The Tale of Solomon Owl

by Arthur Scott Bailey

  But they were all disappointed. However, they enjoyed the sight of Solomonhurling himself against tree-trunks. And the louder he groaned, the morepeople gathered around him.

  XICURED AT LAST

  "How do you feel now?" Aunt Polly Woodchuck asked Solomon Owl, when he hadcome back to her house after a week's absence.

  "No better!" he groaned. "I still have pains. But they seem to have movedand scattered all over me."

  "Good!" she exclaimed with a smile. "You _are_ much better, though youdidn't know it. The wishbone is broken. You broke it by flying against thetrees. And you ought not to have any more trouble. But let me examineyou!" she said, prodding him in the waistcoat once more.

  "This is odd!" she continued a bit later. "I can feel the wishbone moreplainly than ever."

  "That's my own wishbone!" Solomon cried indignantly. "I've grown so thinthrough not eating that it's a wonder you can't feel my backbone, too."

  Aunt Polly Woodchuck looked surprised.

  "Perhaps you're right!" said she. "Not having a wishbone of my own, Iforgot that you had one."

  A look of disgust came over Solomon Owl's face.

  "You're a very poor doctor," he told her. "Here you've kept me from eatingfor a whole week--and I don't believe it was necessary at all!"

  "Well, you're better, aren't you?" she asked him.

  "I shall be as soon as I have a good meal," replied Solomon Owl,hopefully.

  "You ought not to eat anything for another week," Aunt Polly told himsolemnly.

  "Nonsense!" he cried.

  "I'm a doctor; and I ought to know best," she insisted.

  But Solomon Owl hooted rudely.

  "I'll never come to you for advice any more," he declared. "I firmlybelieve that my whole trouble was simply that I've been eating toosparingly. And I shall take good care to see that it doesn't happenagain."

  No one had ever spoken to Aunt Polly in quite that fashion--though old Mr.Crow had complained one time that she had cured him _too quickly_. But shedid not lose her temper, in spite of Solomon's jeers.

  "You'll be back here again the very next time you're ill," she remarked."And if you continue to swallow your food whole----"

  But Solomon Owl did not even wait to hear what she said. He was soimpolite that he flew away while she was talking. And since it was thenalmost dark, and a good time to look for field mice, he began his night'shunting right there in Farmer Green's pasture.

  By morning Solomon was so plump that Aunt Polly Woodchuck would have had agood deal of trouble finding his wishbone. But since he did not visit heragain, she had no further chance to prod him in the waistcoat.

  Afterward, Solomon heard a bit of gossip that annoyed him. A friend of hisreported that Aunt Polly Woodchuck was going about and telling everybodyhow she had saved Solomon's life.

  "Mice!" he exclaimed (he often said that when some would have said"Rats!"). "There's not a word of truth in her claim. And if people in thisneighborhood keep on taking her advice and her catnip tea they're going tobe sorry some day. For they'll be really ill the first thing they know.And then what will they do?"

  XIIBENJAMIN BAT

  Solomon Owl was by no means the only night-prowler in Pleasant Valley. Hehad neighbors that chose to sleep in the daytime, so they might roamthrough the woods and fields after dark. One of these was Benjamin Bat.And furthermore, he was the color of night itself.

  Now, Benjamin Bat was an odd chap. When he was still he liked to hang byhis feet, upside down. And when he was flying he sailed about in a zigzag,helter-skelter fashion. He went in so many different directions, turningthis way and that, one could never tell where he was going. One might saythat his life was just one continual dodge--when he wasn't resting with hisheels where his head ought to be.

  A good many of Benjamin Bat's friends said he certainly must be crazy,because he didn't do as they did. But that never made the slightestdifference in Benjamin Bat's habits. He continued to zigzag throughlife--and hang by his heels--just the same. Perhaps he thought that allother people were crazy because they didn't do likewise.

  Benjamin often dodged across Solomon Owl's path, when Solomon was huntingfor field mice. And since Benjamin was the least bit like a mousehimself--except for his wings--there was a time, once, when Solomon tried tocatch him.

