The Scarecrows of Hodmedodlee

by D J Birkin

  Chapter

  6

  The next morning Jenny was woken early by a tooting noise outside. A tractor with a trailer on the back was at their gate. From her bedroom window Jenny saw Ma wrapped in her red dressing gown run out to meet the farmer. The storm in the night had been a biggy just as Ma had said it would be. There were trees laying down all over the village. Fences and bushes had been torn up and thrown everywhere as if they were as light as matchsticks and one massive old elm tree lay across the village duck pond making a bridge. Some of the village cottages had lost great big chunks of their thatched roofs and Ma's garden was covered in a thick layer of roofing straw. The farmer was pointing up at Ma's roof. He spotted Jenny at the window and waved to her. The farmer was a nice looking man, not too old, with sandy blonde hair under a tweed cap. Lying flat out on his tractor trailer were five of Ma's scarecrows. Jenny could see Salty Tam minus his sailor's hat, but she was shocked to notice he was also minus one of his legs. Tattie Bogle was next to him and seemed fine, he even had his Top hat still on his head but one of his sleeves looked floppy. Dickie Perch lay next to them, he was clutching his new sailor's hat in one hand but he only had one boot and a floppy trouser leg. And underneath them all, Jenny guessed by the clothing, were Grackle and Crowie Blak.

  The farmer carried the scarecrows round to Ma's barn while Ma and Jenny got dressed and made a cup of tea and a porky sandwich for him. Farmer Peter Bun tapped on the back door, ducked to get under the short door frame and wiped his boots on the mat.

  'Hello.' he said 'You must be the beautiful princess Jenny I've heard so much about.'

  He bowed to Jenny which made her blush. Peter had a lovely smiling face and was very polite, he always took his cap off indoors. Ma and Peter Bun chatted about the storm. Peter said it had been especially bad up on the hillside farms. He had tried to find some of Ma's other scarecrows but they seemed to have disappeared.

  'I passed old Miss Peel's cottage on my way here.' said Peter. 'Good job she doesn't live there anymore, the roof's just fell in.'

  Miss Peel died a few years before. She had been Ma's best friend and used to make all the jam and marmalade for the village. Ma missed her a lot, she also missed her much needed regular supply of marmalade.

  'That's sad.' said Ma. 'I do miss my days with Ellie Peel...now what do you think I should do about my roof Peter?'

  'Don't worry.' said Farmer Bun. 'I'll send some of my lads round this morning to clear up your garden first.'

  Peter had known Ma since he was a baby and he loved her like he'd loved his own Mum. Peter patted Ma's hand.

  'Anyway, old Badger the thatcher will have his work cut out now with all this storm damage, but he owes me a few favours. I've already spoken to him this morning. You're number one on his list to get your roof mended today.'

  Peter winked at Jenny.

  'You haven't met my boy Billy yet have you? I'll send him round too he can lend a hand. I expect you'll be joining his class at school soon.'

  Jenny hadn't even thought of school yet. She hadn't been to school for months but she was good at reading and writing and if Ma said she had to go then that was fine with her. As soon as Peter left, Ma rushed off to the barn to check on the scarecrows before starting the breakfast. Jenny washed up the tea cups and laid the table.

  'Not too bad considering.' Said Ma when she came puffing back. 'Nothing that can't be mended later. I've left them all playing snap cards and they’re arguing with each other. That's normal so they're definitely all right.'

  'Can we go and look for the others soon.' asked Jenny. She was worried about them and hadn't even met some of the girls yet, except for Dolly Clockaclay.

  'Do you think Dolly's all right Ma?

  'I should think so my dear.' said Ma. 'Dolly's probably tucked herself up in Angela's potting shed, that's her favourite hidey hole when the weather turns. We'll take the pram out with us after breakfast and try and find the rest of the gang. I'll do you two eggs and soldiers today, it'll keep you going. We've got a busy day ahead of us my little wren and we mustn't forget to go and collect Pinny Pipit at four o'clock.'

  Jenny hadn't forgotten Pinny Pipit, she'd really missed her and couldn't wait to bring her safely home again.

  Good as his word, Peter Bun sent two of his strongest farm lads straight round to clear up Ma's straw covered garden. His son, Billy Bun, was with them. Billy was a lovely friendly fair headed kid with cheeky looking grey eyes. He loved Ma as if she was his own Grandma. He'd had lots of bowls of probs in Ma's kitchen after his Mum had died and couldn't do enough to help out when Ma needed him.

  'I'll come with you.' Billy said, as Ma told him she was off to find scarecrows.

  'Just in case they're up trees. You're a bit old for climbing trees Ma. It's man's work so I'll do all that.'

  Jenny and Billy chatted as they searched around the allotment taking it in turns to push the big old pram with Ooty riding inside it as usual.

