Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne Read Free Book Online Page A

stunned to speak. Then he clapped his hands and laughed joyfully.
    â€œThank you!” he said to Jack and Annie.
    The Knights of the Round Table all cheered.
    â€œRing the bells!” King Arthur shouted. “Call the people of Camelot to the castle!”
    â€œThey have already gathered outside the doors, Your Majesty,” said a page.
    â€œBring them in!” said King Arthur. “We must rejoice together!”
    Queen Guinevere smiled at Jack and Annie. Her eyes sparkled now. “Once again, you have helped save Camelot,” she said. “Thank you very much.”
    â€œYou’re welcome,” said Jack and Annie together.
    Then Jack heard the sounds of children talking and laughing. He turned to see a crowd of people streaming through the arched doorway of the great hall. They carried candles, a giant fir tree, and boughs of holly and pine. Musicians followed them with stringed instruments.
    As everyone started to decorate the hall, the musicians began playing and singing a beautiful Christmas carol.
    â€œJack!” said Annie. “Look!”
    The white stag was standing in the arched doorway.
    Jack turned excitedly to Morgan. “See thatwhite stag?” he said. “He took us to the Otherworld! See him?”
    Morgan smiled.
    â€œYes, I
do
see him,” she said. “And now I see
everything
.”
    Jack looked back at the doorway. The stag was gone. In his place stood an old man with a long white beard. He held a staff and wore a flowing red cloak—the same cloak Jack and Annie had worn on their quest.

    â€œWho’s that?” Jack asked.
    â€œThat is Merlin the magician,” said Morgan. “It was
Merlin
who invited you here. I see that now.”
    â€œMerlin?” said Jack. “
He
sent us the Royal Invitation?”
    â€œYes,” said Morgan. “Then he put the rest of us under a spell. And he carried you to the Otherworld.”
    â€œNo,” said Annie, “the
Christmas Knight
put you under a spell.”
    â€œAnd the
white stag
carried us to the Otherworld,” said Jack.
    Morgan smiled.
    â€œMerlin was both the Christmas Knight and the white stag,” she said. “Remember, he’s a magician, not a mortal. He can change his shape whenever he wishes.”
    â€œOh, wow,” whispered Annie.
    â€œWhy did Merlin do these things?” asked Jack.
    â€œMerlin was angry when King Arthur banished magic from Camelot,” said Morgan. “I see now he finally took matters into his own hands.”
    â€œHow?” said Jack.
    â€œHe knew King Arthur would send no more knights to the Otherworld for the Water of Memory and Imagination,” said Morgan. “So I assume he brought you to Camelot hoping that you would offer to go instead.”
    â€œWhy did he want
us
to go?” asked Annie.
    â€œMerlin has often heard my tales of your adventures in the tree house,” said Morgan. “He knows you both have a great desire to fight for the good. And he knows you use the gift of imagination very well. Those are two special qualities needed to succeed in
any
quest.”
    Jack and Annie looked back at Merlin. From far across the room, the white-bearded magician smiled at them. He raised his staff. Then he slipped out the door.
    Jack looked around the great hall. All thecandles and torches were lit now. A fire blazed in the hearth. The musicians were playing. Everyone was singing. The room glowed with warm firelight and rosy faces.
    At last, Christmas in Camelot was just as Jack had imagined it would be. The spell of the Dark Wizard had been broken. The great hall was filled with beauty and love and joy and light.

“W ake up, Jack,” said Annie.
    Jack opened his eyes.
    He was lying in the dark on the wooden floor of the tree house. Through the window, he saw the cloudy sky above the Frog Creek woods.
    â€œTime to go home,” said Annie.
    â€œOh, I must have fallen asleep,” said Jack.