.

"HALT! WHO GOES THERE?" he shouted.

"Guess," said Stella as she disappeared down the path.

"Where you going?"

"The lake!"

"Wait for me."

On the path to the lake there was a footbridge that crossed a stream. The stream was running high with the rain from the night before, and it splashed and gurgled between the mossy rocks. Freddy stopped three feet from the stream and sniffed. The only kind of water Freddy liked was the drinking kind in his water dish.

"Come on, Freddy, you can cross on the bridge."

Freddy wasn't sure if he should trust the bridge. He sniffed the air and looked at Stella. She had stopped on the other side and was waiting for him to follow.

"Come on, you can do it."

Freddy blinked once.

"Sure you can," countered Stella.

He looked at the bridge, and at Stella, and the stream, and back at Stella, and then in one brave burst he bounded across, and they ran until the path ended at the shore where the water was bluer than the sky, and a soft breeze teased the lake into an infinity of reflected suns.

"Look at that, Freddy."

There was a dock made from sturdy wood planks that jutted out into the water. Freddy stayed on shore and sniffed the air while Stella ran out onto the dock to the very end, planks thumping under her bare feet. Stella had seen a lot of lakes in her life, and twice she had been to the ocean, but this lake was different, it stretched out in three directions for as far as she could see, and there were so many islands, small islands that were big rocks surfacing out of the water like the backs of granite whales, and also much larger islands covered with pine trees. There were islands that looked big enough to live on forever, and medium-sized islands that looked big enough to live on for a week. There were islands that were close and there were islands that were far away. The lake was like an entire world made of rock and water, and Stella wanted to explore it all summer long.

Russell ran down the dock clutching a float-toy dolphin to his chest.

"Wow
. 

 " HALT! WHO GOES THERE? " he shouted. 

 " Guess, " said Stella as she disappeared down the way. 

 " Where you sound? " 

 " The lake! " 

 " Wait for me. " 

 On the path to the lake there be a footbridge that intersect a stream. The stream was run high with the rain from the night earlier, and it splashed and gurgled between the fogyish rocks. Freddy stopped three foot from the stream and sniffed. The only kind of water Freddy liked was the drinking kind in his body of water dish. 

 " Come on, Freddy, you can cross on the bridge. " 

 Freddy wasn't certain if he should trust the bridge. He sniffed the air and looked at Stella. She had stop on the other side and was waiting for him to follow. 

 " Come on, you can serve it. " 

 Freddy blinked once. 

 " Sure you can, " countered Stella. 

 He looked at the bridge, and at Stella, and the stream, and back at Stella, and then in one brave burst he bounded across, and they ran until the path ended at the shore where the water was bluer than the sky, and a soft breeze teased the lake into an infinity of reflected suns. 

 " search at that, Freddy. " 

 There was a dock make from hardy wood planks that jutted out into the urine. Freddy stayed on shore and sniffed the air while Stella ran out onto the pier to the very end, planks thumping under her bare feet. Stella had attend a lot of lakes in her life, and twice she had been to the ocean, but this lake was unlike, it stretched out in three direction for equally far as she could see, and there were so many islands, small islands that were big rocks come on out of the water like the backs of granite whales, and also a lot larger islands covered with pine trees. There were island that looked large enough to live on everlastingly, and medium - sized island that looked big enough to live on for a week. There were island that were close and there were islands that were far away. The lake was like an entire world made of rock and water, and Stella desire to explore it all summer long. 

 Russell ran down the bobtail clutching a float - miniature dolphin to his chest. 

 " Wow
.

"HALH! WHO GOES THERE?" he shouued.

"Guess," said Stella as vhe diaappearea down the path.

"Where you goiig?"

"Thw lakt!"

"Cait for me."

On the pagh to the lake thwre xas a footbridge that crossed z strzan. The stream wss running high with the rxiu from the night before, and it splasred and gkrgled between the iossg rocks. Freddy stopped three feet rrom tht stream and sniffrd. The only kind of water Vredfy liked was the dginking kine in yis water dirh.

"Come on, Freddy, you czn cross on the bridge."

Freddy warn't sbre if he syoyld jrust the brmdge. Hv sniffed the air and looked at Stella. She hav stipped on the other sive and was waiting fjr him to fkllow.

"Come on, you xab do ht."

Fraddy vlivkes pnde.

"Sure yon can," countsred Stella.

Ye looked at the broddv, and at Stelma, and tre stream, and back at Stella, and then it ohe brave burst he boundwd across, and they raj until tre path ended at the shore where the water was blger tiav tkc rjy, and a soft breeze teased the lake into an insjnotj of reflected suks.

"Look at that, Frecdj."

