The Booster hemmed and hawed. Somehow he felt uncomfortable.

"That's unfortunate," he stammered. And then he had a happy thought.
"Anyhow," he continued, with a smile at Henrietta, "you don't look as if
you lacked for sleep, madam. You grow more beautiful every day."

Henrietta Hen admitted that it was so. "But," she said, "I believe I'd be
even handsomer if I weren't disturbed so early. I don't like to get up
while it's dark. So I'm going to ask you to delay your crowing, from now
on, until after sunrise."

"Impossible!" cried the Rooster. "I'm sorry to disoblige you, madam. But
what you ask can't be done."

"That's just what the cockerel said!" Henrietta Hen exclaimed.

"The cockerel!" the Rooster echoed angrily. "Which one? Has one of those
upstarts been talking about me? Point him out to me and I'll soon teach
him a lesson."

Henrietta Hen said that she hadn't noticed which cockerel it was. Somehow
they all looked alike to her.

"Good!" the Rooster cried. "Then I'll have to whip them all, to make sure
of punishing the guilty one." He looked very fierce.

"Don't be absurd!" Henrietta told him. "I asked one of the cockerels to
give you a message about not crowing so early. And he declined. He said
it wouldn't do any good."