His mouth stretched open to scream, but he found branches encircling his chest, constricting his breath, allowing not a peep to come from him. When the boy's thighs passed through the opening, the tree spoke again. 20/

"Did it never occur to you," the tree said, in a tone which, if the boy had been of a mind to pay attention to such things, would have seemed slightly impatient and exasperated, "that I have just been fattening you up?" 21/