excellent plan--but you may as well forget it, because there's no cotton
growing in these parts. Cotton grows in the South, more than a thousand
miles away. Next winter when I go to the South I might be able to find
some for you, and bring it back with me in the spring. But that wouldn't
help you now."

Buster Bumblebee was quite discouraged. And since he didn't know what to
do, he asked Mr. Crow what he would suggest.

"Why don't you set back the hands of the family clock?" the old gentleman
asked. "If you make the clock three or four hours slow the trumpeter
won't trumpet until six or seven or eight o'clock. And I'm sure that's
late enough for anybody to get up."

Buster shook his head mournfully.

"We haven't any clock at our house," he explained.

"Then----" said old Mr. Crow, "then, if you want more sleep why don't you
go to bed earlier? If you went to bed three or four hours before sunset
you wouldn't mind getting up at dawn."

"Hurrah!" Buster shouted. "That's just what I'll do! And I'm certainly
much obliged to you, Mr. Crow, for helping me."

"Don't mention it," said the old gentleman, looking greatly pleased with
himself.

"I won't tell anybody," Buster promised.