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something in Jack’s memory, but he wasn’t sure what it was.
    “Let’s go now,” Annie said.
    Jack took the seashell out of his pocket. He pointed to the words
Frog Creek
. “I wish we could go home!” he said.
    “Wait!” said Annie. “Our shoes! We left them on the beach!”
    Too late.
    The wind started to blow.
    The tree house started to spin.
    It spun faster and faster.
    Then everything was still.
    Absolutely still.

    Jack opened his eyes. A warm summer breeze wafted into the tree house. The noon sun shined between the tree leaves. No time at all had passed in Frog Creek.
    “Merlin was the Water Knight,” Jack said.
    “What?” said Annie.
    “When he said good-bye, Merlin gave us the same wave the Water Knight gave us,” said Jack. “Remember?” Jack raised his hand and imitated Merlin’s gesture.
    “You’re right!” Annie laughed. “Why didn’t I think of that? He always helps us get started on our missions.”
    “And now we have three things from him,” said Jack. He put the pale blue shell on the floor next to the Royal Invitation and the yellow autumn leaf. Then he looked at Annie.
    “Home?” he said.
    She nodded.
    They climbed down the rope ladder and started walking barefoot through the damp, leafy woods.
    “I guess we’ll just have to tell Mom we lost our shoes in a time before Camelot,” said Jack.
    “Yeah,” said Annie, “on our way to get the Sword of Light that was stolen by the Ice Wizardof Winter and guarded by a giant sea serpent who served the Lady of the Lake.”
    “Right,” said Jack. “A simple explanation.”
    “You ready to go swimming at the lake now?” asked Annie.
    Jack remembered the thrill of being a seal and zooming through the deep waters. “It won’t be the same without Kathleen and Teddy,” he said. “We won’t be seals.”
    “We can pretend,” said Annie. “Let’s hurry before Mom decides it’s too late to go.”
    They took off running. They ran barefoot through the woods, over sticks and leaves, through the dappled noon light. Then they ran down their street. They were out of breath by the time they reached their yard.
    “Oh, wow!” said Annie. “Look!” She pointed at their porch.
    Sitting in front of the door were their sneakers.
    Jack and Annie climbed the porch and picked up their shoes. As Jack turned his over, fine white sand fell out—and a couple of tiny silver pebbles.
    “Who—how?” he said.
    A seagull screeched overhead. They looked up. The gull screeched again, then flew away and disappeared into the soft summer light.
    Annie shrugged. “A little leftover magic,” she said. Then she called through the screen door, “Mom! We’re ready!”

Once again, details of old stories from Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England have inspired a Magic Tree House Merlin Mission. While researching
Summer of the Sea Serpent
,
I read about mythical creatures known as
selkies,
who were said to dwell in the inlets and bays of the British Isles. Selkies were “seal people” who took human shape whenever they slipped off their seal skins. In several old tales, female selkies marry fishermen and cause great heartache when they return to their seal lives.
    Many Celtic tales also tell of water horsesthat live in Scottish lakes and of the legendary Gray Man, a bearded giant who spreads his fog cloak over lonely Scottish and Irish coasts.
    Stories of giant sea serpents appear in tales from all over the world, from ancient Greece and Europe to India and Asia. Long ago, when the ocean was a realm of mysteries and marvels, many sailors and fishermen reported seeing long-necked, snaky monsters swimming in the deep. It’s likely that they mistook giant squid, sea turtles, or whales for these sea monsters.
    And of course, while working on this book, I was again inspired by the tales of King Arthur and Camelot, which have been told again and again over the centuries. For instance, my sword bridge was inspired by a sword bridge in the French tale