  But Solomon Owl soon found that chasing Benjamin Bat made him dizzy. IfBenjamin hadn't been used to hanging head downward, maybe he would havebeen dizzy, too.

  Though the two often saw each other, Benjamin Bat never seemed to care tostop for a chat with Solomon Owl. One night, however, Benjamin actuallycalled to Solomon and asked his advice. He was in trouble. And he knewthat Solomon Owl was supposed by some to be the wisest old fellow formiles around.

  It was almost morning. And Solomon Owl was hurrying home, because aterrible storm had arisen. The lightning was flashing, and peals ofthunder crashed through the woods. Big drops of rain were alreadypattering down. But Solomon Owl did not care, for he had almost reachedhis house in the hollow hemlock near the foot of Blue Mountain.

  It was different with Benjamin Bat. That night he had strayed a longdistance from his home in Cedar Swamp. And he didn't know what to do. "Iwant to get under cover, somewhere," he told Solomon Owl. "You don't knowof a good place near-by, do you, where I can get out of the storm and takea nap?"

  "Why, yes!" answered Solomon Owl. "Come right along to my house and spendthe day with me!"

  But Benjamin Bat did not like the suggestion at all.

  "I'm afraid I might crowd, you," he said. He was thinking of the time whenSolomon Owl had chased him. And sleeping in Solomon Owl's house seemed farfrom a safe thing to do.

  [_Illustration 2_]

  Benjamin Asked Solomon's Advice

  Solomon was wise enough to guess what was going on inside Benjamin's head.

  "Come along!" he said. "We'll both be asleep before we know it. I'm sorryI can't offer you something to eat. But I haven't a morsel of food in myhouse. No doubt, though, you've just had a good meal. _I_ ate seven miceto-night. And I certainly couldn't eat anything more."

  When Solomon Owl told him that, Benjamin Bat thought perhaps there was nodanger, after all. And since the rain was falling harder and harder everymoment, he thanked Solomon and said he would be glad to accent hisinvitation.

  "Follow me, then!" said Solomon Owl. And he led the way to his home in thehemlock.

  For once, Benjamin Bat flew in a fairly straight line, though he did alittle dodging, because he couldn't help it.

  There was more room inside Solomon's house than Benjamin Bat had supposed.While Benjamin was looking about and telling Solomon that he had a finehome, his host quickly made a bed of leaves in one corner of theroom--there was only one room, of course.

  "That's for you!" said Solomon Owl. "I always sleep on the other side ofthe house." And without waiting even to make sure that his guest wascomfortable, Solomon Owl lay down and began to snore--for he was verysleepy.

  It was so cozy there that Benjamin Bat was glad, already, that he hadaccepted Solomon's invitation.

  XIIITHE LUCKY GUEST

  In the middle of the day Solomon Owl happened to awake. He was sorry thathe hadn't slept until sunset, because he was very hungry. Knowing that itwas light outside his hollow tree, he didn't want to leave home to findsomething to eat.

  Then, suddenly, he remembered that he had brought Benjamin Bat to hishouse early that morning, so Benjamin might escape the storm.... Why noteat Benjamin Bat?

  As soon as the thought occurred to him, Solomon Owl liked it. And he movedstealthily over to the bed of leaves he had made for his guest just beforedaybreak.

  But Benjamin Bat was not there. Though Solomon looked in every nook andcranny of his one-room house, he did not find him.

  "He must have left as soon as it stopped raining," said Solomon Owl tohimself. "He might at least have waited to thank me for giving him a day'slodging. It's the last time I'll ever bring any wor
thless vagabond into myhouse. And I ought to have known better than to have anything to do with acrazy person like Benjamin Bat."

  Anybody can see that Solomon Owl was displeased. But it was not at allastonishing, if one stops to remember how hungry he was, and that he hadexpected to enjoy a good meal without the trouble of going away from hometo get it.

  Solomon Owl went to the door of his house and looked out. The sun wasshining so brightly that after blinking in his doorway for a few minuteshe decided that he would go to bed again and try to sleep until dusk. Henever liked bright days. "They're so dismal!" he used to say. "Give me agood, dark night and I'm happy, for there's nothing more cheering thangloom."

