The trumpeter pondered for a little time before replying.

"It's my duty to trumpet loudly," she said at last. "The summer is none
too long. And there's a great deal of honey to be made before fall....
Have you thought of stuffing your ears with cotton?" she inquired.

"Why, no!" said Buster Bumblebee. "That's a fine plan, I'm sure. And I'll
follow it this very night."

So he thanked his new-found sister and said good-by, for he wanted to
look for some cotton at once.

"Goodness me!" the trumpeter exclaimed as soon as Buster had left her.
"Here I've wasted a precious quarter of an hour when I should have been
working." Thereupon she began gathering nectar as fast as she could, and
forgot all about Buster Bumblebee and his trouble.

When he left the trumpeter in the clover field, Buster was feeling quite
cheerful. Although Chirpy Cricket's advice had been of little use to him,
Buster's talk with the trumpeter had ended pleasantly enough. And now he
expected that he would be able to sleep as late as he pleased--with the
help of a bit of cotton.

Buster flew fast, as he left the fragrant clover behind him, to hunt for
the cotton that he needed. But he soon paused in his rapid flight and sat
down on a sprig of honeysuckle, to think.

He was puzzled. He hadn't the slightest idea where he could find any
cotton. So what was the use of hurrying, if he didn't know where he was
going?