CHAPTER 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.