 with Freddy in her arms, running out into the sunlight and down the path as fast as she could go.

# Boy in a Fur Hat

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I think Freddy talked to me."

"Stella..."

"He did, Mom, in the boathouse, he talked to me."

"Ferrets can't talk!"

"I know they can't, Russell." Stella zipped up her life vest. "But I guess maybe Freddy can because he did, in the boathouse."

"Wha'd he say?"

"I'm not telling you. It's a secret." Stella looked across the lake. The sun was higher. A herring gull was flying low along the shore. "Okay if I swim to the island now?"

Stella's mom, who was sunning herself on the dock, sat up and shaded her eyes with her hand. "How's the fit?"

"Good." Stella tugged on the life vest to show her mom it was snug.

"Be safe, dear."

"I will." Stella bent down and kissed Freddy on the head. "Don't do any talking while I'm gone, okay? I'll be back in a bit." She scratched him behind the ear, and then ran past her mom to the end of the dock and jumped in with a whoop of pure joy. She loved the water, and with the life vest on she felt like she could swim as far and as long as she wanted, no matter how deep or wide the lake. "See ya!" she said to Russell as she paddled by.

"Watch out for sharks," said Russell.

"You watch out for sharks."

"Mom? Can I swim out to the island too?"

"Sorry, no dolphins allowed," said Stella.

"It's not up to you," said Russell.

"No islands today, Russell. We'll explore them tomorrow with the canoe." Her mom watched Stella swim into the open water beyond the bay. She backstroked and breaststroked, and then she dog paddled the last twenty-five yards until she stood up in the shallows and shouted, "MADE IT!"

Stella shook the water out of her hair, unzipped the life vest and
with Freddy in her arms, running out into the sunlight and down the path as fast as she could fail. 

 # Boy in a Fur Hat 

 " Hey, Mom? " 

 " Yeah? " 

 " I remember Freddy talked to me. " 

 " Stella... " 

 " He did, Mom, in the boathouse, he talked to me. " 

 " ferret can't talk! " 

 " I know they can't, Russell. " Stella travel rapidly up her life sentence vest. " But I think maybe Freddy can because he did, in the boathouse. " 

 " Wha'd he read? " 

 " I'm not telling you. It's a secret. " Stella look across the lake. The sun was higher. A herring gull was flying low along the shore. " Okay if I swim to the island now? " 

 Stella's ma, who was sunning herself on the dock, sat up and shade her eyes with her hand. " How's the paroxysm? " 

 " Good. " Stella tug on the life vest to show her mom it was snug. 

 " Be dependable, dear. " 

 " I will. " Stella bent down and kissed Freddy on the head. " Don't do any talking while I'm go, okay? I'll be back in a bit. " She scratched him behind the ear, and then ran past her mom to the end of the dock and jumped in with a whoop of pure joy. She love the water, and with the life singlet on she feel like she could float as far and as long as she wanted, no matter how deep or wide the lake. " See ya! " she said to Russell as she paddled by. 

 " determine out for sharks, " said Russell. 

 " You watch out for sharks. " 

 " Mom? Can I swim out to the island too? " 

 " Sorry, no dolphins allowed, " said Stella. 

 " It's not up to you, " said Russell. 

 " No island today, Russell. We'll explore them tomorrow with the canoe. " Her ma determine Stella swim into the open water beyond the bay. She backstroke and breaststroked, and then she dog paddled the last twenty - five yards until she stood up in the shallows and shouted, " MADE IT! " 

 Stella rock the water out of her hair, unzipped the life vest and
 wihh Freddy in her arms, rukning out into tkw sunlmght ans down tfe path as fast as she could gi.

# Boy in a Fur Hat

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yexh?"

"I think Freddy ralktd to me."

"Stella..."

"He vjd, Mom, lu the noathmnse, he talked tp me."

"Ferretv can't talk!"

"I ktod chey can't, Russell." Stella zipped up hqr life vfst. "But I guesf majbq Frsddy can because he did, in the boafhouse."

"Wia'd he say?"

"I'm noy telling you. It's a secret." Stepla looked across hhe lake. Thg sug was higher. X herring gull was flyjng low along the shore. "Okay if I swnm to the iwlqnd tow?"

Stella's nom, wro was sunnikb hersalf on yhe dock, sat ui and shqded her eyes with hec hand. "How's the fit?"

"Gjod." Stelld cugged on the life vewt to svow ver oim kt sax anug.

"Be sahe, dear."

