waited for some time--hoping to hear Jasper's sweet notes again--but he
waited in vain.
But Buddy had heard them once. And since it was for that very purpose
that he had gone without both his breakfast and his morning-song, he was
satisfied. He went home a little later, feeling well pleased, so far,
with his plan for putting an end to Jasper Jay's rudeness.
The first thing that Buddy Brown-Thrasher did then was to seek his
favorite perch in the very top of his own special tree and sing a
morning-song that was more joyous than ever. That was because he was
happier than he had been for a long time--ever since Jasper Jay had been
annoying him.
When he had sung his song fourteen times, Buddy ate a hearty breakfast.
Feeling as sprightly as he did, he found his appetite unusually keen.
And when at last he had finished his meal he went straight off to make
calls upon his friends.
Now, it was no accident that all those upon whom Buddy Brown-Thrasher
called that morning belonged to the Pleasant Valley Singing Society. You
see, Buddy needed help in order to teach Jasper Jay a lesson. And as
soon as his friends heard his plan, they all told him that it was a good
one and that they would be glad to do what they could to teach Jasper
Jay better manners.
XV
THE INVITATION
THE morning was not gone before Jasper Jay had four callers. There was
Bobbie Bobolink, Jolly Robin, Miss Kitty Catbird and Buddy
Brown-Thrasher.
Jasper Jay was surprised to see them, because it was seldom that anybody
but his relations called on him. Of course, if one makes himself
disagreeable--as Jasper generally did--people do not go out of their way
to see him. But it was different with Jasper Jay's relations. Some of
them were just as unmannerly and ill-bred as he was. When they came to
see Jasper they were usually looking for a quarrel. And they always
found what they were looking for at the house of their cousin, Jasper
Jay.
Naturally, he did not like to disappoint his own cousins. He had even
been known to quarrel with his great-grandfather--which is something
most people refuse flatly to do.
"Are you hunting for trouble?" Jasper inquired, as he raised his crest
and snapped his bill together, looking as fierce as he could.
Such conduct was enough to frighten any lady. And it was no wonder that
Jasper's actions--as well as his words--sent Miss Kitty Catbird into a
flutter of alarm. Her companions, however, told her there was no danger.
And Jolly Robin, who was a bold fellow, hopped forward to do the talking
for the callers.
"We're a committee," said he, "chosen to call on you and invite you to
join the Pleasant Valley Singing Society."
When he heard Jolly Robin's explanation, Jasper Jay laughed in his
callers' faces.
"I'm not musical," he said. "And people who get up early in the morning
to sing before breakfast always amuse me. They're silly--that's what
they are!" he cried.
"Well, the Society wants you, all the same," Jolly insisted.
Jasper Jay said nothing for a few moments. He was thinking. And it
occurred to him, as he thought, that he could have a good deal of sport
by joining the Society and spoiling its concerts. So he said at last:
"I'll become a member of your Society on one condition."
"What's that?" Jolly Robin inquired.
"You must let me sing all I want to."
Jolly Robin looked at his companions. And seeing that they all nodded
their heads, he asked Jasper if he would promise to sing his best.
Jasper Jay said promptly that he would. So Jolly told him that it was a
bargain. "You shall come to our next meeting and make all the music you
want to," he promised.
So that was the way Jasper Jay became a member of the Pleasant Valley
Singing Society.
"When's your next meeting?" Jasper asked.
"To-night, just before sunset!" Jolly replied. "We'll gather in the
maple grove, near the sugar-house. And we'll look for you."
"I'll be there without fail," Jasper Jay assured him.
The committee left him then. And Jasper's unpleasant laughter rang in
their ears for a long time afterward.
But when he stopped laughing, Jasper decided to keep very still for the
rest of the day. He wanted to save his voice for the concert at sunset.
XVI
THE SINGING SOCIETY
WHEN the members of the Pleasant Valley Singing Society gathered just
before sunset in the maple grove, near the sugar-house (where Cuffy Bear
first saw a man), they were glad to find that Jasper Jay was already
there, waiting for them.
Now, a smallish, cinnamon-colored young gentleman named Valentine Veery,
who was a distant cousin of Jolly Robin's, was the singing leader. He
had been chosen on account of his being able to sing both alto and
soprano at the same time. And as soon as everybody had found a
comfortable seat for himself, Valentine Veery said:
"I'm glad to see we have a new member with us this evening; and I hope
he will enjoy himself and sing his very best."
Everybody looked at Jasper Jay. And you might think he would have felt
the least bit uncomfortable. But he only laughed loudly and replied that
if he didn't have a good time it wouldn't be _his_ fault.