  'I'm in Mrs Dogrum's class. We call her old dog's bum behind her back.' Billy whispered. 'Guess you're be in her class too when you start school - if you're eight or nine?'

  'Ma just said I'll probably start school after Easter.' replied Jenny. 'She's going to see about it. I'm not nine for ages.'

  'Nine's not all it's cracked up to be.' said Billy. 'My mate Sid Tucker is nine and he said it's nothing special. I like your cat, he's funny. I've never seen a cat that liked riding in a pram before.'

  'Look!' Ma suddenly shouted pointing up at a shed roof 'There's Beanie and May.'

  'Don't worry.' said Billy, dying to show off in front of Jenny. 'Bill's you're man. I'll get ‘em down for you Ma.'

  The two lady scarecrows were draped over the roof ridge, one on either side, and seemed to be holding hands with one arm each. Billy was as agile as a monkey and soon up on the shed roof.

  'Catch Ma.' he called as Beanie Pole came down with a plop and Ma caught her in the pram.

  Ooty only just managed to leap out before she landed. Then Ma ran around the other side of the shed and caught May Pole as she plopped into the pram too, landing on her sister's lap. Jenny looked at the two girl scarecrows. Their dresses were ripped to Taters, their hats had gone and both had an arm and a leg missing. May Pole had lost her hair too. With only a bald head she had such a sad expression on her face. Jenny felt so sorry for the girls and patted May's one remaining twiggy hand.

  'Don't worry.' she whispered. 'I'll help Ma fix you up, you're both still really pretty.'

  Ooty soon climbed back into the pram and snuggled up between the scarecrows while Ma, Jenny and Billy all heaved together to push the heavy old pram on through the village.

  Ma had been correct about Dolly Clockaclay. She was safe and sound in Angela Flowerdew's potting shed. She was sitting contentedly on a sack of flower bulbs looking through her collection of old seed packets, she loved the paintings on them of daisies, asters and forget-me-nots. She put them back in a flowerpot when Ma whispered that Billy was outside. Ma opened the flap in Dolly's dress and showed Jenny and Billy all the little clockaclays safe and snug inside their nest. As Dolly seemed simply absolutely fine, they left her where she was and carried on looking for the others missing scarecrows.

  Spadger Bron was found in the highest of trees tangled up in his football scarf. Billy shot up the tree like a startled squirrel and was soon out on the branches rescuing him. Once again Ma expertly manoeuvred the pram and Spadger landed with a splat on top of the two Pole sisters, squashing Ooty this time as he wasn't quick enough in getting out of the pram. After a few seconds he emerged from under the heap with his ears flat to his head looking very cross. He had two broken whiskers.

  The third Pole sister was Polly Pole. She was eventually found in someone's back garden and looked really quite happy swinging upside down, back and forth, on a washing line. She was all in one piece but her yellow stringy hair was full of twigs and leaves. Her pink dress was flopping over her shoulders showing her bloomers, which were mu
ddy and ripped – but at least she still had them on.

  'That just leaves three more girls and the Sack brothers to find.' sighed Ma.

  It was now lunch time so they headed back home with the two children helping Ma to push the heavily ladened pram with Beanie, May, Polly and Spadger all sitting on top of each other and Ooty squeezed in between the scarecrows.

  Jenny helped Ma cook a big lunch for everyone including the farm lads. Mr Badger, the thatcher, appeared like magic at the backdoor with his cap in his hand, when he smelt the bacon cooking. Billy managed a man sized lunch and said he'd stay on for the afternoon to help Ma and Jenny find the other scarecrows.

  Lolly sticks and Minnie Mommet were later found under a neighbour's garden hedge. They were hugging each other so tight and it was hard to part them to get them in the pram. Lolly had lost one of her legs and both girls had leaves and brambles in what was left of their hair.

  Spudder Sack was was eventually found on one of the hill farms. He was mashed under an old rusty tractor. He was the most badly damaged of them all. He had no hat and no hair. He had an arm missing and no legs, or trousers either, but he was still smiling as he did still have his favourite yellow check waist coat on and was secretly protecting three robin’s eggs in his pocket.

  Tater Sack and Drippy Mommet were nowhere to be found and the time was fast approaching four o'clock. Billy left to go home saying he'd call round and see Jenny again soon as he could and Jenny and Ma hurried off to collect Pinny Pipit down on the canal.

  Just as he promised, Captain Sam's narrowboat was waiting for them. Sam was very pleased with how the show had gone. He had won the second prize for the best boat and was sure it was because of the little scarecrow. For his hire payment, Sam gave Ma a bag of his old hats and gloves and said he would love to hire Pinny Pipit again for the summer show. He proudly showed them his little silver prize cup. It had a sticker on it that said ‘Second Best in Show. The Marigold.’ – That was Sam’s boat.

  'I'll be going all out for the gold cup next time.' he said.

  'I was a bit worried about you in last night's storm.' said Ma.

