quarrelling about now?"

Neither Jasper Jay nor Mr. Crow was noted for his gentlemanly manners.
They both tried to explain at the same time. And it made the Hermit
wince to listen to their loud, harsh voices. He was himself a quiet
bird; his voice was very sweet.

"There's only one way to settle your dispute," the Hermit said when the
two cousins had succeeded in making their trouble clear. "You must
arrange a race between this Bobolink person and Benjamin Bat."

"Impossible! You don't know what you're talking about!" Jasper Jay and
Mr. Crow both cried at the same time.

The Hermit shuddered. He was not accustomed to such language. It hurt
his gentle nature to be spoken to like that. But he managed to stay
there while the cousins told him that such a race as he had suggested
couldn't be arranged, because Benjamin Bat was always asleep in the
daytime, and Bobby Bobolink took his rest at night. The two could
never meet.

"Perhaps," said the Hermit, "I could persuade Benjamin Bat to change his
habits for once. Maybe he would be willing to stay awake some day, just
to oblige me."

"Bobby Bobolink is an obliging fellow," Jasper Jay remarked. "Why don't
you ask him to stay awake some night?"

But the Hermit said that that wouldn't suit him at all. "The Bobolink
person would be sure to sing his most boisterous song," he said, "and it
would wake me up and spoil my night's sleep. Let me speak to Benjamin
Bat!" he urged the two cousins.

And in the end they let him have his way.

XXIII

SLEEPY BENJAMIN BAT

LEAVING the two noisy cousins (Jasper Jay and old Mr. Crow) Mr. Hermit
Thrush hurried back across Cedar Swamp and went straight to an old
hemlock tree, where he knew he would find Benjamin Bat asleep.

Hanging by his heels head downward from a limb, Benjamin Bat did not
hear the Hermit speak to him until that soft-spoken gentleman had called
to him several times.

But at last Benjamin Bat opened his eyes and stared around in a
bewildered fashion. It was broad daylight. And he couldn't see
what had disturbed him. He seemed somewhat alarmed too, until
the Hermit said, "Don't be frightened! It's only I!"

Well, Benjamin Bat knew right away that nobody but the Hermit would
speak in just that way. And he was much relieved to know that it wasn't
Solomon Owl that had awakened him.

"I'm glad you roused me," he said, "though generally I hate to have my
sleep broken. But just now I was having a nightmare.