Then Valentine Veery bowed politely--which was more than Jasper Jay had
done--and announced that "Good-night, Ladies!" would be the first song.
So all the company began to sing, including Jasper Jay. Although he knew
neither the words nor the music, he shrieked at the top of his voice.
But they hadn't sung more than a few lines before the leader made them
stop.
"There's something wrong somewhere," said Valentine Veery. "Has anybody
a cold in his head?"
But everyone, including Jasper Jay, declared that he never was in better
health in his life.
"We'll try again, then," the leader told them.
So they started once more. And once more Valentine Veery stopped them.
"This is terrible!" he said with a shudder. "Who is it, please, that is
off the key?"
Nobody answered. But everybody looked at Jasper Jay again. And you would
think that this time he certainly would have felt most uncomfortable.
But he only grinned as if he were enjoying himself hugely.
"We'll try the song just once more," little Mr. Veery told them. But it
was no use. He stopped the singing quickly. "We can't go on like this,"
he declared. "The only thing to be done is to let each member sing the
song alone. And in that way we shall find out who's out of tune. We'll
let our oldest member sing first, and the newest one last," he directed.
So old Mr. Mockingbird, who was the first member of the Pleasant Valley
Singing Society--and about the only one of his family in the
neighborhood--sang the song in his best manner. And after him the others
had their turn, until everybody had sung "Good-night, Ladies!" except
the newest member of all.
"Now--" said Valentine Veery--"now everyone must keep very still while
we have the pleasure of listening to Jasper Jay."
Of course, after hearing the song repeated so many times, Jasper
couldn't help learning a little of it. He began to bellow "Good-night,
Ladies!" in the harshest, most ear-splitting tones he knew. Some of his
listeners hurriedly tucked their heads under their wings, to shut out
the horrid sound. And as for Miss Kitty Catbird, she actually left the
meeting and flew straight home, because she felt that she must scream if
she stayed there any longer. Having a sensitive ear, she could not
endure Jasper's rasping voice. In her opinion, it sounded more like a
buzz saw than anything else.
XVII
JASPER IS ASHAMED
THE leader of the Singing Society stopped Jasper Jay's song as soon as
he was able to. But Jolly Robin's cousin, Valentine Veery, found it no
easy matter to silence Jasper Jay. Though he called to him several
times, Jasper paid no attention to him, but continued to make all the
noise he could. His notes had never sounded so loud and harsh
before--but you must remember that Jasper had been saving his voice all
day for this very occasion.
At last Valentine Veery launched his small, cinnamon-colored body
straight at Jasper Jay and gave him a sharp nudge with his wing. And at
that Jasper stopped singing.
"What's the matter?" he asked in an angry voice.
"Matter?" said Valentine Veery. "Why, you're all wrong. You're not only
twisting the words of the song, but you don't know the air at all. It's
plain to see that it was you that made our concert sound so queerly."
Jasper Jay jeered openly at the little leader.
"The trouble--" said Jasper--"the real trouble is that you and your
friends don't know this song. I'm the only one that can sing it
correctly."
Everybody exclaimed that Jasper was a ridiculous fellow.
"The committee that invited me to come here told me that I might sing as
much as I wanted to. And here you've gone and stopped me!" Jasper Jay
complained.
Then Buddy Brown-Thrasher cried out in a clear voice that Jasper wasn't
trying his best, as he had promised the committee he would.
"In fact," said Buddy, "I'm quite sure he's trying his _worst_."
Jasper Jay looked quite fierce when he heard that remark.
"It's not so--and you can't prove it!" he screamed.
The little leader turned to Buddy Brown-Thrasher and said:
"What have you to say to that?"
This was what Buddy Brown-Thrasher had been waiting for.
"I'd like to state," he announced, "that Jasper Jay can sing very
well--when he wants to. He has always pretended that singing was silly.
And you know what a nuisance he makes of himself spoiling a good song
whenever he happens to hear one. Why, I've heard him sing beautifully!"
"You never!" howled Jasper Jay.
"Yes, I have--this very morning!" Buddy Brown-Thrasher retorted. "I was
in the young pine woods where he lives and I heard Jasper sing to his
wife--lovely, flute-like notes they were. But I can see that he's
ashamed to admit it."
Jasper Jay was so surprised that he opened and closed his bill several
times without saying anything at all. It was not often that he was at a
loss for words. And some of those present couldn't help smiling.
Jasper noticed their amusement.
"This is just a trick!" he squawked. "You invited me to your Singing
Society to tease me!"
As a matter of fact, his words were not far from the truth.
"Let us hear your best notes, Jasper!" somebody called. And others
cried, "Yes!" and "Please!" and "We're waiting!"
