

The Scarecrows of

Hod-me-dod-lee

by

D.J.Birkin

This work is entirely fictional.

All rights reserved.

Text, plot and characters copyright © D.J.Birkin 2014

This book is dedicated to my cat Spud in appreciation for his patience in waiting for his dinner when I was busy writing.

Love you Spud x x x
Disclaimer.

There are no illustrations in this edition because I can't draw...well, only matchstick men but they're rubbish.

Chapter

1.

It was September 1939 and Britain and Germany were on the verge of war.

Seven year old Jenny Ruddock had just been told she being sent to live with a family in the countryside. Her teacher said it was called being evacuated. Charlie, who sat next to Jenny in class, said there was 'NO WAY anyone was gonna vacuum him!' And the whole class had burst out laughing, even the teacher.

'No, no.' she giggled. 'Evacuated. You're not a carpet Charlie. It means having to move away. Hundreds of other children will be going too. It will be much safer for you all - just in case the German's do come and drop bombs on the town. It's just like going on holiday for a while.'

Most of the children in Jenny's class started getting upset at the thought of leaving their parents and some even started crying, but not Jenny. Up until then she had lived all of her short life in a children's home, which wasn't a very happy place, so Jenny didn't mind being evacuated at all. In fact she was really excited about it.

'The countryside is full of animals.' she told Charlie, 'You'll see, it'll be fun. Much nicer than dirty old London town. We'll have a wonderful time.'

I suppose I'd better describe Jenny straight away, just so you can get an instant picture in your head as I wouldn't want you to think she was green, ten feet tall with hair sprouting out of her ears. Believe me with I say, and I'm not being unkind here, Jenny was just as plain and ordinary as any little girl could be. You couldn't put your finger on a single outstanding or unusual thing about her.

She was average height for her age, had dark grey eyes, a pleasant smile and liked her mousey brown hair cut to a short bob... see, not green at all.

She didn't even have any interesting scars. No birthmarks shaped like funny vegetables and certainly no boils, spots or tattoos. No humm..that's an interesting limp kind of limp, no stut stut stutter, no 'OH you made me jump' kind of a twitch, no missing teeth and no lispy lisp.

In fact she didn't even have any annoying habits to irritate the heck out of you, such as biting her nails or clicking her teeth or cracking her knuckles or picking her nose and eating it. No, she was just plain ordinary Jenny – but in my experience it's always the most ordinary of children that end up living the most extra-ordinary lives.

When Jenny arrived in the countryside she was instantly whisked off to a tiny out of the way hamlet called Much Nuffin.

The hamlet was aptly named as nothing much had ever happened there in the past and I suspect nothing else happened there after Jenny left - but while she was there, Jenny was to live with a single lady by the name of Miss Boot and not a big happy family as Jenny had hoped.

Miss Boot was huge. Massive. As big as a farmer with ruddy red cheeks and enormous nostrils that always showed like a pig's snout.

It was obvious to all who saw her that she really liked looking ugly because she deliberately topped off her image with shocking red dyed hair that she tied back so tight that some people meeting her for the first time though she was actually Chinese.

As the billeting officer for the county in charge of finding homes for evacuated kids, Miss Boot felt it was her duty to set an example and take in one of the evacuees herself. Unfortunately, especially for Jenny, Miss Boot couldn't stand children in any shape or form and lived all alone in the middle of absolutely nowhere. There was no school, no church and no shops in Much Nuffin, not even a postoffice - and sadly no other children for Jenny to play with either.

From the minute Jenny arrived Miss Boot laid down her rules.

'You will call me Miss Boot or just Miss but never Mrs. I am a very important person with a very important job and I am extremely busy so you will stay out of my way at all times. I hope that's clear?'

Oh yes, it was perfectly clear. Miss Boot was a great big horrible pig woman and Jenny didn't like her. Miss Boot lived for only one thing in life, bossing people about. She bossed the people about in Much Nuffin and in the village next to it and in all the towns for miles around. Naturally everyone called her old bossy boots...or just the old boot...but of course it was always behind her back and never to her face because as I said before, she was massive.

Over the next few days the horrible pig woman was so busy being bossy and organising things, flying in and out of the house and tearing off in her car, she completely forgot that Jenny was even there at all.

She forgot to sort out Jenny's schooling. Forgot to cook her any meals. And sometimes even forgot to come home at night... and she always, always, forgot what Jenny's name was.

'You'll just have to manage on your own...umm...child.' Miss Boot would say. 'There is a war on you know!' And off she'd rush again in her little black Austin car to go and boss another committee about, leaving Jenny all alone to fend for herself. Jenny was now lonelier than she had ever been before in her life. Every night she slept with her bedroom curtains open just to have the moon for company. One night, Jenny opened her bedroom window and stared sadly at the big white moon. Just then a tiny blue star raced across its face. Jenny quickly called out to it.

'Star light, star bright, first star I've seen tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.'

Then she closed her eyes and made her wish to the shooting star.

'I wish I had someone to talk too and play with and I wish I had a great big family. Oh and if I can have an extra wish please, then I wish somebody would love me.'

People have always made wishes on stars and Jenny had done so many times before, but never before had she wished as hard as she did that night. She wished until she thought her little heart would burst. She watched the little shooting star until it disappeared behind the clouds and then she sighed. She glanced down at the dusky garden below her. Something moved on the roof of the shed. It looked like a rat. Jenny stared harder. No, it was a kitten, a tiny kitten as black as coal dust. Jenny quickly called out to it.

'Here Ooty Ooty.' (Which rhymes with here Sooty Sooty.) 'Come to me little Ooty, I won't hurt you.'

The little kitten looked nervous but it didn't run away, it just sat on the shed roof watching Jenny with its pretty blue eyes twinkling like fairylights. Jenny decided it was so hansom it just had to be a little boy cat. The kitten stayed for a few more minutes then disappeared back into the darkness.

The next night Jenny watched for the kitten for ages, and eventually it returned again, and the next night, and the next, becoming a little braver each time until finally he accepted the food that Jenny offered him in a saucer on her window sill. Soon Ooty had moved in permanently and was sleeping in Jenny's bed with her every night. He purred and licked Jenny's nose with his tiny pink tongue to make her giggle, then rolled on his back so Jenny could tickle his tummy in return. Now with Ooty for company Jenny felt slightly happier and settled in to her new life at Miss Boot's.

As the horrible Miss pig face Boot was never at home, Jenny learned to manage perfectly fine without the need for any adult supervision. At the children's home everything had been done for her so even the simplest of things had to be learned from scratch. She started by washing her own clothes as best she could in the kitchen sink and drying them on a chair in front of the open fire - which of course she had to teach herself to light with sticks and logs from the wood shed. Then she taught herself to sew and mend things and found she really enjoyed trying to cook hot meals, like tinned soup and, Ooty's favourite, sardines on toast, or sometimes soup on toast as some of the tins didn't have any labels. Once, she ended up with tinned peaches on toast, which was really interesting but peas on toast wasn't so nice and Ooty didn't go much on that either.

Jenny no longer felt lonely, she now had Ooty to play with and, better still, to cuddle up to at night. They were growing very attached to each other. Ooty turned out to be an extremely quick learner. He soon knew how to play with a cotton reel. How to chase a paper mouse and how to kiss Jenny on the nose as a thank you when she gave him his dinner. His favourite food was the tinned sardines, which was fortunate as Miss Boot had crates of them in the pantry and very little of anything else.

On the rare occasion Miss Boot did come home, Ooty would make himself scarce until bedtime then quietly slip into bed with Jenny and hide under the covers.

When it was Jenny's eighth birthday, Ooty sang to her and gave her the birthday card that Jenny had made for herself. Then he enjoyed himself shredding it to bits.

When Christmas came and Miss Boot didn't, Jenny and Ooty lit a candle and sang carols together. Ooty had a rather good singing voice, a touch loud at times, but always in tune. His version of 'Oh, come all ye faithful' made Jenny's eyes water. As for gifts, well, Jenny's to Ooty was a white paper cat angel with wings. Ooty gave Jenny a dead bumble bee he had found in the garden shed with only one wing, but it was still a pretty bee.

As the weeks rolled slowly on Ooty was no longer just a cat in Jenny's eyes, he was a person, her brother and her best friend. The only person she loved in the whole world and the only person who had ever loved her.

Ooty and Jenny made a pact to never be parted so long as they lived.

One blowy afternoon in March, when the house was all warm and cosy inside, Miss Boot exploded through the front door in a gust of cold air and dead leaves. She was very excited and was actually smiling, yes smiling, and because her ugly face was not used to doing smiling and it didn't really know what it was required to do, it just made an enormous deep red crack right across her face from one big ear jaggedly across to the other.

It was a horrible sight.

'Child where are you ?' screamed the jagged crack mouth, whilst Miss Boot snatched up a shopping bag and began filling it with clipboards, pencils and bundles of little note books.

'Oh I'm just here Miss ' said Jenny quietly, watching bewildered from the kitchen doorway as the grinning pig woman flew around the tiny sitting room grabbing and snatching things up.

'Come on get your things ...child. Got to move you on somewhere. Must get up to London. Lots of people to organise. They can't manage without me. Chop chop whatever your name is. There is a war on you know!'

Jenny's mouth dropped full open. She was flabbergasted. She knew, and hoped, she'd be moving again one day but she didn't think it would be right there and then that very minute and she hadn't even had her onion soup supper which was still on the stove behind her.

'But...But...But what about Ooty.' Jenny stammered. Tears beginning to sting her eyes.

'An Ooty. What is an Ooty?' asked Miss Boot. 'Come on, there's no time for Ootying things.'

Miss Boot was hopping up and down on the sofa and rubbing her big shovel hands together.

'Ooty is my cat.' said Jenny quietly.

Miss Boot stopped hopping and looked puzzled. The jagged red crack of her mouth reshaping it's self into a screwed up ball where it felt more at home.

'Cat? I didn't know we had a cat. I can't stand cats. I hate cats. Horrid dirty furry things. Full of fleas and diseases.'

'Ooty does not have fleas and I love him.' Jenny said starting to get angry.' Ooty is my cat and I'm not leaving him behind.

The pig woman stepped slowly down from the sofa looming over Jenny like a... Well, like a huge pig really.

'Don't be stupid child. You can't expect people to take in filthy creatures as well as annoying little children else their houses would soon be over flowing with...cows and ...and.. lions and things. Now come on, sharp about it. Chop chop. Pack your suitcase.'

'No.' said Jenny. 'No I won't.' And she quickly darted out of Bossy Boot's reach.

'If Ooty can't come with me then...well....well then I'm not going.'

Jenny crossed her arms defiantly and laid flat out on the floor like a dead person, but with a deep red angry face and not a dead white one. It was the first time in Jenny's life that she had ever answered an adult back like that. She had absolutely no idea what would happen next. So she just lay there, dead still and terrified with her eyes tight shut waiting for Miss Boot to start screaming or slapping or something worse. But Miss Boot didn't scream or slap, she didn't even shout. It was Miss Boot's turn to be flabbergasted.

'Oh no this won't do, won't do at all.' The old Boot eventually gasped.

'Crikey...umm ... Spanner in the works and all that. No no. Where are my lists. I can't be messing around with brats and creatures. There is a war on you know! '

The shocked Miss Boot began fumbling around in her bag pulling all the note books back out again, frantically flicking over the pages and running her finger up and down the countless names they contained. Jenny opened her eyes and watched her. Eventually Miss Boot stopped, waved a book triumphantly in the air and declared.

'Problem solved! Old Bootsy does it again. Woman here on my list takes in injured animals. She'll do. Put the thing in a tin or something and go and get your clothes. Chop chop - Get up off the floor child you're not a hearth rug.'

Miss Boot packed her own things in an instant and was soon outside impatiently tooting her car horn.

'Chop chop child. Hurry up.' She yelled from the car window. 'It's getting dark. Long way to go. Come on child - GET IN THE DAMMED CAR.'

Jenny climbed in the back of the car carrying a large wicker shopping basket with Ooty inside it. Under Ooty was a patchwork cushion that Jenny had made for him, and under that were some tins of sardines. Miss Boot didn't take any notice of the basket and couldn't have cared less about the sardines anyway. She slammed the car into gear with a deafening crunch and tore up the lane out of Much Nuffin. Jenny's little suitcase stayed behind on the path watching them go.
Chapter

2

It was dark when Miss Boot's car skidded onto the grass verge in the village of Hod-me-dod-lee. The journey had taken over half an hour and had ended on the edge of the large village green opposite an ancient cottage with a weathered straw roof.

'Yes yes this is it.' squealed the pig woman rubbing her shovel hands together. 'Someone's home, smoke coming from the chimney. Out you get child. CHOP CHOP whatever your name is.'

Jenny struggled out into the damp night air carrying Ooty in the heavy basket. Miss Boot shoved open the garden gate to the cottage - but it immediately bounced back on her with a surprisingly loud 'OUCH.' The 'ouch' had been forced out of an old lady who had just been smacked smartly on the bottom with the gate whilst bending down behind it.

'Good evening.' said the old lady, standing up and briskly rubbing her bottom.

'I was just going to give the hotchie's their supper. May I help you?'

'Name's Boot. Billeting officer. OFFICIAL war department, it says here on my list that you take in animals as part of the war effort.'

'Yes that's right my dear.' said the old lady smiling down at Ooty cowering in the basket.

'Jolly good.' said the old Boot,' because this child has one with her. In you go child.' And with one massive shove Miss Boot propelled poor Jenny forcefully through the gate and into the old woman's arms. The old lady stared at the bossy Miss Boot and then down at the child's timid face hiding inside a red duffle coat hood. She understood the situation perfectly.

'I do take in animals Mrs Boot.' she said calmly 'But I prefer to take in children, especially little girls in red coats.' and she gave Jenny a reassuring wink.

'Excellent excellent.' said Miss Boot. 'We all have to do our bit... and it's MISS not MRS. As soon as I can arrange a better home for..for..well for thingy, then I will call to collect her. Well must dash, things to do, people to organise. There is a war on you know!'

And with those words and no goodbye to Jenny, Miss Boot climbed back into her car and drove off. Jenny and the old lady stared in silence as the car tail lights quickly vanished into the night. The old lady still had a tin bowl in one hand, the other arm she put softly around Jenny's shoulders.

'You put this bowl down on the path for me my little red robin' she whispered 'and watch what happens.'

Jenny was very upset at being dumped on a complete stranger in the dark and really she wanted to cry, but she was a brave girl and did as the old lady asked. Jenny watched in amazement as a big Mother hedgehog and her troop of prickly babies came rushing out of the dark bushes, onto the moonlit path, and clambered excitedly into the bowl their little pink feet wriggling over the rim in excitement as they tucked into their supper.

'No pushing kiddies.' said the old lady, waggling her finger playfully at the hedgehogs. 'There's always plenty for everyone at Mawpin cottage.'

Then the old lady gave Jenny's hand a gentle squeeze. 'Tinned cat food, that's what you feed hotchies, never give them bread and milk or the babies will choke on it. I promise there is nothing to be scared of here little robin. Hod-me-dod-lee is a lovely place and I'm really happy you're here.' Hand in hand the little couple followed the moonlit garden path, round to the back of the old cottage and in through the low kitchen door.

When Jenny stepped into the brightly lit kitchen her eyes nearly popped out. Never in her life had she seen a kitchen like it. It was as if the circus had arrived and every clown in England had brought his clothes round to be washed at the same time. The kitchen ceiling had wooden beams, but you could barely see them beneath the festoon of brightly coloured shirts, coats, scarves and pairs of old trousers. Nearly everything had check, striped or spotted patches on them and the air was steamy and heady with the scent of warm lavender.

'Bring yourself in little robin' smiled the old lady. 'Excuse the mess. It's hiring day tomorrow and I must get my washing aired. You get yourself warm by the stove and I'll fetch the tin opener. I expect your little cat would like some tinned cat food.'

'I don't think he'd eat it.' said Jenny shyly. 'Ooty only likes sardines, he's got some in his basket.' And Jenny picked out a tin and handed it over.

The huge kitchen fireplace filled one wall and contained a big old fashioned black iron cooking stove piled high with shiny clean saucepans, cake tins and silver baking trays. On the mantle shelf above were dozens of china cats, all different in size and colour and all grinning happily. In the middle of them all was a wooden Napoleon hat clock. The time was 7.40. Next to the stove was a squashy red velvet armchair. Jenny sat down and sunk into it.

'Do I call you Miss or Mrs?' she asked in a whisper.

The old lady looked down at Jenny and winked again. She was small in height and as round as a berry. Her eyes were just like Ooty's, not cat shaped but the same sky blue and just as twinkly.

'Poppy Mawpin, that's my name, but everyone calls me Ma so you can too if you like.'

Ma lifted Ooty onto the wooden kitchen table and opened the tin of sardines for him. As she bent over to dish the fish onto a saucer, Ooty reached up and kissed Ma on the side of her nose.

'Well blow me down to Devon.' exclaimed Ma in surprise. 'Why ever did he do that?'

Jenny grinned. 'He's just saying thank you for his supper, I taught him to do it.'

'And what about your supper little robin? You must be hungry too, how about a nice big farm egg with buttered soldiers followed by a bowl of pobs?

'Yes please' said Jenny, 'I haven't had an egg for ages, but I don't know what pobs is.'

'Oh probs is lovely.' said Ma. 'You'll love it...and you don't need to kiss me nose for it.'

At that, Ma and Jenny both gave a little giggle which immediately made Jenny feel much more relaxed about being in a stranger's house.

A radio was on in another room and some quiet but cheerful dance music was playing. Jenny smiled as Ma hummed to the music and wiggled her hips as she bustled about in her cluttered little kitchen preparing the food - all the time ducking under the colourful clothes that kept plopping down on her head. Jenny guessed she was a very old lady indeed, probably over a hundred, but on closer inspection she appeared to have surprisingly few wrinkles for such an old person. Her cheeks looked as soft and plump as pink marshmallows and her small pink lips had no wrinkles at all and smiled all the time, like she knew a secret and wasn't telling. Her white hair was very soft and fluffy and after parting in the middle it wrapped itself around her face and ended in a plump white sausage at the back.

Ma gave Jenny a glass of blackcurrant juice while she busied herself at the table buttering and cutting the bread into soldiers. Jenny watched her with interest. She saw that Ma's red fluffy slippers tapped to the music and the poppy flowered apron she wore covered her all over and seemed to have it's work cut out keeping all of her wobbly bits tied up in the right places. Jenny thought Ma was the nicest person she had ever met. Suddenly, without any warning, tears began to trickle down Jenny's flushed cheeks. Ma noticed immediately and knelt down on the floor and hugged her.

'Come on little robin, you have a good cry and then tell me all about it. You're safe here with me, there's nothing to worry about now.'

Her voice was so soothing and sincere.

Ooty jumped up onto the arm of the chair and joined in the hug. He couldn't bare to see Jenny upset. He stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on her shoulder and licked away her wet salty tears. Jenny told Ma all about herself. How she's be found abandoned as a baby in a hospital waiting room because her Mother hadn't wanted her. How all the friends she made were always adopted and taken away but no one ever chose her, even the horrible Miss Boot didn't want her, and she guessed Ma wouldn't want her and Ooty for long either ...but she was never going to be parted from Ooty because the wishing star had brought him to her. And, she sobbed, old bossy Boots had left her suitcase behind on the path so now she didn't have any clothes. Ma listened sadly and held Jenny tight until she had stopped crying, then she kissed her on her flushed cheeks and said.

