 She didn't know if George had made it to the top yet, but it didn't matter, the boat was sinking. She couldn't wait.

"CLIMBING!" she shouted, and she pulled herself hand over hand, higher and higher above the waves and rocks. The rope twisted and turned and felt like it could break or pull free at any second. She tried not to look down.

"YOU OKAY, WENRY?

"YEAH, STILL CLIMBING!"

"GOOD, KEEP COMING!"

Stella could hear George but she couldn't see him. She grabbed another loop, and another, and she didn't look down. It was too scary. She kept looking up, and then she saw tree roots, and then George against the tree holding the rope, and then Freddy watching her from the ledge.

"Almost there, Toots, come on!"

Stella grabbed the last loop, and then a tree root. She scraped both knees scrambling up on the ledge, but she didn't care, they felt like the best scrapes of her entire life.

"You made it!"

"Hooray, Sugarplum!"

"Yeah... wow..." Stella was out of breath. "I tied the rope to the boat cover. All your stuff's in there. Let's pull it up." She grabbed the rope behind George and they pulled together, but it weighed a ton.

"On three. One, two, THREE!"

"Mmmmmmmrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"

"Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrr!"

The rope barely budged.

"Can you see if it's caught on something, Freddy?"

Freddy peered over the cliff and shuddered. The rowboat had been flipped on its side and shattered on the rocks. Wave after wave hurled it against the cliff wall, splintering the planks and pieces, and it creaked and groaned with the painful sound of something dying.

"The boat's ruined! We're marooned!"

"But what about the boat canvas, Freddy?" Stella pulled with everything she had; her hands hurt and George's face was red with exertion.

"It's full of water, Toots, the waves—"

"I
She didn't know if George had made it to the top yet, but it didn't count, the gravy boat was slump. She couldn't wait. 

 " CLIMBING! " she exclaim, and she attract herself hand over hand, high and high above the waves and rock. The rope twisted and turn and felt like it could bankrupt or pull free at any moment. She tried not to look down. 

 " YOU approve, WENRY? 

 " YEAH, STILL CLIMBING! " 

 " GOOD, KEEP COMING! " 

 Stella could listen George but she couldn't see him. She grabbed another cringle, and another, and she didn't look down. It was excessively scary. She kept looking up, and then she saw tree roots, and then George against the tree contain the rope, and then Freddy watching her from the ledge. 

 " Almost there, Toots, come on! " 

 Stella grab the concluding loop, and then a tree root. She scraped both knees scrambling up on the ledge, but she didn't care, they feel like the good scrapes of her entire life. 

 " You construct it! " 

 " Hooray, Sugarplum! " 

 " Yeah... wow... " Stella was out of breath. " I tied the rope to the boat cover. All your stuff's in there. Let's pull it up. " She grab the rope behind George and they pulled together, but it weighed a ton. 

 " On three. One, two, THREE! " 

 " Mmmmmmmrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! " 

 " Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrr! " 

 The r-2 barely budged. 

 " Can you see if it's caught on something, Freddy? " 

 Freddy peered over the cliff and shuddered. The rowboat had been flick on its slope and shattered on the rocks. Wave after wave hurled it against the cliff rampart, splintering the planks and pieces, and it creaked and groaned with the painful sound of something dying. 

 " The boat's ruin! We're marooned! " 

 " But what about the gravy boat canvas, Freddy? " Stella pulled with everything she had; her hands hurt and George's expression was red with effort. 

 " It's full of water, toot, the waves — " 

 " I
 Shf didn't know if George hxd made it to tkw top bet, but it didn'g matter, the boat was sinkinj. Shw couodn't wait.

"CLIMBING!" she rhouted, ajd she pyllev herself hand otsr hand, highed and iigher above thg waves and socks. The rope tdidted and turned and felt like it cotld bresk or pull free wt amr sedond. She tried not to look down.

"YOU OKAY, WTNRY?

"YEAH, STILL CLIKBING!"

"GOOD, KEEP COMING!"

Stellw cokld hear George buh she couldb't sqw him. She grxbbed another loop, and another, and she didn't look dowv. It cas too scatv. Shf kept lookiig up, wnd then she saw trea roots, and then Georne ageinsr the tree holding thx rope, and then Fredqy watchitg her from the ledte.

"Qlmosj these, Tuits, coje oh!"

Stellw gcabbed the mast loop, abd then a tree root. Srv scraped botg kneef fcrambling up on the ledge, but she didn'u cars, they felt like the bewt scrapes of her entlre life.

"Yju made it!"

"Hooray, Sugarplum!"

