Hour of the Olympics by Mary Pope Osborne Read Free Book Online Page A

sure don’t need the flashlight here,” he said.
    “Look, Morgan gave us clothes like the ones we wore in Pompeii,” said Annie.
    Jack looked down.
    His clothes
were
similar to the ones he’d worn in the Roman town of Pompeii: a tunic and sandals. He also had a leather bag in place of his backpack again.
    Annie looked out the window.
    “And we landed in an olive tree—just like Pompeii!” said Annie.
    Jack looked out the window. He caught his breath.
    “Are we in the wrong place?” he asked.
    “I don’t know,” said Annie. “Look past the trees. Doesn’t it look like a big fair?”
    Jack looked. Annie was right. Past the olive grove was a field filled with white tents. Beyond the field were red-brick buildings with columns and huge crowds of people.
    “What’s going on?” Jack asked.
    He pulled the research book out of his leather bag. He found a picture of the scene outside. Below the picture were these words:
    The Olympic Games began in ancient Greece over 2,500 years ago. Every four years, more than 40,000 people traveled to Olympia, the town where the festival of athletic games took place.
    “Oh, man,” Jack whispered. “We’re at the ancient Olympics!”
    “Cool,” said Annie.
    Jack wrote in his notebook:

    “Come on, let’s go watch!” Annie said. She started down the rope ladder.
    Jack threw his notebook and the research book into his leather bag.
    “Don’t forget we have to get Morgan’s story, too,” he said as he followed Annie.
    Annie waited as Jack stepped to the ground. Then they walked through the olive grove to where the tents were.
    Jack heard pipe music and smelled food roasting over fires. Groups of men talked excitedly to one another.
    “That’s funny,” said Annie. “I don’t see any girls here.”
    “Oh, sure, there’re girls,” said Jack.
    “Where?” said Annie. “Show me.”
    Jack looked around. But he only saw men and boys—no women or girls at all.
    Then he saw an outdoor theater. A woman was standing on the stage. She had yellow hair and a purple tunic.
    “There,” said Jack, pointing.
    “What’s she doing?” asked Annie.
    A soldier was on the stage with her. He wore a long cape. A helmet with a red crest hid his face.
    The woman and the soldier were waving their arms and talking loudly to each other.

    “I think they’re doing a play,” said Jack. “I’ll look.”
    He pulled out the Greek book and found a picture of the theater.
    “Listen,” he said. He read aloud:
    The Greeks were the first to write plays. Many English words for the theater come from Greek words, such as drama, scenery, and chorus. Many Greek plays are still performed today.
    “Hey, Jack,” said Annie. “You’re wrong.”
    When Jack looked up, he saw the woman had pulled off her wig. It was a boy dressed up as a woman!
    “See, even
she’s
a boy,” said Annie. “That’s weird.”
    “Hmm,” said Jack. He went on reading:
    A few actors would play many different parts in the same play. Women were not allowed to act, so men played the female roles, too.
    “That’s not fair,” said Annie. “What if a woman
wanted
to be in a play?”
    “Don’t worry about it,” said Jack. He put the book away. “Let’s just take a peek at the Olympics, then find our story.”
    He nudged Annie to move along.
    Just then he heard a voice.
    “Wait!”
    They turned around. A man with a short white beard was walking toward them.
    “Hello,” said the man. He was looking right at Annie. “Who are you?”
    “Who are
you
?” Annie asked boldly.

The bearded man smiled at Annie.
    “My name is Plato,” he said.
    “Plato?” said Jack. That name sounded familiar.
    “You may have heard of me,” the man said. “I am a philosopher.”
    “What’s that mean?” said Annie.
    “A lover of wisdom,” said Plato.
    “Wow,” said Annie.
    Plato smiled at her.
    “It’s odd to see a girl walking so bravely through Olympia,” he said. “You must be from far away.”
    “We’re Jack and