But Jasper Jay would do nothing but stamp his feet and hop up and down
and snap his bill together and scold. He made such a funny sight that
the whole Singing Society began to laugh at him, until he flew away with
one last frantic scream of rage.
Then the Pleasant Valley Singing Society had one of the most enjoyable
meetings it had ever held. And though Jasper Jay showed a very sulky
face to everybody for several days, it was a long time before he spoiled
any songs that he happened to hear. And he never annoyed Buddy
Brown-Thrasher again.
Morning and evening Buddy went to his favorite perch and sang to his
heart's content.
For Jasper Jay had learned a lesson at last.
XVIII
ENEMIES
JASPER JAY was not the only bird that liked beechnuts. Reddy Woodpecker
was fond of them, too. And when he saw that the beechnut crop was going
to be a big one he decided that he would stay in Pleasant Valley all
winter.
Jasper and Reddy were not unlike in some other respects, too. Both were
noisy, quarrelsome ruffians, who did not hesitate to steal and devour
the eggs and young of other birds. Furthermore, both of them were
gay-colored--but in a very different way. Jasper Jay always wore a
brilliant blue suit, while Reddy Woodpecker made himself easily seen by
donning a bright red cap, which came down to his shoulders and gave him
an odd look. Being so much alike (as far as manners were concerned), the
two quarreled whenever they met. And when Jasper Jay heard that Reddy
had made up his mind to spend the winter in the North he was furious.
"It's an outrage!" he declared to Jimmy Rabbit, who had told him about
Reddy Woodpecker's plan. "He needn't think he can stay in this
neighborhood and eat most of the nuts--for I know him and I know what he
expects to do."
Jimmy Rabbit saw at once that there was going to be some fun--for him.
And he didn't want to miss any of it.
"I suppose----" he said to Jasper--"I suppose you'd like to drive Reddy
Woodpecker away from Pleasant Valley?"
Jasper laughed hoarsely.
"I'd not only _like_ to--I'm _going_ to!" he said.
"How do you intend to do it?" Jimmy asked him.
"I'll have to think a while before I decide," Jasper Jay replied.
"You'll find it pretty difficult," Jimmy Rabbit said. "Let me arrange
the matter for you! I'll promise you to put Reddy Woodpecker where he
can't eat any beechnuts. And so long as I do that for you, I suppose you
don't care what happens."
"Certainly not!" said Jasper Jay. "Though, of course, if you could
arrange things so I didn't have to _see_ Reddy I'd like that. His red
cap is hideous. It's enough to make anybody ill, just to see it."
"I think I can please you," said Jimmy Rabbit. "But you'll have to do
exactly as I say, or my plan won't work."
Now, Jasper Jay was really not at all eager to fight Reddy Woodpecker.
Reddy had a very sharp bill, which was even longer than Jasper's, and
just as strong. And Reddy could strike a powerful blow with his bill. So
Jasper Jay was glad enough to accept help from a person like Jimmy
Rabbit, who was always thinking of new schemes.
"I'll leave everything to you," said Jasper.
"Good!" cried Jimmy Rabbit. "And now you must wait right where I tell
you to, while I go to find Reddy Woodpecker. Follow me!" he ordered.
And Jasper Jay followed him, while Jimmy skipped briskly through the
woods. He appeared to be looking for something. And at last he seemed to
have found it, in a swampy hollow where water stood here and there in
pools. Anyhow, he stopped beside a cedar tree and said to Jasper Jay:
"You must stand beside this tree; and you mustn't stir out of your
tracks."
Jimmy Rabbit pointed out the exact spot where he wanted Jasper Jay to
station himself. And since it happened that there was a puddle of water
there, it was only to be expected that Jasper Jay should begin to
grumble.
XIX
COLD FEET
YES! Jasper Jay looked sulky when Jimmy Rabbit told him to stand in the
puddle of water, close beside the cedar tree.
"How long do you want me to stay here?" Jasper growled. "I can tell you
that it's not very pleasant to stand in a pool of water a great
while--on a cold day like this."
Now, all this happened quite late in the fall. And it was true that the
day was a cold one. In fact, the weather seemed to be growing colder
every minute.
"I won't ask you to wait any longer than is necessary," said Jimmy
Rabbit. "And if you want me to put Reddy Woodpecker where he can't eat
any nuts, and you don't have to _see_ him, you must follow my
directions.... When you're ill and go to Aunt Polly Woodchuck, the herb
doctor, you always take her advice, don't you?"
Jasper admitted that he did.
"Well, then, you must do just as I say. You know, it always makes you
ill to look at Reddy Woodpecker. And I'm going to cure you, if you'll
only give me a chance."
