The Tale of Jasper Jay | Page 9

Mr. Hawk's
cry, "Kee-you! kee-you!"
It gave Jasper a great start to hear that screech behind his back. He
jumped into the air and alighted with his face toward Noisy Jake,
having turned around while his feet were off the ground.
Jake was laughing loudly at his own joke, while all the rest--except
Jasper--squalled with delight.
Jasper Jay thought for a moment that he would have to fight Jake on the
spot. But he was in such a hurry to get to the place where the beeches
grew that he decided to pay no more attention to the rude fellow.
"Come on!" Jasper cried. "Follow me!" And he made for the beech
grove at top speed, with the nutting party following close behind him.
There was a great squawking and screaming and whistling as the
nutting party flew into the tops of the beech trees and the nuts began
rattling down upon the ground.
But their fun did not last long. Another nutting party, led by Johnnie
Green, arrived at the grove soon after them; and, of course, that put an
end to their sport. They knew that boys not only whistled but threw
stones as well.
It was most disappointing. And Jasper and his friends were feeling
quite peevish when Noisy Jake suddenly cried:
"Let's go over to the oak woods! There are plenty of acorns there; and
we can have lots of fun!"
All the crowd--except Jasper Jay--shouted something that sounded like
"Hurrah!" And before Jasper knew what was happening everybody had
started for the oak woods. This time it was Noisy Jake that led the
nutting party. And all Jasper could do was to follow with the others.

He was no longer the leader. And he was very, very angry. It had been
his party, in the first place. And there was Noisy Jake, whom he had
not even invited to it, acting as if he were the one who should say what
should--or shouldn't--be done.
Jasper could see Jake talking with some of the others. And he couldn't
help feeling that they were talking about him. Jake laughed loudly now
and then; and although he was flying fast, he looked around
occasionally, to make sure that the party was following him. Seeing
that Jasper was the last of the procession, Jake shouted to him that he
had better hurry, if he didn't want to be left behind.
And that made Jasper Jay more indignant than ever.

XI
A STROKE OF LUCK
JASPER'S fun would have been spoiled if he hadn't had a stroke of
good fortune. Since he was no longer leading the nutting party he
wanted to prevent his friends from following Noisy Jake to the place
where the oak trees grew, to have an acorn hunt.
It was no more than anybody could expect that Jasper should feel sulky.
It had been his party in the first place. So, of course, he didn't enjoy
seeing somebody else take the lead away from him. Most unhappy he
was, as he hurried along the mountain-side, when he happened, all at
once, to catch sight of a huge, grayish-brown figure, half hidden among
some hemlock boughs. Jasper Jay knew right away that it was Mr.
Solomon Owl.
"Stop! stop!" Jasper cried to his friends. "Wait a bit! Here's some fun!"
So the nutting party checked their flight and returned, while Jasper
pointed out Solomon Owl's motionless form to them.
They forgot all about the acorn hunt, for the time being, because there

was nothing they liked better than teasing Solomon Owl--when there
were enough of them. In case any of the blue-coated rascals met Mr.
Owl alone, he was most polite to him, for Solomon was not only big
and strong but he had sharp talons and a hooked beak.
Those thirteen blue jays, however, knew that they had little to fear from
the solemn old chap, so long as they kept out of reach of his claws.
They began jeering at Solomon Owl. And some of them even tried to
mock his queer cry, "Whoo-whoo-too-whoo-too-o-o!" The woods
echoed with their hoots. And Noisy Jake shouted:
"This is luck! Aren't you all glad I found him?"
Now, of course, Jake had not found Solomon Owl. If it hadn't been for
Jasper Jay no one would have known he was there. And Jasper was just
about to remind Jake of his mistake when he happened to think of
something that made him change his mind. It occurred to Jasper that if
Noisy Jake wanted to think he was still the leader of the party perhaps
it was just as well to let him. Jake always talked so much, in such a
loud tone, that Solomon Owl would be sure to know him.
And Jasper thought he could have plenty