兒童英語讀物《神奇樹屋》 第二十三冊 Twister on Tuesday 09 All clear
Jeb pushed open the cellar door. Daylight streamedin. He looked out.
"All clear" he said.
Jeb crawled out of the cellar. Jack followed him,then Annie, Will, Kate, and Miss Neely.
The sky was gray above them. The twister had tornthe roof off the dugout and sucked everything out,even the rug.
They all stared in shock at the empty space.
Then Miss Neely smiled.
"Well, at least we are all safe," she said.
They stepped out of the hut. The air was thick withdust and bits of grass.
The twister had cut a wide path of dirt anddestruction across the prairie. It was still whirlingaway on the horizon.
Everyone watched silently as the twister becamelong and thin, like a piece of rope. Then it vanishedcompletely.
Miss Neely turned to Jack and Annie. "You savedour lives," she said.
"Thank you!" said Will.
"Thank you!" said Kate, hugging Annie.
"Jeb actually opened the cellar door," said Jack.
"Yes! Thank you, too, Jeb!" said Miss Neely.
The older boy only scowled.
"I hope you can get a new school," said Annie.
"We will," said Miss Neely. "Just as we planted ourfields again after the grasshopper attack, we'll buildour school again after the twister. If at first you don'tsucceed, try, try again."Jack thought Miss Neely was one of the bravestpeople he'd ever met.
"You're a good teacher," he said shyly.
"I love teaching," she said. "It's a job that lastsforever. Whatever you teach children today travelswith them far into the future.""That's true!" said Annie. Jack smiled.
"Well, we better leave--again," he said. "Bye!"Everyone waved, except Jeb.
Jack and Annie started across the prairie, backtoward the tree house.
They hadn't gone far when Jack heard someoneshout his name. He turned around.
It was Jeb.
"Wait!" the older boy yelled. He had a fierce look onhis face. He started running toward them.
"Oh no," Jack breathed. Did Jeb still want to fight?
"Leave us alone!" Annie said angrily.
"Shh, Annie," said Jack. "Let's see what he wants."When Jeb got close to them, he stopped. He lookedright at Jack.
"Why did you come back?" he asked.
"We wanted to tell you about the storm cellar," saidJack.
"How did you know about that cellar?" he said.
Jack pulled their research book out of his leatherbag.
"We read about it in this book," he said. Jeb staredat the book. Then he sighed.
"I aim to read someday, too," he said. "That lookslike a good book."Jack didn't know what to say. He was still afraid ofmaking Jeb mad. So he just nodded.
"My ma and pa were too poor to go to school," saidJeb. "They want me to go. But I'm getting startedmighty late.""It's not too late," said Jack.
"It's never too late," said Annie.
Jeb narrowed his eyes.
"If you ever come back through here... he said.
"Yes... ?" Jack asked carefully. Was Jeb about tothreaten him again?
"Maybe I'll be able to read that book of yours," Jebsaid.
Jack sighed and smiled.
"I know you will," he said.
Jeb smiled back. He had a nice smile.
"Thanks for coming back to rescue us," he said toboth Jack and Annie. "Too bad you can't stay. Ireckon we'd all be good friends if you did.""I reckon we would," said Annie.
Jeb nodded. Then he turned and ran back to join theothers.
Suddenly, the sun broke through the clouds. Thewildflowers danced in a gentle breeze.
"Ready?" said Annie.
Jack just stood there, staring at the sunlit prairie.
"Jack? Ready to go?" Annie asked.
In that moment, Jack actually hated to leave. But henodded slowly and said, "Let's go."He and Annie took off through the bright, sparklinggrass. They ran to the small grove of trees near thecreek.
They climbed up the rope ladder and scrambled intothe tree house.
Annie picked up their Pennsylvania book.
"I wish we could go there," she said.
This time the wind did not start to blow.
The tree house simply started to spin on its own.
It spun faster and faster.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still.
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