!" he said.

"Wow is right. Is Mom coming?"

"Mmm hmm." Russell put the air valve into his mouth and blew.

"How deep do you think it is?"

Russell shrugged his shoulders, puffed up his cheeks and blew some more.

"I mean right here." Stella was looking down into the water; it was so clear she could see the rocky bottom and minnows swimming and crayfish lurking in the shadows. "HEY, MOM? ARE YOU COMING?" she called. "Russell, where is she?"

"About thirty feet and closing, Stella." Her mom came down the path with a beach bag slung over her shoulder.

"Here goes nothing!" Stella took five broad steps back and made a run for the edge and shouted "YIPPY!" just before she plunged into Lake Wippiwee-Wananana.

Stella was a good swimmer. She thought it was pretty silly that her mom wouldn't let her swim in the lake alone. She did the breaststroke for twenty yards out and then stopped, looked around at the islands and sky and then she dog paddled back into the shallows.

"How is it?" her mom asked.

"Great! Are you coming in?"

"In a few minutes, honey." Her mom had spread a beach towel on the dock. She was sitting on it in her bikini with her sunglasses propped on her forehead and a tube of sunscreen in her hands.

"Hey, Mom? Can I swim out to that island?"

"Which island?"

"That island." Stella pointed at a tiny island out beyond the bay that only had two trees growing on it.

"I'm afraid that's too far, Stella."

"No it isn't."

"Just swim around here."

"But I really want to explore an island, please?"

"Well..."

"Please."

"Okay, but you have to wear a life vest and swim where I can see you."

"Really? I can?"

"If you promise to be careful."

"I promise."

"Life vests are in the boathouse."

"Hooray!" Stella did a backstroke into shore and ran up the path, with
! " he said. 

 " Wow is right. Is Mom coming? " 

 " Mmm hmm. " Russell put the tune valve into his mouthpiece and blew. 

 " How deep do you think it is? " 

 Russell shrug his shoulders, puffed up his cheeks and blow out some more. 

 " I mean right here. " Stella was look down into the water; it was so absolved she could see the rocky bed and minnows swimming and crayfish ambush in the shadows. " HEY, MOM? ARE YOU COMING? " she called. " Russell, where is she? " 

 " About thirty feet and shutting, Stella. " Her mom came down the path with a beach cup of tea slung over her shoulder. 

 " Here goes nothing! " Stella took five wide steps back and made a run for the edge and shouted " YIPPY! " barely before she plunged into Lake Wippiwee - Wananana. 

 Stella was a good swimmer. She thought it was pretty silly that her mom wouldn't let her swim in the lake alone. She did the breaststroke for twenty yards out and then stopped, looked around at the islands and sky and then she dog paddled back into the shoal. 

 " How is it? " her ma asked. 

 " Great! Are you coming in? " 

 " In a few moment, honey. " Her mom had spread a beach towel on the pier. She was sitting on it in her bikini with her sunglasses propped on her forehead and a pipe of sunscreen in her hands. 

 " Hey, Mom? Can I swim out to that island? " 

 " Which island? " 

 " That island. " Stella pointed at a tiny island out beyond the bay that only accept two trees growing on it. 

 " I'm afraid that's too far, Stella. " 

 " No it isn't. " 

 " Just float around here. " 

 " But I very desire to research an island, please? " 

 " Well... " 

 " Please. " 

 " Okay, but you have to wear a life vest and swim where I can see you. " 

 " Really? I can? " 

 " If you promise to be careful. " 

 " I predict. " 

 " Life singlet are in the boathouse. " 

 " Hooray! " Stella did a backstroke into shore and ran up the way, with
!" he said.

"Wow is right. Is Mom coming?"

"Mmm hmm." Tuwsell 'ut the air valxe into his mouth and blew.

"Hox dewp do you think it is?"

Russelu shruggef his shiuldtrs, puffed up his cheeks and blsa sokx more.

"I mean rinht here." Stalla was lookitg dlwn into the water; it was so clear fhe coukd see the rocky botuom and minnows swimming and crayfish luriing in the shadows. "NEY, MOM? ARE YOU COMING?" she calped. "Russell, where ls she?"

"About thiwry feet and zlosing, Sttlna." Her mom came down the path with a beacf bag slung ovet geg shoulder.

"Hece goef nothing!" Stckla tomk five broad steps bsck ane made a run for the xdge and shouted "YIPKY!" just bexoxe she plunged into Lqkw Wipkiwee-Fanavqna.

Rtemle wzs a glod swimmer. Sge thought ut was pretty silly trqt her mom wohldn't jee her swim in the lake alone. She did tht brezststroke for twenty yaeds out and then stopked, looked around at the islands and sky and then she dog pdddlev cacj lnto rhf shallows.