'Right then my little robin, when I manage to get up off this floor, I'll tell you what I think. You and Ooty should stay here with me for as long as you want to stay. Because I would never let anyone take you away, and I would certainly never ever turn either of you out. And don't you worry about clothes, clothes is just things, we can always get you some more.' Jenny sniffed and listened to Ma carefully.

'Besides, I don't believe in children being unhappy, it stops them growing properly so we'll have none of it in this house. I have been happy since the day I was born and look how big I grew. ' Jenny stopped sniffing and began to smile as little old Ma stuck her tummy out and wobbled it around. Then she wiped Jenny's face with her apron and looked at the clock.

'Well I never. I do believe it's one second to happiness time and it starts......now.' The clock chimed eight times. Jenny chuckled. Ma was funny and Jenny was liking her more and more.

'You go hang your coat up in the hall' said Ma 'then come and eat your egg. What's your name little Robin I can't believe I forgot to ask you.'

'It's Jenny. Jenny Ruddock.'

'Well blow me down on a sunny day.' said Ma delighted 'I just knew it would be, I love all birds.'

Jenny looked puzzled.

'Jenny wren' said Ma.' That's the smallest prettiest bird in the whole of England and it just had to be Ruddock because a ruddock is a robin red breast. Suites you perfectly.'

Jenny didn't know before that her name had a meaning but she liked being named after two pretty birds. She went into the hall to hang up her duffle coat.

Like the kitchen, the hall ceiling had wooden beams. A twisty staircase wriggled up the right hand wall and colourful patchwork mats covered the floor. The walls were white and decorated with paintings of cats and flowers and lots of wild birds. There was a row of hooks by the front door and Jenny had to jump to hang up her coat. Then she looked into the room on the left where the music was coming from. The sitting room was very clean and smelt of wax furniture polish. The light was off but the room was brilliantly lit by a real fire glowing in a fire place that was so big Jenny could have stood up in it even if she's been wearing a top hat. There was a big painting of a house over the fireplace and Jenny guessed it the house she was in, Mawpin cottage. There were more of the same old fashioned beams on the sitting room ceiling and a few on the walls too hung with china plates. The curtains were closed and made of red poppy flowered fabric as were the chair and sofa covers, even the rug on the wooden floor had red flowers on it. Poppies were clearly a favourite theme in Ma's house. Jenny liked it. It was how she had always imagined a proper home would look like, old fashioned but cosy so you felt safe.

The egg and buttered soldiers were yummy, as was the pobs that followed.

Pobs is buttered bread squares soaked in a bowl of hot milk. It's then sprinkled with sultanas and thick brown demerara sugar. A bit like bread and butter pudding. Then the bowl goes under the grill so the sugar melts into toffee. Then of course you have to blow on it until it cools down.

Jenny and Ooty liked the pobs....but Ooty wasn't sure about the sultanas so he played flicking those around the kitchen table for a while, just in case they were a new kind of beetle he hadn't been introduced to.

'Is Ooty a good mouser ?' asked Ma sipping her tea from a large cup with a smiling tabby cat's face on it.

'Very' said Jenny.' I taught him to chase mice. Miss Boot's house was full of them when I first got there, they'd chewed holes in everything, even my bed. We practised first with a paper mouse and them Ooty chased the real ones away and I washed all the bed clothes myself.'

'Then I have a job for you tomorrow little man.' said Ma tickling Ooty's chin. 'And you too my little wren. I hope you like making cakes. I've got a busy day ahead and could always do with an extra pair of baking hands.'

Jenny was thrilled, she loved cooking and had always wanted to learn how to make cakes. Ma noticed Jenny's eyes were now desperately trying to stay open. 'Perhaps it's time for bed now eh my little robin? You can nest in with me tonight and I'll sort your bedroom out for you tomorrow.'

Jenny was too tired to ask any more questions and followed Ma up the twisty stairs.

Standing in Ma's bedroom Jenny giggled as she looked down at the red nightie she had been given to wear. It swamped her like a circus tent, dragging on the floor with the sleeves hanging down to her knees, but it smelt of lavender, which was nice because lavender helps you sleep well.

''Oh well it'll keep you warm tonight my little tomato.' chuckled Ma. 'In you pop.' and she turned back the big red puffy eiderdown, before tucking Jenny snugly in. Then she placed a night light on the bedside table. It was a little toadstool house that gave out a pinky glow through it's red spotted roof. Then she turned off the main light. Ma's bed was so big and so soft that Jenny's eyes closed before she could say goodnight. Ooty climbed in next to her and closed his eyes too. Ma looked down at the small child asleep in her bed and sighed.

'Sleep well little Jenny. The Robins told me you'd be coming one day.'
Chapter

3

Later that night Ma had a cup of tea in the kitchen with her friend Creamy. The village milk lady often popped in to see Ma before bedtime for a cuppa and a chat - and hopefully some of Ma's cakes.

'Do you think I've done the right thing? Asked Ma opening her cake tin. 'What with me being so old.'

'Absolutely' replied Creamy scanning the tins contents unable to choose between the cherry or the chocolate cakes.

'Sounds like the poor little mite has been through a lot in her short life already. Anyway I couldn't think of a lovelier person in the whole world for her to live with than you Ma. I'm a bit jealous now. I wish it was me.'

Ma smiled. 'You are soppy Creamy. But seriously, I do hope she'll be happy here. I think Jenny needs a real home, somewhere that's permanent. Why not have both cakes dear.'

'Well if you're sure Ma' grinned Creamy 'When I've finished my tea I'll nip over home and sort out some bits and pieces for Jenny. As you know I've been given the task of collecting spare clothes for the evacuees and the village has been very generous so there should be lots that will fit her.'

Creamy looked up the ceiling full of colourful washing. 'Don't worry Ma, I've already washed and ironed them all.'

Creamy, real name Alison White, looked like a thin young version of Ma, she even had white hair as it was such a pale blonde, but hers flew all over the place. Creamy was always trying to tie it up or put it behind her ears but it always escaped and did it's own thing. Her Mother had died years before and Creamy lived alone with her father, devotedly looking after him, as he was very old and often very unwell. The rest of Creamy's time was taken up with her early morning milk round, fetching shopping for elderly neighbours, running the village hall, cleaning the church, and generally being one of those invaluable people that small villages just can't do without. Poor Creamy, with her Dad to look after she had never had time to find a boyfriend or get married like her sister Susan had.

She was soon back with a red dressing grown with a white rabbit on the pocket. A new hair brush in a packet. Nighties, socks, slippers, cardigans and all sorts of other things she thought Jenny might like. 'These should get her started.' she said. Oh and I didn't know her foot size but here's some welly boots and a fluffy scarf I knitted for my sister but I can always knit her another one her birthday's not till May.

Creamy White truly was, ' An angel waiting to grow wings.' as Ma was fond of saying.

When Jenny woke up the next morning, Ma and Ooty were already downstairs. Jenny had slept in really late. The red dressing grown was hanging on the chair next to the bed and all the new clothes, plus her own dress, which had been washed and ironed, were in a neat pile.

Jenny put the dressing gown and slippers on. Both were a bit big but she liked them. Then she tiptoed to the bathroom.

The loo at Miss Boot's had been a really old fashioned type, called a privy. It had been outside in the back yard with cobwebs and spiders in it, but here it was indoors in a pretty bathroom with stripy black and white angel fish swimming on the pink towelling curtains. On the sink was a new flannel and a new blue toothbrush with a scrap of paper that just said

'Jenny wren.' with a X next to it for a kiss.

Jenny cleaned her teeth as she gazed out of the window that looked down onto the back garden. She could see Ooty happily digging in between the clumps of spring flowers (doing his gardening as Jenny called it when he went to the loo) It all seemed like a wonderful dream especially after the nightmare months at the old boot's house.

Dressed in her own clean yellow dress and a nice red cardie from Creamy, Jenny went downstairs. Ma wasn't indoors but she soon came bustling up the path from the front gate carrying a basket of pale grey ducks eggs and a bunch of yellow daffy's. She was singing a song to herself.

'Oh, Daffy Down Dilly has come up to town in a yellow petticoat and a green gown. Oh, Daffy Down Dilly has....'

Ma stopped singing when she saw Jenny.

'Well that's most of them gone now,' she smiled.

'And how's my Jenny Wren this morning, bright and chirpy as a chick I hope. Duck eggs and porkies in fifteen minutes. Like me new hat?'

Ma was wearing a floppy straw sun hat covered in red velvet flowers. She gave Jenny a kiss on the top of her head.

'It suits you.' grinned Jenny. 'What's gone Ma?'

'The hodmedods.' said Ma. 'The scarecrows. It's hiring day today.'

'What's a scarecrow?' asked Jenny.

Ma stopped short of the kitchen door and turned round in such surprise her hat fell over her eyes.

'Don't say you've never seen a scarecrow before?'

'I don't think so.' said Jenny.' What do you do with it?'

'Do with it?' Ma was stunned. 'You um...You don't do anything with it, they do it all.'

'What do they do Ma?'

Ma saw that Jenny was confused.

'I know.' said Ma. 'There's a few of them still outside the gate. You go and have a look for yourself while I cook the breakfast and then I'll explain anything you want to know.'

On the grass verge, all along the rickety cottage fence, stood a row of higgledy piggledy chairs all painted in bright cheerful colours. Most of the chairs were empty, but there were still three scarecrows left sitting in the row. Jenny stared at them. They were real sized people with heads made of wood, or maybe some kind of hard vegetable, jenny wasn't sure, because they were painted pale pink with big blue eyes, long black eyelashes and smiling red mouths. Two of them were dressed as lady scarecrows wearing frilly chiffon party dresses with floppy felt hats on their heads. Their hair was a tangled mixture of straw and shredded garden string tied into bunches. The other smaller scarecrow was dressed as a boy in a brown cap, a tweed jacket and bright blue trousers covered in red and yellow spotted patches. He was wearing a red and white football scarf tied around his neck.

Each scarecrow had a paper note pinned to its chest and Jenny read the first one.

'Drippy Mommet suitable for allotments and gardens, please look under the chair.'

Jenny looked under the lady scarecrow's chair and pulled out a brown cardboard box. Inside was a pencil and another note.

'You may borrow this scarecrow if you sign your name below and promise to return it after the harvest. P.S. Please leave something in the box. Thank you.'

Then Jenny read the notes on the other two scarecrows.

'Lolly Sticks, suitable for garden work. Please look under the chair.'

'Spadger Bron suitable for peas and beans, Please look under the chair.'

Jenny felt quite excited, the scarecrows were like nothing she had ever seen before, like enormous dolls but not at all scary or scruffy like the horrible Guy Fawkes dummies you put on a bonfire. She bend down and pulled out the cardboard boxes from underneath all of the empty chairs. They were all jam packed full of gifts. Tins of fruit, bags of potatoes, old jumpers, jackets and scarves. One box was full of old hats, at least six of them, plus several knitted odd gloves. Another was full of tinned food and bags of flours whilst another contained a framed picture of a robin, a jar of scented hand cream, at least six pots of orange marmalade plus a big bag of treacle toffees.Each box also had its own note and Jenny read all of those too.

'Farmer Beef's got Tattie Bogle for 50 acre field.'

'Ta Ma, Dickie Perch is gone to Digg's farm.'

'I have taken Polly Pole home for my garden, signed Deirdra Peel.'

'Grackle Blak needed for Brownlow's farm thanks Ma... bye.'

'Dear Ma, I've taken Salty Tam to 10 acre field, with thanks Peter Bun. P.S. if you need any decorating just give me a shout.'

And so it went on as there were lots more boxes, and lots more notes, and Jenny worked her way along the row looking at them all.

'What funny names' she though 'I wish I'd woken up earlier to see all the other scarecrows.' And she tried to imagine what 'Beanie Pole' and 'Tater Sack' might look like.

The last chair in the row was also empty, but on the seat was a tiny note with a little stone on top.

It said 'LoOk undA Cher NOo' The spelling wasn't very good.

Jenny pulled out the box and gasped.

Sitting in the box on top of some clothes and a tin of fruit cocktail was the teeniest little girl scarecrow you could ever imagine. She also had a note pinned to her chest. It said.

'Pleez Pik me'.

Jenny picked her up really carefully and saw that she was made of thin sticks of wood with a tiny painted head that was probably a hazel nut. She was perfectly adorable. Nearly big enough to be a dolls house doll...but not quite. On her head she wore a tiny straw sun hat embroidered with flowers under which her hair was made of black sewing thread tied up in two bunches which stuck out on either side with red wool bows tied to them. Over the top of her colourful patchwork dress was a crisp clean white apron. Jenny peeped underneath the tiny doll's dress and saw that her bloomers appeared to be made from a lace hanky while her little sticks legs had been neatly painted as red and white stripy stockings with black shoes on the tips. Jenny was so fascinated with the little scarecrow she didn't hear Ma come up behind her until she spoke.

'Oh Pinny Pipit you are a naughty girl. I wondered where you'd got to this morning.'

Ma held her hand out for the tiny scarecrow. Jenny looked down at the little doll's sad blue eyes and red heart shaped mouth before reluctantly handing her over.

'Ma, why is Pinny Pipit naughty I think she's really beautiful.'

Ma put Pinny in her apron pocket.

' Oh yes that's true, Pinny is beautiful.' sighed Ma. 'She's also far too small to be a working scarecrow - but she wants to have a job like all the others so she's always running away. That's why she's naughty.'

Jenny laughed 'That's silly Ma, scarecrows can't think or run away.'

'Maybe they can and maybe they can't.' grinned Ma. 'So now you know what a scarecrow is. Do you like them Jenny wren?

'I do. I like them a lot ' replied Jenny. 'Especially Pinny Pipit.'
Chapter

4

All through breakfast Jenny couldn't stop thinking about the tiny scarecrow in Ma's apron pocket. Eventually she just had to ask.

'Ma, please can I play with Pinny Pipit.'

Ma looked at Jenny thoughtfully, she was having to think about it.

'Maybe.' she said eventually.' But you mustn't just throw her on the floor if you get bored with her, she's not a toy... and please don't get her dirty, she hates getting dirty. You must treat her gentle and kind like a real little person. If you can promise me that...then ...yes you can play with her. Can you make a promise my little robin?

'I promise.' gushed Jenny. 'I really really really promise Ma.'

'Well all really really right then.' chuckled Ma.' I've got a visitor coming soon so you can take Pinny down to my barn in the orchard behind the garden and play there for a while. Take Ooty with you, I'd like him to see if there's any mice in there, I'm sure I heard some mickies scratching around yesterday. Ma gave Jenny another big kiss on the head.

'Mind you keep your promise Jenny wren. Pinny Pipit is very precious to me and I love her very much.'

The old barn was enormous. Jenny had to push hard to open the massive wooden doors. Ooty shot inside. He must have smelt mickies because he busied himself for ages leaping in and out of the stacks of straw bales. Jenny had a look around and then finding an empty shoe box she played pretending it was a boat for Pinny Pipit.

'If you really can move on your own then please do it for me.' she begged and sat Pinny Pipit gently down in the shoe box boat and watched her carefully. She watched her for a long time hardly daring to breath, but Pinny Pipit didn't move.

'Never mind then' Jenny eventually sighed, picking Pinny back up and kissing the top of her teeny head. 'I still love you anyway.'

For the next hour or so, Pinny was sailed around the barn in her cardboard boat and pushed around the garden in a huge black baby pram that was full of bits of straw. Finding some boxes of old clothes, Jenny tried on a few hats and put a green woolly one on Ooty. He soon wriggled out of it, hats were not really his idea of fun plus he was beginning to feel the need for yet another tasty sardine and tried to kiss Jenny's nose several times.

'Ok Oots I know, I know.' said Jenny tying a piece of string to the shoe box boat. 'Let's go and get you a snack then.'

And off they went with Jenny pulling the shoebox boat along with Pinny happily riding inside it. They headed along the garden path back to the kitchen door. Jenny had just stepped over the back door step when she quickly jumped straight back out again as a raspy voice snapped viciously at her.

'Wot yous ogging at you pesky scrag. Nedder sin a lady taking tea afore?'

Jenny froze rigid and stared at the old woman who was sitting at Ma's kitchen table. Ooty's ears went totally flat to his head as he flew across the kitchen and disappeared into his shopping basket by the stove.

'Er, no, Miss... I mean yes Miss ' answered Jenny quietly.

The old woman terrified her. Ma held out her arms and Jenny shot straight to her like a bullet from a gun. The old woman glared at Jenny with her sharp black eyes.

'Scrag.' she hissed.

'Jenny, this is Miss Birdie Stump up from Dorset for a visit.' explained Ma. 'Birdie this is Jenny I just told you about her, Jenny has come to live here and I expect you to be nice to her. This is Jenny's home now.'

Jenny stared at the old brown woman.

Birdie Stump glared back at her.

'Nudder pesky scrag.' muttered the old woman looking cross and spiteful. Then, in an instant, her nasty expression switched to a sweet smiling one as she beamed up at Ma.

'skoooose me Ma, more teas please.'

The old woman then rudely waved her china teacup in Ma's face. Ma reached to take it and nearly jumped out of her slippers when Jenny suddenly screamed out loud.

' TWIGS ! Her fingers are twigs.'

Jenny was shaking and pointing at Miss Birdie's hands.

'Course they's twigs.' snapped Birdie Stump ' Wot you fink they is, pork sausages.'

Ma put her arm around Jenny to calm her down and spoke softly.

'No need to be frightened my little wren, Miss Birdie is just another scarecrow like the ones you met this morning. Only they were too shy to talk to you today. I promise Birdie won't hurt you. She's a very special scarecrow. Miss Birdie is the oldest scarecrow in England, probably in the whole world.'

Birdie Stump turned her sharp pointed nose up at Jenny and bumped her cup impatiently against Ma's tummy.

'I sez more teas Ma....pleeeease.'

Ma poured Birdie another cup of tea while Jenny edged back towards the door, still watching the nasty old scarecrow. Miss Birdie blew on her tea to cool it then sipped it like a lady holding the teacup with her little twig finger cocked in the air, but unlike a real lady she then made disgusting slurpy noises as she drank. Birdie Stump continued to stare at Jenny, her small black glass eyes peering out of her dark cracked face. Jenny just couldn't take her eyes off of her either. She guessed that Miss Birdie's head was probably made of wood as it looked brown and polished like the Napoleon hat clock on the mantel shelf. Whether she had any hair or not was impossible to tell as her head was completely wrapped in a big black bonnet, like in the olden days, with white lace around the inside and an enormous black bow tied under her chin. She rocked herself back and forth in her chair as she continued to slurp her tea, her faded black dress all the time rustling like dry winter leaves. Jenny jumped when Miss Birdie spoke again.

'Stop ogging at me. I is free 'undred and thirteenth you know. Wot you 'ere for scrag ?'

'I'm not here for anything.' Jenny answered politely but very quietly.

'Well git off then.' hissed Birdie 'In my days scrags wozn't sin an they wont 'erd neither. '

'That's enough of that Birdie.' scolded Ma. 'I asked you to be nice. Jenny's not a scrag she's a young lady and now you should be getting ready to go, the van will be here soon to collect you.'

