Tigers at Twilight is the nineteenth installment to the Magic Tree House series. The book is preceded by Buffalo Before Breakfast and succeeded by Dingoes at Dinnertime.
Synopsis[]
Having used the magic tree house to travel to India, where they must get a gift to help free Teddy the dog from a spell, Jack and Annie have adventures involving a tiger and other endangered jungle animals.
Chapters[]
- How far away?
- Kah and Ko
- Life or Death
- Swing Time
- Night Walk
- Swamp Creature
- Trapped!
- Wonder Dog
- The Hermit
- Who Are You, Really?
Plot[]
Jack and Annie encountered their dog friend, Teddy, who was still under a magical spell. Teddy had guided them to the magic tree house, where they found the message from Morgan Le Fay. They had already collected a watch from the Titanic and an eagle's feather from the Lakoda Indians. Jack had located a book and pointed to their next destination, India, prompting the tree house to take them to their next stop where they would find the third gift: A gift from a forest far away.
The tree house had landed in a vibrant jungle, where two monkeys had appeared on the windowsill. Annie had named them Kah and Ko based on the sounds they made. The monkeys led the children and Teddy deeper into the jungle, and Jack reminded Annie to be careful. As they explored, they had found a tree with deep gouges on its bark. Jack had used his book to identify the marks as tiger claws. Annie hadn’t been concerned, so Jack had read more about tigers to help her understand the possible danger. Suddenly, the jungle animals had begun to react fearfully. The children climbed up a tree with Kah and Ko to escape a large python. The monkeys had shown them how to use vines to swing to safety. While mid-swing, a tiger had leapt out and swiped at them, but they managed to reach the next tree unharmed. A herd of elephants had passed by, and since the children had known that tigers avoided attacking elephants, they decided to ride one to a safer part of the jungle, staying on the elephant’s back through the night.
Annie picks out a flower, the next gift, following a hermit's instruction.
The next morning, Jack and Annie had discovered a tiger trapped in a steel snare. Learning that tigers were endangered, they decided to help it. They had carefully freed the tiger’s paw and backed away cautiously. Despite this, the tiger growled and approached them, but Teddy had bravely confronted the animal, barking until it retreated. Kah and Ko had guided the group to a river, where they met a blind hermit. The hermit had explained that while the tiger might not thank them, releasing it had still been the right thing to do. He had Annie pick out a white lotus flower and said he was giving it to them, it was their third gift, and then he directed them back to the tree house.
Once back home, Jack had wondered about Teddy’s mysterious actions and his possible true nature. He also had questioned how the blind hermit had known where the tree house was, and Annie had reminded him that the hermit had mentioned he learned by listening to the sounds of the forest.
Trivia[]
- At the beginning of the book, a passage from William Blake's poem, The Tyger, is shown.