A Crazy Day with Cobras by Mary Pope Osborne Read Free Book Online Page A

he thought he understood what the Great Mogul meant.
    “And now I want to answer the question you asked me today,” the Great Mogul said to Annie. “You asked if I loved anything. I could not speak freely in front of my guards or my foreign guests. But the answer is yes. I once did love something—some
one
—very much. My wife. She was my best friend and the mother of many children. I wept an ocean of tears when she died.”
    “Oh. I’m so sorry,” said Annie.
    “Me too,” said Jack.
    “You have shown me your hearts,” said the Great Mogul. “Now I show you mine.” He turned and looked at the shimmering dome. “This is the tomb of marble I built for my wife. It is called the Taj Mahal.”

J ack, Annie, and the Great Mogul were silent for a long moment. The marble of the Taj Mahal seemed to change color as the sun went down. Against the darkening sky, it went from pale pink to orange to purple. The dome sparkled as if it were covered with a thousand tiny lights.

    “How did you make it sparkle like that?” Annie asked finally.
    “Stonecutters set precious stones in the marble,” said the Great Mogul. “Many were cut in the shapes of flowers and leaves. The emerald rose you chose today is like the carved flowers set in the Taj Mahal.”
    “It’s really beautiful,” Jack said.
    “Yes. Many say it is the most beautiful building in all the world,” said the Great Mogul. “But hidden beneath the sparkle and magnificence of the Taj Mahal is simply the lonely heart of one person who loved another.” The Great Mogul had tears in his eyes. He cleared his throat and looked away from them. “And the elephant I gave you—where is she now?”
    “Uh … actually …,” Jack started. He didn’t know what to say. How could he protect Morning Breeze?
    “We left her in the forest,” Annie finished. “She has a baby she wanted to take care of. Youprobably didn’t know this, but Morning Breeze was a new mom when she was captured. She’s a good mother. She should stay with her baby.”
    The Great Mogul nodded. “I understand,” he said. “My wife was a good mother, too. The last thing she said to me was ‘Please take care of our children.’ Do not worry, the elephant will remain in the forest with her child.”
    “Thank you,” said Annie.
    The Great Mogul stared at them for a long moment. When he spoke again, his voice was kind. “You are ambassadors from far away,” he said, “but you are children, too. You should go back to your home, to those who care for you.”
    “A splendid idea,” said Jack, trying to sound like an ambassador.
    “Come.” The Great Mogul walked with Jack and Annie back to the arched entrance and through the tall gate. He waved at the driver in the cart. Then he turned to Jack and Annie.
    “Farewell,” he said. “Travel safely.”
    “Thank you,” said Annie.
    “Bow,” Jack whispered to her.
    Jack and Annie performed their bow one last time. When they straightened up, the Great Mogul nodded.
    “Oh, and thank you for the emerald rose,” said Annie. “It is a priceless treasure.”
    “You are most welcome,” said the Great Mogul. “The rose was my wife’s favorite flower. And, as you know, emeralds stand for love.” For the first time, a warm smile crossed his face.
    Jack and Annie smiled back at him.
    But the Great Mogul was suddenly serious again, as if he wasn’t allowed to smile. He looked at Jack and Annie for a moment. Then, without another word, he turned and walked through the tall gate, back toward the shimmering tomb of his wife.
    Jack looked at Annie. “Let’s go home now,” he said.
    Jack and Annie walked to the guard and his horse-drawn carriage. “Please take us tothe trees outside the walls of the Red Fort,” Jack said.
    The guard flicked his reins. The black horses trotted along the river in the pink twilight. They passed veiled women on the backs of elephants, white oxen pulling a cart, and small boys driving a herd of sheep. They stopped