin Mission)
    Carnival at Candlelight

    Available now!
    Excerpt copyright © 2005 by Mary Pope Osborne.
Published by Random House Children’s Books,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

D awn was breaking in the Frog Creek woods. Jack saw a light shining up ahead. He ran toward it. He ran so fast, he couldn’t hear his feet hitting the ground. He couldn’t feel the frosty winter air.
    As Jack got closer to the light, he could see the magic tree house at the top of the tallest oak. A girl and boy were looking out the window. The girl had dark, wavy hair and sea-blue eyes. The boy had tousled red hair and a big grin on his face. As the two kids waved at him, Jack felt incredibly happy.
    â€œJack, wake up!”
    Jack opened his eyes. His sister, Annie, was standing beside his bed. She was wearing her winter jacket. It was barely light outside.
    â€œI just had a dream about the tree house,” she said.
    â€œReally?” Jack said sleepily.
    â€œI dreamed we were running through the woods at dawn,” said Annie, “and when we got to the tree house, Teddy and Kathleen were there waiting for us.”
    Jack sat up. “I just had the same dream!” he said.
    â€œMeet you downstairs,” said Annie.
    Annie left Jack’s room. Jack jumped out of bed, put on his glasses, and threw on his clothes. He grabbed his