Dark Day in the Deep Sea is the thirty-ninth installment to the Magic Tree House series and the eleventh of the Merlin Missions.
Synopsis[]
When Jack and Annie join a group of nineteenth-century explorers aboard the H.M.S. Challenger, they learn about the ocean, solve the mystery of its fabled sea monster, and gain compassion for their fellow creatures.
Chapters[]
- Back to the Sea
- Pirates Again?
- A Creature Named Henry
- Off the Ship!
- Ooze
- Pea Soup
- Help!
- Monster of the Deep
- Think! Think!
- The Heart of the Ocean
- Good-bye, Mates
Plot[]
It was summer, but a storm was about to hit Frog Creek. Jack and Annie were biking home from the library when a seagull flew overhead and led them to the Magic Treehouse in Frog Creek Woods. They found Teddy and Kathleen, who were there to give them their next mission from Merlin. They were tasked with finding the third "Secret of Happiness" at the ocean. Teddy and Kathleen warned them that they wouldnāt be able to see Merlin until they discovered two more secrets. After receiving a book about the ocean, Jack and Annie used the magic treehouse to travel to a misty beach. They knew about what was under the ocean due to their experience with dolphins.
Once they arrived, they were excited to explore, but Jack remembered their mission to find the secret. They played in the water and discussed the wonders of the ocean, but Jack was focused on finding others to help them with their search. They spotted a pirate ship in the distance, and soon realized it wasnāt a typical pirate ship. The people on board werenāt pirates, but members of the HMS Challenger, a historic British scientific exploration ship from the 1870s. The group learned that the man with a butterfly net was one of the scientists from the ship. Jack and Annie decided to meet him and learn more about the shipās mission to explore the oceanās depths. The scientist was named Henry, and he was searching for rare butterflies and shells. Henry introduced them to two sailors, Joe and Tommy, who were skeptical of the children. The kids explained that they were from America and on vacation, and Henry shared his work on the HMS Challenger, which was exploring the ocean's depths. Henry talked about the ocean's mysteries, like the creatures living in its deep, dark waters, and invited Jack and Annie to visit the ship. Though initially hesitant, the sailors agreed, and Jack and Annie were given life vests as they boarded the ship. The ride was rough, and Jack felt seasick, but he was more intrigued by the ship's scientific work, especially when they learned about the "monster" some crew members believed they had seenāa creature much worse than a shark.
When they reached the ship, the crew was busy with their work. Jack and Annie met the shipās captain and Professor Thompson, a renowned ocean expert. The professor explained some of their discoveries, including how they were measuring the depths of the ocean and learning about its creatures. However, the captain was adamant that the children should leave the ship before the weather worsened, putting an end to their visit. The professor showed them the sea creatures collected from the ocean's depths. They learned that the creatures were caught using large nets with mops, and the professor explained the importance of studying these specimens. As they discussed the mysterious creatures of the sea, a storm suddenly approached. The captain ordered everyone below deck, where Jack and Annie were shown to a sea laboratory by Henry. There, they learned about various sea creatures preserved in bottles, including ooze from the ocean floor. The professor shared his notebook with beautiful watercolors of natural history specimens.
Later, at lunch in the ship's wardroom, Jack and Annie experienced the food served to the crew, which included lime juice to prevent scurvy. Jack struggled with the sour taste, and the ship began to rock violently due to the worsening storm. Henry led them down to a safer area, but as the storm intensified, Jack decided to head back to the deck. He was soon swept overboard by a giant wave, thrown into the churning sea! As they struggled to stay afloat, Jack desperately tried to reach Annie, but the waves kept pushing them apart. Jack realized he didnāt have the wand and was trying to stay afloat when he spotted Annieās life vest, but she was missing. Suddenly, Jack was grabbed by something strong around his waistāan enormous octopus. Despite his fear, Jack saw that the octopus wasnāt trying to hurt him. Instead, it seemed to be rescuing them, lifting both him and Annie out of the water.
The octopus held them above the waves, keeping them safe, and Jack and Annie even shared a moment of understanding with the creature, laughing together. However, their relief was interrupted when the HMS Challenger arrived. The ship crew was in a panic as they spotted the octopus. Jack and Annie managed to swim back to the ship with help from the crew. The professor and Henry wrapped them in blankets, relieved they were safe, but the professor was skeptical of the octopus, calling it a monster. The children tried to explain that the octopus saved them, but the professor insisted it was dangerous. The ship crew eventually captured the octopus in a net, and despite Jack and Annieās protests to let it go, the crew planned to kill it. The children begged for the octopusās release, but no one listened to them, leaving Jack to wonder if there was anything they could do to save the creature.
Jack and Annie were searching for Jack's backpack on a ship, where they needed to find a magical wand to help a giant octopus. They discovered that the backpack was in Henry the scientistās locked lab, and they rushed to get it. Once they had the wand, Jack used it to try and save the octopus, but their magic didnāt seem to workāno one was listening to their pleas. As the octopus revealed itself, it spoke, telling everyone it wasnāt a monster, but a miracle of nature. The sailors and scientists, moved by its words, agreed to free the octopus. The crew realized that they should treat all living creatures with compassion, and the captain ordered the octopus to be released. Jack and Annie, along with Henry, helped set the creature free, and it thanked them before swimming away.
As Jack and Annie returned to shore, Henry gave them a beautiful nautilus shell as a token of gratitude, teaching them the importance of compassion. They headed back to the Treehouse and returned home, reflecting on how they learned that understanding and compassion for all creatures was the real secret to happiness.
Notes on time and place settings[]
- Since it was the first day of school in Monday with a Mad Genius, and summer here, about nine months have passed since.
Publication Note[]
This book was originally published as #39 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.
Trivia[]
- This book is the longest book in the whole series with 144 pages.
- At the beginning of the book, there is a quote from Jacques Cousteau. "The sea, once it casts it spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever."