兒童英語讀物《神奇樹屋》 第五冊 Night of the Ninjas 06

6 Shadow Warrior

Jack and Annie went into the cave. They followed the ninja through the darkness.

The back of the cave was lit with dozens of candles. Shadows danced on the walls.

In the flickering light， Jack saw a dark figure sitting on a woven mat.

The ninja master.

The ninja bowed to the master. Then he stepped to one side.

The master stared at Jack and Annie.

“Sit，” he said.

Jack and Annie sat on the cold，hard floor.

Squeak.

The mouse poked its head out of Annie’s pouch.

“It’s okay， Peanut，” said Annie.

The master stared at the mouse for a moment. Then he looked at Jack. “Who are you?” he asked.

“I’m Jack and that’s my sister， Annie，” Jack answered.

“Where do you come from?” the master asked.

“Frog Creek， Pennsylvania，” Annie answered.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“We’re trying to help our friend Morgan le Fay，” said Jack. “She left us a message.”

Annie pointed to the short ninja. “We gave the message to him.”

“You mean， you gave the message to her，” said the ninja master. “And she has given it to me.”

“She?” said Jack and Annie together.

The woman ninja’s eyes sparkled. Jack thought she might be smiling.

The master held up Morgan’s note.

“Perhaps I can help you，” he said. “But first you must prove yourselves worthy of my help.”

Just then the tall ninja appeared. He made a sign to the master.

The master stood up. He handed Morgan’s note to Annie.

“We must go now，” he said. “The samurai are close.”

“Samurai?” said Jack. He knew that the samurai were fierce Japanese fighters.

“Were they the ones in the valley?” Jack asked. “The ones with the torches?”

“Yes， our family is at war with them，” said the master. “We must leave before they find us.”

“But what about helping Morgan?” said Annie.

The master strapped on his sword.

“I have no time now， ” he said. “I must go.”

“Can’t we go with you?” said Annie.

“No， there is no place for you where we are going. You must find your way back to your house in the trees.”

“Alone?” said Jack.

“Yes. You must go alone. And beware of the samurai.”

“Why?” said Jack.

“They will think you are one of us，” said the master. “They will ask you no questions.

They will show you no mercy.”

“Yikes，” whispered Annie.

“But you have seen the way of the ninja. You can practice it yourselves now，” said the master.

“H-how?” said Jack.

“Remember three things，” said the master.

“What?” said Jack.

“Use nature. Be nature. Follow nature.”

“I can do that!” Annie said.

Jack looked at her. “You can?” he said.

The master turned to Jack. “Your tree house lies to the east. That is the way you must go，” he said.

How? wondered Jack. How do we find the east?

Before he could ask， the master bowed. Then he disappeared into the shadows.

The two ninjas led Jack and Annie out of the cave， into the moonlight.

The tall one pointed at the pine forest. Then they too disappeared into the darkness.

Jack and Annie were all alone.

6影子武士

杰克和安妮于是走了進去，他們跟著矮個子忍者在黑暗中穿行。

山洞里面點了很多的蠟燭，人影在墻上跳動著。

在閃爍的燭光中，杰克看見一個黑色的身影坐在一張布毯上。

是忍者頭頭。

矮個子忍者向他們的頭目鞠了一躬，然后他就站到了一邊。

頭目凝視著杰克和安妮。

“坐吧。”他說。

杰克和安妮坐在了冰冷堅硬的地上。

吱吱。吱吱。

小老鼠把腦袋從安妮的口袋里鉆了出來。

“沒事的，花生。”安妮說。

忍者頭目盯著小老鼠看了一下，然后看著杰克問道：“你們是誰?”

“我是杰克，她是我妹妹安妮。”杰克回答道。

“你們從哪來?”頭頭問道。

“賓夕法尼亞的蛙溪鎮(zhèn)。”安妮說。

“你們來這里干什么?”他問。

“我們試圖幫助我們的朋友摩根·拉菲。”杰克說，“她給我們留了一個信兒。”

安妮指著矮個子忍者說，“我們把那個信條給他了。”

“你是說，你把留言給了‘她’。”忍者頭目說，“她已經(jīng)把它給我了。”

“她?”杰克和安妮同時說道。

那個女忍者的眼神閃爍了一下，杰克想她可能是在笑吧。

頭頭舉起摩根的留言，“也許我可以幫你們。”他說，“但是首先你們要證明你們確實值得我?guī)椭?rdquo;

就在這時那個高個子忍者出現(xiàn)了，他向忍者頭頭做了一個手勢。

那頭目站了起來，他把摩根的留言遞給了安妮。

“我們現(xiàn)在必須走了。”他說，“武士們來了。”

“武士?”杰克說，他知道日本武士是一群極其兇狠的斗士。

“是在山谷中的那些人嗎?”杰克問道，“拿著火把的那些人?”

“沒錯，我們的組織正在與他們進行戰(zhàn)爭。”那頭目說，“我們必須在他們找到我們之前離開。”

“可是那幫助摩根的事怎么辦?”安妮說。

忍者頭頭把他的劍綁在身上。“我現(xiàn)在沒有時間了。”他說，“我得走了。”

“我們不能和你們一起走嗎?”安妮說。

“不行，我們?nèi)サ牡胤侥銈兛刹荒苋?，你們必須自己找到回樹屋的路?rdquo;

“我們自己?”杰克說。

“沒錯。你們必須自己走，小心那些武士。”

“為什么?”杰克說。

“他們會認為你們是我們中的一員。”頭頭說，“他們不會問你們?nèi)魏螁栴}，也不會對你們有一點仁慈之心。”

“我的媽呀!”安妮悄悄地說。

“不過你們已經(jīng)見過了忍者的行動方式，現(xiàn)在你們也可以自己鍛煉一下了。”忍者頭頭說。

“怎……怎么鍛煉?”杰克說。

“記住三件事。”忍者頭目說。

“什么?”杰克說。

“利用自然，融入自然，跟著自然。”

“我能做到!”安妮說。

杰克看著她，“你能?”他說。

頭目轉(zhuǎn)向杰克說：“你們的樹屋在東邊，你們必須朝那邊走。”

怎么走?杰克遲疑著，我們怎么找到東邊?

他還沒來得及問，那頭目鞠了一躬然后就消失在陰影里了。

兩個忍者把杰克和安妮帶出了山洞，重新又回到月光下。

高個子忍者指了指松樹林，于是他們也消失在黑暗中了，只剩下杰克和安妮兩個人。