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 Woodp.e.c.k.e.r 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 Woodp.e.c.k.e.r"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 Woodp.e.c.k.e.r away from Pleasant Valley?"
Jasper laughed hoa.r.s.ely.
"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 Woodp.e.c.k.e.r 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 Woodp.e.c.k.e.r.
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 Woodp.e.c.k.e.r. 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.
XIX
COLD FEET
YES! Jasper Jay looked sulky when Jimmy Rabbit told him to stand in the puddle of water, close beside the cedar tree.
"How long do you want me to stay here?" Jasper growled. "I can tell you that it"s not very pleasant to stand in a pool of water a great while--on a cold day like this."
Now, all this happened quite late in the fall. And it was true that the day was a cold one. In fact, the weather seemed to be growing colder every minute.
"I won"t ask you to wait any longer than is necessary," said Jimmy Rabbit. "And if you want me to put Reddy Woodp.e.c.k.e.r where he can"t eat any nuts, and you don"t have to _see_ him, you must follow my directions.... When you"re ill and go to Aunt Polly Woodchuck, the herb doctor, you always take her advice, don"t you?"
Jasper admitted that he did.
"Well, then, you must do just as I say. You know, it always makes you ill to look at Reddy Woodp.e.c.k.e.r. And I"m going to cure you, if you"ll only give me a chance."
So Jasper Jay went and stood in the puddle. He screamed a good deal as he stepped into the cold water.
"This is terrible!" he groaned. "Do hurry with your scheme, or I shall have a chill."
"Remember! You"re to keep absolutely still!" Jimmy Rabbit warned him.
"You mustn"t move and you mustn"t talk. If you should, my plan would be spoiled; and then you would have to fight Reddy Woodp.e.c.k.e.r after all."
"I pr-pr-promise!" said Jasper Jay. His bill was chattering so fast that he could hardly talk. And he was so cold that he looked uncommonly blue--even for a blue jay.
So Jimmy Rabbit hopped away, feeling quite pleased with himself and his plan. If Jasper Jay could have seen him stop, as soon as he was out of sight, and roll over and over upon the ground and hold his shaking sides he might have wondered what Jimmy was laughing at. Certainly Jasper Jay could see no joke in standing still in a cold puddle on a frosty fall day.
Well, after a time Jimmy Rabbit stopped rolling upon the ground and hurried straight to the place where the beeches grew. And there--as he had hoped to--he found Reddy Woodp.e.c.k.e.r, busily eating beechnuts.
"How are the nuts this fall?" Jimmy Rabbit asked.
"They couldn"t be better!" said Reddy, stuffing his mouth as he spoke.
"They say there"s a big crop this year," Jimmy Rabbit observed.
"Yes!" replied Reddy. "But it"s none too big. In fact, there are too many people in this neighborhood that come here for nuts. I hope," he said, "that"s not what you"re looking for."
Jimmy Rabbit laughed.
"Certainly not!" he said. "I"m satisfied to leave the nuts for you and Jasper Jay to eat. I want none of them."
"Jasper Jay!" screamed Reddy Woodp.e.c.k.e.r. "Don"t mention that rowdy"s name to me, please! He"s the greediest of all! And he"s so vain--so proud of that sky-blue suit of his--that I can"t bear the sight of him.
I wish I could put him where he couldn"t eat any more of these beechnuts, and where I wouldn"t have to look at him, either!"
Of course, that was not at all an agreeable remark for him to make.
But it seemed to please Jimmy Rabbit greatly.
XX
GETTING RID OF JASPER
"HAVE you finished your meal?" Jimmy Rabbit asked Reddy Woodp.e.c.k.e.r, as they faced each other among the beech trees.
"Well, no--I can"t say I have," replied Reddy. "When I begin to eat beechnuts I never want to stop. It"s something I can"t help. And I"ve been told that Johnnie Green is just like that when he gets a taste of peanuts. You might say that I"ll have only one meal all winter long. It started as soon as the beechnuts began to ripen; and it won"t be ended until the last nut is gone."