Marlon bit his apple. “Ohhhh…this is rotten. This apple has let me down.” He had a terribly sad look on his face. “Boys, get me another apple.”

“We’re out, boss,” a raccoon responded from below.

Marlon moaned and his tiny hand slapped his forehead. “Okay, fellas. What’s in it for me if I can get your collar back?”

They were open to suggestions. “Anybody know any magic tricks?” Clementine asked.

“I can make your brain disappear.” Roscoe said. “Oops! Pigs don’t have–”

“Boys, boys! If you got nothing to trade, then flee out of my trees like bees, capiche?”

The grass behind them rustled and Benjamin walked out.

Paco acted fast. “Everybody, stay calm! This human is with us. He’s our friend.”

The raccoons below scattered but Marlon didn’t move. “Human?” he asked. “Bring him here. I wanna get a good look at his eyes.”

“He can’t understand,” Paco said. “We need the collar so he can talk to us.”

“No kiddin’? Too bad you came emptyhanded. Bye, boys! I got sleeping–” Sniff, sniff. Marlon’s nose and whiskers twitched. “Is that peanut butter?” Sniff. “And jelly?”

“King Benjamin’s backpack!” Roscoe exclaimed. The friends baahed, oinked, and barked at the clueless boy. Paco scratched at his leg. Benjamin stooped to pat his head.

“What’s the matter, Paco?” A tug at his back almost pulled him over. “Roscoe! What’re you doing?!” The goat had a hold of the backpack in his teeth. “You’re hungry?” The three frantically tried to get him to open his bag. “Alright, I’ll give you some food.”

Benjamin sat on the ground and opened the pack.

“What’s going on down there?” Marlon asked.

“Just give us a minute,” Paco yelled up the tree trunk.

“Hold on, Roscoe!” The goat tried to burrow his head in the bag as Benjamin grabbed a granola bar. “Clementine, I know this is what–” Snatch! The pig grabbed it in his mouth. Benjamin set some of his own food on the ground.

Marlon’s eyes lit up. “That’s it! Oooooohhhhh!” His eyes rolled back in his head. “Fellas, I’m gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse. Give me that peanut butter and jelly and we’ll call it a deal!”

“I’m afraid we’ll need that collar first,” Paco said. “Then you get the sandwich.”

“That’s not how my boys and I do business!”

“It’s for your own protection. The human is a notorious raccoon trapper and his dad needs a new fur coat this winter.”

“I see…” Marlon’s eyes widened. “Isaac! Malcolm!” he called into the grass.

Two heads popped out. “Yes, boss?”

“I need you to go pay a visit to Don Diego’s boys and get back a shiny collar they took from these nice gentlemen.”

“Yes, boss.” They dropped the sticks in their hands.