  'No need.' replied Sam.' Me and TigTig are seasoned sailors. I took the flower pots down below and battened down the hatches. We've seen worse than that little blow.'

  Sam looked at the pile of battered scarecrows in the pram.

  'Phew, looks like you'll have your work cut out mending that lot Ma.'

  'True Sam and we still have two missing.'

  'Well I wish you luck Ma and if you need me to help in any way just drop a postcard down to Skippy's boat yard, he always knows where to find me.'

  'Thank you Sam. We must be getting on now. Take care of yourself.'

  Jenny whispered to Pinny asking if she'd enjoyed her first job as a show model, but Pinny didn't answer. Ma and Jenny waved goodbye to Sam until he was out of sight. Ooty had stayed hidden in the bushes. He'd been peeping through a gap and watching as the fat orange TigTig had dropped a dead mouse at Ma's feet as his own hire payment. Jenny carried Pinny Pipit home in her coat pocket as she helped Ma pushed the heavy pram of raggle taggled scarecrows. Once everyone had gone, Ooty crept out from his hiding place and, with no one to see, he gave a quick kick of his back feet and flicked TigTig's mouse into the canal.

  Back home Ma quickly made a huge pile of marmalade sandwiches, dusted them thickly in pepper and asked Jenny to run a sandwich down to Dolly Clockaclay in the potting shed. Which she did. Dolly was simply divined to accept her sandwich along with a pop bottle full of milky tea. Jenny loved Dolly already and curtsied to her again before she left. Dolly was simply divined and blew her a kiss in return. Back home Jenny found Ma in the barn handing out the sandwiches and sweet milky tea to the gang of weather worn hodmedods. May, Beanie and Polly Pole were crying and hugging each other. They soon stopped doing it when Jenny gave them each a large slice of sticky marmalade cake.

  As you know, scarecrows don't feel any physical aches and pains but they do feel happy and sad and they really do feel love for each other at times. But mostly they only think they love someone for a day or two, or a minute or two, and then completely change their minds about it. In the barn there were lots of arguments and bickering going on between all the scarecrows.The three Pole sisters said they loved the two Blak brothers, but, Grackle and Crowbie Blak said they hated the Pole sisters and both the brothers were now arguing over who liked Minnie Mommet the best. Minnie said she only loved Salty Tam, who said 'Tough Pudden.' because he couldn't stand her. So you can see it can be a bit confusing in the scarecrow world of love, and as no two scarecrows could ever decide to both love each other, there were lots of fights and constant arguments and never any weddings. In fact, Ma said she had heard about a scarecrow wedding once down dorset way, but there had never actual been one in Hod-me-dod-lee that she could remember.

  Ma examined Salty Tam and found he had lost a leg, his sailor's cap and one hand. The loss of the hand didn't bother him as he still had the other one to hold his cake with but he was very upset about his leg as he said it was his best dancing leg. He also keep staring at Dickie Perch's sailor's hat. Dickie was deliberately tormenting Salty by tapping his new sailor’s hat with his hand and sticking his tongue out at him. Ma nudged Jenny and whispered.

  'I can see the fur flying over that sailor's hat sooner or later you mark my words.'

  Minnie Mommet kept making wailing noises and had her dirty torn yellow dress over her head showing her muddy bloomers off to everyone. Ma pulled her dress back down several times and told her it wasn't ladylike and she was to behave more like Dolly and eat her sandwich nicely which she did for all of five minutes then Minnie took one look at Salty Tam again with his missing leg, let out another wail, and threw her dress back over her head. It was something she did a lot, that's when she wasn't hugging Lolly sticks who was her best friend. Lolly was the prettiest of the girls, she was like a big Pinny Pipit in a pink frilly party dress with yellow string hair bunches....only now her dress was Tattered, her hair was full of brambles and of course she had no left leg either. Jenny sat on a straw bale and watched them all in wonderment as they giggled, cried, jumped around, shouted and laughed at each other. Then to Jenny's total surprise, Crowbie Blak's head suddenly fell off as he tried to munch a stack of sandwiches. Jenny watched in horror as it rolled across the floor and stopped by her feet. But she didn't need to worry about it as Crowbie’s brother, Grackle Blak, quickly picked it up and bashed it back on Crowbie's neck again as hard as he could. Jenny thought that Grackle was perhaps enjoying the bashing a little too much, but Crowbie seemed very pleased, as all he wanted was to carry on eating his supper. Ma came and sat down next to Jenny and sighed at sight of all of her once clean smart scarecrows now broken and muddy, flopping around on the straw bales.

  'I think they've had enough pulling about for one day Jenny.' she said. 'I'm a bit worn out too. We'll start the mending tomorrow eh? Come on lets go and have our own tea.'

  Then Ma locked the barn up for the night - but not before telling them all to behave themselves and kissing each one goodnight.