The wind blew through the pumpkin patch and the scarecrow shivered in the cold. He was propped up on a tall post, stuffed full with yellow straw, and wearing Jack’s flannel shirt, although there was only one button left on the shirt so it fluttered open with every breeze. His hat this year was one of his favorites. He often saw Jack wearing it while he worked on the farm, now Jack had a new hat, and Piper, as Jack had named him, was wearing the worn old cowboy hat.
The hat tipped down covering Piper’s brow, leaving little room for him to see what all was going on in the pumpkin field today. Yet, Piper didn’t mind because he had grown used to looking down and watching the pumpkins grow large with the green leaves sprouting out around them. He felt rather than saw the next gust of wind carrying some of his straw away with it. He wondered when Jack would notice that he needed a new stuffing. He was getting too thin. Piper was afraid he might fall off the post. Then who would scare the animals away?
Piper loved his job. When Jack built him, Piper remembered the way Jack had spoken to him. He had told Piper that it was his job to keep all the pests out of the garden so that Jack and his wife could have food to eat. Piper was so proud to have a job. Year after year, he kept watch over Jack’s garden scaring off any and all creatures so as to keep Jack and his wife happy. Every now and then Jack would return and give Piper a new set of clothing. This year, Piper was gifted with the cowboy hat, although with the way the wind blew he wondered if it might have been a better idea for Jack to give him a new flannel shirt.
The wind bustled around him, tugging at his straw. It was tied pretty tightly together, yet he could feel it loosening every now and then. Piper was just thinking about how nice it would be to have Jack come out and visit him again this year. He’d only been by once, and Piper missed his only friend. This was the thought going through Piper’s head when he heard a rustling in the garden nearby.
Look sharp! Piper thought to himself. There is something in the patch, and it sounds like it is heading in this direction. Unfortunately the next gust of wind knocked the cowboy hat further down until it was soon resting on his nose. Piper couldn’t see a thing! Oh dear, how was he supposed to know how to scare the creature if he couldn’t see what it was? Piper thought quickly, he was going to have to act fast, he decided to try one of his best moves on the creature to see if it worked.
Piper stayed very still, allowing the wind to pick his arms up from his sides, until they were flapping up and down with the breeze. That oughta do it, Piper thought. He listened quietly for several minutes, but he heard nothing in the patch nearby. Success! He screamed silently. However, just as the wind died down and Piper’s arms once again fell to his sides, the soft rustling sound began again. Only this time, it was much closer.
Piper was shocked! He thought his best trick would have scared off the intruder. Piper, still unable to see the intruder, decided to try a different approach. He tried to open his mouth to shout, yet the only sound that came out was the soft sound of straw falling to the ground. Frustrated, Piper tried again, only this time half of his jaw fell to the ground below. Muted, and ignored by the intruder, Piper could only listen as the intruder began rustling around in the pumpkins below.
Piper was worried. If word got out that he was unable to scare creatures away from the pumpkin patch, what would become of him? He feared that Jack would not return to fix his missing straw, and that perhaps he would be tossed into Jack’s bonfire.
As Piper sat in silence, thinking over his unfortunate demise. He heard a new sound coming from the direction of Jack’s home. It was Molly. Jack’s dog. Molly had never gotten close enough to Piper for him to see her, but Piper could tell the dog was getting closer. The soft bark became a howl and soon the sound of an animal tearing through the garden until she reached Piper’s post.
Piper could hear Molly sniffing around in the area where the intruder was just a few moments ago.
A soft call came from the direction of the house, “Molly? Molly!”
It was Jack’s wife. Piper didn’t know anything about Sue other than that they needed to eat the food in the garden. He was getting even more worried as she drew close to the garden, calling out for Molly.
What if Sue didn’t like him? Piper thought. What if she threw him into the bonfire for failing to do his duty? Scared, Piper wished a breeze would come by to toss his arms in the air again to show that he was still useful.
Molly was still below Piper, nosing around near the post when Piper could feel rather than see the presence of Sue in front of him.
“What do you have here, Molly?” Sue asked. Then looking up at Piper she said, “Oh dear! What has become of you? I’ll be back in just a minute.” Sue said to Piper.
This is it, Piper thought, the end of me. Sue’s going to build a large bonfire and I will be tossed right inside it as useless as I am. Piper’s fear grew as Sue was gone for a long time. Molly had been unable to find the intruder and instead chose to lay against Piper’s post.
Piper heard the sound of the tractor starting up. It was heading in his direction. This is it, Piper thought, the end is near. If Piper could have hung his head down any further he would have.
When the tractor pulled up to the garden, Piper listened as footsteps drew close again. He heard Sue’s voice as she murmured a greeting to Molly, whose tail thumped in response.
How can they be so happy, Piper thought? My world is coming to an end.
Piper shivered in fear as another breeze passed by. He could feel Sue grasping at the frayed flannel shirt, tugging it off of him.
Why is she dragging out the end so much? Piper thought. I’d much rather it be done and over with.
Yet, Piper was suddenly struck with surprise as Sue placed a new flannel shirt on Piper. She tipped his cowboy hat back up on his head, and Piper, finally able to see, was amazed that Sue was actually here to help him. A small bale of straw laid on the ground beside her, and Sue carefully restuffed the new flannel shirt, fixing Piper’s jaw, and even gave him a pair of old jeans that must have once belonged to Jack.
Piper stared at Sue in awe. This wonderful woman was fixing Piper up! She was not going to burn him in the bonfire after all.
As Sue stitched Piper back together, she hummed, and Piper felt a smile growing across his face. Sue took a step back, admiring her work, and smiling at Piper.
Piper smiled back.
“That looks much better!” Sue said. “Now, I don’t want to see anymore sad faces on you.”
Piper started, Sue was giving him new orders. He listened carefully.
“All I want from you,” Sue continued, “is to stay put and look happy. Molly here will keep the creatures away. It’s fall after all, and we need our scarecrow to be happy and healthy for the season. Can you handle that?”
A breeze went by, knocking Piper’s cowboy hat down in front of his eyes again.
“Well that won’t do, will it?” Sue exclaimed. She reached up tucking more straw around Piper’s head until the cowboy hat sat up high again.
Piper was so grateful, he knew with his new orders, he wouldn’t have any trouble being happy. Sue and Jack were wonderful people. He shouldn’t have doubted them.
As Sue turned to leave, she stopped, looking back at Piper, with a satisfied smile on her face. “You look great.” She said, then turned, returning to the tractor and driving back off towards the house.
Piper just knew this was going to be a great year.