Birdie Stump shoved her chair back hard against the stove, rose, and went to fetch her shawl. Jenny thought she did a very good impression of a pirate with a wooden leg as she clonked across the stone kitchen floor. Without her huge bonnet the old scarecrow woman was probably no taller than Jenny, but all the same Birdie Stump was still really scary.

'Orid scrags.' Birdie hissed 'All days stickin' me wid pokey sticks.' and she disappeared into the hallway pulling the door closed behind her with a loud bang.

Ma rushed forward and just caught one of her best poppy plates that wobbled and fell from the dresser. Then she sat down and poured herself a cup of tea and explained to Jenny that Birdie was too old and precious to work in the fields, so now she lived in a museum instead. Several times a year the museum staff brought Birdie to visit with Ma for a while so Ma could give Birdie her woodworm medicine and see if her clothes needed any repairs. Ma could see that Jenny was still feeling a little shocked and nervous, so light heartedly she changed the subject.

'If I know cats I expect young Ooty's hungry again.'

Ma lifted him out of the basket and onto the kitchen table.

'Did Ooty find any mice in the barn?'

'I think so.' replied Jenny her eyes fixed hard on the door to the hallway. Suddenly it burst open with another loud bang. Jenny jumped again. Ma reached out and just managed to catch a second plate before it could hit the floor.

'Where's 'em mardylade rolls? ' Demanded Birdie Stump. 'Bet that scrags et em and you go shoo orid puss, always tiddlin' on fings.'

Ooty flew off the table and back into his basket again. Then Birdie suddenly stopped moaning and stared at the floor. She had spotted Pinny Pipit in the shoe box. She bent down close to the tiny scarecrow's face and hissed at her.

'You is bad you is. You's a little hussy biter.'

Ma quickly stood up and pulled Birdie away from Pinny, offering her a paper bag to distract her.

'Time you was going now Birdie.' said Ma 'Here's your marmalade rolls, put them under your shawl. I just heard the van toot it's horn.'

'Make sure you's gone next time I sees you.' Birdie hissed at Jenny as she snatched the bag from Ma. She then grasped Ooty's shopping basket handle and shook it.

'No tiddlin' on nuffin or you go shoo.'

Poor Ooty, he had no intention of tiddling on anything...ever. He lay flat as a black pancake in the bottom of his basket. Birdie wrenched open the back door with another bang, this time knocking a patch of plaster off of the kitchen wall, and limped outside. Ma quickly followed her. Jenny breathed a sigh of relief. She could just hear Ma telling Birdie to try and be nicer next time she visited, and then something about robins that Jenny couldn't quite hear properly. She flopped down into the saggy old red chair by the stove.

'Phew, I'm glad she's gone Ooty, aren't you?'

Ooty was very glad indeed.

The afternoon flew past in a daze as Jenny listened carefully to Ma talking about scarecrows whilst showing her how to make proper pastry Jenny had never been so happy or so excited. Scarecrows and cooking, what a brilliant day. Ma said Jenny was lucky that Birdie Stump had chosen to speak in front of her. Jenny said she thought she was only lucky that Miss Birdie hadn't bitten her head off and eaten it with marmalade.

'Can all scarecrows move and talk like Miss Birdie ?' asked Jenny still amazed at the very thought of it.

'Only proper ones, and then only when they want to.' said Ma. 'Mostly they don't like us hooman beans very much so they usually just stand still and quiet when they see a person coming their way. But when no one's around... they flap their arms about and shout at the crowbies to scare them off the crops and usually get up to all sorts of naughty tricks when your back's turned.'

Jenny couldn't stop asking questions.

'So how many scarecrows are there in Hod-me-dod-lee Ma?'

'Well I have sixteen to look after.' said Ma. 'Not including Miss Birdie because she only visits, but there are hundreds of scarecrows all over England busily working in other villages. My sister Bluebell has about fifteen or maybe more and I think our little sister Primrose had over twenty last time she counted, but she lives in a big village down Devon way and has a husband to help her. He's called Oak. He's as tall as an Oak too - funny man.'

It had been a magical afternoon and Jenny made some of the best marmalade tarts that Ma had ever seen, she'd even put a sugared pastry heart in the middle of each one. Jenny always knew she'd be good at baking if she got the chance and Ma said she was a born pastry cook. Ooty forced himself to scoff another two sardines and then staggered back into his basket. He seemed to have got over the shock of meeting Birdie Stump quite quickly judging by the loud snoring noises he made for the rest of the afternoon.

After such an incredible day, Jenny made sure she was ready for bed early that evening, she was determined never to get up late ever again in case she missed any more fantastic scarecrow stuff.

Ma had got Jenny's bedroom all ready for her.

'This bedroom used to mine when I was a girl.' said Ma 'I used to share it with my sisters.'

The room was right next to Ma's and was a bit bigger in size. It faced south at the front of the cottage with a view that stretched across the wide village green to all the old shops and cottages that huddled around it.

Of the bedroom's three single beds, Jenny chose the one by the window with the blue forget-me-not flowers on the puffy feather eiderdown.

'That was my sister Bluebell's bed when she lived here.' said Ma putting the toadstool house night light on a chair next to it.

'Primrose had the yellow one and mine was the poppy red one of course. We had lots of fun in here when we were girls. I remember Primrose painted rabbits hopping all around these walls once. I hope you like it. Peter Bun painted it out fresh for me last year.'

'I do, but I wish it still had the rabbits.' said Jenny. 'They sound lovely.'

The whitewashed walls were hung with lots of animal pictures. Hedgehogs, badgers, birds and a squirrel eating blackberries. Jenny liked it a lot and went off to sleep really happy and relaxed that night with Ooty and Pinny Pipit tucked up in bed beside her.

Just as Jenny was nodding off to sleep she thought she heard a tiny squeak say

'I likes yous.'

...but she might have just imagined it.
Chapter

5

Early next morning, Ooty woke Jenny up by tapping her on the head with his paw.

'Stop it Ooty' Jenny said yawning and pushing him off ' What's the matter, do you want to go out and do some gardening?'

Ooty wasn't in a gardening mood. He was bouncing on Jenny's pillow, singing his best cat song and donking her on the head again and again.

'Ok, ok ' she said, sitting up and looking in the bed for Pinny Pipit, but Pinny wasn't there.

Quickly Jenny threw the bed covers back and checked under the pillows and then under the bed itself. But Pinny Pipit had vanished.

'Oh no,' cried Jenny.' I promised Ma I would take care of Pinny and now I've lost her.'

Ooty raced downstairs and through the open back door. Jenny ran after him in her nightie and out into the garden, but there was no sign of Pinny Pipit on the way.

Ma was hanging up the washing on the long line that followed the garden path. She was hopping in and out of the daffys with a bunch of clothes pegs sticking out of her mouth. She looked surprised to see Jenny out in the garden in her nightie with bare feet and she dropped the washing back in the basket.

'Ma ! Ma ! Pinny has run away.' gusted Jenny.

Ma's mouth fell open and the pegs dropped to the path.

'That naughty girl.' said Ma. 'She'll be the end of me one day. She's such a worry.'

Ma was not at all cross with Jenny, she was worried about Pinny Pipit.

'Last time she did this Farmer Beef's old dog got hold of her and shook her to pieces. I found her in a puddle in a terrible state. I wish she'd stop running off looking for work.'

Jenny ran upstairs to get dressed and then went with Ma and Ooty to search for Pinny.

Having looked in the garden, the barn, under all the bushes and in the orchard, with no luck at all, the three searchers then spread out to hunt under all the hedges around the village. Hod-me-dod-lee is only a small village of perhaps thirty or forty houses but someone as tiny as Pinny Pipit had a million places she could hide. Ooty was lots of help squeezing into the rabbit holes and under all the garden gates. Then he looked around the back garden sheds and even popped his nose inside a few of the houses. He came out of one kitchen looking very pleased with a cold sausage that he'd found, but he didn't find Pinny Pipit. So the search was extended further a field, down the village lanes and then out onto the canal path.

Jenny had never seen a canal before and was amazed to suddenly see boats floating through the farmer's fields. Every so often one of the long skinny boats would past slowly by them with it's engine tutting and moaning. The driver would tip his cap at Ma as he passed, and Ma seemed to know all the drivers by name. Jenny loved the narrowboats. They were all brightly decorated with red, white and yellow roses and some even had beautiful pictures of fairytale castles painted on the sides. The people that owned then often lived on them and took great pride in making their floating homes look as attractive as possible. Jenny wondered why car owners didn't do the same. While they searched for Pinny in the long grass that flopped over the tow path, one of the narrowboats pulled alongside the bank.

'You lost something Ma?' called the driver.

'Yes we have Sam, a tiny scarecrow.'

Sam, or Captain Sam, as it did say CAPTAIN on his cap in gold letters, hopped off his boat and moored it to the bank.

'Is this what you're looking for Ma?'

Walking towards them he held out his hand revealing a very cross looking Pinny Pipit.

Ma sighed aloud, she was so relieved to see Pinny again.

'My TigTig found it this morning further down the canal.' explained Sam. 'He brought it aboard in his mouth. I thought it was a mouse wearing a dress at first.'

Jenny giggled.

Now Ooty was very interested in the word mouse and thought he had best take a look at this mouse catching TigTig. Jumping aboard the boat he disappeared down inside the boat's cabin. Less than ten seconds later he came shooting out of the boat like a lit firework, pulling a huge ginger tom cat along with the tip of his tail. Jenny quickly removed the fat orange TigTig and picked Ooty up. Ooty stood on Jenny's shoulder as spiky as a hotchie spitting and shouting rude cat words down at the marmalade coloured cat. TigTig grinned back up at Ooty and made yowling noises that in cat language meant something like 'Come on if you think you're tough enough Blackie.'

Captain Sam handed Pinny Pipit over to Ma. But just as Jenny had felt sad when she had to give Pinny back the first time she saw her, so Captain Sam also seemed very sad to give her back.

'I was hoping the scarecrow doll didn't belong to anyone.' he said sadly. 'It looked a proper treat sitting in my flower pot.'

On top of Sam's narrowboat were rows of plant pots full of spring flowering bulbs. The colours were as cheerful as his lovely painted boat. Sam was going to the spring boat show and was hoping to win a prize for the best decorated narrowboat.

'That scarecrow just finished off the look bootiful.' he said.

Jenny tugged at Ma's apron and whispered to her.

'I've got a good idea.' she said.

Ma listened, and a big smile spread across her jolly face. The idea was this. Captain Sam could hire Pinny Pipit for the show if he promised to bring her back safely....and... If he gave Ma something he didn't need when he came back, as a little hire payment, then it would have been a proper job for Pinny Pipit. Her first real job all on her own.

Ma loved the idea.

Captain Sam was delighted to hire the little scarecrow and promised faithfully he would return her the day after next at four o'clock in the afternoon. Then he put Pinny Pipit back amongst the flower pots, where he was right, she did look a proper treat. Then he thanked Ma, shaking her hand until Ma had to wriggle free in case her arm fell off. Sam untied his boat. Jenny and Ma waved goodbye as Captain Sam steered his narrowboat away down the glittering canal.

Jenny was still waving to Pinny when the boat was just a speck in the distance. Ooty didn't get off of Jenny's shoulder until he was totally sure the fat orange TigTig was also just a speck. Ooty hated marmalade and now he hated marmalade coloured cats too. Ma gave Jenny a big cuddly squeeze.

'You're a clever girl.' she said.' Pinny is such a vain little thing she'll think she's a model now, she will enjoy herself showing off at the boat show. Come on, let's go home, we haven't had any breakfast yet and now it's nearly lunch time, we'll have to have some of that posh brunchy instead.'

After brunch, Ma brought out the daily baking things. Flour, sugar, butter and eggs and at least four jars of marmalade.

'I'm all behind like a dog's tail thanks to Pinny Pipit.' Tutted Ma. 'You best help me knock up a batch of marmalade rolls for the scarecrow's suppers.'

'Do you feed all the scarecrows in Hod-me-dod-lee?' asked Jenny.

'Of course.' said Ma, 'Only once a day and always marmalade on everything.'

'Who makes their lunch and breakfast then Ma?'

Jenny desperately wanted to know every single detail about scarecrows.

'Oh scarecrows are never actually hungry.' explained Ma. 'They don't feel things like we do. They never feel sickness or pain and really they don't need food at all, they just love the taste of it, especially marmalade. So I let them have it because it makes them happy and a happy scarecrow is happy in his work.'

'So can they feel happy then?' asked Jenny

Ma looked at Jenny thoughtfully.

'Well, yes they feel happy and sad and naughty and cross and they argue all the time, but that's feeling things in the head. They can't feel things in the body. Oh dear, I don't think I'm explaining this very well am I Jenny?'

'Yes you are Ma,' chuckled Jenny. 'I understand what you mean. If the sun was shining they would feel happy about it. But if you stuck a pin a scarecrows bottom he wouldn't feel it.'

'That's it exactly.' said Ma relieved.

'Sometimes their heads and legs fall off and they just put them back on again and it never ever hurts them. But sometimes you will hear a scarecrow say, Oooh or ouch and make such a lot of fuss, but they are just copying real people like me and you because that's what they think they have to do. They just exaggerate everything like clowns do.'

'I get it Ma.' smiled Jenny. 'But where do scarecrows come from. Are they born like babies, do they have Mums and Dads?'

'No no' replied Ma throwing great dollops of pastry around the kitchen table.

'If two or three scarecrows are made at the same time, then they do tend to think of themselves as being related. Like the three Pole sisters, May, Beanie and Polly, but then you haven't met them yet have you my little robin.' Ma sighed. 'They're the silliest girls in Hod-me-dod-lee, apart from Minnie Mommet of course and she's even sillier than they are.'

Big clouds of flour puffed up into the air as Ma rolled out the pastry with a huge wooden rolling pin. Ooty sneeze at the flour and somersaulted backwards into a corner.

'So who makes the scarecrows?' asked Jenny. Who was enjoying greasing the baking trays while they talked.

'Real scarecrows can only be made by proper scarecrow makers, like myself.' explained Ma. 'I made some of the younger ones that live here, my Mother and my Grandmother made most of the older ones, except for Miss Birdie Stump and I think my great great great Granddad Silas made her. There have always been scarecrows in Hod-me-dod-lee, that's where the name comes from. A hodmedod is the old country name for a scarecrow, same as a mawpin or a mommet.'

'Did you make Pinny Pipit as well ?' asked Jenny, she sliced the rolled out pasty into long wide strips just as Ma showed her.

'Oh yes, said Ma, 'I made Pinny Pipit when I was about your age. A pinny is a very old country name, it means a small doll, and a pipit is a tiny bird. Pinny Pipit was my first ever scarecrow. She was my learning piece. My Mother showed me how to make her from the leftover scraps in her rag bag. But that was a long long time ago.'

'How old are you then Ma?' asked Jenny.

Ma grinned 'I'm as old as my left leg and a lot older than me teeth.'

'Will you show me how to make a learning piece?' Jenny asked hopefully. 'I could make a friend for Pinny Pipit.'

'Maybe' said Ma 'I'll need to ask the robins about that, plus I don't think Pinny .....'

Ma didn't have time to finish her sentence as suddenly the back door burst open smashing against the kitchen wall and in staggered a huge soaking wet man. With a massive splat he fell face down on the kitchen floor like he was dead. Jenny squealed out loud and Ma's dropped a pot of marmalade that exploded on the floor next to him covering the poor man with orange goo.

'Dickie Perch' exclaimed Ma quickly helping him up. 'You made me jump out of my slippers, what on earth are you doing here, you're supposed to be working up at Digg's farm.'

Jenny and Ooty couldn't believe their eyes. The wet man lying in Ma's kitchen was another walking breathing scarecrow.

Ma helped Dickie Perch to a chair and put his back against the warm stove. Jenny grabbed a dishcloth and began wiping the marmalade off of his clothes. The poor scarecrow was soaked right through to his straw body. His head was made from a hard painted turnip, and like his wet clothes, it was caked in wet mud. He was wearing a green woolly sweater and yellow checkered trousers. The trousers appeared to be wriggling and moving around on their own.

'Scrags.' howled Dickie Perch 'Rotten pesky gip scrags Ma.'

Ma tried to calm him down with a cup of milky tea with a big dollop of marmalade in it.

'Drink it slowly while you get dry. Then you can tell me what happened.'

Jenny and Ooty sat and watched the steam starting to rise from Dickie Perch as the heat of the stove quickly began to dry him out. Very soon the patches on his clothes became lighter and more colourful and his yellow straw hair began pinging up like a broom around his muddy face. Ooty, who had not taken his eyes off of the scarecrow's trousers, watched with interest as they continued to jiggle about on their own.

'Oh no. Nudder pesky scrag.' cried Dickie pointing at Jenny with his long twiggy fingers.

'Ma, gip scrags. Ducky's wet. Pinched me titfa Ma. Got mickies in me jaggys an all.'

And then suddenly, without any warning at all, Dickie flew up in the air and began leaping and dancing around the kitchen, kicking and shaking his straw legs, his bushy hair bouncing up and down, his arms flapping like a fat pigeon that couldn't take off.

It was hilarious watching the steam coming off of the funny dancing man as he leapt around like a crazy clown. Round and round the kitchen table he hopped, all the time shouting. 'Oooh, mickies, NO, oooh ahhh No mickies NO!'

Jenny and Ma were both getting splattered with chips of mud as bits of broken straw flew off all over the kitchen. Suddenly Ooty leapt at one of Dickie's trouser legs and Dickie squealed even louder and danced even faster while Ooty clung on tight swinging back and forth like a clock pendulum.

'Pesky puss NO NO.' screamed Dickie. 'NO puss, NO Mickies NO.'

Dickie leapt up onto the kitchen table and began danced around on the top. Ma's pastry went flying. China cups and plates were sent smashing to the floor, but Dickie danced on, kicking his legs wildly. The faster Dickie danced, the tighter Ooty clung on to his leg. Jenny thought she would faint from laughing so much and could hardly see for tears. At last she managed to grab hold of the swinging Ooty and unhooked his claws from Dickie's trousers. Ma wrestled with Dickie and forced him to sit back down on the chair.

'My goodness, what a performance.' gasped Ma wiping away her own tears of laughter.

'So Dickie, let's see if I've got the story straight. Some gypsy children stole your hat. Put mice in your trousers and then threw you in Digg's pond. Is that what happened?'

Scarecrows have a strange way of speaking but Ma seemed to understand him perfectly.

'Orrid pesky scrags.' Dickie sniffed as he slurped his tea.

Poor Dickie was obviously still very upset. He was not laughing at all and kept slapping his twiggy hands on his trousers legs.

'Come on then Dickie, off to the barn with you.' ordered Ma. 'Ooty, you'd best come too. Jenny you stay here my dear. No little girl needs to see a scarecrow without his trousers on.'

Dickie Perch did as he was told and sulkily followed Ma outside. He hopped, skipped and slapped his own bottom all the way up the garden path, while Jenny watched and giggled from the kitchen doorway. After a while Ma returned with Dickie's muddy clothes. Ooty had been left in the barn to deal with the mice that had been scurrying around inside Dickie's trousers, while Dickie had gone off to sulk in the bales of straw and have a nap. Jenny had picked up all the broken china and spoiled pastry. The little kitchen was clean and tidy once again.

