“Oh, I shall be willing to step outside,” Solomon told him. And he refused
to 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_ was
the only time _he_ was willing to see them. But he heard so many
objections to that arrangement that in the end Solomon agreed to meet
people 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 just
enough light at dusk and at dawn to make him blink. And when Solomon
blinked he looked even wiser than ever.

Well, the first disputing pair that came to Solomon’s tree after he hung
out his new sign were old Mr. Crow and Jasper Jay. They reached the
hemlock grove soon after sunset and squalled loudly for Solomon. “Hurry!”
Mr. Crow cried, as soon as Solomon Owl stepped outside his door. “It will
be 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. “But
you’ve put out this sign—so we’ve come here.”

“You’ve done just right!” exclaimed Solomon Owl. “And as for my not liking
to hear the trouble, it’s your dispute and not mine. So I don’t see how it
concerns me—except to settle it.”