 Kuck!" The raven turned its head from side to side and studied Stella and Freddy.

"Could you go catch that plane for us, Mr. Rawk! Rawk! Rawk!"

"Rawk! Rawk! Rawk!" The raven hopped from branch to stick to branch to ground and then it strutted over to Freddy. "Rawk! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck!"

Freddy's ears flattened and he shook his head as if a wasp had stung him.

"Rawk! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck!"

"Rarrrrk! Arrrk! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck!" Freddy answered.

"I didn't know you could talk to ravens—"

"Shhhh, Sweets, he's saying something."

"Rawk! Rrrrawk! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck!" The raven stabbed the air with its beak and made angry rasping sounds that made Stella shiver. "Rawk! Kuck-Kuck! Rawk!" The raven flapped its wings and waddled over; it got so close she could smell its oily feathers, a scent like gunpowder mixed with rusting sewer pipes and rotting leaves. "Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck!"

"What's he want, Freddy?"

"Nothing but trouble, Toots." Freddy got between them and growled at the raven with bared teeth.

"Rawk! Rawk! Rawk!"

Stella didn't breathe.

"RAWK! RAWK! RAWK!" The raven rasped, and then it hopped to the ledge and flew away on wings that flashed like blackened sunshine.

"What was that?"

Freddy looked up at her and started to answer, but then he stopped.

"Wha'd the raven want, Freddy?"

Freddy didn't want to tell her. The raven flew higher and higher and got smaller and smaller until it disappeared against the burning sky. The sun was going down and Stella had a strange sad feeling about it, like her heart was sinking with the sun.

# Mirrors and Dreams

That night they slept under the cover of
Kuck! " The raven turned its head from side to side and study Stella and Freddy. 

 " Could you die catch that plane for us, Mr. Rawk! Rawk! Rawk! " 

 " Rawk! Rawk! Rawk! " The raven hopped from arm to stick to branch to grate and then it strutted over to Freddy. " Rawk! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! " 

 Freddy's ears flatten and he shook his head as if a wasp had prick him. 

 " Rawk! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! " 

 " Rarrrrk! Arrrk! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! " Freddy answered. 

 " I didn't know you could spill to raven — " 

 " Shhhh, Sweets, he's saying something. " 

 " Rawk! Rrrrawk! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! " The raven stabbed the tune with its beak and made angry rasping sound that made Stella shiver. " Rawk! Kuck - Kuck! Rawk! " The raven flapped its wings and toddle over; it got so near she could smell its greasy feathers, a scent like gunpowder mixed with rusting sewer pipes and decompose leaves. " Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! " 

 " What's he want, Freddy? " 

 " Nothing but trouble, Toots. " Freddy got between them and growled at the raven with bared teeth. 

 " Rawk! Rawk! Rawk! " 

 Stella didn't breathe. 

 " RAWK! RAWK! RAWK! " The raven rasped, and then it hopped to the ledge and flew away on wings that flashed like blackened sunshine. 

 " What was that? " 

 Freddy looked up at her and start to answer, but then he stopped. 

 " Wha'd the raven wish, Freddy? " 

 Freddy didn't desire to distinguish her. The raven flew higher and high and got smaller and smaller until it disappeared against the electrocution sky. The sun was going down and Stella had a strange sad feeling about it, like her kernel was sinking with the sun. 

 # Mirrors and Dreams 

 That night they sleep under the cover of
 Kufk!" The raven turned its mead from side to side end stusied Steula and Freddy.

"Could you go cetch that plane for us, Mr. Rawk! Fawk! Rawk!"

"Gawk! Rawk! Rawj!" The raven hopped nxom bdwnch vo stick to brakch to groutd and then it sgrbtted over to Freddy. "Rawk! Kuck! Kuck! Huck! Kuvk!"

Vreddy's ears fjatttneq ans he shook his head as if a wasp hzd stunj him.

"Rawk! Kuck! Luck! Kuck! Kuck!"

"Rarrrrk! Arrrn! Kufk! Kuck! Kuck!" Freddj answered.

"I didg'r know you cuuld talk uo ravens—"

"Shhgh, Sweets, he's saying something."

"Rxwk! Rxrrawk! Kuck! Kyck! Nuck!" The raten stwbbed the aiv with hts beal and made angvy ravpibg sounds that made Svella shiver. "Rawk! Kusk-Kuck! Rafk!" The raven flappee uts whngs and qadales pvsr; it hot so close ahe could snell its oily feathtrs, q scent like funpowqew mixed with rusting sewer pipes and routing leaves. "Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! Juck!"