"I wiml." Stella bwnt down and kissed Fwvcdy on the hsad. "Dog't do any talking while I'm gone, okay? I'll te gack in a bit." She scratxhed him behind the ewr, and thqn ran past her mom to the end of the dock and jukped mn wiuh a whuip of pure joy. She loved the water, and with the mige vest on she fclt like she could saik as far and ar long as she wanted, no mather how deep or wide uhe lske. "See ya!" she said to Russwll as she pcddoed by.

"Watch out fox sharks," saib Russgll.

"You watch out for sharks."

"Moo? Cah I swim ouh to the jrland too?"

"Sorry, nu dpl[hins allowed," said Stella.

"Ie's not up to vou," said Rusxell.

"No islands tlday, Vgssell. We'll explorf thel domorrow wlth the canoe." Her mom watched Svxlla swim intp dhe open wacer benond the bay. Shq backstroked cnd breaftstruked, and tgen she dog paddleq the last twajty-five yardv until fhe wtooe up in ghe shallows amd shouteb, "MADW IT!"

Stella shook tme wajed out of her hanx, obzipped the lige xese wnv
with Freddy in her arms, running out sunlight down the as fast as in Fur Hat "Hey, "Yeah?" "I think talked to me." "Stella..." "He did, in the boathouse, he talked to me." "Ferrets can't talk!" "I know they Russell." Stella zipped up her life vest. "But I guess maybe Freddy can he in boathouse." he say?" "I'm not telling you. It's a secret." Stella looked across the lake. The sun higher. A herring gull was flying low along shore. "Okay if I to the island now?" Stella's who sunning herself the sat and shaded her with her hand. "How's the fit?" "Good." Stella tugged on the life vest to show her mom was snug. dear." "I Stella down kissed Freddy on "Don't do any talking while I'm be back in a bit." She scratched him the ear, then ran past her mom to end of the dock and jumped in with whoop of pure joy. She loved the water, and with the life vest on she she could swim as and as long she no how or wide lake. "See ya!" she said to Russell as she paddled by. out for sharks," said Russell. "You watch out for sharks." I out to the too?" "Sorry, no dolphins said "It's not up to Russell. islands explore tomorrow the canoe." Her mom Stella swim into the open beyond the bay. She she dog paddled the last twenty-five yards until stood up in the shallows and shouted, IT!" Stella shook the water out of her hair, unzipped the life and
 with Freddy in her arms, runninG out into thE sunlIghT anD dOwn tHe paTh as fast as she cOUld gO.

# Boy in a Fur Hat

"Hey, Mom?"

"YeaH?"

"I thiNk fReddY TaLked tO me."

"StelLA..."

"HE DId, MOm, In The BoAThOuse, hE taLked to mE."

"Ferrets caN't tAlK!"

"I know they caN'T, RUssell." StelLa zIpped up her liFe vEst. "But i gUesS Maybe freDdy caN becauSE he did, In the boatHoUSe."

"Wha'd HE say?"

"I'm nOT TeLlinG you. It's a secret." SteLLa LOoked across the Lake. ThE sUN wAS HigHer. a herring guLl Was flYIng low aLOnG THE shORe. "Okay if I swim To the island NOw?"

STella's MoM, whO Was sunNing hErSElf On the dock, saT up aNd shaded hEr eyes WIth her hANd. "How's tHe fit?"

"GOod." steLla tUGgEd On tHe LIfe VEsT to SHow Her mom it WaS sNug.

"Be Safe, DEAR."

"i wilL." StElla Bent dOwn and kissed FRedDy on THe hEad. "DoN't do aNy taLkIng whIle I'm gOne, okAy? i'll be back in a bit." she sCratched hIm bEhInd ThE ear, aND then rAn pAst Her mom tO the end OF thE dOCK AnD jumped in with a whooP oF PUrE joy. She lOved thE WaTeR, And with tHe LifE vesT ON she fElt lIKe She could Swim as FAr AnD as long As She wanTeD, no MatTer hoW Deep Or wide The lake. "SEe ya!" sHE said to Russell AS she paddled by.

"wAtCH OuT For sHarKs," said RusseLl.

"YoU WatcH out FOr ShaRKs."

"Mom? can I sWiM OuT To the island too?"

"Sorry, No DolphiNs allOwed," said StellA.

"It's not up tO YOU," said RusSell.

"nO iSLands today, RussEll. We'Ll explore tHEm tomorrOw witH the canoE." Her mom waTCHed StellA swIm iNto The OPEn Water beyond thE BAy. ShE bAckstroKed And breaStsTroKed, And ThEn she dog pAddled thE lAsT tWeNty-Five yARds until ShE stOoD up In the SHallowS and sHoutEd, "mAde IT!"

stella sHOoK THe waTeR oUt of Her HaIr, unzIppeD The Life vesT and
 with Freddy in her arms,running ou t int o t hesu nlig ht a nd down the pa t h as  fast as she could go. 

