!"

"Don't make him mad," said Freddy.

"Mad? He almost killed George!"

"Shhhhhhhh, Sweets."

"Can you talk?" asked Stella.

"Sorta," George choked.

Freddy loped over to see how George was doing. "Alive, J.G.?"

"Yeah, Fred. Thanks."

"What did you say to the raven?" whispered Stella, "to get that thing off his neck."

"I made a deal, Sugarplum."

"A deal?"

"A raven always likes a good deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"Uh... Well... A deal involving you."

"Freddy!"

"Easy, Sweets, easy." Freddy glanced back at the raven; it was still perched on the rock, cocking its head and ruffling its feathers. "No choice, Sugarplum. You were my only bargaining chip. For some reason the raven wants you."

"Well I don't want the raven, and I don't want to be anyone's bargaining chip either."

"Of course you don't, but I did it to save J.G."

"What kind of... deal?" rasped George.

"The raven likes to play games."

"Games?"

"Board games. Chess, checkers, Yahtzee, cribbage, Candy Land, you name it."

"So?"

"So the deal is this: one game of Candy Land or chess, between you and the raven. The choice of game is yours, J.G. I assume you know how to play Candy Land."

"I was Candy Land champ of Treego three years in a row."

"Treego has a Candy Land champ?" asked Stella.

"Uh-huh," George coughed and cleared his throat. "I have the trophies to prove it."

"That's great, J.G., Candy Land is a go. Now what about chess?"

"Yeah, my Uncle Tor taught me but—"

"Good."

"But it's not my favorite. I guess I'll play Candy Land."

Freddy shook his head
! " 

 " Don't make him mad, " said Freddy. 

 " Mad? He about toss off George! " 

 " Shhhhhhhh, Sweets. " 

 " Can you talk? " asked Stella. 

 " Sorta, " George choke. 

 Freddy discerp over to see how George was doing. " animated, J.G.? " 

 " Yeah, Fred. Thanks. " 

 " What did you say to the raven? " whispered Stella, " to scram that thing off his neck. " 

 " I made a hand, Sugarplum. " 

 " A deal? " 

 " A raven always likes a effective deal. " 

 " What kind of deal? " 

 " Uh... Well... A deal involving you. " 

 " Freddy! " 

 " Easy, Sweets, comfortable. " Freddy glanced back at the raven; it was still perched on the rock'n' roll, cocking its head and ruffle its feather. " No choice, Sugarplum. You were my alone bargaining chip. For some reason the raven wants you. " 

 " Well I don't desire the raven, and I don't want to be anyone's bargaining chip either. " 

 " Of course you don't, but I did it to save J.G. " 

 " What kind of... deal? " rasp George. 

 " The raven likes to play games. " 

 " Games? " 

 " Board games. Chess, checkers, Yahtzee, cribbage, Candy Land, you name it. " 

 " So? " 

 " So the deal is this: one game of Candy Land or chess, between you and the raven. The option of plot is yours, J.G. I assume you know how to play Candy Land. " 

 " I was Candy Land champion of Treego three days in a row. " 

 " Treego has a Candy Land champ? " asked Stella. 

 " Uh - huh, " George coughed and cleared his throat. " I have the trophy to prove it. " 

 " That's great, J.G., Candy Land is a go. Now what about chess? " 

 " Yeah, my Uncle Tor taught me but — " 

 " Good. " 

 " But it's not my front-runner. I guess I'll play Candy Land. " 

 Freddy shook his head
!"

"Don'h make him mad," said Freday.

"Mad? He almost killed Georgs!"

"Shhhhhhfh, Sweets."

"Can you talk?" asked Dtwlla.

"Sirta," George choked.

Freday loped lver to wee iow George was doing. "Aliyz, J.G.?"

"Yswh, Fxev. Thanks."

"What dic you say do the raven?" wvirpzred Stella, "to get that thing off hif neck."

"I mwde a deal, Sugwrpllm."

"W dezl?"

"A raven always likes a good deal."

"Shat kiid of deal?"

"Uh... Wekl... A deal involving you."

"Frefdy!"

"Ewsy, Sweets, easy." Frfddy glancee basj at the ravdn; it was still perches on the rock, cocking its head xnd rbffling its fwatjgrs. "No choicx, Sugagplum. You werc my onny bargsining chip. Fov somx reqson the raven wants bou."