'Oh you are a good girl for cleaning up for me.' said Ma 'You're more precious than diamonds. Best we start again with a fresh lot of pastry making.

Jenny weighed out the flour on the scales.

'Ooty's a marvellous mouser.' said Ma.

'I've had some good mousers over the years, I miss all of my old cats something terrible, especially my old Cfor.'

Jenny, who was now weighing the cooking fat, asked why Ma's cat had been called Cfor.

'A for apple, B for ball, C for cat of course.' Ma chuckled.

'When I lost him, I did get another cat, bright orange he was, just like TigTig. I called him Pumpkin, but he was a terribly lazy boy.'

Ma started mixing the pastry dough.

'Run off and married a lady cat that lived in a fish shop he did. I think he only married her for her cod bits.'

Jenny burst out laughing.

'Oh Ma, cats getting married in a fish shop, you are funny.'

Jenny carried on giggling as she cut the new pastry into strips and spread them with marmalade, then she rolled them up like fat Swiss rolls and put them in the oven.

'I don't really like marmalade Ma' she said wrinkling up her nose.

'Nor do I.' said Ma.' But there's nothing a scarecrow wouldn't do for a marmalade cake or roll, they can't get enough of marmalade sandwiches with extra salt and pepper on them. Tonight. After tea. We'll take Dickie Perch back to work and give all the scarecrow's their supper. It'll give you chance to meet the rest of the gang. Jenny was so excited she actually jumped in the air.

At teatime Jenny ate as fast as she could and Ma had to tell her to slow down several times, then she ran to put on her duffle coat, welly boots and Creamy's lovely new scarf.

In the barn Dickie Perch was dry, dressed in clean clothes, minus the wriggling mickies, and sitting in the big black baby pram waiting to go back to work - he was wearing a white sailor's cap and had a big grin on his face. Ma looked at the hat

'You know that hat will cause a ruck.' she said.

Dickie just carried on grinning.

'Well be it on your own head then.' and Ma chuckled at her own joke.

She placed a large basket of food packets on Dickie's lap and they all trundled off to the fields.

Pushing Dickie in the huge pram they left the village and wound their way up the deserted dusky lanes to the hill top farm where Dickie worked. Ooty trotted beside them stopping occasionally whenever he caught a whiff of mickies in the grass.

Evening had turned the sky deep violet when Dickie finally got out of the pram at Digg's farm. Standing back at his post in ten acre field he waved goodbye wearing his new sailor's hat and munching his marmalade rolls. The spring night air was starting to get quite cold and blowy and Ma and Jenny battled to push the pram over the bumpy ridged fields to the next farm. Ooty soon got tired of walking and decided to ride the rest of the way in the pram. Ma put the hood up for him.

At 50 acre field, Jenny was introduced to Tattie Bogle. He was a huge scarecrow wearing a massive top hat that made him appear even taller. At near on seven foot he towered above Ma and Jenny, but he was very polite and shook Jenny's hand. Ma called him her gentle giant. A proper old feller. Tattie Bogle was also a very greedy old feller. Ma said that her Mother must have made Tattie Bogle with hollow legs and she gave him an extra-large supper packet full of marmalade sandwiches with extra salt and pepper. He ate two immediately and put the rest in his pocket for later.

More suppers were delivered one by one as Jenny was introduced to each of Ma's male farm working scarecrows. Salty Tam was nice and friendly. He was working at Peter Bun's farm, but Salty had dreams of going off to sea one day and becoming the Captain of his own ship. He wore an old fashioned sailor's uniform and showed Jenny how to dance the sailor's horn pipe. He wasn't very good at it but he said it was because the wind kept blowing him over.

At Brownlow's farm, Jenny met Grackle Blak, he was enormous too. His name in the English countryside means a black rook. He looked like a rook bird too in his long black coat, but Ma had cheered it up with a few colourful patches. Ma had also just knitted him a new colourful stripy scarf which she took out of the pram, much to Ooty's disgust, and wrapped around his neck. He didn't smile but he did give Ma a kiss on the top of her head. Grackle seemed a bit of a grumpy old man and even call Jenny a scrag at one point and got a wagging of Ma's finger for saying it. His younger brother was much nicer. He came striding across the fields to meet then and to collect his own supper. His name was Crowbie Blak, which in the countryside means a black crow. Like his brother he was quite an ugly old scarecrow with a dark split wooden face and a huge hooked nose like a raven's beak. At first Jenny was a bit scared of him but he showed himself to have the nicest of personalities. Eventually Jenny decided she did like him as he made her laugh by telling her some silly jokes, plus he looked quite funny in his trousers with odd coloured legs and miss matched boots. One boot was painted red and the other was painted green and Crowbie said he had another pair of boots just like them at home, and that made Jenny laugh again.

The last of the big farm scarecrows were the Sack brothers, Spudder and Tater. Spudder was fairly chatty and was dressed in the brightest of clothes with a yellow check waistcoat and red patched trousers. He was quite a clown, putting his cap on back to front he gurned silly faces at Jenny. His brother Tater didn't look anything like him. Tater didn't say one single word to Jenny and kept his old tweed trilby hat pulled down over his eyes as he sat and munched his supper in silence. Ma said Tater was just very shy.

It was a strange and unbelievable sight to see moving, talking scarecrows sitting around in the twilight fields. Jenny thought she must be dreaming. She actually pinched her own arm at one point.

'Ouch,'

She wasn't dreaming. It really was happening and it was all true.

Little Spadger Bron, which means a brown sparrow, and all the lady scarecrows worked back home in the village itself. Most were on the allotment with a couple of them in private vegetable gardens.

'I think.' said Ma looking up at the night sky.' What with us being longer than usual tonight, chatting and doing introducing. We should give the supper basket to Dolly Clockaclay and go straight home. You can meet the rest of the girls tomorrow and anyway, Dolly will enjoy handing out the village suppers. She loves to feel important does Dolly Clockaclay.'

Ma had talked a lot that afternoon, mainly about March winds muscling in on April. At one point she had stood at the back door and sniffed the air several times. 'There's a storm on it's way.' she had told Jenny 'I can smell it coming. You mark my words it's going to be a biggy.'

Ooty had stood next to Ma and sniff the air too, but he had been checking that none of Dickie's trouser mice were still around. Jenny and Ma were now really struggling to push the pram along the dark country lanes as the wind blew colder and stronger. Ooty was snug inside the pram with the big black hood pulled up but the wind was trying to lift poor little Jenny off of her feet.

'I'm just wondering.' said Ma hanging on to the hood of Jenny's duffle coat.

'If we should have told the scarecrows to come home with us, this wind wants to play games tonight.'

Once they were back in the village Ma and Jenny turned up a grassy trackway with hedges on either side. Eventually the long path opened up to a huge garden behind a large old mansion house. A red hat with a white hand on top of it had followed them all the way along the path, bobbing up and down behind the hedge.

'Simply divined absolutely to see you Ma.' called out a posh lady voice.

Ma giggled.

'Out you come then Dolly Clockaclay I'd like you to meet my Jenny.'

A tall thin lady scarecrow wearing a red dress with big black spots painted on it leapt through a gap in the hedge and stood elegantly posing like a fashion model. One hand was on her hip and the other hand was on her hat to stop it being blown away in the wind. The hat was a red pillar box hat with two black feathers in it, one on either side. The lady had a little pointed tipped up nose and was wearing far too much red lipstick on her pale face, more like a clown's smile.

'Divined, darling simply isn't it absolutely.' declared the scarecrow.

Ma giggled again. 'Yes it simply is Dolly. Now do you think you could be a divine lady and hand out the village suppers to Spadger and the girls for me please? Jenny and I would like to get off home now before we get blown away to Devon.'

The lady scarecrow looked at Jenny and offered her white gloved hand as if she expected Jenny to kiss it.

'How you do.' she said in her funny posh voice.' Dolly Clockaclay is divined in absolutely simply meeting yous.'

Jenny said she was delighted to meet Dolly and cheekily curtsied to her. Dolly was absolutely simply thrilled. She took the basket from Ma, waved a white gloved hand in the air as if to dismiss Ma and Jenny and then tottered off back behind the hedge wiggling her bottom as she walked.When Jenny was sure that Dolly could no longer see or hear her, she burst out laughing.

'Oh Ma, she's so funny. I do like her. What a lady she thinks she is.'

'An absolutely simply divine lady too.' said Ma wiggling her bottom and walking on tiptoes pretending that she too was a fashion model.

'Dolly is one of the nicest scarecrows I ever made. She lives here with Angela Flowerdew most of the year. She only comes home to me if we get a really bad winter. Angela asked me to make her especially for her a few years ago. Dolly's lovely when you get to know her and she's the only clockaclay scarecrow in the whole of England - as far as I know.'

'What's a clockaclay.' asked Jenny who now wanted to know absolutely simply anything about scarecrows.

'Coco and biscuits first.' said Ma as the wind blew them home. 'I'm chilled to me old bones.'

Wearing their dressing gowns and sipping hot milky coco back in Mawpin cottage, Ma told Jenny more about Dolly Clockaclay. They were cuddled up together on the sofa in front of the fire with a big tin of biscuits and a knitted blanket over their legs.

'Have you ever seen a little red beetle with black spots on it?' asked Ma, dunking a biscuit in her coco and then trying to fish it back out with a teaspoon. Jenny said she had, it was called a ladybird.

'That's right.' said Ma.

'Down here in the country we call them clockaclays. Angela Flowerdew, up at that big house, grows masses of flowers in her garden and sells them to florist shops.'

Jenny was listening to every word. All scarecrow stuff was so interesting.

'Well.' said Ma. 'A few years back we had a plague of mayfid didies or some such insect, Angela did tell me their name, anyway, the little things nearly destroyed all of Angela's special flowers. The only way to deal with them properly, Angela said, is with clockaclays. So I made Dolly with a clockaclay nesting house in her tummy. The little clockaclays live in there safe and cosy and have hundreds of babies. Then in the spring Dolly lets them out, to fly around and deal with the mafy mayfid things.'

'Ma.' said Jenny.

Ma was expecting more questions about Dolly, but instead Jenny surprised her and said.

'Am I really going to live here with you forever or will you be sending me back to the children's home when the war stops?'

Ma looked horrified.

'Jenny my precious wren. If I live to be free hundred and thirteenth same as Birdie Stump, I promise I will never ever send you away and I'd fight anyone who tried to take you, real fisty cuffs. I promise, cross my old heart, Mawpin Cottage is your home forever, and I never ever break my promises.

'Oh Ma' said Jenny.' I love you so much - but what if horrible Miss Boot comes back to take me away?.'

Ma gave Jenny a big squeeze. She had tears in her twinkly blue eyes.

'Just let her try to take my little robin away, I'll box her bossy ears all the way to Devon and back. I love you Jenny wren and I can't imagine my life without you now. Don't you worry. You and Ooty are staying right here with me where you both belong.'
The wind outside began to howl louder.

'Hark at those trees fighting out there.' tutted Ma.

It sounded like a massive screaming tree fight was going on and Jenny had a funny image pop into her head of trees fighting each other with dozens of boxing gloves on the ends of their branches.The smoke from the log fire came puffing back down the chimney and floated around the cosy sitting room.

'Yep' said Ma coughing and fanning the smoke with a newspaper.

'I said it would be a biggy and here it comes. I wish we had brought the gang home now. I do hope they have the sense to take shelter in the hedgerows.'

Although Ma thought to herself after she had spoken that sense and scarecrows went together like cats and mice. Jenny cuddled up tight to Ma on the sofa, wriggling her toes underneath Ma's knees.

'If you get scared of the wind in the night.' said Ma. 'Just you come and jump in bed with me. We'll always be fine now we have each other....but I'm a much better tickler than you.' and Jenny squealed with fun as Ma held her down and tickled her madly under the arms.

Ooty was stretched full out on Ma's poppy rug toasting his black bean toes by the fire. He was a very happy cat. He was dreaming he was swimming after a huge sardine. He twitched his legs swimming faster and faster....then he caught it, ate it all up, tail an all, and started snoring. Suddenly Jenny remembered Pinny Pipit.

'Ma, do you think Pinny will be all right on Captain Sam's boat. I hope he looks after her in this storm. She won't get blown away to Devon, will she?'

'Oh don't you worry about Pinny.' Ma smiled, 'she might be the tiniest scarecrow and the naughtiest one, but she has more sense than all the others shaken together in a jam jar. Pinny's an expert at hiding herself away. Sam will look after her anyway. I've known him since he was a nipper and used to come by on his Granddad's boat. You can always trust Sam.'
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 muddy 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.

The following days were a huge amount of hard work for Ma with all the mending, washing and repairing of the scarecrows. Mr Badger finished mending Ma's roof and several neighbours popped round to mend her fences and trim some of her broken trees. Of course Ma then made them all tea and cakes as a thank you and introduced Jenny properly to all the neighbours. Everyone was so kind and friendly in Hod-me-dod-lee that Jenny felt like she had known then her whole life and not just a few weeks.

Creamy White was an angel again and took a lot of the scarecrows clothing home to wash and iron and Jenny made the most of the marmalade suppers all on her own. She thought it was lovely having all the scarecrows home together, as it gave her and Ooty a chance to get to know them all really well. The three Pole sisters let Jenny tie ribbons and lace in their new string hair to try and make them look pretty. It didn't help much though as they were still three very unattractive looking girls. Their eyes seemed a bit wonky and Polly Pole had a big nose like a parrots beak. Jenny, who couldn't be nasty if she tried, told them how beautiful they were anyway. The three Pole girls fought and bickered with each other constantly, just like real sisters often do, but mostly over who they though Jenny liked the best. Jenny told them all firmly.

'I like all of you the same but Ooty will always be my favourite.'

Minnie Mommet was soon besotted with Jenny too. When she wasn't throwing her dress over her head and showing her knickers to Salty Tam she hung on Jenny's arm or followed her around the barn. As Ma had said before, Minnie was the silliest of the lot. She was Drippy Mommet's little sister and called Minnie because she was the smallest scarecrow, except for Pinny Pipit of course who was tiny. Drippy Mommet was still missing, as was Tater Sack, but Minnie couldn't have cared less. Minnie and Drippy didn't like each other as sisters at all. Lolly Sticks had always been Minnie's best friend, but now Minnie decided she liked Jenny better instead.

'Jen Jen Minnie's bestist friend lubbly, not yous, and she only likes Minnie so you goes live in a ditch.' Is all Minnie had to say to her once best friend Lolly.

Lolly Sticks didn't mind at all as she had someone else she now wanted to be her best friend anyway - Dickie Perch. Lolly seemed to be liking Dickie more and more since they had been shut up in barn. Ma and Jenny noticed that Lolly had started blushing whenever Dickie glanced in her direction, his gaze followed her around the barn whenever he thought she wasn't looking.

The scarecrows were soon treating their time in the barn as a holiday, laughing, arguing and messing around, usually pushing each other over.

'I thought you might like the radio on.' said Jenny one morning.

She had carried Ma's big radio out to the barn and turned it on.

'Fancy a dance now you've got your leg back.' and she winked at Lolly Sticks.

Lolly Sticks, the Pole sisters and Jenny were soon all giggling and dancing around to the music. Minnie was just being Minnie and trying to hang constantly onto Jenny's arm. She was jealous and kept flicking up her dress and trying to pull Jenny away from Lolly. Dickie Perch was watching them, he was sure now that he liked Lolly Sticks a lot. He was really eager to dance with her but he was just too shy to attempt it. He watched her spinning around making her new lemon party dress fluff out like buttercup. Lolly loved the new dress that Ma had found for her, it was very flouncy just like Lolly herself.

'Pretty she is.' Dickie said nudging Tattie Bogle. ' I likes Pretty Lolly.'

'Give 'er kisses then.' teased Tattie Bogle. 'Big wet snoggies.'

Dickie Perch's head was made from a pale pink painted turnip but it began to turn into a dark pink turnip.

'No won't.' he said shyly.

'Me do it then.' said Tattie Bogle laughing, and he jumped up, grabbed hold of Lolly Sticks and pinned her to the barn floor with a big sloppy kiss.

'Get off ' Lolly screamed, wriggling underneath him. 'Smelly Bogle, stinks of mickies. 'elp Dickie. 'elp Lolly.'

Up like a rocket, Dickie Perch launched himself at Tattie Bogle, pulled him off of Lolly by his scarf and wrestled with him all around the barn. Off came the scarf. Off came Tattie Bogle's clean new jacket and off flew his great big boots as Dickie threw him up and over the bales of straw. All the scarecrows started cheering and jumping around shouting

'Fight fight. Bash 'im Dickie. Come on Tattie, knock 'is swede off.'

'Lolly is MY pretty she is.' said Dickie puffing out his chest as his face turned the colour of beetroot. 'Yous can't snogs 'er.' And with one last mighty effort he threw Tattie over his head and straight into the supper pram. All the scarecrows went crazy whooping, clapping and cheering, leaping about in excitement. Dickie then quietly walked over to a bale and sat down again. His face gradually went back to it's normal pink colour as he watched Lolly Sticks brushing the floor dust off of her new dress. Jenny ran over to the pram and tried to pull Tattie Bogle out by his legs. She was laughing so much, she pulled off Tattie Bogle's trousers instead and landed on her bottom. Ooty joined in to try and help, but he just ended up with a mouth full of leg straw. All the scarecrows fell around laughing and pointing at Tattie Bogle lying in the pram without his jaggys on. Tattie Bogle crossed his arms and sulked. The only ones not laughing, were Dickie Perch and Lolly Sticks. Dickie Perch had come to Lolly's rescue and he was now her hero. She strolled silently over to him, sat down and kissed him on his cheek. All the scarecrows erupted again making whooping noises and chanting

'Dickie an' Lolly gonna get 'itched. Pull 'is 'ead off. Chuck 'er in a ditch.'

Jenny thought that the song was silly, but she did think it was really sweet that Dickie and Lolly were quietly holding hands. Salty Tam was quietly watching them. He had been secretly planning to take Dickie Perch's sailor's hat for himself, but seeing how Dickie had easily beaten Tattie, who was the biggest scarecrow of the gang, Salty had quickly changed his mind and was sulking in a corner. Just then Ma arrived wondering what all the fuss and noise was about. She took Salty off behind the bales of straw for a private chat - she was carrying something long under her arm, it was wrapped in brown paper and looked heavy. Everyone went quiet and waited for them to come out again. When they did, a great cheer went up as Salty Tam stood proudly wearing a sailor's cap that said 'CAPTAIN' on the front in gold letters and better still, he now had a real polished wooden sailor's leg that had been purchased especially just for him. He was so thrilled he couldn't speak. Salty Tam bent over and kissed Ma on the top of her head. Everyone rushed forward to stroke his leg and examine the workmanship. Ma chuckled. She rolled up Salty's trouser leg so he could show it off properly.

'Peter Bun got it for me from the pawn shop in town.' she told Jenny.

'They said it once belonged to real pirate Captain and come all the way from Jamaica. I think Salty Tam deserves a treat. He's always been a well behaved mommet.'

With all the scarecrows mended it was soon time to return them to their work. Most were collected by the farmers and Ma and Jenny took a few back in the pram. Creamy White had kept an eye out for Drippy Mommet and Tater Sack on her milk round, but no one had seen them anywhere. Ma was very worried about them, it was keeping her awake at night.