  In spite of the pangs of hunger that gnawed inside him, Solomon at lastsucceeded in falling asleep once more. And he dreamed that he chasedBenjamin Bat three times around Blue Mountain, and then three times backagain, in the opposite direction. But he never could catch him, becauseBenjamin Bat simply wouldn't fly straight. His zigzag course was soconfusing that even in his dream Solomon Owl grew dizzy.

  Now, Benjamin Bat was in Solomon's house all the time. And the reason whySolomon Owl hadn't found him was a very simple one. It was merely thatSolomon hadn't looked in the right place.

  Benjamin Bat was hidden--as you might say--where his hungry host never oncethought of looking for him. And being asleep all the while, Benjamindidn't once move or make the slightest noise.

  If he had snored, or sneezed, or rustled his wings, no doubt Solomon Owlwould have found him.

  When Benjamin awakened, late in the afternoon, Solomon was still sleeping.And Benjamin crept through the door and went out into the gatheringtwilight, without arousing Solomon.

  "I'll thank him the next time I meet him," Benjamin Bat decided. And hestaggered away through the air as if he did not quite know, himself, wherehe was going. But, of course, that was only his queer way of flying.

  When he told his friends where he had spent the day they were astonished.

  "How did you ever dare do anything so dangerous as sleeping in SolomonOwl's house?" they all asked him.

  But Benjamin Bat only said, "Oh! There was nothing to be afraid of." Andhe began to feel quite important.

  XIVHANGING BY THE HEELS

  It was several nights before Solomon Owl and Benjamin Bat chanced to meetagain in the forest.

  "Hullo!" said Solomon.

  "Hullo!" said Benjamin Bat. "I'm glad to see you, because I want to thankyou for letting me spend the day in your house, so I wouldn't have to stayout in the storm."

  "You must be a light sleeper," Solomon observed. (He did not tell Benjaminthat he was welcome!)

  "What makes you think that?" Benjamin Bat inquired.

  "Why--you left my house before noon," Solomon told him.

  "Oh, no!" said Benjamin. "I slept soundly until sunset. When I came awaythe crickets were chirping. And I was surprised that you hadn't waked upyourself."

  "You were gone before midday," Solomon Owl insisted. And they hadsomething very like a dispute, while Solomon Owl sat in one tree andBenjamin Bat hung head downward from another. "I ought to know," saidSolomon. "I was awake about noon; and I looked everywhere for you."

  "What for?" asked Benjamin.

  Naturally, Solomon didn't like to tell him that he had intended to eathim. So he looked wise--and said nothing.

  "You didn't look on the ceiling, did you?" Benjamin Bat inquired.

  "No, indeed!" Solomon Owl exclaimed.

  "Well, that's where I was, hanging by my feet," Benjamin Bat informed him.

  Solomon Owl certainly was surprised to hear that.

  "The idea!" he cried. "You're a queer one! I never once thought of looking_on the ceiling_ for a _luncheon_!" He was so astonished that he spokebefore he thought how oddly his remark would sound to another.

  When he heard what Solomon Owl said, Benjamin Bat knew at once thatSolomon had meant to eat him. And he was so frightened that he droppedfrom the limb to which he was clinging and flew off as fast as he couldgo. For once in his life he flew in a straight line, with no zigzags atall, he was in such a hurry to get away from Solomon Owl, who--for all heknew--might still be very hungry.

  But Solomon Owl had caught so many mice that night that he didn't feellike chasing anybody. So he sat motionless in the tree, merely turning hishead to watch Benjamin sailing away through the dusky woods. He noticedthat Benjamin didn't dodge at all--except when there was a tree in his way.And he wondered what the reason was.

  "Perhaps he's not so crazy as I supposed," said Solomon Owl to himself.And ever afterward, when he happened to awake and feel hungry, Solomon Owlused to look up at the ceiling above him and wish that Benjamin Bat wasthere.

  But Benjamin Bat never cared to have anything more to do with Solomon Owl.

  He said he had a good reason for avoiding him.

  And ever afterward he passed for a very brave person among his friends.They often pointed him out to strangers, saying, "There's Benjamin Bat!_He_ doesn't know what fear is. Why, once he even spent a whole day asleepin Solomon Owl's house! And if you don't think _that_ was a bold thing todo, then I guess you don't know Solomon Owl."