"How is it?" her mom asked.

"Great! Are yot cpmpng in?"

"In a few mikutes, honey." Her mok jac spread a beazh towzm kn the dock. She wad sittigg on it in hew bilini with her sunglasses pripped on her dorehead and a tubz of sunscrezn in ner hsnds.

"Hey, Mom? Can I swim uut fo that islwnd?"

"Which jrland?"

"That island." Stvlla pointed at a tiny island jut beyonv the bay thxt omly haq two treed growing on it.

"I'm afraid that'd doo far, Stflla."

"No it isn't."

"Just swim around ixre."

"But I realky watt to ex'lore sn island, plewse?"

"Well..."

"Please."

"Olay, but you fave to wezr a lihe vest and fwim where I wwn see you."

"Reelly? I cag?"

"If tou promise go be careful."

"I promise."

"Lpft vests arw in the boathouse."

"Moorai!" Atella did a baeywtroke into shote xnd rwn u[ the path, widh
!" he said. "Wow is right. Is "Mmm Russell put air valve into deep you think it Russell shrugged his puffed up his cheeks and blew more. "I mean right here." Stella was looking down into the water; it so clear she could see the rocky bottom and minnows swimming and crayfish in shadows. MOM? YOU COMING?" she called. "Russell, where is she?" "About thirty feet and closing, Stella." Her mom down the path with a beach bag slung her shoulder. "Here goes Stella took five broad steps and a run the and "YIPPY!" just before plunged into Lake Wippiwee-Wananana. Stella was a good swimmer. She thought it was pretty silly that her wouldn't let in the alone. did breaststroke for twenty and then stopped, looked around at sky and then she dog paddled back into shallows. "How it?" her mom asked. "Great! Are coming in?" "In a few minutes, honey." Her had spread a beach towel on the dock. She was sitting on it in her her sunglasses propped on forehead and a of in hands. Mom? Can swim out to that island?" "Which island?" "That island." Stella pointed a tiny island out beyond the bay that only had growing it. "I'm afraid too far, Stella." "No isn't." swim around here." "But want explore "Well..." "Okay, you have to wear life vest and swim where can see you." "Really? to be careful." "I promise." "Life vests are the boathouse." "Hooray!" Stella did a backstroke shore and ran up the path, with
!" he said.

"Wow is right. Is Mom comiNg?"

"Mmm hmm." RuSsell Put The AiR valVe inTo his mouth and bLEw.

"HoW deep do you think it is?"

RusSell sHrUGged HIs ShoulDers, pufFEd UP His ChEeKs aNd BLeW some MorE.

"I mean rIght here." StEllA wAs looking dowN InTo the water; It wAs so clear she CouLd see tHe RocKY bottOm aNd minNows swIMming aNd crayfisH lURking iN The shadOWS. "HeY, MOm? ARE YOU COMING?" she cALlED. "Russell, where iS she?"

"AbOuT ThIRTy fEet And closing, stElla." HER mom camE DoWN THe pATh with a beach bAg slung over HEr sHouldeR.

"HEre GOes notHing!" STeLLa tOok five broaD stePs back and Made a rUN for the EDge and sHouted "yIPpY!" jUst bEFoRe She PlUNgeD InTo LAKe WIppiwee-WAnAnAna.

StElla WAS A Good SwiMmer. she thOught it was preTty SillY ThaT her mOm wouLdn't LeT her sWim in tHe lakE aLone. She did the brEastStroke for TweNtY yaRdS out aND then sTopPed, Looked aRound at THe iSlANDS aNd sky and then she dog PaDDLeD back intO the shALlOwS.

"how is it?" hEr Mom AskeD.

"gReat! ARe yoU CoMing in?"

"In A few miNUtEs, Honey." HeR mOm had sPrEad A beAch toWEl on The docK. She was sIttinG On it in her bikinI With her sunglaSSeS PRoPPed oN heR forehead anD a tuBE of sUnscREeN in HEr hanDs.

"Hey, moM? caN i swim out to that islanD?"

"WHich isLand?"

"THat island." StelLa pointed aT A TIny islanD out BEyONd the bay that onLy had Two trees grOWing on it.

"i'm afrAid that's Too far, SteLLA."

"No it isn'T."

"JuSt sWim AroUND hEre."

"But I really WANt to ExPlore an IslAnd, pleaSe?"

"WEll..."

"pleAse."

"okAy, but you hAve to weaR a LiFe VeSt aNd swiM Where I caN sEe yOu."

"reaLly? I cAN?"

"If you PromiSe to Be CaREfuL."

"I promiSE."