'It's just not like Tater to go missing.' she said shaking her head. 'He's always so sensible. Although nothing about Drippy will ever surprise me. Drippy by name Drippy by nature that one.'
Chapter

7

A few days later. Jenny had gotten up early, and after a large bowl of pobs, she was playing with Pinny Pipit on the kitchen table. Ma had just made a batch of marmalade buns and cherry jam cakes, and had started rolling out some pastry. Jenny playfully offered Pinny Pipit a crumb of a marmalade cake. She put it right up to Pinny's face.

'Here you are, eat your breakfast like a good girl.'

'NO, SHARNT.' squeaked a tiny cross voice back at her. 'YUK YUK.' it squeaked again.

Jenny starred in surprise as Pinny Pipit stood up, put her tiny hands defiantly on her hips and looked very annoyed indeed. Ooty heard the squeaks and thinking it was a mickie he jumped up on the table to investigate.

'Oh Pinny' cried Jenny. 'You really can talk.' and she whisked the little scarecrow up in her hands.

Pinny squeaked and kicked and wriggled to be put down again.

'Of course she can talk' said Ma grinning

'Only Pinny does hate marmalade. It's blackberries that Pinny loves and I think I know why she wouldn't talk in front of you before. Because she knows she's can't help being naughty, don't you Pinny.' And Ma playfully wagged her finger at Pinny Pipit.

'She thinks that you won't love her if she's naughty Jenny. That's why she's been so still and quiet. She's been trying so hard to be good for you.'

It was true that Pinny had stopped running away since her first job on the narrowboat, but she was clearly starting to get bored again. Jenny watched with delight as Pinny strolled up to a saucer on the table and kicked it.

'Me go mogelling a gen.' she squeaked crossly and plonked herself down on the edge of the saucer and began swinging her stripy legs in boredom.

Ma had always treated Pinny like a baby. She seemed to forget that Pinny was nearly as old as she was. She had never let Pinny do any work at all.

But Pinny didn't think of herself as a baby. All she wanted was to have a proper job like all the others. She loved the narrowboat job and couldn't wait to go mogelling again as she called it.

'I think we need to find Pinny another job as soon as possible.' said Jenny.

'I think you're right.' said Ma 'Give her some blackberry jam will you Jenny please.'

Jenny smiled at Pinny Pipit. 'Don't you worry Pinny. I couldn't stop loving you even if you were the naughtiest girl in the whole world, but I don't think you are. I know you're just bored.'

Jenny put a tiny blob of jam on the saucer and watched transfixed as Pinny Pipit did a ballerina dance in the saucer licking her jammy covered fingers, then climbed out and skipped happily all over Ma's baking, leaving tiny footprints in the flour and pastry. Ooty bend down and sniffed Pinny. Then to Ma and Jenny's amazement, Pinny clambered up Ooty's front leg and sat on his neck like she was a little Maharajah riding an elephant.

'Mooshy mooshy.' squeaked Pinny Pipit tugging at Ooty's left ear.

Ooty had absolutely no idea what she meant and looked as surprised as Ma and Jenny. Ma chuckled and just happened to glance up at the clock.

'OH' she gasped 'Can't believe I nearly forgot. Jumble at eleven. Oh run and fetch the pram will you Jenny dear, we need to get in the queue early, don't want to dip out on the best stuff do we.'

A jumble sale is a tradition in all English villages. It's usually held several times a year and usually in the village hall. People donate the things they don't want to the jumble sale so that other people can buy them who usually find out afterwards that they didn't want them either. All the money is then given to a charity like the church, or the boy scouts, and all the women in the village really just go just to have a good old gossip.

'Why do we need to go to a jumble sale Ma?' asked Jenny, arriving at the backdoor pushing the old black pram.

'Clothes Jenny, lots of lovely clothes for the hodmedods.' answered Ma buttoning up her coat.

'Last year I got all their winter coats and hats, Lolly Stick's pink party dress, Dolly Clockaclay's red shoes and those pretty fish curtains in my bathroom. Come on, we don't want to be late do we.'

Ma and Jenny were not late. They were first in the queue when the doors to the village hall were opened dead on eleven o'clock. Before this, some of the women had been singing, 'why are we waiting.' but now they all rushed forwards and shoved each other inside, pushing and crushing like a women's rugby team. The trestle tables around the walls of the hall were piled high with books, toys and huge heaps of old clothes. The jumblers dived into the massive piles of clothes, curtains and eiderdowns like piglets in a dinner time feeding trough.

The vicar and the boy scouts were soon busy collecting the money as items were being held up in the air and old dresses and coats were thrown across the hall.

'Look Ella, this will fit you.' called out a jumbler.

'Cheeky moo, looks more like your size.' shouted back another jumbler, as a big blue spotty dress flew back and forth over everyone's heads.

'What size are your Willy's feet Edna ?' shouted a different jumbler. 'These leather boots have got loads of wear left in 'em. Look like 12's.'

'Perfect. Chuck 'em over love.'

And the boots flew over everyone's heads to be expertly caught in mid air by a little woman who must have been Willy's mum.

' 'ere Sal, these knickers are massive, they'll fit you a treat.' And all the women screamed with laughter as a huge pair of elephant size knickers sailed through the air and landed on a fat woman's head. Jenny had never seen anything like it. The women shouted, laughed, pushed and jostled each other thoroughly enjoying themselves.

'Ma, Ma, nice bit of tweed here Ma.' called out another jumbler's voice.

'Oh you looking for tweed then are you Ma.' joined in another voice.

'Catch then Ma, both coming over.' and Ma leapt in the air, catching two old tweed jackets and swiftly adding them to the pile already in her pram. Jenny could see that Ma was an expert jumbler too.

The room was very hot with all the pushy women shoving each other against the tables. Jenny was getting squashed by the crowd. Someone was also tugging at her ankle.

''ere, quick, get under 'ere or you'll get splattered.' Called a voice down by her feet.

Jenny ducked under a table and sat down on the floor next to a black haired boy in a scruffy scout's uniform.

'Batty ol bags. Your name's Jenny ain't it, 'ere watch the ol bags shift.'

And the boy took a slow worm out of an oxo tin and flung it up onto the table above them. He was right, the women did shift. They shifted in all directions like a stampede of wild buffalo.

'SNAKE' screamed a woman. 'KILL IT.' screamed several.

'LET ME OUT.' screamed the fat woman with the elephant's knickers who'd got herself wedged in a corner.

Jenny and the boy roared with laughter as they watched the women's feet running and jumping around the village hall.

'Ok. Got it' called the vicar, 'It's just a slow worm ladies. No need to panic. Come on ladies....PLEASE LADIES. Let's all calm down.'

The little Boy Scout made a tutting noise.

'Rotten ol jackdaw, knew 'e'd spoil it.'

'Why do you call the vicar jackdaw?' asked Jenny still giggling.

'Durrr, cos 'is name's Daws of course, and cos e struts up and down all in black like e owns the blooming place. You're staying with Ma ain't ya.'

'How do you know?' asked Jenny

'Seen you about. Plus me mate Bill told me you was. Fancies you does Bill. Wanna come up the fields? I've found a brilliant camp. You can't tell no one though or Bully Beef will smash it up.'

'Who's Bully Beef?' asked Jenny

'Blimey Jenny, don't you know nothing. Meet me 'ere at one o'clock, I'm off for me dinner now or I'll be a deadun'. I'll bring Bill and the silly twins. We'll 'ave a right laugh. I'm Sid.'

With that, the Boy Scout shot out from under the table and made a dash for the door, barging his way through the herd of jumblers.

Like a pirate sorting through his treasure, Ma sorted through her jumble back home on the kitchen table, ooing and ahhing at each old dress like it was covered in gold and diamonds.

'Best jumble in years.' she declared happily, holding up a yellow spotty blouse and admiring it.

'Minnie Mommet will squeal when she sees this. Lots for you too Jenny.'

And Ma gave her a pile of books, a tin of paints, a big baby doll dressed in a white frilly dress and bonnet and a pile of extra dolls clothes. Since Jenny now had Ooty and all the scarecrows, she'd lost interest in playing with dolls, but she thanked Ma anyway and asked if she could go out and play with Sid.

'Sid Tucker ?' asked Ma as she turned out the pockets of an old tweed jacket.

'I thought he must have been at the jumble when the slow worm appeared.' Ma was grinning.

'He's a good boy really, considering who he has for a father. You go and play and enjoy yourself my dear.'

'Sid said he's bringing Billy and the Silly twins too.' said Jenny.

'Oh I expect he means Meg and Peg from the post office. They're nice girls. I can't tell them apart. You go and have some fun then and take some cakes with you to share with the others...and try to be back at five for tea if you can my little wren.'

Ma kissed Jenny on the forehead and began examining a white lacy wedding dress. It had a rip in it and seemed unusually large, huge in fact. Ma chuckled and said the bride must have been a biggy. Jenny and Ooty left Ma gushing over a little shiny red handbag and mirror compact she had bought for Dolly Clockaclay, and went off to meet the other kids at the village hall.

Meg and Peg were already sitting on the grass outside the hall when Jenny got there. They wore identical blue dresses with lemon cardigans and both had short brown bobbed hair just like Jenny. Jenny couldn't see any difference between the twins at all.

'Are you Jen ?' They called out together.

'Yes.' said Jenny and this is Ooty, he always comes with me.'

'He's lovely.' said the twins together, both making a fuss of him.

'Sid's fetching Bill, they'll be here soon.' said one twin.

'He says he's found a camp. He's promised to show it to us.' said the other twin.

Jenny thought it was funny the way the twins either spoke together at the same time or finished each other's sentences, she had never met identical twins before. The twins said everyone just called them silly because their surname was Sealy and yes they did live in the post office. Their Mum was the postmistress and their Dad the postman.

Identical twins are difficult to tell apart until you know them really well. Even then Meg and Peg's own parents sometimes struggled to remember which girl was which. Usually Meg wore a blue hair band and Peg wore a pink one. This might have helped, except, they swapped hair bands with each other about twenty times a day or hid them in their pockets.

'Here they come.' said the twins together. 'Hi Bill. Hi Sid, get other stickin' did you?'

Sid nodded, he was rubbing his leg.

'I'll get that ol duffer one day, swear I will. Just managed to clip me as I shot out the door. I'll glue that rotten 'ol stick to 'is 'ead soon.'

'Just say when and we'll help you.' laughed the twins.

Jenny knew that some bad parents hit their children, she also knew it was wrong. She liked Sid already and didn't like to think it had happened to him. The five children and Ooty walked off across the fields chatting and laughing. Jenny told them she had come to live with Ma because she didn't have a Mum or a Dad. Sid said she was lucky and he wished he didn't have a Dad. Billy said he didn't have a Mum but he was sad about it and wished he did have one.

Squeezing through a gap in a chained up gate, Sid led everyone to the camp he'd found in the hedgerow. He was right, it was brilliant. Whoever had made it had done a really good job.

The roof was made of tree branches covered in prickly green holly leaves so from the outside it just looked like any ordinary hedgerow. Meg and Peg crawled in to check out the inside.

'This is great.' they called out together.

'Come on Jen it's got chairs and everything.'

The ground inside was covered in a thick layer of dried grass like a greeny yellow carpet. It smelt damp and earthy. Jenny thought the red chairs looked familiar but she didn't say anything. Ooty sniffed out a paper bag in the corner.

'Yuk, marmalade' he thought, plus a faint whiff of mickies.

The five children all sat around chatting for a while and deciding how they should run their new camp. Once Sid had voted himself captain, which the others knew he would do, they all went out to find more stuff for the camp. Sid and Billy found an old rusty car wheel in a ditch and rolled it back to use as a table with a plank of wood on top. The girls picked posies of wild flowers and put them in an old rusty tin to decorate the table. Then Jenny handed round the bag of current cakes.

'Ow come.' Sid asked Jenny with his mouthful of cake 'You don't go to school? I'd be a deadun if I didn't go. The old duffer says it keeps me from getting under 'is feet.'

Jenny told him she was starting after the Easter break.

'Already knew that.' said Billy. 'Jen told me first.'

'Oh well in that case.' teased Sid. 'Invite us to your wedding.'

Billy went pink and pushed Sid off his chair.

The girls were all sitting cross legged on the floor.

'When you do start, you can be in our class if you like.' said Meg and Peg together putting their arms around Jenny's shoulders.

'Thanks' said Jenny, 'I hope the teacher lets me sit with you.'

Jenny was so pleased to have some friends at last. She liked all of them, playing camp was great. Jenny had never done it before. She had to swear not to tell anyone where it was or you couldn't be in the camp club. '

Jenny said 'I swear.' and spat on her hand like Sid told her. Then everyone shook her hand. She was then officially in the camp club with the rest. Peg then picked some ivy leaves and everyone had to wear them as secret camp club badges. Jenny poked her's into her cardigan like a brooch.

By late afternoon everyone was getting hungry again and decided it was time to go home. As they walked across Farmer (Bully) Beef's field, Sid pointed to Tattie Bogle.

'See that scarecrow. E pinched me when I was little. Gives me the creeps do scarecrows.'

'Don't be daft.' said Billy, 'Scarecrows don't pinch. I helped Jen and Ma shift a few the other day and none of them pinched me.'

'Do too' insisted Sid.

'I was only 'aving a look in it's pockets and it pinched me ear. Me Dad called me a liar and chased me up the stairs, but I had pinch marks and me ear was bright red.'

Jenny didn't say a word. She guessed Sid was telling the truth. Tattie Bogle probably thought Sid was a just another pesky scrag and probably did pinch him.

Often on the supper rounds now, Lolly Sticks and Dickie Perch would be missing from their posts.

'I bet they're holding hands in a ditch somewhere.' Ma would say.

'I can smell a touch of love in the air.' And she would sniff the air like she did before the great storm. Ma was usually right when she sniffed something. Jenny had sworn to her new friends that she wouldn't tell anyone about the camp and Jenny always kept her promises, but secretly she wondered if Lolly and Dickie were the ones who had put Ma's chairs in the camp...but of course she didn't tell on them.
Chapter

8

Time ran straight pass April and leapt into the middle of May.

Jenny had already started school now. As the new girl, old dog's bum had let Jenny choose where she wanted to sit in class. Billy hoped she would sit next to him. He was unlucky. The twins waved her over straight away and Jenny sat between the girls. It didn't take long for the other kids in the school to start calling them the silly triplets. But the girls liked it. It made Jenny feel that she now belonged in Hod-me-dod-lee.

May was having an early heat wave and everything was growing extra fast. The trees were thickening up with their luscious new leaves and the villagers were busy from dawn to dusk, mowing their lawns and trimming their gardens. The birds sang all day and all the scarecrows had to work harder than usual to keep the crowbies and grackles off of the growing crops. After school Jenny and the other kids usually went up the fields and played in their camp until teatime.

One evening, Jenny came back home for her tea just as Ma accidentally dropped a fork on the kitchen floor.

'Oops. Lady on her way.' she said picking up the fork and wiping it on her red flowered apron.

'How do you know?' asked Jenny.

'Because if it had been a knife it would be a man of course.' replied Ma grinning.

Jenny was still getting used to Ma's strange sayings, but Ma was usually right about these things. Just then somebody knocked on the front door. Jenny and Ma stared at each other. All their friends and neighbours came to the back door so Jenny and Ma were curious to find out who the visitor was.

'Oh Miss Mawpin, divine to see you again.' said a very posh lady on their door step. She wore a smart grey skirt suit, little white hat and white gloves – and far too much red lipstick on her pale powdered face. It was Miss Angela Flowerdew from the big house.

'Might I have a quick word Miss Mawpin?'

Ma asked her in and put the kettle on. Jenny noticed straight away that the strange lady was certainly the reason for Dolly Clockaclays odd behaviour.

'Divine weather, simply divine.' said Angela. 'Which brings me to the reason for my visit Miss Mawpin. I'd like to hire another scarecrow please. The tiny one. Apron Poppet is it?'

'Do you mean Pinny Pipit?' said Ma. 'How do you know about her - if you don't mind me asking Miss Angela?'

'Spring Boat show. I provided the floral displays. Saw the tiny thing in the show don't you know. The boat proprietor told me that it belonged to you. Divine, simply divine work Miss Mawpin. Absolutely must have it for my new shop.'

Pinny Pipit was listening to every word of the conversation. She was always eves dropping anyway but recently she had taken to spending a lot of time with Ooty in his basket training him up to be her personal elephant. Ooty, oddly, seemed to like Pinny and let her boss him about and even ride him around the house much to Ma and Jenny's amusement. Pinny now stood on Ooty's shoulders and peeped over the edge of the basket. Angela had her back to Pinny and was explaining to Ma that she was going to have so many flowers this year she had decided to rent the old cobbler's shop and was opening it up as her own florist shop next to the post office. Ma got her best china poppy cups down from the dresser and poured the tea out. Angela cocked her little finger and sipped it silently. Miss Flowerdew was a Major's daughter, a real lady.

'Can I ask what it is that you want to do with my scarecrow Miss Angela.' asked Ma.

'Window dressing of course.' answered Angela seeming surprised at the question.

'No room for a full size scarecrow. Need the divine little thing to be centre stage for one month. Planning a simply divine display on the popular hedgerow theme don't you know.'

Jenny and Ma didn't know. They didn't know what a popular hedgerow theme was either, but it sounded posh. Ma and Jenny glanced down at Pinny in Ooty's basket, she was frantically nodding her head up and down as a yes yes yes. Ma smiled.

'Well yes of course, I think that will be fine. Hire terms the same as usual. If that's suits you Miss Angela. When would you like to collect Pinny?'

'Perfect simply perfect.' said Angela finishing her tea and dismissing with her gloved hand Ma's attempt to pour her another cup.

'Picking the shop keys up on Saturday. You may deliver it on Sunday afternoon. If you would like to send this absolutely divine child along with it, I have some of last season's costumes she may collect. Well must be off, it's been divine, simply divine.' and Angela patted Jenny on the head like a pet dog and left by the front door.

'Oh divine, simply divine.' chuckled Jenny.

Ma gleefully rubbed her hands together.

' Mogelling again eh Pinny, should suit you nicely, then it'll be time for the boat show again. At this rate you'll soon be on the cover of all the fashion magazines.'

Pinny Pipit squeaked with excitement, urging Ooty out of his basket. Then she yelled

'Mooshy mooshy nelephan' and rode Ooty triumphantly around the kitchen floor waving to Ma and Jenny as if she was leading a circus parade. Ma and Jenny cheered and clapped them on their laps of the kitchen table legs. 'Hurrah for Pinny the prettiest mogel in Hod-me-dod-lee.'

The next morning Jenny noticed that Ma looked a bit serious and was unusually quite as she drank her tea.

'What's the matter Ma.' Jenny asked.

'Don't know.' said Ma. 'I can't put my finger on it.'

'Put your finger on what?' asked Jenny

'On what's niggling me.' said Ma staring into her teacup.

'Can you put a finger on a niggle then?' asked Jenny starting to get confused.

'Well I can't at the moment.' said Ma and she tipped the last of her tea into her saucer.

Jenny still didn't understand what Ma was talking about.

'Look, see, my tea leaves are all niggled too.'

Jenny looked at the tea leaves in Ma's saucer. They were just wet, brown and messy.