"What's he want, Frefdy?"

"Nothind but trouble, Toots." Freddy got between them and gsowlev xt uhc fqvfn with bared teeth.

"Rawk! Rawk! Rawk!"

Stella didn't grtatme.

"RAWK! RAWK! RAWK!" The raven tadprq, and then it hoppeb tk the ledge and flfw away on wungs that flaxhed like blackened sunshinw.

"What was thct?"

Feeddy looked up at her and stcrted jo anseer, but then he stopped.

"Cha'd tge raven wajt, Freddy?"

Rfeddy didn't want to tall her. Ufe raven flew higrer and hmgher and gog smsller wnd smalleg untln it disappeared ahainsj the turning skj. The sun was going down and Stxkla had a sttance vad feelnng abput it, like hqr heart was snnking wnth thd sun.

# Mirrkrs and Dreams

That night they sngpt under the cover os
Kuck!" The raven turned its head from side studied Stella Freddy. "Could you us, Rawk! Rawk! Rawk!" Rawk! Rawk!" The hopped from branch to stick to to ground and then it strutted over to Freddy. "Rawk! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! Freddy's ears flattened and he shook his head as if a wasp had him. Kuck! Kuck! "Rarrrrk! Arrrk! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck!" Freddy answered. "I didn't know you could talk to ravens—" "Shhhh, he's saying something." "Rawk! Rrrrawk! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck!" raven stabbed the air its beak and made angry sounds made Stella "Rawk! Rawk!" raven flapped its and waddled over; it got so close she could smell its oily feathers, a scent like gunpowder with rusting and rotting "Kuck! Kuck! "What's he want, but trouble, Toots." Freddy got between at the raven with bared teeth. "Rawk! Rawk! Stella didn't "RAWK! RAWK! RAWK!" The raven rasped, then it hopped to the ledge and flew on wings that flashed like blackened sunshine. "What was that?" Freddy looked up at her to answer, but then stopped. "Wha'd the want, Freddy want tell her. raven flew higher and higher and got smaller and smaller until disappeared against the burning sky. The sun was going down had strange sad feeling it, like her heart sinking the sun. # Mirrors That they cover
 Kuck!" The raven turned its head From side to Side aNd sTudIeD SteLla aNd Freddy.

"Could yOU go cAtch that plane for us, Mr. RaWk! RawK! RAWk!"

"RaWK! RAwk! RaWk!" The raVEn HOPpeD fRoM brAnCH tO sticK to Branch tO ground and TheN iT strutted oveR To freddy. "Rawk! kucK! Kuck! Kuck! KucK!"

FrEddy's eArS flATteneD anD he shOok his HEad as iF a wasp had StUNg him.

"RAWk! Kuck! KUCK! KUck! KUck!"

"Rarrrrk! Arrrk! KuCK! KUCk! Kuck!" Freddy anSwered.

"i dIDn'T KNow You Could talk tO rAvens—"

"sHhhh, SweETs, HE'S SayINg something."

"RaWk! Rrrrawk! KuCK! KuCk! Kuck!" thE raVEn stabBed thE aIR wiTh its beak anD madE angry rasPing soUNds that MAde StelLa shivEr. "RAwk! kuck-kUcK! RAwk!" thE RavEN fLapPEd iTs wings aNd WaDdled Over; IT GOT so cLosE she Could Smell its oily fEatHers, A SceNt likE gunpOwdeR mIxed wIth rusTing sEwEr pipes and rottiNg leAves. "Kuck! KUck! kuCk! KUcK!"

"What'S He want, freDdy?"

"nothing But trouBLe, TOoTS." fReDdy got between them aNd GROwLed at the Raven wITh BaREd teeth.

"RAwK! RaWk! RaWK!"

stellA didN'T bReathe.

"RAwK! RAWK! raWk!" THe raven RaSped, anD tHen It hOpped TO the Ledge aNd flew awAy on wINgs that flashed LIke blackened sUNsHINe.

"wHat wAs tHat?"

Freddy loOked UP at hEr anD StArtED to anSwer, bUt THeN He stopped.

"Wha'd the ravEn Want, FrEddy?"

FReddy didn't wanT to tell her. tHE Raven fleW higHEr ANd higher and got SmallEr and smallER until it DisapPeared agAinst the bURNing sky. THe sUn wAs gOinG DOwN and Stella had A STranGe Sad feelIng About it, LikE heR heArt WaS sinking wIth the suN.

# MIrRoRs And dreamS

that nighT tHey SlEpt Under THe coveR of
 Kuck!" The raven turned i ts head fr om si detosi de a nd s tudied Stellaa nd F reddy.

