Arthur Scott Bailey

The Tale of Jasper Jay Arthur Scott Bailey

JASPER JAY had some queer notions in his head. One of them was that a person couldn't be happyunless he was making a great deal of noise. And if there was anything that roused Jasper's wrath, itwas the sight of some quiet, modest little neighbor who minded his own affairs and had little to say. There was one such chap who made his home in a wild grapevine that grew upon the stone wall infront of the farmhouse. His name was Mr. Chippy; and he was never known to do anybody the leastbit of harm. On the contrary, he was quitep. 7 helpful to Farmer Green's wife, for he went to thefarmhouse almost every day and cleared the crumbs off the kitchen doorstep. But Jasper Jay complained that Mr. Chippy was altogether too humble."He never says anything except 'Chip, chip, chip, chip, '" Jasper often remarked. "And his voice is sohigh and thin that anybody would think he was a little old lady, to hear him. He's too quiet to get onin the world. And as for a good time, I don't believe he ever had one in all his life."Jasper said a good many other unpleasant things about mild Mr. Chippy. And one day when thesaucy rascal had nothing better to do he flew over to the stone wall just to talk to Mr. Chippy andtell him what he thought of him."Hi there, red-head!" Jasper Jayp. 8 shouted. "Come out here on the wall! I want to see you."Mr. Chippy thrust his chestnut crowned head through the leaves of the wild grapevine. And onecould hardly say that he looked pleased. Like most people, he was not overjoyed by Jasper Jay'svisits. But he crept on top of the stone wall and chipped a how-dy-do to his caller