So Jasper Jay went and stood in the puddle. He screamed a good deal as
he stepped into the cold water.
"This is terrible!" he groaned. "Do hurry with your scheme, or I shall
have a chill."
"Remember! You're to keep absolutely still!" Jimmy Rabbit warned him.
"You mustn't move and you mustn't talk. If you should, my plan would be
spoiled; and then you would have to fight Reddy Woodpecker after all."
"I pr-pr-promise!" said Jasper Jay. His bill was chattering so fast that
he could hardly talk. And he was so cold that he looked uncommonly
blue--even for a blue jay.
So Jimmy Rabbit hopped away, feeling quite pleased with himself and his
plan. If Jasper Jay could have seen him stop, as soon as he was out of
sight, and roll over and over upon the ground and hold his shaking sides
he might have wondered what Jimmy was laughing at. Certainly Jasper Jay
could see no joke in standing still in a cold puddle on a frosty fall
day.
Well, after a time Jimmy Rabbit stopped rolling upon the ground and
hurried straight to the place where the beeches grew. And there--as he
had hoped to--he found Reddy Woodpecker, busily eating beechnuts.
"How are the nuts this fall?" Jimmy Rabbit asked.
"They couldn't be better!" said Reddy, stuffing his mouth as he spoke.
"They say there's a big crop this year," Jimmy Rabbit observed.
"Yes!" replied Reddy. "But it's none too big. In fact, there are too
many people in this neighborhood that come here for nuts. I hope," he
said, "that's not what you're looking for."
Jimmy Rabbit laughed.
"Certainly not!" he said. "I'm satisfied to leave the nuts for you and
Jasper Jay to eat. I want none of them."
"Jasper Jay!" screamed Reddy Woodpecker. "Don't mention that rowdy's
name to me, please! He's the greediest of all! And he's so vain--so
proud of that sky-blue suit of his--that I can't bear the sight of him.
I wish I could put him where he couldn't eat any more of these
beechnuts, and where I wouldn't have to look at him, either!"
Of course, that was not at all an agreeable remark for him to make.
But it seemed to please Jimmy Rabbit greatly.
XX
GETTING RID OF JASPER
"HAVE you finished your meal?" Jimmy Rabbit asked Reddy Woodpecker, as
they faced each other among the beech trees.
"Well, no--I can't say I have," replied Reddy. "When I begin to eat
beechnuts I never want to stop. It's something I can't help. And I've
been told that Johnnie Green is just like that when he gets a taste of
peanuts. You might say that I'll have only one meal all winter long. It
started as soon as the beechnuts began to ripen; and it won't be ended
until the last nut is gone."
Jimmy Rabbit couldn't help smiling.
"Anyhow, you can't be really hungry," he said. "And if you'll come with
me and do just as I tell you, you'll find that Jasper Jay won't trouble
you for a good, long time."
"Wait a little while!" Reddy Woodpecker begged him. "I want to eat just
a few more beechnuts; and then I'll come with you."
"Hurry, then!" said Jimmy Rabbit. And he watched anxiously while Reddy
Woodpecker broke open more beechnuts with his strong bill and greedily
ate the sweet meats.
"Come! come!" Jimmy Rabbit urged him.
"Just one more!" Reddy pleaded.
That happened several times, until at last Jimmy Rabbit said that he
couldn't wait any longer, and that he was sorry, because he knew he
could have helped Reddy in a way that would have pleased him.
He started off then. And at that Reddy Woodpecker hurried after him.
"I think I've eaten enough so I can manage to stay away from the
beechnuts a short time," he said with a sigh. "But I hope you won't keep
me long."
"Everything depends on the weather," Jimmy Rabbit answered.
But Reddy Woodpecker did not even hear him. His mind was too busy
thinking of beechnuts to pay much attention to anything else.
They travelled through the woods for some time, until they reached a
low, swampy place. And as soon as they came to it Jimmy Rabbit whispered
to Reddy Woodpecker that he must be very still.
"Do exactly as I tell you," he ordered. "And don't even whisper to me,
please! I'm going to show you where you must stand. Though the place
may not be as dry as you might prefer, you'll have to follow my
directions and say nothing--if you want to get rid of Jasper Jay."
"I promise--" said Reddy Woodpecker--"but I wish I had brought along a
few beechnuts in my pocket. Just wait a moment!" he added. "Let me see
if I haven't some nuts somewhere that I've forgotten."
So Jimmy Rabbit waited while Reddy hunted in all his pockets. He turned
every one of them inside out. And since he had fifteen pockets, and he
had to turn them all back again, and replace their contents, the
proceeding consumed a good deal of time.