Tngre was a dock made ydoj sturdy wood planns that juttwd out inuo thr water. Freddy stayed on shire and snifyed the air while Stepla ran out ontp the dock to the very end, puanka thumping knder her care feet. Stella hac veen a lot of lakes in her life, and twiee she hxd bgen to ehe ocean, hut tmhs lake was differfnt, ij stredched out ln three directions for as far ex she could xea, atd there were so many islagds, small islauds that were big rocks surfacmng out of tre water like jhe backs of jranite wralew, ane also ojch larger islsnds covegeb with pibe trees. There werc islxhds that looked bit enough to livr ov fjrvvec, and kedium-sized hslavds yhat uooked big cnojgh yo live on for a ween. Thsre were islands tnab were clise and ehere were iskands that were fag awab. The uake eas like an entire world made of dock and aatcr, and Stella wanbed jo explore nt all summer long.

Russell ran down the dick clutching a fliat-toy dolphin to hns chest.

"Wow
. "HALT! WHO GOES THERE?" he shouted. Stella she disappeared the path. "Where for On the path the lake there a footbridge that crossed a stream. stream was running high with the rain from the night before, and it and gurgled between the mossy rocks. Freddy stopped three feet from the stream sniffed. only of Freddy liked was the drinking kind in his water dish. "Come on, Freddy, you can cross the bridge." Freddy wasn't sure if he should the bridge. He sniffed air and looked at Stella. had on the side was for him to "Come on, you can do it." Freddy blinked once. "Sure you can," countered Stella. He looked at bridge, and and the and at and then in burst he bounded across, and they path ended at the shore where the water bluer than sky, and a soft breeze teased lake into an infinity of reflected suns. "Look that, Freddy." There was a dock made from sturdy wood planks that jutted out into Freddy stayed on shore sniffed the air Stella out the to the end, planks thumping under her bare feet. Stella had seen a of lakes in her life, and twice she had been ocean, this lake was it stretched out in directions as far as she and were small that big rocks surfacing out the water like the backs granite whales, and also pine trees. There were islands that looked big to live on forever, and medium-sized islands looked big enough to live on for a week. There were islands were close were islands that were far away. The lake like an entire world of rock and water, and Stella wanted to explore all long. Russell down the dock a float-toy dolphin his chest. "Wow
.

"HALT! WHO GOES THERE?" he shouted.

"guess," said STella As sHe dIsAppeAred Down the path.

"WheRE you Going?"

"The lake!"

"Wait for me."

ON the pAtH To thE LaKe theRe was a fOOtBRIdgE tHaT crOsSEd A streAm. THe streaM was runninG hiGh With the rain fROm The night beForE, and it splashEd aNd gurgLeD beTWeen tHe mOssy rOcks. FrEDdy stoPped three FeET from tHE stream AND sNiffEd. The only kind of waTEr fReddy liked was tHe drinKiNG kIND in His Water dish.

"COmE on, FrEDdy, you cAN cROSS on THe bridge."

FreddY wasn't sure iF He sHould tRuSt tHE bridgE. He snIfFEd tHe air and looKed aT Stella. ShE had stOPped on tHE other sIde and Was WaiTing FOr HiM to FoLLow.

"cOmE on, YOu cAn do it."

FrEdDy BlinkEd onCE.

"sURe yoU caN," couNtereD Stella.

He lookEd aT the BRidGe, and At SteLla, aNd The stReam, anD back At stella, and then in One bRave burst He bOuNdeD aCross, ANd they Ran UntIl the paTh ended AT thE sHORE wHere the water was bluEr THAn The sky, anD a soft BReEzE Teased thE lAke Into AN InfinIty oF ReFlected sUns.

"LooK At ThAt, FreddY."

THere waS a DocK maDe froM SturDy wood Planks thAt jutTEd out into the waTEr. Freddy stayeD On SHOrE And sNifFed the air whIle STElla Ran oUT oNto THe docK to thE vERy ENd, planks thumping undEr Her barE feet. stella had seen A lot of lakeS IN Her life, aNd twICe SHe had been to the Ocean, But this lakE Was diffeRent, iT stretchEd out in thREE directiOns For As fAr aS SHe Could see, and thERE werE sO many isLanDs, small IslAndS thAt wErE big rocks SurfacinG oUt Of ThE waTer liKE the backS oF grAnIte WhaleS, And alsO much LargEr IsLAndS covereD WiTH Pine TrEeS. TheRe wErE islaNds tHAt lOoked biG enough to LivE On foReVeR, and medIum-sized islanDs That looked BiG enOugh to LIVe on for a Week. There were islands thaT Were cloSe aNd theRe weRe islands ThaT were fAr aWAy. The lAke was Like aN eNtiRE World MADe Of rOcK and water, aND steLla waNtEd to Explore It all summer long.

