《神奇树屋》 第二十九册 Christmas in Camelot 11 The Crystal Cave

（单词翻译）

　　"The secret door!" whispered Jack¹.

"Yes!" said Annie.

Jack dropped the compass into his pack. Then he and Anniescrambled through the bushes and climbed up the rocks to thedoor.

Annie took Sir Lancelot's glass key from around her neck. Sheslipped the key into the keyhole. She turned the key slowly.

Clink.

"Yippee," Annie said softly. She pushed open the door.

Beyond the door was a huge, glittering cave. The floor, walls,and ceiling were made of clear crystal.

Jack and Annie stepped inside. The cave was filled withdancing streams of purple light.

"It's so bright!" whispered Jack. "Where's all the purple lightcoming from?""There," said Annie. She pointed² to a crack on the far side ofthe cave. "Let's look."They crossed the cave and peered through the crack into aroom. Along the brilliant crystal walls of the room were fourdoorways.

In the far corner of the room was a fire. The fire blazed withleaping purple flames. Over the flames hung a gleaming goldencauldron.

"There it is," whispered Jack.

"Wow," whispered Annie.

"The cauldron with the Water of Memory and Imagination,"whispered Jack.

"I know," whispered Annie. "Let's go!"They squeezed through the crack, then walked toward thegleaming cauldron. Jack reached into his pack and pulled out SirGalahad's silver cup.

"The cauldron's too high," said Annie. "We can't get to thewater.""Here, take this," said Jack, handing her the cup. "Climb on myback."He bent⁴ over, and Annie climbed on piggy-back. Jack stood upshakily. "Hurry!" he said. ''You're heavy.

"I can't reach it," said Annie. "Move closer." Jack staggeredforward a few steps. Stretch-ing as far as she could, Anniereached again. She skimmed water from the top of the bubblingcauldron, filling the silver cup.

"Got it!" she whispered. "Now set me down. Slowly!"Annie held the cup with both hands. Jack slowly bent hisknees and Annie climbed carefully off his back. They staredsilently for a moment at the Water of Memory and Imaginationin the cup. It was clear and shimmering⁵.

"Now we can save Morgan," said Annie.

Just then Jack smelled something strange-- it was like thesmell of rotten seaweed. He heard weird⁶ gurgling sounds behindthem.

He and Annie turned around.

A giant, slimy, mud-colored creature crawled out through oneof the doorways³. The creature was long and scaly⁷ like acrocodile but much,MUCH bigger. It had wings that looked as if they'd been spunfrom a thousand spider webs. It had glowing red eyes and long,curled claws.

The creature opened its huge jaws⁸. Strands⁹ of drool drippedfrom its sharp, pointed teeth. The creature hissed¹⁰ and hot blueflame shot from its mouth.

Another monster crawled through a different doorway,quickly followed by a third, and then a fourth.

"Yikes!" said Annie.

"The real Keepers of the Cauldron ... whispered Jack.