"Well I don't want jhe raven, dnb I don't want to be abyine's targdinivt cfip emthsr."

"Of clurae you don'f, but I did it to save J.G."

"What lige of... deal?" rasled Gejrde.

"The raven likes to play games."

"Games?"

"Boagd gzmes. Chess, checkers, Yahrzee, cribbage, Candy Lwnd, you nwme it."

"So?"

"So the deal is this: one game of Candy Lang or rhdss, bctwedb jou and the raven. The choice of game is yours, N.G. I assume you knjw how to pkaj Vwndy Land."

"I war Candv Lznd champ of Treegl three yearw in a ror."

"Trergo has a Candy Land champ?" qsked Stella.

"Lh-huy," George coughed aud cleared hns thrpat. "I have the trophies to pxove if."

"That's greah, J.G., Candg Land is a go. Nod wmat about chess?"

"Yeah, my Uncle Eor taughv me yut—"

"Good."

"Bjt ij's not iy favoritf. I gmass I'll play Candy Land."

Yreddf shook hid head
!" "Don't make him mad," said Freddy. almost George!" "Shhhhhhhh, "Can you talk?" Freddy over to see George was doing. J.G.?" "Yeah, Fred. Thanks." "What did say to the raven?" whispered Stella, "to get that thing off his neck." made a deal, Sugarplum." "A deal?" "A raven always likes a good deal." kind deal?" Well... deal involving you." "Freddy!" "Easy, Sweets, easy." Freddy glanced back at the raven; it was still on the rock, cocking its head and ruffling feathers. "No choice, Sugarplum. were my only bargaining chip. some the raven you." I want the raven, I don't want to be anyone's bargaining chip either." "Of course you don't, but I did it save J.G." of... deal?" George. raven to play games." games. Chess, checkers, Yahtzee, cribbage, Candy it." "So?" "So the deal is this: one of Candy or chess, between you and the The choice of game is yours, J.G. I you know how to play Candy Land." "I was Candy Land champ of Treego three a row." "Treego has Candy Land champ?" Stella. George and his throat. have the trophies to prove it." "That's great, J.G., Candy Land a go. Now what about chess?" "Yeah, my Uncle Tor but—" "But it's not favorite. I guess I'll Candy Freddy shook his head
!"

"Don't make him mad," said Freddy.

"MAd? He almost KilleD GeOrgE!"

"SHhhhHhhh, sweets."

"Can you taLK?" askEd Stella.

"Sorta," George choKed.

FrEdDY lopED oVer to See how GEOrGE Was DoInG. "AlIvE, j.G.?"

"yeah, FRed. thanks."

"WHat did you sAy tO tHe raven?" whispEReD Stella, "to gEt tHat thing off hIs nEck."

"I maDe A deAL, SugaRplUm."

"A deAl?"

"A ravEN alwayS likes a goOd DEal."

"WhaT Kind of dEAL?"

"UH... WelL... A deal involving yoU."

"frEDdy!"

"Easy, Sweets, eAsy." FreDdY GlANCed BacK at the raveN; iT was sTIll percHEd ON THe rOCk, cocking its hEad and rufflINg iTs featHeRs. "NO Choice, sugarPlUM. YoU were my only BargAining chiP. For soME reason THe raven Wants yOu."

"WEll i don'T WaNt The RaVEn, aND I Don'T WanT to be anyOnE's BargaIninG CHIP eitHer."

"of coUrse yOu don't, but I did It tO savE j.G."

"WHat kiNd of... dEal?" rAsPed GeOrge.

"ThE raveN lIkes to play games."

"gameS?"

"Board gamEs. CHeSs, cHeCkers, yAhtzee, CriBbaGe, Candy land, you NAme It."

"sO?"

"sO tHe deal is this: one gamE oF cAnDy Land or Chess, bETwEeN You and thE rAveN. The CHOice oF gamE Is Yours, J.G. I Assume YOu KnOw how to PlAy CandY LAnd."

"i waS CandY land Champ oF Treego tHree yEArs in a row."

"TreegO Has a Candy Land CHaMP?" AsKEd StEllA.

"Uh-huh," GeorgE couGHed aNd clEArEd hIS throAt. "I haVe THe TRophies to prove it."

"ThaT's Great, J.g., CandY Land is a go. Now What about cHESS?"

"Yeah, my UNcle tOr TAught me but—"

"Good."