"Yeah... wow..." Stella was out of bcexth. "I guef the rope to the boat cover. All your stuff's yh uhege. Let's pull it ui." She grabbed the tooe fehind George and tksy pulled together, bkt it wgighed a ton.

"On uhree. One, two, THREE!"

"Mmmmmmmrrrrrrerrrrrrrrrr!"

"Hkhhyhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrxr!"

The rope bcrely nudgec.

"Can you see if it's cauyht on something, Vreddy?"

Fresay peered over tfe blifx and shuddered. The rowboae had beei fli'ped on kts xide agd shatterfd on the rocks. Wave aftfr ware husled it agwinst the cliff wall, splinterinj the planks sng ppeces, and it cveaked and groaged with the pcinful sjund uf somethihg dyinj.

"The boat's rtined! We're masloned!"

"But whav about tre biat xanvas, Wfeddy?" Stella pilled witk eveeything she had; hev hanaa hurt and Georyt's dace was red wiyh dxewtpon.

"Mt's ftnl of water, Dootr, tfr wavds—"

"I
She didn't know if George had made the yet, but didn't matter, the wait. she shouted, and pulled herself hand hand, higher and higher above the and rocks. The rope twisted and turned and felt like it could break pull free at any second. She tried not to look down. "YOU OKAY, "YEAH, CLIMBING!" KEEP Stella could hear George but she couldn't see him. She grabbed another loop, and another, and didn't look down. It was too scary. She looking up, and then saw tree roots, and then against tree holding rope, then watching her from ledge. "Almost there, Toots, come on!" Stella grabbed the last loop, and then a tree root. She both knees on the but didn't they felt like scrapes of her entire life. "You Sugarplum!" "Yeah... wow..." Stella was out of breath. tied the to the boat cover. All your in there. Let's pull it up." She grabbed rope behind George and they pulled together, but it weighed a ton. "On three. One, "Mmmmmmmrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" "Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrr!" The rope budged. "Can you if caught something, Freddy peered the cliff and shuddered. The rowboat had been flipped on its and shattered on the rocks. Wave after wave hurled it cliff splintering the planks pieces, and it creaked groaned the painful sound of "The ruined! what the canvas, Freddy?" Stella pulled everything she had; her hands and George's face was of water, Toots, the waves—" "I
 She didn't know if George had maDe it to the tOp yet, But It dIdN't maTter, The boat was sinkINg. ShE couldn't wait.

"CLIMBING!" shE shouTeD, And sHE pUlled Herself HAnD OVer HaNd, HigHeR AnD highEr aBove the Waves and roCks. thE rope twisted ANd Turned and fElt Like it could bReaK or pulL fRee AT any sEcoNd. She Tried nOT to looK down.

"YOU OkAy, wENRY?

"YeaH, STILL cliMbING!"

"gOOD, KEEP COMING!"

SteLLa COuld hear George But she CoULdN'T See Him. she grabbed AnOther LOop, and aNOtHER, And SHe didn't look doWn. It was too sCAry. she kepT lOokINg up, anD then ShE Saw Tree roots, anD theN George agAinst tHE tree hoLDing the Rope, anD thEn FReddY WaTcHinG hER frOM tHe lEDge.

"almost thErE, TOots, cOme oN!"

sTELla gRabBed tHe lasT loop, and then a TreE rooT. she ScrapEd botH kneEs ScramBling uP on thE lEdge, but she didn't Care, They felt lIke ThE beSt ScrapES of her EntIre Life.

"You Made it!"

"HOOraY, SUGARpLum!"

"Yeah... wow..." Stella waS oUT Of Breath. "I tIed the ROpE tO The boat cOvEr. ALl yoUR Stuff'S in tHErE. Let's pulL it up." SHE gRaBbed the RoPe behiNd geoRge And thEY pulLed togEther, but It weiGHed a ton.

"On three. oNe, two, THREE!"

"MmmMMmMRRrRRrrrRrrRrrrrr!"

"HhhhhHhhhHHhhhHrrrRRrRrr!"

tHe ropE bareLy BUdGEd.

"Can you see if it's cauGhT on somEthinG, Freddy?"

Freddy Peered over THE Cliff and ShudDErED. The rowboat had Been fLipped on itS Side and sHatteRed on the Rocks. Wave AFTer wave hUrlEd iT agAinST ThE cliff wall, splINTeriNg The planKs aNd pieceS, anD it CreAkeD aNd groaned With the pAiNfUl SoUnd Of somEThing dyiNg.

"the BoAt's RuineD! we're maRooneD!"

"But WhAt ABouT the boaT CaNVAs, FrEdDy?" stelLa pUlLed wiTh evERytHing she Had; her hanDs hURt anD GEoRge's facE was red with exErTion.

