XV THE INVITATION

 The morning was not gone before Jasper Jay had four callers. There was Bobbie Bobolink, Jolly Robin¹, Miss Kitty Catbird and Buddy² 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.p. 79 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 crest³ 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, hopped⁴ 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 promptly⁵ 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 maple⁶ grove⁷, 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 afterward⁸.

 

But when he stopped laughing, Jasper decided⁹ to keep very still for the rest of the day. He wanted to save his voice for the concert at sunset.

 

1 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

2 buddy   

n.（美口）密友，伙伴

参考例句：

• Calm down,buddy.What's the trouble?压压气，老兄。有什么麻烦吗？
• Get out of my way,buddy!别挡道了，你这家伙！

3 crest   

n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖

参考例句：

• The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
• He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。

4 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

5 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

6 maple   

n.槭树，枫树，槭木

参考例句：

• Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。
• The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。

7 grove   

n.林子，小树林，园林

参考例句：

• On top of the hill was a grove of tall trees.山顶上一片高大的树林。
• The scent of lemons filled the grove.柠檬香味充满了小树林。

8 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。