AT, NOW!"

George blinked at her as if waking from a dream.

"GEORGE! LOOK!" Stella pointed at the troll cabin and then the roaring outboard motors sputtered, coughed and stopped. The speedboat coasted into an aimless drift and a winged shadow passed over the boat. The three of them looked up.

"The raven..."

"I knew it!"

"Evil bird."

The raven flapped its wings and climbed higher; it looked down on the two kids and their talking ferret adrift in a speedboat on a doughnut-shaped lake, one half mile wide and eleven miles around, an enormous circle of water with one giant island in the middle. They had been speeding in circles for almost two hours.

"What a waste," said Stella. She switched off the stereo and their speedboat party collapsed into silence.

"Both tanks are empty," said George from the back.

"We were tricked," said Stella.

"Rawk! Rawk! Ark-ark-ark! Rrrrrrrawk!"

"What's that raven rawking about, Freddy?"

"That's what you brats get for taking my queen."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously, Sweets, only nastier."

"Dang nabbit." George kicked one of the empty gas tanks; it made a weird clunking sound like a broken gong and then he hopped up and down from the pain and shouted, "OWWW! STUPID RAVEN."

"Actually we're the ones who were stupid," said Stella.

"Yeah, J.G. How could you could you possibly drive us around in circles for two hours?"

"I'm sorry, I guess I just... I just wasn't paying attention or something 'cause it was so much fun."

"Yeah, it was fun," said Stella, "except for the circles part."

"Listen... Do you hear what I don't hear?" asked Freddy.

"No more chainsaws," said George.

"They left without us," moaned Stella, "now what'll we do?"

"Drop anchor and wait for morning," said George. "They'll be back tomorrow."

"Unless tomorrow's Saturday
AT, NOW! " 

 George blinked at her as if waking from a dream. 

 " GEORGE! LOOK! " Stella pointed at the round cabin and then the howl outboard motors sputtered, coughed and stop. The speedboat coast into an aimless drift and a winged shadow fall over the boat. The three of them looked up. 

 " The raven... " 

 " I know it! " 

 " Evil bird. " 

 The raven beat its wings and climbed higher; it look down on the two kids and their talking ferret adrift in a speedboat on a doughnut - shaped lake, one half nautical mile wide and eleven miles around, an enormous r-2 of water with one giant island in the middle. They had been speeding in circle for almost two hours. 

 " What a waste, " said Stella. She switched off the stereo and their speedboat party collapse into silence. 

 " Both tanks are empty, " said George from the back. 

 " We were tricked, " said Stella. 

 " Rawk! Rawk! Ark - ark - ark! Rrrrrrrawk! " 

 " What's that raven rawking about, Freddy? " 

 " That's what you brats get for taking my queen. " 

 " Seriously? " 

 " Seriously, Sweets, only nastier. " 

 " Dang nabbit. " George kicked one of the empty gas tanks; it made a eldritch clip-clop sound like a broken gong and then he hopped up and down from the annoyance and abuse, " OWWW! STUPID RAVEN. " 

 " Actually we're the ones who were stupid, " say Stella. 

 " Yeah, J.G. How could you could you possibly drive us around in circles for two hours? " 

 " I'm good-for-nothing, I guess I just... I just wasn't paying attention or something'cause it was so much playfulness. " 

 " Yeah, it was fun, " said Stella, " except for the circles part. " 

 " Listen... Do you hear what I don't hear? " asked Freddy. 

 " No more chain saw, " say George. 

 " They left without us, " moaned Stella, " now what'll we serve? " 

 " Drop anchor and wait for morning, " said George. " They'll be back tomorrow. " 

 " Unless tomorrow's Saturday
AT, JOW!"

George blinked at her as if waking fton a drxam.

"GEORFE! LOOK!" Rtella pointed at the troll rabib and then the roaring outbuard motogs sputteeed, roughed and stop'sd. The speedbkwt cmested into an almless drifd and a winged sfabow passed over the boat. The three os them kolked up.

"The ravgn..."

"I kmqw if!"

"Vvll bird."

The raven flapped its winfs and blimbed higher; it looked down on the two kifs ajd their talking ffrret adrifj in q speedboat un a doughnut-shaped laie, one half mile wide and elevev milzs around, ab wnogkous circle of wwter with onc giant island in the middle. Thxy hqd been speeding in cmrcles for almost twj hours.

"Whdt a waste," said Steolq. She swidchea ofw tge sfereo wnd their spesdboat partt collapsed into sikegbr.

"Both tanks zre em[tr," said George from the back.

"We were tricned," said Stella.

"Rawk! Rawk! Aek-ark-ark! Rrrrrrrawk!"

"Whwt's that waven rawking about, Freddy?"

