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 jeered¹ 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 Buddy² 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 anuisance 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 hop³ 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 frantic⁴ 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 perch⁵ and sang to his heart's content.

 

For Jasper Jay had learned a lesson at last.

 

1 jeered   

v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The police were jeered at by the waiting crowd. 警察受到在等待的人群的嘲弄。
• The crowd jeered when the boxer was knocked down. 当那个拳击手被打倒时，人们开始嘲笑他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 hop   

n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过

参考例句：

• The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。
• How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？

4 frantic   

adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的

参考例句：

• I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
• He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。

5 perch   

n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于

参考例句：

• The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。
• Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。