Jimmy Rabbit grew very impatient. He kept urging Reddy Woodpecker to
make haste. But Reddy told him that if he hurried too much he might
overlook a beechnut. So he took his own time.
But the search was all in vain. Not a single nut did he find.
Then Jimmy Rabbit led him silently to a great cedar tree and bade him
stand behind it and keep perfectly still.
Reddy made a wry face when he saw that he must put his feet in a deep
puddle of water. But he obeyed, all the same.
XXI
TWO RASCALS CAUGHT
THE moment Reddy Woodpecker stepped into the cold water he wanted to say
"Ouch!" But Jimmy Rabbit put a finger on his mouth--meaning that Reddy
must be still as a mouse.
So the red-capped scamp managed to keep quiet, though it was such hard
work that he began to feel terribly hungry. Jimmy Rabbit watched him for
a short time, smiling and nodding his head, as if to say:
"That's right! Just do as I say and all will be well." And then he waved
a sort of farewell, before he disappeared.
Though Reddy did not know it, Jimmy Rabbit stopped as soon as he was out
of sight and crept behind a bush, from which hiding-place he could watch
the cedar tree, without being seen by the two beechnut lovers who stood
so still beside it--for there was Jasper Jay, standing in a puddle on
one side of the big tree, and there was Reddy Woodpecker, standing in
another puddle on the opposite side of the tree!
And neither of them knew that the other was anywhere around!
But there was one thing that they knew quite well: the water was almost
colder than they could bear, at first. If their feet hadn't grown numb,
after a time, so that there was no feeling in them at all, they wouldn't
have been able to stand there so still and so long.
They both wondered where Jimmy Rabbit was, and what he was doing, and
why he didn't come back.
But Jimmy Rabbit was waiting for something. As he had told Reddy
Woodpecker, everything depended on the weather. Though the air was
becoming sharper every minute, it was not yet cold enough to suit Jimmy
Rabbit. What he wanted was _freezing_ weather. And at last he was
satisfied. When the sun hid itself behind a bank of clouds the ground
began to stiffen with frost, which covered all the puddles and pools
with a coating of ice.
* * * * *
It was almost dark when Jimmy Rabbit left the shelter of his bush and
danced up and down to get warm. Soon he came with a hop, skip and a jump
to the big cedar tree.
"How are you?" he called.
And two very sulky voices answered:
"I'm cold--that's how I am!"
"Well, why don't you dance around and get warm?" Jimmy asked.
But both Reddy Woodpecker and Jasper Jay were caught fast by their feet
in the frozen puddles. And as soon as they tried to move they began to
squall loudly--because they were so frightened. They could no more have
danced than the old cedar tree could have pulled up its roots and
capered about in the forest. So far as they could see, they might as
well have stepped into any of the traps that Johnnie Green set for Peter
Mink.
It was no wonder that they were alarmed--no wonder that they struggled
to free themselves.
"You seem to like to stay by that tree," said Jimmy Rabbit.
Now, since Jasper and Reddy had wanted exactly the same things to
happen, and since they were now in the same fix, Jimmy Rabbit could
talk to them both at the same time. What he said to one fitted the other
just as well.
Of course, that made it very easy for Jimmy Rabbit.
But it was rather hard on Reddy Woodpecker and Jasper Jay.
"_Jay! jay!_" screamed Jasper in a rasping voice, like a saw biting into
a log. "_Ker-r-ruck! ker-r-ruck!_" sounded Reddy's rolling call. And
they began to scold Jimmy Rabbit, until he put his paws over his ears
and ran away.
If it hadn't been for Reddy Woodpecker's strong bill they might have
stayed in the cedar swamp all winter. But he set to work and soon
chopped himself free. Then he helped Jasper Jay. And before it was dark
they flew away together and went straight to the beechnut grove, where
they ate a huge meal of beechnuts, without having a single dispute about
anything.
On the contrary, they agreed perfectly in every way. Especially they
agreed that Jimmy Rabbit was a busybody and that somebody ought to teach
him better manners.
"I'd be glad to help you do that," said Jasper Jay.
It was actually funny that two such rowdies should talk of another's bad
manners. But no doubt such an idea never entered their heads.
THE END
* * * * *
[Illustration]
The HONEY BUNCH BOOKS
_by_ HELEN LOUISE THORNDYKE
_For Little Girls From 4 to 8 Years Old_
"Honey Bunch" is a dainty, thoughtful little girl who keeps you
wondering just what she is going to do next. Little girls everywhere
will want to discover what interesting experiences she is having
wherever she goes.
_Delightfully Illustrated_