Carnival at Candlelight is the fifth book in the Merlin Missions series. It was originally published as the 33rd book of the combined Magic Tree House series.
Synopsis[]
While on a mission to prove to Merlin that they can use magic wisely, Jack and Annie travel to eighteenth-century Venice, Italy, to save the city from disaster.
Chapters[]
- A Book of Magic
- Carnival
- The Grand Lady of the Lagoon
- Rats!
- Lorenzo
- Disaster
- The King and the Ruler
- Home by Day
- The Painting
Publication Note[]
This book was originally published as book #33 of the Magic Tree House Series. In 2017 the books where Merlin sets the mission were separated from the main series and given their own numbering system.
Plot[]
It was dawn in February, Jack and Annie had just had dreams about the magic tree house, and Teddy and Kathleen were there. Sure enough, the two were there inside, they were the ones who sent the dreams. The two explained that Teddy and Kathleen wouldn’t be coming along on this adventure. Morgan had decided that it was time for them to use magic! However, Merlin was very cautious about sharing it with mortals, so they will be tested on four missions. Teddy and Kathleen gave them a book of rhymes, one part has each of their languages, but each one can only be used once. They also, of course, gave them a research book, they were going to Venice Italy. Luckily, they went there with their Aunt Gail and Uncle Michael on vacation, but this was two hundred and sixty years ago. Teddy and Kathleen had glass rings that would take them back home while Jack and Annie transported in the magic tree house.
The kids were wearing funny outfits, Venice was a popular place for tourists. However, Merlin said the Grand Lady of the Lagoon was in danger, and only the Ruler of the Seas could save her. To find him, Jack and Annie must visit the lady when water rises and seek out Tiepolo the painter. Then, when two men tell them it’s midnight, they must have the King of the Jungle fly them to the top of the men’s tower, where they would be guided by a golden angel. Jack and Annie were confused by these instructions, but they went to a gondola and rode with a gondolier and another masked passenger. Their voices were muffled but they knew where the Grand Lady of the Lagoon was. They explained that all the costumes are for carnival, a yearly festival in Venice with many disguises. There was much laughter and candles, but Jack noticed that a storm might be coming. Once they arrived at the festival, they heard two bells chime different numbers. The kids saw one large lady, but it was actually a man crossdressing. They decided to skip to meeting Tiepolo, Jack read that he’s a famous painter, but a clown said he was currently in Milan, which is a day away. Annie decided to outright ask someone about the Ruler of the Seas, a pirate claimed that he was in the palace on Saint Mark’s Square. There was much entertainment there too, the kids thought Venice was beautiful, but they wanted to go straight to the ruler’s palace. Annie asked a guard if they could see him, but he got so angry with them as he was annoyed by clowns all night. Luckily, two of them stole his rifle, he left his post allowing Jack and Annie to enter.
They went up the Giants’ Stair and into a room, but the ruler was not there. When they got distracted by lion painting in the Map Room, the guard and another sleepy one came. They accused the kids as thieves and forced them into a cell over the Bridge of Sighs. The cell was dingy and cruel, and there were rats! Jack and Annie decided it was time to use a rhyme, they used one named “Make Metal Soft” to allow Jack to bend the bars on the window. They barely escaped the guards before they left the palace.
Seeing that skipping caused trouble, they decided to go back to Tiepolo. Suddenly, they noticed water on the streets, a lady said that rain from the mountains washes down to the lagoon, nobody in the city worries about it though. Anyway, a neighbor of Tiepolo said he wouldn’t be back for months, he also said that Venice is timeless so no clock is right. Jack was starting to lose it, but Annie reminded him that Merlin said to be patient, then she noticed a boy in Tiepolo’s house. He was Lorenzo Tiepolo; he helped his father and brother who were away. Right now, he was painting the Ruler of the Seas, it was Neptune, with a woman and lion! Lorenzo said he lived in the seas underneath the palace and he ruled all the seas, not just Venice. However, only those with great imagination can see him. The painting represents Neptune giving his fortunes to Venice, she is the Grand Lady of the Lagoon.
Realizing their true mission in saving Venice from a flood, Jack and Annie leave to go back to the waterfront. Just as Jack was starting to lose it again, Annie saw two bronze statues of men hitting a bell on top of the clock tower at Saint Mark’s Palace. Once they climbed to the top, they realized that the need to fly the winged lion below the bell. They used the “Make a Stone Come Alive” rhyme to make it come to life, it took them towards the fireworks to the angel shaped weather vane on the watchtower. It pointed to the southeast towards choppy water and when the lion flew there, Jack and Annie imagined Neptune. The Roman god appeared and stopped storm as well as got rid of the water.
With Venice saved, the lion returned to being a statue. The weather vane then pointed west to lead Jack and Annie back to the magic tree house. Carnival was ending, the only people left there were sweepers until the people went on with their daily lives. It was there that they found the rhyme book they lost while riding the lion. They reunited with Lorenzo Tiepolo, who was painting a new painting, he was glad they encountered Neptune. He gave him the empty painting to let them paint what they saw. The gondolier and passenger from earlier gave them a ride back home. However, Jack accidentally pulled the gondolier’s glove off, and on his hand was a glass ring! The two suddenly vanished, but Jack and Annie wondered if they were truly Teddy and Kathleen.
Once they got back to Frog Creek, they decided to leave the research book in the tree house but take the book of rhymes with them for safekeeping. They went home talking about what they were going to put in the painting.
Notes on time and place settings[]
- This book takes place in February, which means that about a month and two weeks have passed since Winter of the Ice Wizard.
Trivia[]
- At the beginning of the book, a passage from Lord Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage is heard. I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs; A palace and a prison on each hand: I saw from out the wave her structures rise As from the stroke of the enchanter's wand... In context, it is the beginning of Canto IV' Harold starts his journey through Italy from Venice, commenting on its sights.