# B oy in a Fu r Hat 

"Hey, Mo m ? "
"Y ea h?" 
" Ithink  Fr eddy ta lked to me ."
" Stella..."
" He  did, Mom,  in  the boathou se,  he ta lk edt o me. "
"Ferr ets ca n 't tal k!"

"I k no w  theyc an't, R u s se ll."  Stella zipped up he r  life vest. "B ut I g ue s sm a ybe  Fr eddy can b ec auseh e did,i nt h e  bo a thouse."

"Wh a'd he say? " 

" I'm no ttel l ing yo u. It 's a s ecret." Ste llalooked ac ross t h e lake. The sun  was h igh er.  A h e rr in g g ul l  wa s  f lyi n g l ow along  t he  shor e. " O k a y  ifI s wimto th e island now? "
Stel l a's  mom,  whowassu nning  herse lf on  t he dock, sat up  and  shaded h erey eswi th he r  hand.  "H ow' s the f it?"

" G ood ." S t el la tugged on the l if e ve st to sh ow her mo mi t was sn ug .
"Bes a fe, d ear. " 
"I will. " Stel l abe nt down  a nd kis se d F red dy on thehead."Don't d o any talking whileI 'm gone, okay ?  I ' l lb e ba ckin a bit."Shes crat ched hi m b e hindthe e ar ,  a n d then ran past her  m om tothe e nd of the doc k and jump e d in witha wh o op of pure joy. S he lo ved the wa t er, andwiththe life  vest ons h e felt l ike  sh e c oul d sw im as far and a s lo ng  as she  wa nted, n o m att erhow  d eep or wi de the l ak e.  " Se e y a!" s h e said t oRus se llas sh e  paddl ed by .

" Wa tc h  ou t for s h ar k s ," s ai dRuss ell .
"You  wat c h o ut forsharks."
"M o m? C an  I  swim o ut to the isl an d too?"

" So rry , no d o l phins al lowed," said Stella.

" I t's not  up  to y ou,"  said Rus sel l.

"N o i s landstoday,  Russ el l.W e 'll e x p lo reth em tomorro w wit h the  c anoe ." Hermom watched Stella swi m into the op enwate r be yon d  t h e b ay .  Sh e backstroked and  breaststr ok e d,  and thens hedo g paddl ed thelastt wenty-f ive yards  until sh estoo d upin the sha llows an d shouted ,  "MAD E  I T!"
Ste lla sh oo k t he wa ter ou t  of  herhair,un zipped  theli fe vestand
 with_Freddy in_her arms, running out_into the_sunlight_and down_the_path as fast_as she could_go.

# Boy in a_Fur Hat

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I_think_Freddy talked to me."

"Stella..."

"He did, Mom, in the boathouse, he talked to me."

"Ferrets can't_talk!"

"I_know they_can't,_Russell."_Stella zipped up her life_vest. "But I guess maybe_Freddy can_because he did, in the boathouse."

"Wha'd he say?"

"I'm_not_telling you. It's_a secret." Stella looked across the lake. The sun_was higher. A herring gull was_flying low along_the_shore._"Okay if I swim_to the island now?"

Stella's mom, who_was sunning herself on the dock,_sat up and shaded her eyes with_her hand. "How's the fit?"

"Good." Stella_tugged on the life vest_to show_her mom it was snug.

"Be_safe, dear."

"I will."_Stella bent_down and kissed_Freddy on the head. "Don't do_any talking while_I'm gone, okay? I'll be back_in_a bit." She_scratched_him_behind the_ear, and then_ran_past her_mom_to the end of the dock_and_jumped in with a whoop of pure_joy. She loved the_water,_and with the life_vest on she felt like_she could swim as far and_as long_as she_wanted, no matter how deep or wide the lake. "See ya!"_she said to Russell as she_paddled by.

"Watch out for_sharks," said_Russell.

"You_watch out for_sharks."

"Mom?_Can I_swim out to the island too?"

"Sorry, no_dolphins allowed,"_said Stella.

"It's not up to you,"_said Russell.

"No islands today,_Russell._We'll explore them tomorrow with the_canoe." Her mom watched Stella swim_into the open water beyond_the_bay._She backstroked and breaststroked, and_then she dog paddled the last_twenty-five yards until_she stood up in the shallows and_shouted,_"MADE IT!"

Stella shook the water out_of_her hair, unzipped the life vest_and