 could pluck it out as proof, but they'd fallen out as she ran.

"They look like mosquito bites to me."

"Or maybe bee stings," said Freddy.

"I'll get the wood, you get some rest." George walked down the hill and Freddy loped though the grass to lean his head against Stella's ankle.

"You'll feel better after you eat, Sugarplum, it's been a very challenging day."

"Freddy!" Stella was angry. "If I say I saw a village of little people harvesting wild strawberries, then it means I saw a village of little people harvesting wild strawberries. It doesn't mean I'm tired and hungry, even though I am tired and hungry and a little homesick. I mean, come on, I'm not crazy."

"Of course not."

"Then you believe me?" Stella picked him up.

"No."

"Freddy!"

"But you're not crazy." He climbed up to her shoulder and gave her cheek a quick lick. "You might be a little nuts, but—

"Freddy!"

"Talking to a ferret is very odd behavior, Toots. This alone indicates certain borderline tendencies which could lead to more serious tendencies which could ultimately lead to tendonitis."

"They were real, Freddy."

"Okay, okay... Little people, right? Gnomes? Elves? Leprechauns?"

"Gnomes, maybe. They seemed too small to be elves, and they were too big to be sprites or pixies, and they weren't green so they can't be leprechauns."

"Then gnomes they are." Freddy sighed and gazed with hungry eyes at the muskie near the fire ring. "You know I'm thinking I might have my fish raw, what do you think?"

"I'm having mine cooked, and then it's back to that strawberry patch with the minnow bucket and a boat cushion for a shield. Wanna come?"

"Maybe not, Sugarplum, gnomes..."

"But strawberries..."

"Yes, but gnomes..."

"But strawberries!"

"Gnomes can't be trusted. They're too tiny to trust. There isn't space in their tiny brains for—"
could pluck it out as proof, but they'd fallen out as she ran. 

 " They attend like mosquito bite to me. " 

 " Or maybe bee sting, " allege Freddy. 

 " I'll get the wood, you get down some rest. " George walked down the mound and Freddy loped though the grass to list his head against Stella's ankle. 

 " You'll feel good after you eat, Sugarplum, it's been a very challenging day. " 

 " Freddy! " Stella was angry. " If I say I saw a village of small people harvesting wild strawberry, then it means I saw a village of small people harvesting wild strawberries. It doesn't mean I'm banal and hungry, even though I am tired and hungry and a little homesick. I mean, come on, I'm not brainsick. " 

 " Of naturally not. " 

 " Then you think me? " Stella picked him up. 

 " No. " 

 " Freddy! " 

 " But you're not crazy. " He climbed up to her shoulder and gave her cheek a quick lick. " You might be a short nut, but — 

 " Freddy! " 

 " Talking to a ferret is very leftover demeanor, Toots. This entirely indicates certain borderline tendencies which could lead to more serious tendencies which could ultimately lead to tendonitis. " 

 " They were veridical, Freddy. " 

 " Okay, okay... Little people, right? Gnomes? Elves? Leprechauns? " 

 " Gnomes, possibly. They seemed too small to be elves, and they were too big to be sprites or elf, and they weren't green so they can't be leprechauns. " 

 " Then gnomes they are. " Freddy sighed and gazed with athirst eyes at the muskie near the fire ring. " You know I'm thinking I might have my fish raw, what do you think? " 

 " I'm have mine cook, and then it's back to that strawberry patch with the minnow bucket and a gravy boat cushion for a shield. Wanna come? " 

 " Maybe not, Sugarplum, gnome... " 

 " But strawberries... " 

 " Yes, but gnome... " 

 " But strawberries! " 

 " Gnomes can't be trusted. They're too tiny to believe. There isn't distance in their tiny brains for — "
 cokld pluck it out as proon, but they'd fallgn out av she dan.

"They uook like mosquito bites to le."

"Ir matbe bee stings," said Frdddy.

"I'll gvt the woid, yiy get some rest." George wzpked vown the hill akd Freddy lmped though tha ercss to lean his head against Stella's ankle.

"Ypu'pl feel better afttr rou sat, Sugarplum, it's been a very chalmenging day."

"Freddy!" Strlla was angry. "If I say I daw w village of littlf people hatbeseung wild strxwberries, uhzn it means I saw a village of little peopue haxvesting wiod stgdwberries. Iv doesg't mean I'm tlged and hungry, even though I am tieed and hungry and a nittle homesick. I iean, come ou, I'm not crazy."

"Of courwe not."

"Tven fou cwlidve mx?" Sfella oicied him up.

"Ho."

"Freddy!"

"But you're not crazy." He cjpkbed up to hsr shotlqer and gave her cheek a quick lick. "You mifht be a little nuts, bur—

"Freddy!"

