Faun and Games Read Free Page A

everybody, because a love spring flowed in her cave.   Her
    powers were limited, but she would do any favor she could manage for the
    local folk.   Maybe she would be able to help the trees.
     
    Unfortunately, there was a complication about dealing with her, which
    was why he normally stayed clear.   But at the moment he didn't seem to
    have much choice.   He would just have to hope that it would work out all
    right.
     
    He fetched his knapsack, which he always used when going far from his
    tree, and ran through field and dale until he came to Passion's cave.
    Lovely purple flowers grew at its entrance, and the scent of the air was
    sweet.
     
    Oh, no!   He had in his haste forgotten something important.   It was
    usual to bring a little gift to Passion when visiting her.   It wasn't
    exactly to put her in a good mood, because she was always in a good
    mood.   It wasn't just protocol, either.   It was that a gift tended to
    make her feel that she should do something in return-and he really
    needed that return favor.
     
    What could he find for a gift?   Passion's main weakness was that she
    couldn't do anything physical.   She couldn't walk out of her cave and
    see the sights or pick the flowers.   So sometimes folk brought her
    stories of the things outside, to keep her informed.   But he suspected
    he would need more than that.
     
    Then he remembered something.   The chips!   Passion loved chips. What she
    did with them no one knew, but she truly valued them.   He knew where
    some nice chips grew.
     
    He ran to the glade where the chips were.   Sure enough, there was a nice
    new crop of them.   Chips of every kind grew in profusion. Which ones
    would please her most?   He pondered briefly, then went for a Potato
    Chip.   The moment he harvested it, he felt the urge to speak, and his
    words were really salty.   He also felt extremely thirsty. He quickly put
    it into his knapsack and sealed it shut.
     
    Across the glade was a brown region.   He went there and harvested a
    Chocolate Chip.   It smelled good enough to eat, but he didn't dare take
    time for that now.   If he ate one, he might get a hunger for more, and
    be unable to stop.   So he popped it quickly into his bag.
     
    One more should do it.   He looked around, and saw an old block in the
    center of the glade.   So he went and took a chip off that.   It was very
    stubborn and didn't want to turn loose, but when he touched it he got
    stubborn too, and finally did pry the chip off the old block.
     
    He nerved himself and entered the cave.   It was very nice inside. He
    knew that it was really a rather ordinary cave, but the overflow from
    the love spring ran through it, and some of the water evaporated and
    suffused the air.   That was part of the complication.   He would have
    tried to breathe through a cloth or something, but that would be
    impolite, and impoliteness was bad form when one came begging a favor.
    So he took it in stride, and his stride was good.   He reached the
    center, where reclined a device fashioned of passion wood.   fle stopped
    and took a breath.
     
    Before he spoke, a screen lighted.   Who is there,?   it inquired in neat
    cursive script.
     
    "Forrest Faun," he said.   "From the nearby sandalwood tree."
     
    WHY DEAR BOY HOW VERY NICE TO SEE YOU.   THE SCREEN SAID WITH A SWEET ROW
    OF HEARTS ACROSS THE BOTTOM.
     
    "Uh, likewise, I'm sure," he said.   This wasn't going well.   "Uh, I
    brought you a gift."
     
    The screen glowed brightly.   Why how ve thoughtful of you, dear boy! And
    the hearts grew larger.   V y If T T y Not well at all!   "Uh, here they
    are." He fumbled in his bag and pulled out the Chocolate Chip.   "A sweet
    for the sweet." He found another chip and fumbled it out.   "A salt for
    the salty." oops; that wasn't right. So he rushed on to the third: "And
    a chip off the old block for the stubborn." Worse yet!
     
    Why dear boy, I believe you are flustered the screen said,