  XVDISPUTES SETTLED

  Solomon Owl looked so wise that many of his neighbors fell into the habitof going to him for advice. If two of the forest folk chanced to have adispute which they could not settle between them they frequently visitedSolomon and asked him to decide which was in the right. And in the courseof time Solomon became known far and wide for his ability to patch up aquarrel.

  At last Jimmy Rabbit stopped Solomon Owl one night and suggested that hehang a sign outside his house, so that there shouldn't be anybody in thewhole valley that wouldn't know what to do in case he found himself in anargument.

  Solomon decided on the spot that Jimmy Rabbit's idea was a good one. So hehurried home and before morning he had his sign made, and put out whereeveryone could see it. It looked like this:

  DISPUTES SETTLED WITHIN

  There was only one objection to the sign. As soon as Jimmy Rabbit saw ithe told Solomon that it should have said:

  DISPUTES SETTLED WITHOUT

  "Without what?" Solomon Owl inquired.

  "Why, without going into your house!" said Jimmy Rabbit. "I can't climb atree, you know. And neither can Tommy Fox. We might have a disputeto-night; and how could you ever settle it?"

  "Oh, I shall be willing to step outside," Solomon told him. And he refusedto change the sign, declaring that he liked it just as it was.

  Now, there was only one trouble with Solomon Owl's settling of disputes.Many of the forest folk wanted to see him in the daytime. And _night_ wasthe only time _he_ was willing to see them. But he heard so manyobjections to that arrangement that in the end Solomon agreed to meetpeople at dusk and at dawn, when it was neither very dark nor very light.On the whole he found that way very satisfactory, because there was justenough light at dusk and at dawn to make him blink. And when Solomonblinked he looked even wiser than ever.

  Well, the first disputing pair that came to Solomon's tree after he hungout his new sign were old Mr. Crow and Jasper Jay. They reached thehemlock grove soon after sunset and squalled loudly for Solomon. "Hurry!"Mr. Crow cried, as soon as Solomon Owl stepped outside his door. "It willbe dark before we know it; and it's almost our bedtime."

  "What's your difficulty?" Solomon asked them.

  Mr. Crow looked at Jasper Jay. And then he looked at Solomon again.

  "Maybe you won't like to hear it," he said. And he winked at Jasper. "Butyou've put out this sign--so we've come here."

  "You've done just right!" exclaimed Solomon Owl. "And as for my not likingto hear the trouble, it's your dispute and not mine. So I don't see how itconcerns me--except to settle it."

  "Very Well," Mr. Crow answered. "The dispute, then, is this: Jasper saysthat in spite of your looking so wise, you're really the stupidest personin Pleasant Valley."

  "He does, eh?" cried Solomon Owl, while Jasper Jay laughed loudly. "Andyou, o
f course, do not agree with him," Solomon continued.

  "I do not!" Mr. Crow declared.

  "Good!" said Solomon, nodding his head approvingly.

  "No, I do not agree with Jasper Jay," Mr. Crow said. "I claim that there'sone other person more stupid than you are--and that's Fatty Coon."

  Well, Solomon Owl certainly was displeased. And it didn't make him feelany happier to hear Jasper Jay's boisterous shouts, or the hoarse"_haw-haw_" of old Mr. Crow.

  "I hope you can decide which one of us is right," Mr. Crow ventured.

  "I am, of course!" cried Jasper Jay.

  "You're not!" Mr. Crow shouted. And to Solomon Owl he said, "We've beendisputing like this all day long."

  Solomon Owl didn't know what to say. If he announced that Jasper was rightit would be the same as admitting that he was the stupidest person in thewhole neighborhood. And if he said that old Mr. Crow's opinion was correcthe would not be much better off. Naturally he didn't want to tell eitherof them that he was right.

  "I'll have to think about this," Solomon observed at last.

  "We don't want to wait," said Mr. Crow. "If we keep on disputing we'relikely to have a fight."

  Now, Solomon Owl hoped that they would have a fight. So he was determinedto keep them waiting for his decision.