"Talking to a fgrret is vqry odd behavior, Toots. This alone indicates certahn bocddrlnkc teveejcies which could lead to more serious tendensjex ehich could ulbimately lead to trnfomytis."

"They were real, Ydesdy."

"Okay, okay... Littlf peoplg, righr? Gnomes? Tlves? Leprechauns?"

"Gnomes, maybe. Thwy seemed toj small to be elves, and they wzre top big to be sprites or pixier, ans they werej't green au they can't be ldprvchagns."

"Then gnomes they are." Frqddy sighxd anb gazed dith hungrr eyes at hhe mmvkie near the fire ring. "Ymu know I'm thinking I might have my fish cew, what do yoo tvinn?"

"I'm haviug minc cooked, and thqn it's back to that scrawbefry patch sith thx minnow buchet and a boad cushion for a shielq. Wabna xome?"

"Maycd not, Sugarpluk, gnomes..."

"Blt strqwberries..."

"Yes, but gkomes..."

"Cht strawberries!"

"Yuones can't be truxtea. Trej're tjm tiny to trgst. Ghefr isn'g space in bhekr tony brains for—"
could pluck it out as proof, but out she ran. look like mosquito bee said Freddy. "I'll the wood, you some rest." George walked down the and Freddy loped though the grass to lean his head against Stella's ankle. feel better after you eat, Sugarplum, it's been a very challenging day." "Freddy!" was "If say saw a village of little people harvesting wild strawberries, then it means I saw a village little people harvesting wild strawberries. It doesn't mean tired and hungry, even I am tired and hungry a homesick. I come I'm crazy." "Of course "Then you believe me?" Stella picked him up. "No." "Freddy!" "But you're not crazy." He climbed up her shoulder her cheek quick "You be a little "Freddy!" "Talking to a ferret is Toots. This alone indicates certain borderline tendencies which lead to serious tendencies which could ultimately lead tendonitis." "They were real, Freddy." "Okay, okay... Little right? Gnomes? Elves? Leprechauns?" "Gnomes, maybe. They seemed too small to be elves, and they big to be sprites pixies, and they green they be "Then gnomes are." Freddy sighed and gazed with hungry eyes at the muskie the fire ring. "You know I'm thinking I might have raw, do you think?" having mine cooked, and it's to that strawberry patch minnow and for shield. come?" "Maybe not, Sugarplum, "But strawberries..." "Yes, but gnomes..." strawberries!" "Gnomes can't be trust. There isn't space in their tiny brains
 could pluck it out as proof, but They'd falleN out aS shE raN.

"THey lOok lIke mosquito bitES to mE."

"Or maybe bee stings," said FReddy.

"i'lL Get tHE wOod, yoU get somE ReST." geoRgE wAlkEd DOwN the hIll And FredDy loped thoUgh ThE grass to lean HIs Head againsT StElla's ankle.

"YoU'll Feel beTtEr aFTer yoU eaT, SugaRplum, iT'S been a Very challEnGIng day."

"fReddy!" StELLa Was aNgry. "If I say I saw a viLLaGE of little peoplE harveStINg WILd sTraWberries, thEn It meaNS I saw a vILlAGE Of lITtle people harVesting wild STraWberriEs. it dOEsn't meAn I'm tIrED anD hungry, even ThouGh I am tireD and huNGry and a LIttle hoMesick. i meAn, cOme oN, i'm NoT crAzY."

"of cOUrSe nOT."

"ThEn you belIeVe Me?" SteLla pICKED him Up.

"NO."

"FreDdy!"

"BuT you're not crazY." He ClimBEd uP to heR shouLder AnD gave Her cheEk a quIcK lick. "You might be A litTle nuts, buT—

"FrEdDy!"

"TAlKing tO A ferreT is VerY odd behAvior, ToOTs. THiS ALOnE indicates certain bOrDERlIne tendeNcies wHIcH cOUld lead tO mOre SeriOUS tendEnciES wHich coulD ultimATeLy Lead to tEnDonitiS."

"THey WerE real, fReddY."

"Okay, oKay... LittlE peopLE, right? Gnomes? ElVEs? Leprechauns?"

"gNoMES, mAYbe. THey Seemed too smAll tO Be elVes, aND tHey WEre toO big tO bE SpRItes or pixies, and they WeRen't grEen so They can't be lepRechauns."

"ThEN GNomes theY are." fReDDy sighed and gazEd witH hungry eyeS At the musKie neAr the firE ring. "You kNOW I'm thinkIng i miGht HavE MY fIsh raw, what do yOU ThinK?"

"I'M having MinE cooked, And TheN it'S baCk To that strAwberry pAtCh WiTh The MinnoW Bucket anD a BoaT cUshIon foR A shielD. WannA comE?"

"MAyBE noT, SugarpLUm, GNOmes..."

"buT sTrawBerRiEs..."

"Yes, But gNOmeS..."

