Laughing Brook just to have a look around. Of course he didn't expect to
find his voice down there, for who ever saw a voice? Still he thought that
he might find something that would explain the mystery.

He hunted all around in the thicket of alders beside the Laughing Brook,
but nothing unusual did he find. Then for a long time he sat as still as
still can be, studying and thinking. Finally he thought to himself: "I'll
just see how my voice really does sound down here," and opening his mouth
he screamed:

"Thief! thief! thief!"

Then out popped Jenny Wren, and she was so mad that she couldn't sit still
a second. My, my, my, how she did scold!

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Sammy Jay! You ought to be ashamed of
yourself!" she sputtered. "Isn't it enough to keep us awake half the night
without coming down and screaming all day?"

"I haven't been down here in the night, and I haven't kept anybody awake!"
replied Sammy Jay indignantly.

Jenny Wren came right up in front of Sammy Jay and hopped up and down. She
was so mad that with every word she jerked her funny little tail so that
Sammy Jay almost had to laugh.

"Don't tell that to me, Sammy Jay! Don't tell that to me!" she cried.
"Didn't I see you with my own eyes sitting in that alder over there? Don't
tell that to me! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"