diff --git a/prelude.ld b/prelude.ld
index 584f960..4df1a83 100644
--- a/prelude.ld
+++ b/prelude.ld
@@ -339,6 +339,29 @@ fn join {
 	)
 }
 
+fn split {
+	"Takes a string, and turns it into a list of strings, breaking on the separator."
+	(str as :string, break as :string) -> base :split (break, str)
+}
+
+fn trim {
+	"Trims whitespace from a string. Takes an optional argument, `:left` or `:right`, to trim only on the left or right."
+	(str as :string) -> base :trim (str)
+	(str as :string, :left) -> base :triml (str)
+	(str as :string, :right) -> base :trimr (str)
+}
+
+fn upcase {
+	"Takes a string and returns it in all uppercase. Works only for ascii characters."
+	(str as :string) -> base :upcase (str)
+}
+
+fn downcase {
+	"Takes a string and returns it in all lowercase. Works only for ascii characters."
+	(str as :string) -> base :downcase (str)
+}
+
+
 & in another prelude, with a better actual base language than Java (thanks, Rich), counting strings would be reasonable but complex: count/bytes, count/points, count/glyphs. Java's UTF16 strings make this unweildy.
 
 & TODO: add trim, trim/left, trim/right; pad/left, pad/right
@@ -618,6 +641,8 @@ fn slice {
 			base :into ([], slice)
 		}
 	}
+	(str as :string, end as :number) -> base :str_slice (str, 0, end)
+	(str as :string, start as :number, end as :number) -> base :str_slice (str, start, end)
 }
 
 &&& keywords: funny names
@@ -1326,6 +1351,7 @@ pkg Prelude {
 	div/0
 	div/safe
 	doc!
+	downcase
 	each!
 	empty?
 	eq?
@@ -1413,6 +1439,7 @@ pkg Prelude {
 	slice
 	some
 	some?
+	split
 	square
 	store!
 	string
@@ -1421,6 +1448,7 @@ pkg Prelude {
 	sum_of_squares
 	tan
 	tau
+	trim
 	tuple?
 	turn/deg
 	turn/rad
@@ -1431,6 +1459,7 @@ pkg Prelude {
 	unbox
 	unwrap!
 	unwrap_or
+	upcase
 	update
 	update!
 	values
diff --git a/src/base.janet b/src/base.janet
index c48b195..f5a8352 100644
--- a/src/base.janet
+++ b/src/base.janet
@@ -281,6 +281,13 @@
   "range" range
   "unbox" unbox
   "store!" store!
+  "split" string/split
+  "upcase" string/ascii-upper
+  "downcase" string/ascii-lower
+  "trim" string/trim
+  "trimr" string/trimr
+  "triml" string/triml
+  "str_slice" string/slice
 })
 
 (def base (let [b @{}]
diff --git a/src/ludus.janet b/src/ludus.janet
index 428fd41..561dd5f 100644
--- a/src/ludus.janet
+++ b/src/ludus.janet
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
   # (set (out :errors) (validated :errors))
   (each err (validated :errors)
    (e/validation-error err))
-  (break out))
+  (break (-> out j/encode string)))
  (setdyn :out console)
  (try
   (set result (i/interpret (parsed :ast) ctx))
@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@
 
 # (comment
 (do
-(-> (ludus `
-doc! (mod)
-`)))
+(def source `let foo = foo bar baz`)
+(def out (-> source 
+ ludus 
+ j/decode))
+(def console (out "console"))
+(print console)
+(def result (out "result"))
+(print result)
+)
+
diff --git a/src/scanner.janet b/src/scanner.janet
index da7323b..b7371cd 100644
--- a/src/scanner.janet
+++ b/src/scanner.janet
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@
         "{" (recur (advance scanner) (buffer/push buff char) true)
         # allow multiline strings
         "\n" (recur (update (advance scanner) :line inc) (buffer/push buff char) interpolate?)
-        "\"" (add-token (advance scanner) (if interpolate? :interpolated :string)(string buff))
+        "\"" (add-token (advance scanner) (if interpolate? :interpolated :string) (string buff))
         "\\" (let [next (next-char scanner)]
                 (if (= next "{") 
                   (do