'Tea leaves make shapes and show you things,' explained Ma. 'My old Granny Cilla was brilliant at reading the tea leaves.'

Tilting her saucer and studying the messy leaves Ma sighed.

'Oh dear, I fear something bad might be going to happen.'

Jenny couldn't see anything but a messy saucer, but Ma was serious.

'Oh.' said Ma quickly 'And something good is going to come out of it so that's not so bad then eh.'

Jenny decided not to bother asking about it, it was just too confusing.

Drippy Mommet and Tater Sack were still on the missing list and Ma and Jenny continued to look for them when they took the supper pram around the fields every evening. The weather had been very hot for early summer. The grass had quickly become yellow and tinder dry in the fields. This resulted in a great deal of fuss one morning when some scrags set light to one of the field hedges and the fire spread rapidly. The fire engine was summoned and tore up the country lanes with all the firemen hanging on the sides and the bell clanging like crazy. Spadger Bron had got himself over excited hearing the bell and sneaked up from the allotment to watch the action. After sneaking closer and closer along the hedgerows he suddenly found himself dangerously close to the seat of the fire. Before he realised what was happening his jacket was scorching and smoking in the heat of the flames. When he saw himself smoking, Spadger panicked and fainted falling flat on his face. The firemen came upon him and turned their hose on him. After the firemen had all gone Billy Bun had discovered Spadger all covered in sooty mud, lying in the wet black grass stubble. Billy heaved Spadger up onto the cross bar of his bike and wheeled him back to Mawpin cottage.

'Found one of your scarecrows Ma, looks a bit damaged.'

Then Billy whispered to Jenny

'Our camps fine, fire stopped short of our hedge.'

After Billy left, Ma filled up a huge tin bath with water out in the barn. Jenny watched and giggled as Spadger kicked and howled while Ma scrubbed the smoky dirt off of him with her scrubbing brush.

'No ducky's wet.' Spadger hollered. 'No, no wetties.'

Spadger kicked and splashed until Ma's apron was totally soaked and the bath water dripped from her hair.

'It's your own fault Spadger.' scolded Ma 'You shouldn't have been up there, you were supposed to be working. How did the fire start?'

'Gip scrags laughin' Ma. Firedy men wetted me.' cried Spadger.

'You know Spadger means sparrow bird.' said Ma 'and sparrow birds like a bath so stop wriggling.'

Ma dunked Spadger right under the water grabbing his kicking feet and scrubbing his boots.

'Hold still Spadger you little tinker, let me get all the soot off. You'll be out of a job my lad if the birds are on Mr Chaffy's peas now.'

As Ooty was also soot coloured he deemed it best to disappeared into the orchard behind the barn, just in case he was next for the ducky's wet. Jenny was just helping Ma to get Spadger out of the tub, when Ooty came flying back into the barn. He was howling and singing at the top of his voice as he leapt onto Jenny's shoulder and started donking her on the head with his paw.

'What on earth is the matter with Ooty.' asked Ma.

'I think he wants us to follow him.' replied Jenny.

'Come on Oots show us what's wrong.'

As Jenny and Ma ran out of the barn they heard a girl's voice scream.

'ELP BURNY ELP'

Ma and Jenny could see smoke rising up from Miss Peel's old cottage in the lane behind the orchard.

'That's Drippy Mommet's voice.' shouted Ma and she began running towards the cottage as fast as she could with Jenny and Ooty close behind her.

By the time they reached Miss Peel's empty cottage, they could see that flames were coming out of the roof of the garden shed and not the cottage itself.

'ELP BURNY ELP' yelled Drippy who was obviously inside the shed.

Before Ma could reach the shed door, Tater Sack leaped over the garden hedge and flung himself at the door handle. With incredible strength Tater wrenched the whole shed door completely off it's hinges and dived inside. Ma and Jenny ran to get water while Tater dragged Drippy Mommet safely out into the garden. Drippy's string hair was smoking and Tater was patting it with his hands. Ma used the garden hose to soak the two scarecrows with water. She then soaked the shed until all the flames had been put out. Jenny sat on the grass and cuddled the wet Drippy Mommet. The fire had burnt off most of Drippy's hair. Her blue spotty rayon dress had melted into huge crusty holes and she was wailing and sobbing uncontrollably. Ma bent down, picked Drippy up and cuddled her like a big rag doll, pattering her on the back and saying 'There, there, hush, hush, everything's all right now.'

Tater watched them, his clothes were badly scorched and running with water. He had lost his trilby hat and had his burnt gloved hands held up covering one side of his face as he sat silently on the grass.

'Don't be frightened.' said Jenny kneeing down next to him. 'Show me your face, I'm sure it will be all right.'

Jenny gently pulled Tater Sack's hands from his face and was horrified to see that he had a massive scar on the left side running from his forehead to his cheek and worse, he had an eye missing. She pretended not to be shocked and kissed his hot cheek. 'Don't worry I'll help Ma make you better.' Tater didn't speak but he reached out and held Jenny's hand.

Jenny fetched the pram and soon both of the scarecrows were safely back in Ma's garden. Nobody spoke for a while. It had been very frightening and everyone was still a little bit shocked. Ma brought out a tray of sweet milky tea to calm everyone's nerves. The scarecrows were sat against the warm south garden wall to dry off in the hot sun. Drippy's twiggy fingers were shaking so badly her tea was sloshing about. Jenny sat next to them and gave them two large slices of orange marmalade cake to eat. The cake worked like a magic tonic as both of the scarecrows immediately forgot their frightening experience and quickly began munching away at the delicious sticky cake.

With all the excitement, Ma had completely forgotten all about Spadger in the barn. She hurried off to see what he was up to. Even though he was still quite wet, Spadger had found himself some clean dry clothes and had dressed himself. He was sitting patiently on a straw bale, grinning and wearing an old fashioned army cadet's cap and uniform. He saluted Ma when she came in.

'Well I must say it suits you.' said Ma smiling. 'Seeing as what a brave little solider you've been today.'

Ma led him out to sit with the others in the garden and have his slice of marmalade cake. Having decided that another soaking would be too upsetting for Tater and Drippy, Ma used her best scented soap and a flannel to gentle wipe their mucky faces and remove the smoke, and the sticky marmalade cake crumbs, before going off to hunt through her boxes for some clean clothes. Jenny sat in the flower bed next to the scarecrows.

'We haven't been introduced yet have we Drippy. I'm Jenny. I live here now. I hope we are going to be best friends.'

'Be best friends.' said Drippy casually, more interested in her cake than Jenny.

'So why were you in the shed Drippy? Ma and me have been looking everywhere for you.'

Drippy hunted through the gaping holes in her dress looking for crumbs of cake she hoped she might had dropped.

'Sky blowed me in.' said Drippy casually.

'But why didn't you come out again Drippy?'

'Door shutted' Drippy said then licked her lips. 'Mardylade lots.'

Jenny was starting to understand the way scarecrows talked and said.

'Oh I see, the door shut too tight for you to get out and the shed is full of marmalade so you ate it all.'

'Lubbly.' said Drippy smiling. 'Drippy no eated all mardylade. Lots eated.'

'And where have you been all this time Tater?' asked Jenny.

But before Tater could answer, Drippy answered for him.

'E looks for Drippy. E loves Drippy do Tater.'

'And do you love Tater ?' asked Jenny

Drippy nodded 'Me doos now...And I loves cake.' she added thoughtfully.

Tater Sack smiled. Drippy now loved him back, but he still seemed concerned about his looks and put his hand back up to cover his missing eye. Just then Ma returned and plonked a large grey felt trilby hat on Tater's head. He was very pleased and immediately pulled the brim down to shield his face. Later, in the kitchen Jenny told Ma what Drippy had said about the marmalade in the shed and that Drippy and Tater now claimed to love each other.

'I think I shall ask Miss Peel's daughter about the marmalade.' said Ma 'Looks like my tea leaves were right then. Something bad happened and now two nice things might be following it. Especially nice about Drippy and Tater isn't it.?'

Jenny nodded.

'I am so pleased we've found those two' said Ma 'I was so worried about them. I guessed a while back they were growing fond of each other but when we couldn't find them I feared it was going to be just like Lumpy and Sally.

And as Jenny and Ma made sandwiches for the scarecrows suppers Ma told Jenny the saddest story she had ever heard.

'When I was a young girl, probably in my middle forties.' said Ma.

'My Mother had two scarecrows named Lumpy Spud and Sally Hop Pole.'

'Please tell me about them Ma.' begged Jenny, who was mad about all scarecrows stories.

'Well.' continued Ma. 'Just put pepper on the sandwiches please little wren I'm a bit short of salt...Where was I? Oh, Lumpy and Sally loved each other too, which was all very nice, but then they did something awful.'

'What did they do Ma?'

'They stole a baby.'

'What a real baby?' gasped Jenny in amazement.

'I'm afraid so.' said Ma. 'A real baby from right here in the village.'

'Oh Ma, said Jenny 'what happened?'

'Well' said Ma. 'My Mother was always very strict with our scarecrows and she told Lumpy and Sally she thought they were too dappy to get married and to stop being so silly. But she didn't realise how much they really did love each other and wanted more than anything to be a little family. So one day the pair of them took a baby from the pram of one of the field workers while it's mother was picking strawberries.'

'Go on Ma and then what happened, was the baby all right, did it's Mum find it again?'

'Oh yes.' said Ma. 'The baby was fine. The village folk all came out and scoured the fields. By night fall they found it asleep in a tree. But the worst bit came afterwards. My Mother found out it was Lumpy and Sally who had done it and she told my Father who was absolutely furious. We had a lovely little pony and trap in those days and my Father grabbed Sally Hop Pole, threw her into the back of the cart, and drove all night down to Devon and left Sally with my Aunt Daisy. But by the time he had driven all the way home again, Lumpy Spud had run away to find Sally. Then a few days later, Aunt Daisy wrote to tell us that Sally Hop Pole had also run away to get back home to Lumpy.'

'Oh no Ma'.' cried Jenny. 'What happened when they found them?'

'Well that's the really sad bit, we didn't find them. We never saw either of them ever again.' Ma wiped the corner of her eye with her apron. 'I expect they just rotted away in the ditches wandering the lonely lanes like two lost ghosts trying to find each other again.'

'Oh Ma.' sniffed Jenny.' That's the saddest story I've ever heard. I feel like crying now. Tell me you wouldn't let that happen to Drippy and Tater... or to Lolly and Dickie. Would you?'

'Oh no no no.' said Ma. 'My Mother regretted it for the rest of her life, she often went off in the cart on her own still looking for them. Anyway you know I won't stand for unhappiness in this house. So I think... a double wedding might be a better idea, don't you think so Jenny wren?' Ma grinned and winked.

'Oh yes Ma, yes.' said Jenny squealing with excitement. 'I've never been to a wedding before. Drippy and Lolly will love being brides. Me and Pinny Pipit can be bridesmaids too....and Ooty can be a page boy and we can all get dressed up and have a great big party in the barn.'

Once the scarecrows in the garden were dry, a long sleeved red stripy dress was found that fitted Drippy perfectly and until her new hair could be made, Jenny put a red woolly hat on Drippy Mommet's bald head.

Drippy was a simple creature, like her sister Minnie, but she was also very sweet natured and seemed to have completely forgotten about the fire as she sat in the big black pram munching a marmalade sandwich and admiring her new dress.

'That dress belonged to Miss Flowerdew once.' said Ma. 'So now you must behave like a simply divine lady Drippy.'

Drippy nodded her head at Ma as she sat on Tater and Spadger's laps in the pram.

The three scarecrows were soon back at work and the suppers had all been delivered.

'Ma' said Jenny, as they walked home down the moonlit lanes.

'What happened to Tater's face, I don't think the fire damaged it like that.'

'Ah.' said Ma. 'Jenny my little wren there's still so much more for me to tell you about our gang. And I will tell you a bit at a time. Number one is, never get upset and think that scarecrows can feel pain, I've already told you that, they can't. Oh they might scream and shout and jump around but that's just their way. The only thing that scarecrows do worry about is fire and mice. Because those two things can be the end of a scarecrow forever. I once heard of a bad scarecrow maker up Scotland way. He went off on holiday and left his gang locked up in a shed. When he got back....'

Ma shuddered.

'Oh it was awful Jenny. Rats had eaten the whole gang. Nothing but hats and coats left on the floor all full of holes.'

'Don't you worry Ma' said Jenny. 'Ooty would never let that happen to our gang.'

Ooty was riding in the pram and listening as usual.

'Not a chance.' he thought. 'I'll get rid of every rat and mouse in Hod-me-dod-lee, you just keep the sardines flowing.'

'Oh I'm not worried' said Ma.' I've never had a holiday but if I ever did go on one then I would take all the scarecrows with me.'

Jenny chuckled at Ma's remark as a strange image flashed through her head of scarecrows in swimsuits and sunglasses eating ice creams and making sand castles on the beach.

'So what did happen to Tater's face then Ma?'

'Oh I was going to tell you wasn't I, silly me. Tater got knocked down by one of those new harvesting machines last autumn. Poor Tater. He was too scared to move so he just stood there and let the silly great thing run over him. The farm lad was very sorry when he brought Tater back to me. I think Tater was already fond of Drippy Mommet by then and I guess he didn't think she'd like him after he'd lost an eye as he's been very shy about it, which is unusual for a scarecrow.'

'Can't you make him a new eye Ma?'

'Well he is badly damaged, it would be impossible to paint over that large split. I really should have made him an entire new head over the winter, but I just never got around to it. Perhaps I should do it now, especially if he wants to get married. I haven't asked any of them yet.'

'But if he has a whole new head he'll look like a different scarecrow and he might have a different voice and different personality too and Drippy might not like him anymore.'

'I hadn't though of that.' said Ma. 'Anyway, the wedding will have to wait until after they all finish work. If .. they can manage to all agree, we can have it after the harvest.'
Chapter

9

Life at Mawpin cottage was busy every day.

Jenny went to school and helped Ma as much as she could with the baking and the scarecrows. Most days after school she went with Sid, Billy and the twins to their camp club for an hour or two. Then after tea Jenny and Ma delivered all the suppers. Now Jenny had an extra thing to do every day for a month. Every morning and evening she nipped across to Angela's new florist shop to make sure Pinny Pipit was happy in her new job. She needn't have worried. Pinny was loving it. Customers stopped and pointed at her in the window all the time, saying 'Oh look at that little sweetie' and 'Oh isn't that little scarecrow gorgeous.' Miss Flowerdew had to tell people time after time that Pinny Pipit wasn't for sale. Jenny would wave to Pinny as she sat proudly smiling in the centre of the popular hedgerow display wearing her tiny straw hat with her patchwork dress neatly spread out around her with her hands folded together in her lap...very lady like.

One Saturday morning Jenny came downstairs and saw Ma talking to the kitchen table cloth. As Jenny watched she realised that Ma was actually whispering to a small robin sitting next to the teapot. The little robin looked really sad and had it's head cocked to one side. When it flew away through the open back door Ma gave a big sad sigh. She looked up to see that Jenny was watching her.

'Morning my little wren, what's it to be this morning, egg and porkies or probs or just a big kiss, or all the food and a basket of kisses.'

'Can I have a porky sandwich and the kisses please Ma. What's the matter? You look really sad.'

Ma planted a big kiss on Jenny's lips and another on her nose and then fetched the frying pan and sausages.

'Something tells me that Creamy is going to need me today.' said Ma. 'Her Dad is very poorly. Old Jack is over a hundred Jenny and I think he's nearing his time.'

'Is he going to die then?' asked Jenny. She was very fond of Creamy but had never met her Dad as he was always ill upstairs in bed.

'Yes I think so my little wren. A robin never comes into a house unless it's to break sad tidings to you gently. I think I need to go and be with Creamy very soon. Do you think you could do a few little jobs for me and occupy yourself today?'

'Of course Ma, you know I can look after myself, you go over to Creamy's and I'll do everything else.'

Ma quickly made Jenny her sausage sandwich and asked her to feed the chickens, put the seed out for the wild birds, give the hotchie's their breakfast and of course feed Ooty. Ma also gave Jenny two letters to take to the post office.

'Buy two stamps and post these to Bluebell and Primrose please. I've written telling them about the wedding we might be having, I know they'll both want to come. Plus they're dying to meet you. You and your friends help yourself to anything you want to eat and if you need me then just come round to Creamy's back door.'

As Ma opened the kitchen door to leave she bumped straight into two ladies who were just about to knock.

'Hi ya Ma, long time no see.' said one of the ladies. 'Spare a few minutes, lots in the basket.'

The two women were both fairly young and had strange hair styles. Thick and black, their hair hung down long at the front but at the back is was plaited and twisted up high on their heads with lots of clips in it. They were also both wearing open necked blouses that as Ma would say 'Showed more than they ought.'

'Well blow me down on a sunny day.' exclaimed Ma. 'If it isn't Ocean and Rainbow. Oh I am pleased to see you both, but I have a bit of an emergency on today ladies. Would you please come back tomorrow? We can have a cuppa and a good chat then.'

'Love too Ma, sees ya tomorrow then.'

And the women left, arm in arm chattering together like two happy magpies.

'Who were they Ma?' asked Jenny.

'Well that was a surprise.' replied Ma. 'I haven't seen them for a few years. Ocean is Sid Tucker's Mum and Rainbow is her younger sister. I guess the gypsies have arrived hoping for some field work. Oh I do hope there's not going to be any trouble with Sid's Dad. Well I'm off now little wren.' and Ma kissed Jenny goodbye.

Jenny usually fed all the animals at Mawpin cottage anyway so it didn't take her long to be on her way to see to Pinny Pipit. She waved through the window of Miss Flowerdew's shop. Ooty seemed to be missing Pinny too and put his paws on the window sill and mewed at her. Then Jenny and Ooty went next door to the post office. Just as they were about to go in, Sid came tearing up the road.

'Where you going Sid?' called Jenny. 'I thought you was coming up the camp club today. I'm just going to post some letters and call for Meg and Peg.'

'See ya up there later.' called back Sid. 'Gotta see someone and get a ruddy great pot of glue.'

As Sid ran off, Jenny noticed sadly that Sid was rubbing his leg again.

The silly triplets popped back to Mawpin cottage and made up a picnic before heading for their camp in the hedgerow. As they waded through the thick green fields, the swaying wheat brushing against their arms and legs, Jenny spotted Tattie Bogle at his post in the distance and waved to him. Tattie didn't wave back he was far too busy working.

'Who you waving to Jen ?' asked Peg.

'Oh, no one.' answered Jenny, a bit embarrassed. 'I thought I saw someone I knew, but it was just a scarecrow.'

Meg and Peg filled Jenny in on what had been happening to Sid.

'Sid's Mum's a gypsy, a Romany traveller.' they said, taking it in turn to speak.

'And Sid's dad used to chase her with his stick too. That's why she ran off when Sid was little. She's come back now and Sid's been secretly going up the gypsy camp to see her. You mustn't tell anyone Jen or Sid will get into ever such a lot of trouble.'

'I'd never tell on Sid.' said Jenny 'I like Sid. I met his Mum Ocean this morning. She came round to see Ma. She's very young for a Mum.'

'Hope Sid's Dad didn't see her.' said the twins together.

'Sid said his Dad will go nuts if he finds out she's back in Hod-me-dod-lee.'

