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 promptly 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
maple grove, 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 afterward.

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

XVI

THE SINGING SOCIETY

WHEN the members of the Pleasant Valley Singing Society gathered just
before sunset in the maple grove, near the sugar-house (where Cuffy Bear
first saw a man), they were glad to find that Jasper Jay was already
there, waiting for them.

Now, a smallish, cinnamon-colored young gentleman named Valentine Veery,
who was a distant cousin of Jolly Robin's, was the singing leader. He
had been chosen on account of his being able to sing both alto and
soprano at the same time. And as soon as everybody had found a
comfortable seat for himself, Valentine Veery said:

"I'm glad to see we have a new member with us this evening; and I hope
he will enjoy himself and sing his very best."

Everybody looked at Jasper Jay. And you might think he would have felt
the least bit uncomfortable. But he only laughed loudly and replied that
if he didn't have a good time it wouldn't be _his_ fault.

Then Valentine Veery bowed politely--which was more than Jasper Jay had
done--and announced that "Good-night, Ladies!" would be the first song.

So all the company began to sing, including Jasper Jay. Although he knew
neither the words nor the music, he shrieked at the top of his voice.
But they hadn't sung more than a few lines before the leader made them
stop.

"There's something wrong somewhere," said Valentine Veery