me again, coaxing me to put out my light--so you can eat me--I'll
certainly bring Solomon Owl to your tree when you're asleep there."

Still Benjamin Bat made no move. Yet he wanted to go away because he was
in terror of being burned by Freddie Firefly's light. But he did not
dare turn his back upon Freddie Firefly and his light and fly away. And
he began to be sorry that he had never learned to fly backwards.

"Please--" Benjamin Bat stammered at last--"please do me a favor. I'm
not feeling very well. I'm afraid I'm going to be ill. Maybe you'll be
good enough to go and ask my friend Farmer Green to step outside his
house a moment. Just tell him I'm in trouble," he whined.

"Trouble!" Freddie Firefly sneered, for he knew well enough--by this
time--that Benjamin Bat was scared, though he couldn't quite guess the
reason for Benjamin's fright. "You'll be in worse trouble if I show
Solomon Owl where you sleep in the daytime."

"Stand back!" Benjamin Bat shrieked suddenly. "You'll singe my wings if
you're not careful!"

Then Freddie Firefly knew exactly what Benjamin feared. And he was so
amused that he couldn't help taking a turn around the dooryard, to dance
and laugh and shout.

And when he came back to the place where he had left Benjamin Bat, that
odd gentleman had vanished.

The terrified Benjamin had floundered away toward the swamp. And never,
afterward, did he have a word to say to Freddie Firefly.