Jack and Annie had to be given four special gifts to help free an enchanted dog, Teddy, from a spell. They had already received three gifts on three journeys with him. Now, they were going to set out in search of their last gift. The title of research book, which always Morgan left, was "Adventure in Australia".
In the tree house, they landed drought forest of Australia. There were emus which were large and didn't fly, and a koala was nestled in the fork of the tree sleeping during the day. They also saw a kookaburra which made remind people of a braying donkey because of its strange sound.
When they walked again, they found out a kangaroo with her baby in her pouch. The kangaroo and Annie hopped around each other as if they were dancing. The kangaroo seemed to fly through the air, then land as softly as a butterfly.
Then, the mother kangaroo began stamping her feet and then froze. A moment later, three dogs, dingoes, crept silently toward the kangaroo, although Teddy growled. Suddenly, the mother sprang into the air, away from the dogs. Jack and Annie took off after the dogs to help her.
They halted because the mother stopped suddenly and dropped to her knees. After she dropped the baby kangaroo, she left away. Without the extra weight in her pouch, she could leap faster and farther. The research book says if she escapes the dingoes, she returns to the joey. The baby dived into the lying Jack's back. Jack put the pack on his chest instead of on his back like mother kangaroo.
As they all waited the mother coming back, a tree suddenly burst into flames, a wildfire in the distance! They had to get out of there. They didn't have a choice. Also they had to get back to the tree house before it burnt down. Before they left there, Annie dashed off in the other direction and carried the koala, and came back.
When they didn't know where they went, Teddy barked and led them. Jack and Annie carried Joey and the koala, and they followed Teddy's barking through the smoky, fire-filled forest.
Finally, they climbed onto the rock ledge and stepped into a cave where Teddy barked in. They couldn't see anything, so they moved holding each other's hand along the wall until Teddy let out a howl.
As he howled, and amazing thing happened. A white line began to glow in the air. The glowing line grew until it looked like a giant snake. Then glowing handprints appeared below the snake. They didn't know that, but Jack and Annie put their hands inside one of the painted handprints. Despite the glowing painting, the rock felt smooth and cool. It almost seemed to breathe.
When a sound boomed like thunder, they turned back the way they had come and followed Teddy's barking again. Soon, there were at the front of the cave and they went out, into a pouring rain. The heavy rain was putting out the wildfire.
They walked over to the unburned gum tree. Annie placed the koala in the fork of two branches. But, they didn't know the place where Joey's mom left him. But Teddy could find the spot, he stood over their book which was wet, but not burned and the pager looked okay.
When they waited and waited there, the mother bounded out of the trees. Joey dived into his mom's pouch, and he looked happy to be home. The mother bent over and used a front paw to pick up a small piece of bark from the wet grass, and held it out to them. It was their 'gift from a kangaroo'.
There was a tiny painting on it. It was just like the snake painting in the cave. They found it in their book. In Dreamtime which Aborigines's myths take place, there is a Rainbow Serpent, who sends life-giving rain. Aborigines paint the Rainbow Serpent on cave walls or on pieces of bark. In special ceremonies, they sometimes honor the Rainbow Serpent by painting their handprints on the magic snake, the book says. That's when Jack and Annie saw a rainbow curved across the blue Australian sky.
As they came back to their woods with Teddy, there was Morgan in the tree house.
Teddy's spell was broken. He was a boy who was trained to work in library of Morgan at Camelot. Their first gift, the pocket watch, could teach him that time is very precious, Second gift, the eagle's feather, could teach him that a small creature can be one of the bravest. Third gift, the lotus flower, could teach him that nature holds many wonders. And last gift, the piece of bark, could teach him that there is mystery, magic, and wisdom in the traditions of ancient peoples.
The magic tree house was gone with Morgan and Teddy. She promised returning for them soon.
Jack and Annie had have great adventures four trips with Teddy. It was like living in Dreamtime. They thought that was exactly what it was like.