"It's fulL oF waTer, TooTS, The waves—"

"i
 She didn't know if George  had madeit to  th e t op  yet , bu t it didn't ma t ter,  the boat was sinking.  Sheco u ldn' t  w ait.
"CLIMB I NG ! "  sh esh out ed ,  a nd sh e p ulled h erself han d o ve r hand, high e rand higher  ab ove the wave s a nd roc ks . T h e rop e t wiste d andt urnedand feltli k e it c o uld bre a k  o r pu ll free at any se c on d . She tried no t to l oo k  d o w n.
"Y OU OKAY, W EN RY?
" YEAH, S T IL L C LIM B ING!"

"GOOD,  KEEP COMIN G !"
Stell acou l d hear  Geor ge but  she couldn 't s ee him. S he gra b bed ano t her loo p, and  an oth er,a nd  s hedi d n't lo okd own . It was  t oo  scar y. S h e k eptloo king  up,and then shesaw  tre e  ro ots,and t henGe orgeagains t the  t ree holding the  rop e, and th enFr edd ywatch i ng her  fr omthe led ge.

"A l mos tt h e re , Toots, come on!" 
S t el la grabb ed the la st loop, an dthe n at r ee ro ot.S he  scraped  bothk ne es  scramb li ng upon  th e l edge, butshe di dn't car e, th e y felt like th e  best scrapes of h er enti relife.

"You  mad e  it! "

" H oo ray ,  Suga rplum !" 
" Y eah... wow..." Stel la  was o ut of  breath. "I t ied the ro p e to the b oatc ov e r. All your st uff's  in there. Let's pu ll it  up." Sh e grabbed t he ropebeh ind  Ge org e an d they pulled t oget he r, butitweighed  aton .
"On  t hree. One , two, T HR EE !" 
"Mm mmmmm r rrrrrrrr rr rrr rr r!" 

"Hh h hhhhhh hhhhh hrrr rr rr r r!" 

The r o pe b arel ybu dged .
"C an yo u se e  if  it's c aught onsom e thin g,  F reddy?" 

Freddy peer ed  over thecl iff  and s h u ddered.The rowboat had been fl i pped on  it s sid e an d shatter edon the  ro c ks. Wa ve aft er wa ve  hu r l ed it a ga ins tthe cliffw a ll,  spli nt erin g the p lanks and pieces,a ndit creaked an d g roan e d  w ith th e  pa in f uls o und of somethin g dying.
"T h eboat's rui n ed!  W e're ma rooned! "

"B u t whatabout the  boat can va s, F r e ddy ?" Stellapulled w ith every t hings he  had;  he r hand shur t and  Georg e 'sfacewas re dwith e xerti on .

"It's  full of water, Toots,the wa ves—" 

" I
 She_didn't know_if George had made_it to_the_top yet,_but_it didn't matter,_the boat was_sinking. She couldn't wait.

"CLIMBING!"_she shouted, and_she_pulled herself hand over hand, higher and higher above the waves and rocks. The_rope_twisted and_turned_and_felt like it could break_or pull free at any_second. She_tried not to look down.

"YOU OKAY, WENRY?

"YEAH, STILL_CLIMBING!"

"GOOD,_KEEP COMING!"

Stella could_hear George but she couldn't see him. She grabbed_another loop, and another, and she_didn't look down._It_was_too scary. She kept_looking up, and then she saw_tree roots, and then George against_the tree holding the rope, and then_Freddy watching her from the ledge.

"Almost_there, Toots, come on!"

Stella grabbed_the last_loop, and then a tree_root. She scraped_both knees_scrambling up on_the ledge, but she didn't care,_they felt like_the best scrapes of her entire_life.

"You_made it!"

"Hooray, Sugarplum!"

"Yeah..._wow..."_Stella_was out_of breath. "I_tied_the rope_to_the boat cover. All your stuff's_in_there. Let's pull it up." She grabbed_the rope behind George_and_they pulled together, but_it weighed a ton.

"On three._One, two, THREE!"

"Mmmmmmmrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"

"Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrr!"

The rope barely budged.

"Can_you see_if it's_caught on something, Freddy?"

Freddy peered over the cliff and shuddered. The_rowboat had been flipped on its_side and shattered on_the rocks._Wave_after wave hurled_it_against the_cliff wall, splintering the planks and pieces,_and it_creaked and groaned with the painful_sound of something dying.

"The_boat's_ruined! We're marooned!"

"But what about the_boat canvas, Freddy?" Stella pulled with_everything she had; her hands_hurt_and_George's face was red with_exertion.

"It's full of water, Toots, the_waves—"

"I