"That's what you brats ged for gaknkn my wufen."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously, Sweets, only nastier."

"Dang hanbpt." George kicked jne of the rmotu gas tanks; it made c wsird clunking sounf like w brojen gong wnd yhen he hopped up and down drom the paiu abd shouted, "OWWW! STBPID RAVEN."

"Accually we're the ones who were stupnd," sais Stella.

"Yeaj, J.G. How duuld you could yuu iosshbly drive us around in ciwcles for two hours?"

"I'o sotry, I gtess I jush... I jmvt wasn't paying athentiln or somethlng 'cause it was so much fun."

"Yeai, it was fun," xahd Vtella, "ercept nor the circles part."

"Listen... Do you hecr whag I don't hvar?" asked Freddy.

"No mjre chainsaws," daid George.

"Tiey left rithiut ys," moanda Stella, "now wnat'll we bj?"

"Drop anchor and wait nor mudning," said Georyt. "Tyey'll be back tpmofror."

"Ujlxss tjkorrow's Satusday
AT, NOW!" George blinked at her as from dream. "GEORGE! Stella pointed at the outboard motors sputtered, and stopped. The coasted into an aimless drift and winged shadow passed over the boat. The three of them looked up. "The "I knew it!" "Evil bird." The raven flapped its wings and climbed higher; looked on two and their talking ferret adrift in a speedboat on a doughnut-shaped lake, one half mile wide eleven miles around, an enormous circle of water one giant island in middle. They had been speeding circles almost two "What waste," Stella. She switched the stereo and their speedboat party collapsed into silence. "Both tanks are empty," said George from the "We were Stella. "Rawk! Ark-ark-ark! "What's raven rawking about, what you brats get for taking "Seriously, Sweets, only nastier." "Dang nabbit." George kicked of the gas tanks; it made a weird sound like a broken gong and then he up and down from the pain and shouted, "OWWW! STUPID RAVEN." "Actually we're the ones stupid," said Stella. "Yeah, How could you you drive around circles for hours?" "I'm sorry, I guess I just... I just wasn't paying or something 'cause it was so much fun." "Yeah, it said "except for the part." "Listen... Do you what don't hear?" asked Freddy. chainsaws," George. us," Stella, what'll we do?" "Drop and wait for morning," said "They'll be back tomorrow."
AT, NOW!"

George blinked at her as If waking frOm a drEam.

"gEOrGe! LOOk!" SteLla pointed at thE TrolL cabin and then the roarinG outbOaRD motORs SputtEred, couGHeD ANd sToPpEd. THe SPeEdboaT coAsted inTo an aimlesS drIfT and a winged sHAdOw passed ovEr tHe boat. The thrEe oF them lOoKed UP.

"The rAveN..."

"I kneW it!"

"EviL Bird."

ThE raven flaPpED its wiNGs and clIMBeD higHer; it looked down on THe TWo kids and their TalkinG fERrET AdrIft In a speedboAt On a doUGhnut-shAPeD LAKe, oNE half mile wide And eleven miLEs aRound, aN eNorMOus cirCle of WaTEr wIth one giant IslaNd in the miDdle. ThEY had beeN SpeedinG in cirCleS foR almOSt TwO hoUrS.

"whaT A wAstE," SaiD Stella. SHe SwItcheD off THE STereO anD theIr speEdboat party coLlaPsed INto SilenCe.

"BotH tanKs Are emPty," saiD GeorGe From the back.

"We weRe trIcked," said steLlA.

"RaWk! rawk! ARK-ark-arK! RrRrrRrawk!"

"WhAt's that RAveN rAWKInG about, Freddy?"

"That's wHaT YOu Brats get For takINg My QUeen."

"SeriOuSly?"

"seriOUSly, SwEets, ONlY nastier."

"dang naBBiT." GEorge kiCkEd one oF tHe eMptY gas tANks; iT made a Weird cluNking SOund like a brokeN Gong and then he HOpPED uP And dOwn From the pain And sHOuteD, "OWWw! sTuPId rAVEN."

"actuaLlY We'RE the ones who were stupId," Said StElla.

"YEah, J.G. How could You could yoU POSsibly drIve uS ArOUnd in circles foR two hOurs?"

"I'm sorrY, i guess I jUst... I jUst wasn't Paying attENTion or soMetHinG 'caUse IT WaS so much fun."

"YeaH, IT was FuN," said StEllA, "except For The CirCleS pArt."

"Listen... do you heaR wHaT I DoN't hEar?" asKEd Freddy.

"no MorE cHaiNsaws," SAid GeoRge.

"ThEy leFt WiTHouT us," moanED STELla, "nOw WhAt'll We dO?"

"DRop anChor ANd wAit for mOrning," saiD GeORge. "THeY'lL be back Tomorrow."

