Dogs in the Dead of Night is the 46th book of the Magic Tree House Book Series.
Summary[]
Jack and Annie travel to a monastery in the Swiss Alps where, with the help of St. Bernard dogs and magic, they seek the second of four special objects necessary to break the spell on Merlin's pet penguin, Penny.
Chapters[]
- The Second Thing
- Buried Alive!
- The Saints
- Barry
- He's All Yours
- Good Dog?
- I Don't Believe It
- Dogs for an Hour
- Lovers of Knowledge
- Spirit of the Buttercup
Plot[]
Early one morning, Annie woke Jack up to take him to the magic tree house. Jack had a slight nightmare about cobras, he was still half asleep. However, they needed to see if Teddy and Kathleen left something there so they could help save Penny. When the kids got there, the two were not present, but there was the next part of the translated reverse spell.
The second thing to break the spell
is a white and yellow flower.
Live its meaning for yourself,
if only for an hour.
They were going to the Swiss Alps, mountains in Switzerland, where “The Sound of Music” took place. Particularly, there were going to some place called the Great Saint Bernard Pass. Additionally, Teddy and Kathleen have left another potion. This one would turn them into whatever they wanted for an hour.
Once Jack and Annie arrived, they were cold and shivering in their wool clothing. The treehouse was overlooking the Great Saint Bernard Pass, it was a famous road between Switzerland and Italy. Despite some doubts, they decided to head to a nearby monastery for help. As they descended the slope toward the monastery, a small avalanche trapped Jack in the snow! He struggled to breathe and feels completely buried, until three Saint Bernard dogs arrived, digging him out. The dogs were trained to rescue people from avalanches, and with their help, Jack is rescued and brought to the monastery, where Annie is safe too.
The monks at the monastery, Father Laurent and Brother Michael, tended to Jack and Annie, offering them warmth and food. The monks explained that the Saint Bernards are named after Saint Bernard of Menthon, who founded the monastery, and that they’ve saved over a thousand lives from avalanches, which are called "white death." Jack learned that the dogs are guided by their keen noses and the "voice of the snow" to find victims trapped in avalanches. After hearing about the dogs' incredible abilities, Jack and Annie rested in the monastery, grateful for the monks and the Saint Bernards' help. As they settle in for the night, Father Laurent tells them he will be leaving to assist the French army in the morning. Jack and Annie followed Brother Michael out of the parlor and into a chilly hallway. He explained that the monastery, built centuries ago, had various facilities, including a chapel, library, and exhibits on nature. Jack was curious about their mission and the challenge of finding a flower in such a cold place. After some conversation, Brother Michael led them to a small room where they could rest. Jack and Annie reflected on their mission and the mysterious scroll they had received.
When he woke up, Jack was surprised to learn it was already past noon. They joined Brother Michael for a meal, and Jack asked about nearby places where they might find flowers. However, Brother Michael explained that flowers wouldn’t appear until much later in the season. Jack was disappointed but hoped the research book would offer some answers. During breakfast, the Saint Bernard dog, Barry, caused a commotion by stealing Jack's bread. Brother Michael explained that Barry was leaving the monastery soon because he was too independent. Annie, determined to help, offered to train Barry. Brother Michael agreed to give her a chance, and soon she and Jack were tasked with looking after the giant dog. They were given monk’s robes to wear as they went outside to work with Barry in a snowy yard.
Jack and Annie trained Barry, a Saint Bernard dog, to follow basic commands like "come," "sit," and "stay." Barry's enthusiastic and playful nature led to a lot of messy moments, especially when he constantly jumped on Jack and licked him. Despite Jack’s frustrations with the training, Annie remained positive, encouraging Jack to keep going. After some mishaps, including Barry eating their research book about the Alps and Napoleon Bonaparte, Jack and Annie headed outside to search for Barry after he ran away. They fear he might get lost, and Annie felt guilty for scolding him. Jack then came up with an idea to turn into dogs using the potion to find Barry. Together, they planned to become Saint Bernards for an hour to search for him.
Jack and Annie drank the potion and shouted a magical phrase to transform into Saint Bernard dogs. Jack immediately felt joy as he took in the world through his new senses: sniffing the air, chasing his tail, and enjoying the snowflakes. Annie and Jack, now dogs, played together and met Barry who led them on a mission to rescue a young soldier trapped in an avalanche. They dug through snow to find him and save his life. After the rescue, Jack and Annie reverted to humans as the magic hour ended, but Barry continued to guide them.
A glacial buttercup.
Back at the monastery, they met the soldiers and are introduced to Napoleon. The rescue and Barry’s heroism impressed everyone, and Jack and Annie reflected on their time as dogs with gratitude. Later, in the monastery's library, they share tea with Father Laurent and learn about his love for knowledge, especially his work as a botanist. Father Laurent showed Jack and Annie a treasured book containing pressed flowers from his mountain expeditions, sparking Jack's excitement as they eagerly looked at the book. Father shared details of various plants, including the alpine rock jasmine and marsh marigold. When Jack asked about a white and yellow flower, Father Laurent revealed the glacial buttercup, the flower Jack and Annie were searching for. They explained that their friends had asked them to find the flower, and Father Laurent kindly gave it to them. He also shared the flower's symbolism, explaining that buttercups represent the joyful, carefree spirit of childhood, which reminded Jack of how dogs and children share a similar joyful spirit. As Jack and Annie prepared to leave, they said their goodbyes to Barry, the dog they had trained, knowing he would be a great rescue dog. After some emotional parting, they made their way back to the treehouse, reflecting on their adventure and the lessons they had learned.
Once back in the treehouse, Jack and Annie realized that they had fulfilled part of the rhyme they were following to help save Penny. They now had the glacial buttercup and the emerald rose. With two more tasks left, they hurried home to return to their normal lives, ready to face whatever came next.
Notes on time and place settings[]
Trivia[]
- This is the first book to take place in Switzerland.
- At the beginning of the book, a line from Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories is heard. “His name is not Wild Dog anymore, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always.” This is stated when the formally wild pet became domesticated.