Some time before Dot woke, her dreams became confused and strange. There
seemed to be great crowds of them, and the murmur of many voices talking
together. As she gradually awakened, she realised that the voices were
real, and not a part of her dreams. There was a great hubbub, a fluttering
of wings, and rustling of leaves and grass. Through all this confusion,
odd sentences became clear to her drowsy senses. Such phrases as, "You'd
better perch here?" "This isn't your place!" "Go over there!" "No! no! I'm
sure I'm right! the Welcome Swallow says so." "Has anyone gone for the
opossum?" "He says the Court ought to be held at night!" "Don't make such
a noise or you will wake the prisoner!" "Who is to be the judge?" This
last enquiry provoked such a noise of diverse opinions, that Dot became
fully awake, and sitting up, gazed around with eyes full of astonishment.
When she had fallen asleep there had not been a creature near her; but now
she was literally hemmed in on every side by birds and small animals. The
branches of the fallen tree were covered with a feathered company, and in
the open space between it and Dot's nook, was a constantly increasing
crowd of larger birds, such as cranes, plover, duck, turkey-buzzards,
black swan, and amongst them a great grave Pelican.
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