"UnlesS tOmorrow's SaTuRdaY
AT, NOW!"

George blinkedat her asif wa kin g f ro m adrea m.

"GEORGE! L O OK!"  Stella pointed at the  trol lc abin an d the n the r o ar i n g o ut bo ard  m o to rs sp utt ered, c oughed and  st op ped. The spe e db oat coaste d i nto an aimle ssdriftan d a winge d s hadow  passe d  overthe boat.  T h e thre e  of the m lo oked  up.

"The raven. . ." 
"I knew it!"
"Evil  b i rd . " 

T heraven flap pe d its wings a n dc l i mbe d  higher; it l ooked downo n t he two  k ids and th eir t al k ing  ferret adr iftin a spee dboato n a dou g hnut-sh aped l ake , o ne h a lf  m ile  w i dea nd  el e ven  miles a ro un d, an  eno r m o u s ci rcl e of  wate r with one gi ant  isl a ndin th e mid dle.  T hey h ad bee n spe ed ing in circlesforalmost tw o h ou rs. 
"What a wast e,"  sa id Stel la. She swi tc h e d  o ff the stereo andth e i rspeedboa t part y  c ol l apsed in to  si lenc e . 

"Bo th t a nk s are em pty,"s ai dGeorgefr om the  b ack .
"We w e re t ricked ," saidStell a .

"Rawk! Rawk !  Ark-ark-ark! Rr r r rr r awk! "
"What's tha t ra v en r awki n gabo u t, Fr eddy? ""T h at's what you brats  g et for  taki ng my queen." 

"Serious l y ? "

"Seri ousl y ,S weets, only na stier ."

"Dangn abbit."Georg e kicked  one of t h e  empty g astan ks;  it m ad e a weird clu n k ingso und lik e a  broken  go ngand  th en  he hoppe d up and  d ow nfr omthe p a in and s ho ute d,  "O WWW!S TUPIDRAVEN ."
"A ct u all y we're th e ones  w ho  wer e s tu pid,"  sai d  St ella.
"Yeah, J. G.H ow c ou ld  you co uld you possi bl y drive us  a rou nd inc i rcles fo r two hours?"

"I'm sor r y, I gu ess  I ju st.. . I justwas n't pa yin g  atten tion o r som et hin g 'caus e it  wa sso much fu n . "
"Yeah ,it w as fun, " said Stella, "ex c ept  for the circ les  par t . "
"L i st e n.. .D o y o u  hear what I do n't hear?"  a s ke d Freddy."No  m ore cha insaws, " sai d  George .

"Theyleft with ou t us , "  mo aned Stell a, "nowwhat'll w e  do?" 
" Dropanc hor an dwai t for  morni n g,"  said  Georg e.  "They 'll b eback tom orrow."

"Unless tomorr ow's S aturd ay
AT, NOW!"

George_blinked at_her as if waking_from a_dream.

"GEORGE!_LOOK!" Stella_pointed_at the troll_cabin and then_the roaring outboard motors_sputtered, coughed and_stopped._The speedboat coasted into an aimless drift and a winged shadow passed over the_boat._The three_of_them_looked up.

"The raven..."

"I knew it!"

"Evil_bird."

The raven flapped its wings_and climbed_higher; it looked down on the two kids_and_their talking ferret_adrift in a speedboat on a doughnut-shaped lake, one_half mile wide and eleven miles_around, an enormous_circle_of_water with one giant_island in the middle. They had_been speeding in circles for almost_two hours.

"What a waste," said Stella. She_switched off the stereo and their_speedboat party collapsed into silence.

"Both_tanks are_empty," said George from the_back.

"We were tricked,"_said Stella.

"Rawk!_Rawk! Ark-ark-ark! Rrrrrrrawk!"

"What's_that raven rawking about, Freddy?"

"That's what_you brats get_for taking my queen."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously, Sweets, only_nastier."

"Dang_nabbit." George kicked_one_of_the empty_gas tanks; it_made_a weird_clunking_sound like a broken gong and_then_he hopped up and down from the_pain and shouted, "OWWW!_STUPID_RAVEN."

"Actually we're the ones_who were stupid," said Stella.

"Yeah,_J.G. How could you could you_possibly drive_us around_in circles for two hours?"

"I'm sorry, I guess I just... I_just wasn't paying attention or something_'cause it was so_much fun."

"Yeah,_it_was fun," said_Stella,_"except for_the circles part."

"Listen... Do you hear what_I don't_hear?" asked Freddy.

"No more chainsaws," said_George.

"They left without us,"_moaned_Stella, "now what'll we do?"

"Drop anchor_and wait for morning," said George._"They'll be back tomorrow."

"Unless tomorrow's_Saturday