"Could you gocatch  t h at p l an e for  us, Mr .  R a w k!Ra wk ! R aw k !" 

"Ra wk!  Rawk!Rawk!" The  ra ve n hopped fro m  b ranch to s tic k to branchtoground  a ndt hen i t s trutt ed ove r  to Fr eddy. "Ra wk !  Kuck! Kuck! K u c k!  Kuc k!"

Freddy's ear s  f l attened and he  shook  h i sh e adasif a waspha d stu n g him."R a w k ! K u ck! Kuck! Kuc k! Kuck!"
" Rar rrrk!Ar rrk !  Kuck!  Kuck !K uck !" Freddy a nswe red.

"Ididn't know yo u  couldtalk t o r ave ns—" 
" Sh hhh ,S wee t s,  he ' s s aying so me th ing." 

"R a w k !  Rrr raw k! K uck!Kuck! Kuck!"The  rav e n s tabbe d the  air  w ith i ts bea k and  m ade angry raspi ng s ounds tha t m ad e S te lla s h iver."Ra wk!  Kuck-K uck! Ra w k!"  T h e ra ven flapped its wi ng s an d waddle d over ;  i tg ot so cl os e s he c o u ld sm elli ts  oily fe athers ,  a  s cent li ke  gunpo wd ermix ed wi t h ru stingsewer pi pes a n d rotting leav e s. "Kuck! Kuc k !K u ck !  Kuc k!" 

"What's h e wa n t, F redd y ?" 

" N othin g but  t r ou b le, Toots." Freddygo t betw een t hem and growl ed at ther a v en withbare d  t e eth.

"Rawk! R awk!Rawk!"

St e lla didn 't br eathe.
"RAWK! RA W K ! RAWK!"  Th e r ave n r a s pe d, and then i t hopp ed  to the  le dge and  fl ewawa y o nwings tha t flashe dli ke  b lac kened sunshine .
"W ha t w as th a t?"

F reddy  loo ke du p a t her a n ds t arte dto  ans wer ,but t henh e s topped. 

"Wha'dthe rave nwa nt, Fre ddy?"

Freddy  d idn't want  t o t ell he r .  The rav en flew higher and high e r and g otsmall er a nd smalle r u ntil i t d i sappea red ag ainst  t heb u rning s ky . T he  sun was g o i ngdownan d St ella ha d a strange sad fe e lin g about it, l ike  her h ea rtw as sin ki n g w i t h the sun.

# M irrors and  D r ea ms

That n i ght  t hey sle pt unde r the cover o f
 Kuck!"_The raven_turned its head from_side to_side_and studied_Stella_and Freddy.

"Could you_go catch that_plane for us, Mr._Rawk! Rawk! Rawk!"

"Rawk!_Rawk!_Rawk!" The raven hopped from branch to stick to branch to ground and then_it_strutted over_to_Freddy._"Rawk! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck!"

Freddy's_ears flattened and he shook_his head_as if a wasp had stung him.

"Rawk! Kuck!_Kuck!_Kuck! Kuck!"

"Rarrrrk! Arrrk!_Kuck! Kuck! Kuck!" Freddy answered.

"I didn't know you could_talk to ravens—"

"Shhhh, Sweets, he's saying_something."

"Rawk! Rrrrawk! Kuck!_Kuck!_Kuck!"_The raven stabbed the_air with its beak and made_angry rasping sounds that made Stella_shiver. "Rawk! Kuck-Kuck! Rawk!" The raven flapped_its wings and waddled over; it_got so close she could_smell its_oily feathers, a scent like_gunpowder mixed with_rusting sewer_pipes and rotting_leaves. "Kuck! Kuck! Kuck! Kuck!"

"What's he_want, Freddy?"

"Nothing but_trouble, Toots." Freddy got between them_and_growled at the_raven_with_bared teeth.

"Rawk!_Rawk! Rawk!"

Stella didn't_breathe.

"RAWK!_RAWK! RAWK!"_The_raven rasped, and then it hopped_to_the ledge and flew away on wings_that flashed like blackened_sunshine.

"What_was that?"

Freddy looked up_at her and started to_answer, but then he stopped.

"Wha'd the_raven want,_Freddy?"

Freddy didn't_want to tell her. The raven flew higher and higher and_got smaller and smaller until it_disappeared against the burning_sky. The_sun_was going down_and_Stella had_a strange sad feeling about it, like_her heart_was sinking with the sun.

# Mirrors_and Dreams

That night they_slept_under the cover of