Vacation Under the Volcano Read Online Free PDF Page A

gladiator guy. The story of Hercules is a
myth
. That means he never really lived.”
    They left the woods and started up their street.
    â€œI know it’s a myth,” said Annie. “But I have a simple explanation.”
    â€œWhat?” said Jack.
    â€œHercules is a myth to people in
this
time,” said Annie. “But in Roman times, lots of people believed he was real. So, since we were in Roman times, he was real to us.”
    â€œI don’t know … ” said Jack.
    â€œDid you ever hear the saying?” said Annie. “
When in Rome, do as the Romans do
.”
    Jack laughed. “Yeah.” He looked up at the sky. “Thanks, Hercules,” he said softly, “whatever you are.”
    â€œJack! Annie!” their dad called from their front porch. “Time to go!”
    â€œOh, brother, I forgot,” said Jack.
    â€œYeah, I hope nothing exciting happens on
our
vacation,” said Annie.
    â€œYeah,” said Jack. “I hope it’s really,
really
boring.”
    â€œHurry!” their dad said.
    â€œComing!” they called.
    Then they took off running for home—and a restful vacation.

More Facts for You and Jack
    1) Pompeii was forgotten after it was buried in ash and pumice. In 1594, the ruined city was discovered by workmen who were digging a tunnel. Later, a nearby town called Herculaneum was also discovered. It had been buried by boiling mud after the volcano erupted. Many things from everyday life have been uncovered in both Pompeii and Herculaneum. Recently, a library of scrolls was found.
    2) The language of the ancient Romans was called Latin. Many words in the English, French, and Spanish languages come from Latin. For example,
liber
means “book” and
libri
means “books” in Latin. The word “book” in Spanish is
libro
and in French is
livre
. In English we have the word “library.”
    3) Mount Vesuvius erupted in the year A.D. 79. The letters “ A.D. ” stand for the words
anno
Domini
.
Anno Domini
means “in the year of the Lord” in Latin, which refers to the year Jesus Christ was born—about 2,000 years ago.
    4) The Romans took their name from the city of Rome, which was the capital of their empire. Rome is now the capital of the country of Italy.
    5) In A.D. 79, the Romans had a powerful army. They ruled all of Western Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.
    6) Hercules is the Roman name for the hero from the Greek myths known as Heracles. After the Romans conquered ancient Greece, they adopted many of Greece’s heroes and gods and goddesses. Heracles—who became Hercules—was one of them.

Here’s a special preview of
Magic Tree House #14
Day of the Dragon King

    Available now!
    Excerpt copyright © 1998 by Mary Pope Osborne.
Published by Random House Children’s Books,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

Annie peeked into Jack’s room.
    â€œReady to go to China?” she asked.
    Jack took a deep breath.
    â€œSure,” he answered.
    â€œBring your secret library card,” Annie said. “I have mine in my pocket.”
    â€œYep,” said Jack.
    He opened his top dresser drawer and took out a thin wooden card. The letters M L on it shimmered in the light. Jack dropped the card into his backpack. Then he threw in his notebook and a pencil.
    â€œLet’s go,” said Annie.
    Jack pulled on his pack and followed her.
    What are we in for today?
he wondered.
    â€œBye, Mom!” said Annie as they passed their mom in the kitchen.
    â€œWhere are you going?” she asked.
    â€œChina!” said Annie.
    â€œGreat,” said their mom. She winked at them. “Have fun.”
    Fun?
thought Jack. He was afraid that
fun
wasn’t quite the right word.
    â€œJust wish us luck,” he said as he and Annie headed out the front door.
    â€œGood luck!” their mother called.
    â€œIf only she knew we aren’t