5 Ch5-Rhymes of the Christmas Knight

CHAPTER FIVE Rhymes of the Christmas Knight "Morgan?" said Annie. Annie ran to the table. She touched Morgan's cheek, then quickly pulled back her hand. "She's cold. She's as cold as ice!" said Annie. Tears filled her eyes.

Annie turned to the Christmas Knight in a fury. "What did you do to Morgan?" she asked. "Bring her back!" "Do not fear," said the Christmas Knight. His voice was softer and kinder. "She will come back to life after you complete your quest." "What—what exactly is our quest?" said Jack. "You must journey to the Otherworld," said the Christmas Knight. "There you will find a cauldron. The cauldron is filled with the Water of Memory and Imagination. You must bring a cup of the water back to Camelot. If you fail, Camelot will never come back to life. Never." "How do we do all that?" asked Annie, wiping her eyes.

"Remember these three rhymes," said the Christmas Knight. "Wait, let me write them down," said Jack. His hands trembled as he pulled out his notebook and pencil. He looked at the Christmas Knight. "Okay, I'm ready," he said. Gripping his pencil made Jack feel stronger. The knight's voice rang out from inside his helmet. "Beyond the iron gate The Keepers of the Cauldron wait." Jack quickly wrote down the knight's words. "Okay, what's next?" he asked.

The Christmas Knight went on: "Four gifts you will need— The first from me. Then a cup, a compass, And, finally, a key." "Cup… compass… key…. Got it," said Jack. The Christmas Knight's voice boomed again: "If you survive to complete your quest, The secret door lies to the west." Jack copied down the last rhyme, then looked up at the knight. "Anything else?" he asked. Without a word, the knight pulled off his red cloak. He dropped it to the floor. It fell silently

into a heap at Jack and Annie's feet. The Christmas Knight snapped his horse's red reins, then galloped out of the great hall.