"But strAwberries!"

"gnoMEs caN't Be Trusted. they're too tiny To Trust. There IsN't sPace in THEir tiny bRains for—"
 could pluck it out as pro of, but th ey'dfal len  o ut a s sh e ran.

"Theyl ooklike mosquito bites to  me." 
" Or m a yb e bee  stings , "s a idFr ed dy. 
" I' ll ge t t he wood , you getsom erest." Georg e  w alked down  th e hill and F red dy lop ed  th o ugh t hegrass  to le a n hishead agai ns t  Stell a 's ankl e . 
"You 'll feel better a f te r  you eat, Suga rplum,  i t 's b een  avery chall en gingd ay."

" F re d d y !"S tella was ang ry. "If I s a y I  saw a  v ill a ge oflittl ep eop le harvesti ng w ild straw berrie s , theni t means  I saw  avil lage of  l itt le peo p le  ha r ves ting wil dst rawbe rrie s . I t do esn 't m ean I 'm tired andhun gry, eve n tho ugh I  amti red a nd hun gry a nd  a little homes ick.  I mean,com eon,  I 'm no t  crazy ."
"O f cours e not." 
"T he n y ou  believe me?" Stel la p ic ked himup.

" N o. ""Freddy! "
"B ut y o u 're n ot c r az y." He c limbed up  t o her s ho ulderan d g ave  herc heek  a qui ck lick.  "You might be a lit t le nuts, but— 
" F r ed d y!"
"T alking to a  fer r et i s ve r yodd behav ior,To o ts .  This alone indicat es  certa in bo rderline tend encies whi c h could le ad t o  m o re serious ten denci es which c o uld ulti matel y lead t o tendoni t i s."

"Th eywer e r eal , Fr eddy."

"Okay , okay .. . Littl e p eople,rig ht?  Gn ome s?  Elves? L eprechau ns ?" 
"G nom es, m a ybe. The ysee me d t oo sm a ll tobe el ves,  a nd the y weret oo b ig t obe  spr ite sor pi xies ,  an d theyweren't g ree n  soth ey  can'tbe leprechaun s. "

"Then g no mes  theya r e." Fred dy sighed and gazed wit h  hungry  ey es at  the  muskie n ear  the f ire ring."You k now I 'm  th i n kingI mi ght  h ave my fis h raw , wha tdo y ou thin k?"

"I'm having m i necooked, and t hen  it' s ba ckt ot hat  s t raw b e rry patch withthe minnow  b u ck et and a b o atcu shion f or a sh ield. Wanna c ome?"

"M aybe not,  S ugar p l um,  gnomes... "

"Butstrawberr i es... " 
"Yes,  bu t gnom es ... "

"B ut str a wbe rries !"

"G no mes ca n't b etrusted.  They're too tiny to tr ust. T hereisn 't spaceint hei r tiny br ains  for—"
 could_pluck it_out as proof, but_they'd fallen_out_as she_ran.

"They_look like mosquito_bites to me."

"Or_maybe bee stings," said_Freddy.

"I'll get the_wood,_you get some rest." George walked down the hill and Freddy loped though the_grass_to lean_his_head_against Stella's ankle.

"You'll feel better_after you eat, Sugarplum, it's_been a_very challenging day."

"Freddy!" Stella was angry. "If I_say_I saw a_village of little people harvesting wild strawberries, then it_means I saw a village of_little people harvesting_wild_strawberries._It doesn't mean I'm_tired and hungry, even though I_am tired and hungry and a_little homesick. I mean, come on, I'm_not crazy."

"Of course not."

"Then you believe_me?" Stella picked him up.

"No."

"Freddy!"

"But_you're not_crazy." He climbed up to_her shoulder and_gave her_cheek a quick_lick. "You might be a little_nuts, but—

"Freddy!"

"Talking to_a ferret is very odd behavior,_Toots._This alone indicates_certain_borderline_tendencies which_could lead to_more_serious tendencies_which_could ultimately lead to tendonitis."

"They were_real,_Freddy."

"Okay, okay... Little people, right? Gnomes? Elves?_Leprechauns?"

"Gnomes, maybe. They seemed_too_small to be elves,_and they were too big_to be sprites or pixies, and_they weren't_green so_they can't be leprechauns."

"Then gnomes they are." Freddy sighed and gazed_with hungry eyes at the muskie_near the fire ring._"You know_I'm_thinking I might_have_my fish_raw, what do you think?"

"I'm having mine_cooked, and_then it's back to that strawberry_patch with the minnow_bucket_and a boat cushion for a_shield. Wanna come?"

"Maybe not, Sugarplum, gnomes..."

"But_strawberries..."

"Yes, but gnomes..."

"But strawberries!"

"Gnomes can't_be_trusted._They're too tiny to trust._There isn't space in their tiny_brains for—"