noon
But Jasper Jay always insisted that his own voice was much stronger than Mr. Crow 's . And nobody troubled himself to dispute Jasper 's claim . So Jasper Jay had little to worry about until at last something happened that made him feel quite uneasy . It was almost noon on a hot summer 's day ; and Jasper was resting amid the shade of a big beech tree on the edge of the woods , where he could look across the meadow and watch Farmer Green and his boy Johnnie and the hired-man at work in the hayfield . Jasper was just thinking how much pleasanter was his own carefree life than theirs when a long , loud call blared across the meadow . He had never heard that cry before ; and he raised himself on tiptoe , listening intently as the sound echoed back and forth across the valley . Though Jasper stayed quite still for some time , waiting to hear the cry again , it was not repeated .