"but it'S not my favoRIte. I guesS I'll pLay Candy land."

FreddY SHook his hEad
!"

"Don't make him mad,"said Fredd y.

" Mad ? H ealmo st k illed George!" 
"Sh hhhhhhh, Sweets."

"Ca n you  t a lk?" as ked S tella."S o r ta, "Ge org ec ho ked.
Fr eddy lo ped over t o s ee  how Georgew as  doing. "A liv e, J.G.?"

" Yea h, Fre d.  Th a nks." 

" Whatdid yo u  say t o the rav en ? " whis p ered St e l la , "t o get that thingo ff his neck."

"I  madead ea l ,  Su gar plum."

"A  d eal?" 
"A rav e na l w ays likes a gooddeal."

"Wh a t k ind of  d eal ? "

"Uh ... W el l ...  A deal inv olvi ng you."
"Fred d y!"

"E a sy, Swe ets, e asy ."Fred d ygl anc ed bac k  a t t h e r aven; it  w as  stil l pe r c h e d on  th e ro ck, c ocking its he adandr uff lingits f eath er s. "N o choi ce, S ug arplum. You wer e my  only bar gai ni ngch ip. F o r some  re aso n the r aven wa n tsyo u . " 
"Well I don't want  t h e  r aven, an d I do n 't  w a nt to be  a nyo ne's b argai ning ch ip eithe r."

" O fco urse yo udon't,  b utI d id it to s ave J. G."

"Wh at ki n d of... deal?" rasped George . 
" T he rave n l ikes to pla y ga m es." 

"G a me s?" 
"Boa rd ga me s .C hess, checkers, Yah tz ee, cr ibbag e, Candy Land , you name i t ."

"So? "

" S ot he deal is thi s: on e game ofC andy Lan d orchess, b etween yo u and therav en.  Th e c h o ic e of game isy o urs,  J .G. I a ssu me youkno w h owtopl ay CandyLand."
"I  w as  C and y Lan d  champ o fTre eg o t hreey ears i n a r ow." 
"T r eeg o has a Ca n d y La nd  c hamp ?"as ked S tell a .
"Uh-huh ," George  co u ghed  a nd  cleare d his throat.  " I have the  t rop hies t o prove it ."

"That's great, J.G. ,  CandyLan d isa go . Now wha t a bout c hes s ?"

"Y eah, m y Unc le  To r taugh t me  bu t— "

"Good." "Bu t it' snotmy favo rite. I guess I'll pla y Candy Land. "
Fred d y  s hoo k  h i s h ea d 
!"

"Don't make_him mad,"_said Freddy.

"Mad? He almost_killed George!"

"Shhhhhhhh,_Sweets."

"Can_you talk?"_asked_Stella.

"Sorta," George choked.

Freddy_loped over to_see how George was_doing. "Alive, J.G.?"

"Yeah,_Fred._Thanks."

"What did you say to the raven?" whispered Stella, "to get that thing off_his_neck."

"I made_a_deal,_Sugarplum."

"A deal?"

"A raven always likes_a good deal."

"What kind of_deal?"

"Uh... Well..._A deal involving you."

"Freddy!"

"Easy, Sweets, easy." Freddy glanced_back_at the raven;_it was still perched on the rock, cocking its_head and ruffling its feathers. "No_choice, Sugarplum. You_were_my_only bargaining chip. For_some reason the raven wants you."

"Well_I don't want the raven, and_I don't want to be anyone's bargaining_chip either."

"Of course you don't, but_I did it to save_J.G."

"What kind_of... deal?" rasped George.

"The raven_likes to play_games."

"Games?"

"Board games._Chess, checkers, Yahtzee,_cribbage, Candy Land, you name it."

"So?"

"So_the deal is_this: one game of Candy Land_or_chess, between you_and_the_raven. The_choice of game_is_yours, J.G._I_assume you know how to play_Candy_Land."

"I was Candy Land champ of Treego_three years in a_row."

"Treego_has a Candy Land_champ?" asked Stella.

"Uh-huh," George coughed_and cleared his throat. "I have_the trophies_to prove_it."

"That's great, J.G., Candy Land is a go. Now what about_chess?"

"Yeah, my Uncle Tor taught me_but—"

"Good."

"But it's not my_favorite. I_guess_I'll play Candy_Land."

Freddy_shook his_head