The girls waited in their hedgerow camp for the boys to turn up and spent some time tidying it up.

'Looks like someone has been in here since yesterday.' said Peg.

'I thought that.' said Meg 'look, these are sandwich wrappers.'

Jenny thought she knew who it was, but she didn't say anything. Billy soon arrived, closely followed by Sid. Sid had brought a small scruffy looking boy with him. The little boy was about three or four and had thick black hair and dark brown eyes. He looked just like a little Sid, but with slimy snotty candles running from his nose to his mouth.

'This is me bruver Nipper.' said Sid proudly.

'E wanted to come with me. E's alright. Never talks do ya Nip boy?' Sid ruffled Nipper's already messy hair. Nipper stared in silence at the girls. Then reached up and wiped his runny nose on Sid's shirt sleeve, which was a waste of time as two minutes later he had two green nose candles again. Sid told the camp club that his Dad had locked him in his bedroom for being later home and he hadn't had any supper or breakfast and he'd had to climb out the window. He said he'd enough of the old duffer. Jenny and the twins shared out the picnic and Sid and Nipper wolfed down the cherry cakes and porky rolls. The twins had brought some bottles of blackberry squash. Peg shared Meg's bottle and gave hers to Nipper. He guzzled it straight down and once again used Sid's shirt sleeve as a hanky.

'What you going to do now your Mum's back Sid.' asked Billy. 'Can't you live with her instead of the old duffer.'

'Going to.' said Sid. 'When she goes this time I'm going with 'er. Nip wants me too an all, don't cha Nip boy?'

Nipper nodded as he busied himself stuffing the remains of the picnic into his pockets. The twins spotted a jam jar poking out of Sid's trouser pocket.

'What's in the jar then Sid?'

Sid grinned 'What ja fink? Glue aint it.'

'Is it really strong glue?' grinned the twins.

'Only the best. It's wot ya sticks 'orses saddles with.' said Sid.

'Excellent' said Billy. 'Just tell us when and we'll all help.'

Jenny looked puzzled. So Sid explained.

'Before I go off to live with me Mum Jen, I'm gonna stick me dad's rotten ol' walking stick to 'is 'ead. I always said I'd do it one day and now I'm really gonna do it.'

'Brilliant.' squealed the twins. 'Name the day Sid.'

'I'll letcha know when I'm ready.' said Sid. 'Mum's new 'usband 'as some business in the village first. Be about a week I reckon.'

The children carried on chatting all afternoon working out all the details of how to help Sid with his top secret plan.

When Jenny got home, Creamy was in the kitchen with Ma. Creamy's eyes were very red from crying and Jenny gave her a big cuddle. Creamy's dad had died.

'Jenny would you do a quick errand for me please?' asked Ma, and she took Jenny out into the garden.

'I've put a supper basket in the barn.' whispered Ma 'only leftovers today. I didn't get time to do any baking. Could you run it down to Dolly Clockaclay and ask her to hand it out tonight when it's dark and not before. Dolly is the only one I trust not to eat the lot, she likes to stay slim does Dolly. Tell her thank you very much and give her this present from us both.'

Ma took the jumble sale mirror compact out of her apron pocket. It was gold coloured with a picture of blue butterflies on it.

'Oh Ma, Dolly will love it.' giggled Jenny 'She'll love looking at herself in a mirror.'

The evenings were very light now.

Dolly Clockaclay was busy in Angela's flower garden. She didn't move when Jenny approached her. Jenny looked around at the flower garden to see why. It was a beautiful garden the size of a field, bursting with tall flowers all bunching against each other in every colour you can imagine. Then Jenny noticed that someone was watching her.

'Hello, what you doing up here Jenny girl?'

It was Miss Flowerdew's old gardener, Mr Chaffinch, but everyone just called him Chaffy.

'Just looking for the clockaclays Chaffy.' replied Jenny.

'Righty ho, give my regards to your lovely Ma when you get home.' And old Chaffy carried on digging and pulling up weeds.

Ooty wandered off into the flowers to do some gardening of his own.

'Dolly.' Jenny whispered. 'I've put a basket behind your shed. Ma said please can you do the supper round tonight when it gets dark and not before. Ma said you're the only one she trusts not to eat it all, but it's only leftovers today because she's too busy.' Dolly gave Jenny a lovely smile but her lipstick had melted in the hot sun and had run down her chin.

'Here's a present for you.' Jenny whispered 'It's for doing lipstick.' and she put the butterfly compact in Dolly's dress flap. All the little clockaclays had gone out, flying around chasing the mayfid diddy things. Dolly was beaming when Jenny skipped off towards home. Ooty appeared from under the hedge and raced ahead of her down the footpath. Jenny watched him bouncing along and thought, yes, Ooty was starting to look like a little black nelephan – too many sardines.

Ma had invited Creamy to stay for a few nights as Creamy didn't want to be alone. After tea Ma and Creamy had lots to talk about so Jenny and Ooty went into the sitting room for the evening and put the radio on. Jenny got out her tin of paints and some sheets of paper. She sat the Jumble sale doll on the floor in front of her to practise painting faces.

After a while old Jackdaw turned up. Reverend Daws had come to chat with Creamy. Ma joined Jenny in the sitting room. She plopped down on the sofa and looked at Jenny's paintings.

'You are a clever little wren.' she said. 'These faces are lovely, so neat and pretty, the eyes are beautiful, not wonky at all.'

'Thanks Ma.' said Jenny. 'I want to practise getting them right so I don't mess it up when you show me how to make my first scarecrow.'

Ma grinned. 'I'm not very good at painting faces am I Jenny? The Pole sister's eyes are all a bit wonky. My sister Bluebell is wonderful at it, you should see her gang, like film stars they are.'

Jenny had a funny image pop into her head of famous film stars posing for photographs all dressed in Tatty old patched clothes with funny hats on.

'I've had a chat with the robins.' whispered Ma

'They think you'll be ready by Christmas to try making your first real scarecrow. Only a small one mind you, nothing too adventurous. Our gang is already a hand full to look after.'

Jenny leapt on the sofa and hugged Ma.

'Oh Ma I promise I won't mess it up, I really promise...but... there's still something I don't understand Ma. When you make scarecrows how do they come alive and move and talk and everything.'

So Ma put her arms around Jenny and told her the very top secret story of the scarecrows.

'It's all to do with robins and something magical that happened right here in this village many hundreds of years ago.' said Ma.

'Before there were any scarecrows in the world, robins were just plain little brown birds, a bit like sparrows. When the farmers sowed the seed in their fields, the biggest birds would swoop down and grab what seed they could and greedily scoff it all down. The little birds didn't stand a chance of getting their share and soon some of the smallest ones were dying through lack of food. One day, a little starving male robin, who was just trying to get a few tiny seeds, was attacked by a flock of huge crowbies who pecked him so viciously over and over again, pulling the feathers from the little robin's breast, that the poor little robin lay dying in the field with his breast all torn and bleeding. The other robins flew down and sadly picked up their little friend and carried him to the home of a very wise lady to see if she could save his life.'

Jenny loved stories, especially true ones, 'Go on Ma, what happened next, please don't say the poor little robin died?'

'Oh no' said Ma,' the wise old woman nursed the robin well again, but try as she might, she couldn't remove the red blood stain from his breast. Being a very wise woman, she asked the robin for one of his remarkable breast feathers. Then she set about making a figure from bundles of twigs and straw.

'Receive this rare and precious gift from the robin' she said to the straw man 'And in return, chase away the crows when they get too greedy and allow the robins and the other little birds to have their fair share of the spare seed.' Then she made a tiny hole in his chest with her finger and pushed the robin's red stained feather deep inside the straw man. The straw man immediately sat up and promised the wise woman he'd always watch over the robins and scare away the greedy birds.

From that day to this there have always been scarecrows in the world and robins have always had red breasts.'

'Wow.' said Jenny. 'So that's why you always see robins sitting on scarecrows.'

'Of course.' said Ma. 'Every robin likes a good old natter with a hodmedod. They often build their nests in them too because they know the scarecrow will always keep their eggs safe. That's the reason Tattie Bogle's top hat never comes off. My Mother cut a round hole in it and glued it on tight so the robins can nest inside it. It's a birdhouse hat really.'

Jenny was thinking it all over carefully.

'So, anyone could make a scarecrow if they find a red robin's feather then Ma.'

'Well they could.' said Ma 'but red robin's feathers are the rarest feathers to try and find and then the scarecrow still wouldn't talk or move.

'Why not Ma?'

'Because only people chosen by the robins can become real scarecrows makers. You are very special my little wren. The robins chose you over all the other children. You are going to be a wonderful scarecrow maker because you already have the most important thing you need. A kind and loving heart.

The vicar had left now and Creamy joined them in the sitting room to listen to the radio. Jenny kissed them both goodnight, then she and Ooty went up to bed. Lying awake in her bed, Jenny watching the moon through her bedroom window. She was thinking about the kind of scarecrow she was going make first. Maybe a little boy like Nipper, she thought, but without the yucky runny nose. Or maybe a pretty little girl in a sun hat, or maybe a tiny friend for Pinny Pipit. No she thought again, Pinny wouldn't like that. Pinny likes getting all the attention as the tiniest one. What about a scarecrow animal. Can you make scarecrow lions and tigers? Perhaps not, supposing they tried to eat everyone, that would be scary. How about a......... Jenny fell asleep dreaming of making her first scarecrow.

Creamy had slept in Jenny's room that night and they all had breakfast together the next morning. Eating her eggs and porkies, Jenny accidentally dropped her fork. All three looked at each other and then said together. 'Oops, lady on her way.' And of course they were right as a minute later there was a knock at the back door. It was Ocean and Rainbow back with their baskets. The travellers had lots to sell and their baskets were stuffed with ribbon and lace wound around old glittery Christmas cards. They also had cotton dusters, bunches of clothes pegs and big white chrysanthemum flowers that lasted for ever because they were made from willow sticks that had been cleverly peeled to make the petals. Creamy bought some dusters for cleaning the church and a bunch of the chrysanthemums. Ma bought some coloured ribbons, two bunch of red paper poppies and a dozen clothes pegs that she called Dolly pegs.

'Cheers ladies' said Ocean happily.

'We're off tomorrow so we won't see ya again for a few years, no work doing around here this time but we got us some work up in the middle country ready for the 'arvest so we're all moving on.'

'Well it's been lovely seeing you again anyway girls.' said Ma. 'You take care of yourselves and always be happy.'

'We always are.' laughed Rainbow. 'Thanks for the cup of cha' said Ocean kissing Ma on the cheek. Then the chattering gypsy women went on their way.

Creamy left to go to the church and Jenny went out to feed the wild birds. She made sure the robins got an extra big pinch of seed this time.

'Do you need me for anything today Ma? asked Jenny. 'Only I'd like to go and see Pinny and then go and play with Meg and Peg.'

'Go and make hay while the sun shines my little wren, that's what school holidays are for. I'm going to have a day catching my own tail.'

Jenny giggled, 'Hope you catch it Ma.'

Pinny Pipit was still happy doing her shop window mogelling job and was looking forward to going to the boat show again. The twins came out to play with Jenny and they all ran across the green to the duck pond. The huge tree that had come down in the great storm still lay across it as a bridge. The three silly triplets took off their socks and shoes and sat on the tree dipping their feet in the water. All the village kids loved the new tree bridge and played there all the time. Ooty loved it too. He liked to lay in the sun and catch the fish swimming beneath him, well he did in his dreams, but in reality he never actually caught one, but he still liked the idea of being a fisher cat.

'I saw Sid's mum this morning.' said Jenny to Meg and Peg.

'She said she's leaving tomorrow. Do you think that means Sid's leaving tomorrow too?'

'I'm going to really miss Sid.' said Peg sadly.

'Me too' said Meg, 'He's always fun to play with, he'll be over soon, he'll tell us if he's going.'

When Sid arrived he was looking very happy.

'It's all on for tomorra girls. Let Bill know will ya, I'm going to see me Mum now. Meet me 'ere tomorra at 3 o'clock. Don't nun of ya be late coz that's when the ol' duffer 'as a kip.'

The girls went to Billy's farm and gave him the message. Billy had to help his dad with some farm jobs so the silly triplets played for the rest of the day exploring Hod-me-dod-lee woods and then the vicarage garden next door.

'They have the midsummer ball in here.' said Meg, as the girls all squeezed into the vicar's garden through a hedge.

'Are you coming to the ball Jen?' asked Peg.

'I haven't been asked yet.' said Jenny.

'Billy will ask you.' giggled the twins together.

'It's lovely, we go every year' said Meg. 'They have it here on the vicarage lawn. They used to put fairylights in all the trees before the war, I guess it will be just a moonlight ball now.'

'It sounds lovely.' said Jenny. 'What do you do at a ball?'

'Dance' said Peg 'and eat too much. Everyone in the village dresses up in their best evening clothes, even my Mum and Dad, and they dance and eat all night long.'

'And they have a real band to play the dance music.' said Meg 'You'll love it Jen.'

Jenny thought it sounded wonderful and she hoped she would be allowed to go.'
Chapter

10

Sid's dad, Tinker Tucker the old duffer, was a disgusting horrible old man who never did any work. He never had a bath either and was always getting drunk. If Sid was ever late home then his dad would chase him up the stairs with his walking stick and lock him in his bedroom. He was always really horrible to Sid and Sid hated him. After his lunchtime dinner, Tinker Tucker always sat in his armchair drinking bottles of beer and burping and blowing off until he fell asleep. He was the most revolting man in Hod-me-dod-lee.

The day had finally come for Sid's big plan to be put into action. The five friends had all met up at the tree bridge dead on 3 o'clock as Sid had asked. They were all really excited.

'The ol' duffer will be a kip by now.' said Sid. 'Come on, an' don't forget, no talking at all. This is a top secret mission.'

Sid led the kids round to the back of his house and quietly opened the back door. Everyone held their breaths and listened. Tinker Tucker was snoring his head off in the front room. They all tiptoed in behind Sid. Poor Sid. The house was filthy and it didn't half pong. There was rubbish, dirty plates and beer bottles everywhere. Tinker Tucker was fast asleep in his greasy stained armchair. He had thick hair sticking up like a bright ginger broom with a big bushy beard to match. He was stretched full out in his armchair with his ankles crossed. His bare feet were filthy and his horny toenails curled over the ends of his toes like owl's claws. Across his lap lay a big knobbly walking stick.

(Tinker didn't need a walking stick to help him walk, he just enjoyed chasing Sid with it.)

Everyone knew what to do and held their breath so as not to wake Tinker up. Jenny job was to open the jar of glue and hold it while Sid gave the others a paint brush each. Then Meg and Peg went either side of Tinker's chair and carefully brushed lots of glue between his trouser legs, from the knees right down to the hems. It must have tickled because suddenly Tinker twitched, coughed and then blew off really loud. All the children froze with their hands over their noses and mouths to stop themselves laughing out loud - and because it really ponged. Tinker fidgeted about in his chair for a few moments and then started snoring again. The children continued with their mission. Billy brushed masses of glue gently onto the top of Tinker's head. His hair was so thick he didn't feel a thing. Sid went behind the chair with Billy and gently pushed his dad forward a bit so Billy could slide a big sheet of glued paper between the chair and his dad's back. Tinker blew off a few more times but he never woke up at all. Then Sid took the stick from Tinker's lap and carefully balanced it across the top of his dad's head. Billy poured the last of the glue on top of it. Then Sid signalled with his hand for the girls to get outside and they all silently tiptoed out.

As the girls ran off down the road Sid locked the back door and Billy locked the front door, both of them from the outside, and then they threw the keys into the bushes. Everyone then ran like crazy, howling with laughter, all the way up to the gypsy camp.

It was the most exciting thing any of them had ever done in their lives and they were whooping and screaming with the thrill of it. Sid's Mum and the other travellers were waiting for him.

'I aint 'arf gonna miss you lot.' said Sid to Billy and the girls. 'You're the best mates a man could ever 'ave.'

'We'll miss you too,' said the twins together starting to cry as they hugged Sid.

'I'll never forget you either Sid.' sniffed Jenny.

'Don't forget us will you mate?' said Bill shaking Sid's hand. He really felt like crying too, but he didn't, instead he said 'Don't forget to come back and see us so we can tell you what the ol' duffer does when he wakes up.'

'Cor... I wish I could see it for me self.' said Sid grinning. 'Well, cushty bok yous lot.'

Sid climbed up into the horse drawn caravan next to his Mum while her new husband led them away down the lane and out of Hod-me-dod-lee.

It was a heart-warming sight to watch them go off so happy together. And do you know what the best part was - Sid's new dad looked exactly like Sid - thick black hair and dark brown eyes.

Jenny, Bill and the twins all ran back to the village green and sat on the grass, their eyes fixed on Sid's old house to see what would happen. They had to wait for over an hour, which was good really because it meant the glue had longer to dry. The girls passed the time making daisy chain jewellry for each other while Bill collected enough small stones to write his name on the grass 'BILL BUN WOZ HERE.'

Eventually Bill shouted 'Look Tinker's at the front room window.'

The children stared with open mouths as the front room window flew open and Tinker tried desperately to climb out. But the walking stick glued to the top of his head was wider than the window itself. The four children began rocking with laughter as Tinker yanked the stick up and down and round and round trying to get it through the window frame. The more the walking stick twisted and pulled at his hair the louder he swore and shouted Sid's name.

Quite a crowd of adults began gathering to see what all the commotion was about as more and more children came tearing across the village green to watch the show. Even Mr and Mrs Sealy came out of the post office to see what was happening. Eventually Tinker managed to get his head and the walking stick both outside of the window - but his body was still inside the house. So he started to bounce up and down on the spot. Up and down, up and down like a mad ginger kangaroo he bounced, his face getting redder and redder and eventually turning purple.

'It's like he's hopping in a sack race.' roared the twins.

Tinker had found he couldn't open any of the doors and now he couldn't get his legs out the window either. He was furiously turning blue in the face with temper and the language he yelled at the top of his voice made many who heard him gasp with shock. All the children were laughing and pointing at stinky duffer Tinker, half hanging out of the front room window, screaming Sid's name. Then suddenly, with one mighty effort and a gasp from the crowd, Tinker leapt high into the air and dived out of the window head first into the rose bushes below. All the children screamed and clapped with delight as Tinker lay upside down in the prickly bushes frantically ripping and tearing at his trousers until he got them off completely. The crowd cheered again as horrible old Tinker leapt to his feet, shook his angry fist at the crowd, and ran off through the village in his dirty grey underpants looking for Sid - with the walking still stick glued to top of his head of course. As he ran, a paper sign flapped about on his back. The sign said.

'I'm a stinky old duffer please kick me up the bum A LOT.'

Tinker Tucker never did catch up with Sid or find out where he'd gone. That night he had to shave his head completely bald, it was the only way to remove the stick. Within a few weeks he had left the village and disappeared. No one ever knew where he went, and no one cared either. Everyone was just happy that Sid was now safe with his Mum and wouldn't get any more stickin's from the stinky old duffer.

A few days later Ma received a letter.

'Oh lovely.' she said over breakfast. 'I expect it's from Bluebell. You're better at reading small writing than I am Jenny, read it out will you dear.'

