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.