"LIFE vesTs ArE in tHe bOaThousE."

"HooRAy!" STella diD a backstrOke INto sHoRe And ran uP the path, with
!" he said.

"Wow is right . Is Mom c oming ?"
"M mm  hmm ." R ussell put the airvalve into his mouth a nd bl ew . 

"H o wdeepdo yout hi n k  it  i s? "
Ru s se ll sh rug ged his  shoulders , p uf fed up his c h ee ks and ble w s ome more.

" I m ean ri gh t h e re."Ste lla w as loo k ing do wn into t he water; it wass o  c lear  she could see th e  r o cky bottom and  minno ws sw i m min g a nd crayfis hlurki n g in th e  s h a d ows .  "HEY, MOM? A RE YOU COMI N G?"  she c al led .  "Russ ell,wh e reis she?"

" Abou t thirtyfeet a n d closi n g, Stel la." H ermom  cam e  d ow n t he pat h  w ith a b each bag  s lu ng ov er h e r s houl der .

" Heregoes nothing! " S tell a  to ok fi ve br oadst eps b ack an d mad ea run for the e dgeand shout ed"Y IPP Y! " jus t  befor e s heplunged  into L a keWi p p i we e-Wananana.

Stell aw a sa good s wimmer .  S he thoughtit  wa s pr e t ty si llyt ha t her mo m woul d n' tlet her  s wim in  t helak e alo n e. S he did  the bre astst r oke for twenty yards out and th e n  s t oppe d,looked arou nd a t  the  isl a nd s a n d sky  andth e ns he dog paddled back  i nto th e sha llows.

"Howis it?" he r m om asked .

" G re a t! Are you com ing i n?"

"In a few minu tes,honey."Her mom h a d  spreada b eac h t owe l on  the dock. Sh e wassi tting o n i t in he r b iki niwit hher sungl asses pr op pe don  he r for e head and  a  tu be  of  suns c reen i n her  han ds ."He y, Mom? Ca n I sw im  o ut t o t ha t isl and? " 

" Which i sland?"
"Th a t is la nd ." Stel la pointed at  a  tiny isla nd  ou t beyo n d  the bay  that only had two tree s  growin g o n it. 

"I 'm afraid  th at's t oof ar, St ella." 

"No  i t i s n 't."" Ju stsw im aroundh e re. "

"B ut  I r eally w ant to explore ani sla nd, please?"
"W ell. . . "
"P l ea s e." 
" Oka y ,  but you have t o wear a l if e  v est and sw i m w he re I ca n see y ou.""Really ? I can?" 

"If you  p romi s e  to  be carefu l."

"Ipromise." 
"Lif e  v estsare  in th eboa thous e."

" H oor ay!"Stella  d id a b ackst ro ke intoshore and ran up the pa th, wi th
!" he_said.

"Wow is_right. Is Mom coming?"

"Mmm_hmm." Russell_put_the air_valve_into his mouth_and blew.

"How deep_do you think it_is?"

Russell shrugged his_shoulders,_puffed up his cheeks and blew some more.

"I mean right here." Stella was looking_down_into the_water;_it_was so clear she could_see the rocky bottom and_minnows swimming_and crayfish lurking in the shadows. "HEY, MOM?_ARE_YOU COMING?" she_called. "Russell, where is she?"

"About thirty feet and closing,_Stella." Her mom came down the_path with a_beach_bag_slung over her shoulder.

"Here_goes nothing!" Stella took five broad_steps back and made a run_for the edge and shouted "YIPPY!" just_before she plunged into Lake Wippiwee-Wananana.

Stella_was a good swimmer. She_thought it_was pretty silly that her_mom wouldn't let_her swim_in the lake_alone. She did the breaststroke for_twenty yards out_and then stopped, looked around at_the_islands and sky_and_then_she dog_paddled back into_the_shallows.

"How is_it?"_her mom asked.

"Great! Are you coming_in?"

"In_a few minutes, honey." Her mom had_spread a beach towel_on_the dock. She was_sitting on it in her_bikini with her sunglasses propped on_her forehead_and a_tube of sunscreen in her hands.

"Hey, Mom? Can I swim out_to that island?"

"Which island?"

"That island." Stella_pointed at a tiny_island out_beyond_the bay that_only_had two_trees growing on it.

"I'm afraid that's too_far, Stella."

"No_it isn't."

"Just swim around here."

"But I_really want to explore_an_island, please?"

"Well..."

"Please."

"Okay, but you have to_wear a life vest and swim_where I can see you."

"Really?_I_can?"

"If_you promise to be careful."

"I_promise."

"Life vests are in the boathouse."

"Hooray!"_Stella did a_backstroke into shore and ran up the_path,_with