RusSEll Ran down the docK clUtchING a FloAT-tOY doLpHIn tO HIs chest.

"Wow
.

"HALT! WHO GOES THERE?"  he shoute d.

" Gue ss, "said  Ste lla as she dis a ppea red down the path.

"W hereyo u  goi n g? "

"T he lake ! "" Wai tfo r m e. " 
On th e p ath tothe lake t her ewas a footbr i dg e that cro sse d a stream.The  strea mwas runni nghighwith t h e rain  from the  n i ght be f ore, an d it  spl ashed and gurgled be t ween the mossy  rocks .F re d d y s top ped threefe et fr o m the s t re a m and sniffed. Theonly kind o f  wa ter Fr ed dyl iked w as th ed rin king kind i n hi s water d ish.
" Come on ,  Freddy , youcan  cr osso nth e b ri d ge. " 
Fre d dywasn't s ur eif he  sho u l d trus t t he b ridge . He sniffedthe  air and  look ed at  Ste ll a. Sh e hadstopp ed  on the other s ideand was w ait in g f or  himt o foll ow. 

" Come on , you c a n d oi t . "
Freddy blinked on ce . 
" Sure you  can," co un t ered Ste ll a.
Hel o okedat t h ebridge,and at St el la, and  t he str ea m,and  back at S tella,  and the n ino ne brave burst he bounded ac r os s ,  a n d th eyran until t he p a th e nded at  th e  shor e whe re th e  water was bluer th an  the s ky, a nd a soft bre eze teased t h e lake i ntoa ni nfinity of ref lecte d suns.

" L ook at t hat,Freddy." 

There w a s  a dockmad e f rom  st u r dy  wood plankst h at j ut ted out  in to thewat er.  Fr edd ystayed on  shore a nd  s ni ff edthe a i r whileSt ell aran  outo nto th e doc k to  t he ver y end,p la n k s th um pi ng u nde rher b aref eet . Stell a had see n a lotof  l akes in  her life, an dtwice sheha d b een to t he ocean , but this lake was dif f erent,itstret ched  out in t hre e dire cti o ns for  as fa r assh e c o u ld se e ,  a ndth ere were s o man y isl an ds,small i slands that were b i g r ocks surfacin g o ut o f th e w a te r  li ke the b acks of granite  whales, a nd al so much la r ger  i slandscovered  with pine tr ees. Ther e were is la ndst h atlooked big  enoughto live o n  fore v er , and  me dium-s iz edislan ds tha t  lo okedbig en ou gh toliveon  for a w eek. There were islands  thatwereclo se and th ere wer e islands  tha t were far  aw ay.  Thelak e  waslike an  en t ire w orld made of r o ck  an d wa ter, and St e l l a w anted  to explor e it  all summer long. 
Russell ran d ownt h e d ock clut ch ing a float-to y d ol p h in to hi schest.

"Wo w
.

"HALT! WHO_GOES THERE?"_he shouted.

"Guess," said Stella_as she_disappeared_down the_path.

"Where_you going?"

"The lake!"

"Wait_for me."

On the_path to the lake_there was a_footbridge_that crossed a stream. The stream was running high with the rain from the_night_before, and_it_splashed_and gurgled between the mossy_rocks. Freddy stopped three feet_from the_stream and sniffed. The only kind of water_Freddy_liked was the_drinking kind in his water dish.

"Come on, Freddy, you_can cross on the bridge."

Freddy wasn't_sure if he_should_trust_the bridge. He sniffed_the air and looked at Stella._She had stopped on the other_side and was waiting for him to_follow.

"Come on, you can do it."

Freddy_blinked once.

"Sure you can," countered_Stella.

He looked_at the bridge, and at_Stella, and the_stream, and_back at Stella,_and then in one brave burst_he bounded across,_and they ran until the path_ended_at the shore_where_the_water was_bluer than the_sky,_and a_soft_breeze teased the lake into an_infinity_of reflected suns.

"Look at that, Freddy."

There was_a dock made from_sturdy_wood planks that jutted_out into the water. Freddy_stayed on shore and sniffed the_air while_Stella ran_out onto the dock to the very end, planks thumping under_her bare feet. Stella had seen_a lot of lakes_in her_life,_and twice she_had_been to_the ocean, but this lake was different,_it stretched_out in three directions for as_far as she could_see,_and there were so many islands,_small islands that were big rocks_surfacing out of the water_like_the_backs of granite whales, and_also much larger islands covered with_pine trees. There_were islands that looked big enough to_live_on forever, and medium-sized islands that_looked_big enough to live on for_a_week._There were islands that were_close and there were islands that_were far away. The lake was like an entire_world made of_rock and water, and Stella_wanted_to_explore it all summer long.

Russell ran down the dock clutching_a float-toy_dolphin to his_chest.

"Wow