Mary Pope Osborne - Magic Tree House 46 Read Online Free

question,” said Jack. “Let’s read about flora and fauna of the Alps and figure it out.”
    Jack reached for the book on the floor. Just as he grabbed it, the door banged open, and a Saint Bernard dog burst into the room. The dog flung himself onto Jack’s bed.
    “Ahhh!” Jack yelled.
    “Whoa!” cried Annie.
    The giant dog plopped down on top of Jack and panted,
HEH-HEH-HEH!
His head was as big as a basketball. His breath smelled like fish and crackers. His fur smelled like wet wool.
    “Okay, get off, please!” said Jack. He tried to push the dog off, but the dog just wrinkled his brow and looked curiously into Jack’s eyes. Drool hung from his long jowls.
    “Eww! Annie, help!” said Jack.
    “Hey,
you
!” Annie called to the huge, panting dog. “Come to
me
!”
    The Saint Bernard jumped off Jack and bounded onto Annie’s bed with the same joy and energy. Annie couldn’t stop giggling as the dog licked her face.
    “Barry!” said Brother Michael. He stood in the doorway.
    Ignoring the monk, the dog nuzzled Annie with his giant head. “Stop! Stop!” she said, laughing.

    “Barry! Off!” the monk said.
    “Barry!” said Jack, trying to help.
    The dog looked over at Jack. Then he leapt off Annie’s bed.
    “Oh, no!” cried Jack. “Don’t come back to me!” He covered his head with his blanket.
    But it was too late. Barry jumped back onto Jack’s bed and started pawing at the blanket, trying to dig Jack out from underneath.
    “Barry, come!” commanded Brother Michael. “Now!”
    Finally the Saint Bernard leapt off Jack’s bed and bounded into the hallway.
    Brother Michael quickly closed the door behind the rowdy giant. “Well! Now you’ve met Barry!” he said.
    Out in the hallway, Barry whined and pawed at the door, begging to come back into the room.
    “Oh, poor puppy,” said Annie.
    “Barry may be young,” said Brother Michael. “But he is a two-hundred-pound dog who needs to grow up.”
    “Aww,” said Annie. She laughed tenderly at the mournful sounds Barry was making.
    “Perhaps you do not realize this,” said BrotherMichael, “but it is past noon. You have both been asleep for many hours.”
    “Really? Oh, man!” said Jack. He jumped off the bed and grabbed his shoes and put them on. He couldn’t believe they’d wasted so much time!
    “We are just completing our noontime meal in the dining hall before we hike down the pass,” said Brother Michael. “Thousands of French soldiers will be crossing soon on their way to Italy. Father Laurent left to assist the first troops. I thought perhaps you would like to eat something before the rest of us leave to help.”
    “Uh—sure, thanks,” said Jack.
    “I will wait for you in the dining hall next to the parlor,” said the monk.
    When Brother Michael slipped out the door, Barry greeted him with a happy yelp. Then the giant dog’s barking faded down the hallway.

“C ome on, hurry,” said Annie, pulling on her shoes.
    “But we have to look in our book,” said Jack, “and try to figure out—”
    “Let’s look after we talk to Brother Michael,” said Annie. “He’s leaving soon. And I have a feeling that he—or someone else here—is going to help us.”
    “Let’s hope,” said Jack.
    Still sore from the avalanche, Jack limped alittle as he followed Annie out of their room. They passed all the closed doors lining the long torch-lit hallway, until finally they came to the parlor. From the dining hall, they could hear the clinking of silverware and china, but no voices.
    Jack and Annie peered into the room and saw about forty monks sitting on benches on either side of a long table. Brother Michael waved from one end. The other monks didn’t even look up. They all kept their heads bowed as they silently finished eating their noontime meal.
    Jack and Annie crossed the dining hall, weaving among a dozen Saint Bernards resting with their heads on their paws. None of them had Barry’s crazy energy.
    Jack and Annie sat at