Jenny read aloud:

'Dear Miss Mawpin. It is with deep regret that I write to inform you of the impending closure of the Countryside museum. We wish to return the exhibit labelled 'Miss Birdie Stump' to you, this coming Friday, at approximately 11am. If this is not convenient please kindly inform us by return of post.

Yours Faithfully

Ivor Musty. Museum Curator.'

Ma and Jenny sat in silence looking at each other. This news had just spoilt their whole day.

'Oh Jenny what are we going to do now.' sighed Ma.

Jenny looked worried.

'Birdie won't live in the house with us, will she Ma? I don't like her and I know she doesn't like me either.'

Ma sighed again.

'No, Pinny's the only one I ever want to live in our house and Pinny hates Birdie. Pinny's bitten her several times.'

'Where will she live then Ma?' asked Jenny.

'In the barn I suppose.' said Ma, thinking of all the trouble and arguments that Birdie always caused even on her short visits.

'I can't put Birdie outside, she's too old.' then Ma smiled weakly. 'Plus Birdie can even scare the poor robins away. Luckily she's coming back Friday just as Pinny goes to the boat show so that will keep the two of them apart this weekend at least.'

'Couldn't Birdie live with Aunty Bluebell or Aunty Primrose instead?' hoped Jenny, crossing her fingers and wishing.

'Oh no.' said Ma. 'Bluebell is like our Mother, she's very strict with her gang and Miss Birdie doesn't like being told what to do, it would be like tying two cats tails together in a sack, the fur would soon fly, and as for poor little Primrose, well she has enough to do with her large gang without us giving her any extra work. No Jenny, this has always been Birdie's home so we'll just have to sort something out ourselves.'

Ma had asked Miss Peel's daughter if she could buy any marmalade that might still be in her Mother's old shed where the fire had happened.

'Oh please just help yourself my dear.'Citronella Peel had said. 'I can't stand the stuff. Take anything else you want from the cottage too, have it all for free. The old place is going to be pulled down soon and I don't want anything.'

So as it was still the school summer holidays Ma asked Jenny and her friends to take the pram and go and find as many jars of marmalade as they could.

While Billy looked through the remains of the dirty burnt out shed, the silly triplets had a look in the cottage kitchen. The roof had fallen in on the main part of the cottage but the kitchen was a lean-to at the back and was perfectly safe. There was still a small amount of furniture inside, some curtains and a pantry stacked with jars of jam, pickles and marmalade. Suddenly a wonderful idea jumped into Jenny's head.

The children put all the jars they could find in a huge pile and then used the pram to take it back to Ma. They had to make two trips as there were over a hundred free jars of marmalade for the scarecrow's suppers, plus enough Jam and pickle to last the whole village a life time. Ma was absolutely thrilled and said the children must take lots of the jam and pickles home to their parents. Then Jenny whispered her idea to Ma whilst everyone had a picnic lunch in the garden. It had to be jam rolls and sausage tarts, because Ma had got the two muddled up the day before. Ooty spend at least an hour deciding, in between mouthfuls, whether he liked sausage tart dusted in icing sugar or not, by the time he decided it was no.. he'd already eaten it.

Ma thought Jenny's idea sounded fun.

'Right you lot.' said Jenny. 'I've had an idea and Ma says it's OK, so what do you think about us cleaning out the garden shed this afternoon and making it into a club house. We can use all the things from Miss Peel's cottage and it'll be drier than the hedgerow camp in the winter.'

'Wow Jen that's an excellent idea.' said Billy.

'More than excellent Bill, it's brilliant.' squealed the twins, 'come on let's go and have a look now.'

The shed was at the back of the garden, quietly tucked away behind the tall frames of runner beans. The roof was sound and inside it was not too bad, mainly spiders and flowerpots.

Ooty checked it out for mickies but only found a fat frog taking forty winks in a watering can, so he chased it out and gave the shed the all-clear. Peg dealt with the spiders, she was the only one who liked them and carried them all carefully outside. Then Jenny and Bill gave it a good sweeping out while Meg washed the window and they all helped to bag up the rubbish. Then it was off back to Miss Peel's cottage. The three girls raced through the orchard laughing and screaming as they pushed Billy in the pram. He was screaming too, clinging on to the sides desperately trying to stop himself from bouncing out. Ooty was glad to walk this time. The sausage tart in his tummy didn't fancy a pram ride.

First they took the two pale blue kitchen chairs and put them in the pram. Then a small yellow stool and a handy fold up table was balanced on top. Billy climbed into the sink and got the kitchen curtains down and the twins put some cups, plates, nic naks and pictures in an old basket and a few cardboard boxes. It was a struggle getting it all back to the shed but everyone was so excited, they were really enjoying themselves.

Jenny washed the red check curtains in Ma's water butt and hung them on the washing line while the others arranged the furniture and Billy nailed up the pictures of poodle dogs and horses ploughing. A wooden fruit crate was dragged from the orchard to use as another seat. The club house did look good.

'Sid would have loved this.' said Meg when they had finished tidying up.

'Loved it? laughed Billy 'He would have moved in.'

'I hope we do see him again one day.' sighed Peg.

'Yep, he was the best mate a man could have.' said Billy looking around for something else he could nail with his hammer.

Ma brought the children out some drinks of lemon squash to see how they were getting on.

'Heavens above.' she declared. 'If I'd have known I was coming to Buckingham Palace I'd have worn my best hat.'

'We've got curtains too' said Jenny excitedly 'they're on the washing line. Can my friend's stay to tea Ma, so we can have our first shed club meeting tonight?'

'Of course.' said Ma. 'But all go and ask your parents first and take some jars of pickles and jam with you.'

That evening the four contented friends all crammed into the club house to enjoy eggs, chips and bacon with strawberries and cold custard for pud. Ooty just had a plate of bacon and custard.

Billy had nailed the dry curtains to the window frame, he loved nailing things, and Ma had given them a clean red tablecloth and hung a small paraffin lamp from the roof.

'Right now, quiet everyone.' said Bill tapping his knife on the table.

'As this is the first official meeting of the shed club I think we should all say thank you to Jenny for making it all possible.'

'Billy and the twins then clapped and Jenny went bright pink.

'Next.' Said Billy. 'I would like to propose a motion – That means ask a question in proper club language. So I would like to ask the new shed club if we can have a new member, because now that Sid's gone I'm the only man left and I feel a bit out numbered.'

'Who's the new member then Bill ?' asked Peg.

'Spike.' said Bill.

'But you had a fight with him last week didn't you?' asked Meg.

'Well we had a bit of a scrap,' admitted Billy 'but I won and now we're mates again. He's not a patch on Sid as a best mate but I'm guessing he'll want to try out for the job once he hears Sid's gone.'

'We'll need to vote on it.' said Peg. 'That's the proper way to run a club.'

'I know that.' said Bill 'I know all about running clubs. So members, if Spike can join the shed club, raise your hands and say aye.'

Everyone raised their hands and said aye.

'Motion carried.' said Bill. 'That's the proper club thing to say again. I'll tell Spike he's in tomorrow - and to bring his own chair.'

John Johnson hated his name. He said it was stupid having the same name twice and made him sound like he had a stutter. He preferred to be known as Spike, which suited him better anyway because his white blonde hair was as spiky as a hotchie. He was really pleased to be allowed to join the shed club and brought an old beer crate with him as a chair, but then he upset Billy straight away by asking Jenny to the midsummer ball.

'Tough.' said Bill. 'Jen's already going with me.'

'Told you.' giggled the twins together both nudging Jenny.

This was all news to Jenny, but she didn't say anything because she didn't want to make Bill look silly in front of Spike plus she desperately wanted to go to the ball anyway.
Chapter

11

When Friday morning came, Jenny and Ma took a very excited Pinny Pipit down to the canal at 10'oclock on the dot and handed her over to Captain Sam. She was off to the summer boat show. Jenny had washed and pressed Pinny's clothes herself and she looked perfectly adorable and spotlessly clean.

'Fingers crossed for the gold cup.' called Ma as she and Jenny waved frantically to Pinny Pipit floating away on the narrowboat.

'Hope you win the fattest cat show TigTig.' hissed Ooty.

'I will miss Pinny again Ma' sighed Jenny 'I can't help it.'

'I know little robin.' replied Ma as they strolled back home. 'But Pinny does seem to enjoy her mogelling so much.'

The countryside museum curator returned Miss Birdie Stump promptly at 11'oclock.

Ivor Musty sadly explained that, what with the war still carrying on, there was just no money available to keep the museum open. Ma told Mr Musty she was sad to hear it, then she told him what she thought about silly Twitler Hitler and his stupid war. As soon as Mr Musty left, Ma whisked Birdie out to the barn with a pot of tea and a bag full of marmalade rolls to keep her happy. Then she sat her down and gave her a stiff talking too about her attitude, wagging her finger at her and telling her she was going to be 'watching her like a hawk.' Birdie stuck her tongue out at Jenny – very unladylike – but she didn't say a word.

It turned out to be a really busy day because Creamy then turned up to ask Ma and Jenny if they would like to go into town shopping with her.

'It's the midsummer ball tomorrow.' said Creamy. 'I wasn't going to go to it this year out of respect for dad but I know he would want me to go and have some fun...I really could do with a new dress though.'

'Oh no' said Ma. 'I'd forgotten all about it and I have so much to do here today. I haven't done any housework or even started my baking yet and I was going to turn out the pantry and change the beds.'

Creamy saw that Jenny looked disappointed.

'Well Jenny can still come with me can't she Ma?'

'Oh yes, that's a lovely idea.' said Ma. 'I've been meaning to buy you a new dress Jenny... and shoes too, I'll give you some money so you can have a spend up, if things are not too expensive you might be able to get two dresses.'

Jenny was thrilled, all her dresses, bar one, were second hand and she couldn't wait to get some new shoes as she only had the school shoes now that Ma had bought her at Easter.

Jenny had a lovely time in town shopping with Creamy. They went in on the bus and had lunch in a tearoom called Ye Olde Copper Kettle. It served titchy little triangle shaped cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches with tomatoes trimmed up to look like little roses. Then they hit the shops.

Creamy giggled as she tried on all the hats and long dresses that Jenny passed to her in the changing rooms. Jenny chose herself a lovely pale blue lawn dress with matching shoes and then came out of the changing room to show creamy.

'Oh Jenny you look like a princess.' gasped Creamy, as Jenny gave her a twirl.

'You'll have all the boys wanting to dance with you at the ball, and you've still got enough money left for a blouse or another pair of shoes if you like.'

'Am I allowed to spend it on a present for Ma instead?' asked Jenny.

Creamy smiled 'What do you want to buy her Jenny? It's not Ma's birthday until Christmas.'

'I'd like to buy her a brooch.' said Jenny. 'As a present because I love her.'

'Well I'll give you the money for a brooch.' said Creamy 'because I love you and Ma too. So you just spend what money you have left on yourself.'

So Jenny did. She bought another pair of shoes in glorious red patent leather and then they both went off to find a jewellery shop. They stopped and looked in the windows of several shops along the high street until Jenny eventually found what she wanted and pointed to a little brooch in a red padded box.

'Is that one too much money Creamy?'

'Oh no that's perfect. ' smiled Creamy 'Come on let's go in and buy it.'

When they got home, Creamy and Jenny put on a fashion show in the sitting room. Ma and Ooty both sat on the sofa and watched as Jenny came in first and twirled around in her new dress. Ma loved it, especially with the matching pale blue shoes, but then even Ooty gasped out loud when Creamy came in looking stunning in a long pink gown with matching full length evening gloves.

'You'll have all the boys wanting to dance with you at the ball.' winked Jenny.

'Are you going to give Ma her present now?' whispered Creamy.

'Ok. Said Jenny and she fetched the little red padded box and presented it to Ma.

'This is from me and Creamy because we love you so much.'

Ma looked very surprised as she accepted the little box. Then she opened it, but she didn't say anything, she just sat silently staring down at the open box in her lap. Inside the box was a little gold robin brooch, it even had a shiny red breast.

'Don't you like it Ma.' said Jenny worried by Ma's silence.

Ma looked up at Jenny, she had tears running down her cheeks.

'I love it.' she said softly 'But If I live to be free 'undred and thirteenth my little wren, I will never ever love anything as much as I love you. You're the best daughter any woman could have wished for.'

That night, Ma showed off her robin brooch proudly to all the scarecrows. There were lots of gasps and oooohs from the girls, especially from Dolly Clockaclay who was just mad about jewellery and said it was 'Simply divined ...absolutely simply simply simply divined.' Jenny told them all about her new dress and explained that her and Ma would be bringing their food at lunchtime the next day so they could get ready for the midsummer ball early.

Early Saturday evening they had their baths with Ma's best scented soap and got dressed. Ma put on her best red dress suit and pinned the robin brooch onto the jacket lapel. With her soft white hair all twinkly and shiny she looked absolutely lovely. Jenny and Ooty both wore ribbons. Jenny a pale blue one as a hair band and Ooty a red one as a bow tie. Then they went to call for Creamy. She looked amazing. Her hair had been cut to her shoulders and permed into waves, it was flipped back on one side with a diamond hairclip. She seemed very nervous indeed.

They all met up with Meg and Peg and their parents waiting outside the post office and everyone walked on to the ball together. The twins looked pretty, and identical as usual, in new lemon dresses with daisy flowers in their hair. The whole village attended the ball. It was the most important event in the Hod-me-dod-lee calender. This was the first ball since the start of war. The government had declared a black out, meaning no lights were allowed to be shown at night, so the enemy aeroplanes wouldn't be able to see the houses below if they did fly over. Luckily it was still light being a summer's night and then the moon was fairly bright when it did appear.

Being a moonlight ball made it extra special and exciting. The girls ran ahead into the vicarage garden to find Billy and Spike, who were waiting for them by the food tables. They had already made an excellent job of reducing the number of the fried chicken legs available.

'Wow, you look lovely Jen.' said Billy when he saw her.

'So do you.' grinned Jenny. 'I like your bow tie.'

Billy fiddled with it. 'It don't half itch.'

Ma and the Sealy's had gone off to chat with their neighbours but Creamy was hanging back nervously at the gate on her own. Around the edge of the lawn were masses of tables and chairs with bunches of balloons tied to them, and tied to just about everything else in the garden too. A small band of young men dressed in smart white evening suits played lots of fast music for everyone to dance to. Jenny and Billy were just going to see where Creamy had got to, when she came walking towards them through the crowd. She was holding hands with Billy's dad, farmer Peter Bun.

'BLIMEY' said Billy totally shocked.

'No wonder the old man was scrubbing himself in the bath all afternoon. Creamy looks like a bliming film star.' \- And she did.

As the night grew darker a few uninvited guests began to arrive. No one noticed them as they gathered together behind a hedge to watch Jenny dancing with Billy and all the other children. All the scarecrows had secretly arranged with each other to creep up to the vicarage to see the ball. Soon they were quietly having a ball of their own dancing together in the woods nextdoor. Minnie Mommet was flitting in and out of the trees, flicking her dress up to the rhythm of the music, like a naughty woodland fairy, while Drippy and Lolly lovingly kissed their boyfriends Tater and Dickie as they danced in the moonlight with their arms tight around each other.

Crowbie, Salty and Spudder danced with the Pole sisters, swinging them around to the girl's great delight, while Spadger and Tattie Bogle did some seriously weird break dancing of their own invention. Even grumpy Grackle Blak actually smiled for a change and danced a waltz with Dolly Clockaclay.

The music had put everyone in a happy mood. Creamy and Peter danced together fast and slow all through the evening and it was soon clear to everyone that this was not the first time they had got together, just the first time in public. The whole village were talking about them, but it was all nice talk as everyone liked Creamy and Peter.

Jenny only danced with Spike once because he kept treading on her new shoes so she went back to dancing with Billy, who was a really good dancer.

Ooty had a fantastic time, everyone made a huge fuss of him. He'd never seen so much food in all his life and he gorged himself on a whole platter of fish paste sandwiches, which he'd managed to drag under one of the tables with the help of his new friend, Holy Moly the vicar's moggy.

Ma really enjoying herself and had even had a dance with old Chaffy the gardener, but only the one, as she told Creamy later that he was a bit livelier than a gardener of his age ought to be.

Creamy roared with laughter.

When the ball was over, Peter walked Creamy and Ma home. Peter kept calling Creamy 'Alison darling.' Jenny and Billy walked behind them giggling and nudging each other as 'Alison darling' and Peter kept stopping every few yards to kiss goodnight. Ooty trotted behind them all, until he lost his bow tie in the bushes being as sick as a cat – he was amazed to discover he could have too much fish paste.

It had been an evening to remember.
Chapter

12

The day after the ball everyone felt tired.

After church, Ma and Jenny decided to just come home and lounge around the garden, sunbathing in deckchairs.

Ooty was stretched full out in the shade of the water butt, twitching his feet and probably dreaming about fishing as usual. Ma wore the straw hat covered in red flowers that she'd been given on hiring day. Jenny was wearing shorts, a spotty blouse, a pair of sunglasses and a huge blue floppy hat she'd found in one of Ma's boxes in the barn.

'Oh this is the life.' said Ma sipping her lemonade. 'Don't let me nod off and forget to pick Pinny Pipit up at 4 o'clock.'

'I won't' said Jenny. 'I hope captain Sam won the gold cup this time.'

They both closed their eyes and lay back enjoying the warm sunshine, listening to the soothing singing of the bees in the flower borders.

An odd rustling noise suddenly disturbed them and a shadow passed over their faces. Thinking a cloud had covered the sun Ma and Jenny opened their eyes and looked up. Miss Birdie Stump was standing in front of them.

'I goin' now den Ma.' said Birdie. And she started limping off down the garden path towards the front gate.

Jenny and Ma stared briefly at each other then frantically tried to get out of their deckchairs. By the time Ma had rolled onto the grass and was still struggling to get up off of her knees, Jenny was already behind Birdie Stump grasping at her shawl.

'No Miss Birdie, please don't go.' cried Jenny.

Ooty leapt at Birdie's red knitted shawl and swung from the back of it.

'Pesky puss, pesky scrag.' hissed Birdie taking off her shawl and throwing, it along with Ooty, into the bushes. This was followed by a massive shove that sent Jenny reeling backwards into the flowers borders to land on her bum next to Ooty. Birdie was just about to open the gate when luckily Ma arrived and grabbed her arm.

'Where are you going Birdie? You can't just go off wandering around the village on your own my dear.'

'I gets me some work.' said Birdie angrily. 'I is free hundred and thirteenth you knows, an' I not stays in barn with smelly mickies no more.'

Since Miss Birdie Stump had returned to Mawpin cottage she had spent all of her time in the barn alone, apart from when Ma had taken her supper out to her, no one had visited her at all. All the scarecrows hated her and even Jenny didn't like her, in fact Jenny was still a bit scared of her. Birdie always moaned about the children poking her at the museum but being shut up in the barn on her own was even worse. Miss Birdie was a problem. Ma just didn't know what to do with her and Birdie Stump was as unhappy as a scarecrow could be, which isn't very unhappy, it just means that Miss Birdie was even more bad tempered than usual.

'Please will come inside with me Birdie?' asked Ma gently. 'I'll put the kettle on and we can have a good chat and a nice cuppa tea.'

'No teas, I goes now.' said Birdie trying to open the gate again.

'Oh dear.' sighed Ma.' her hand firmly on the gate, 'and just when I've got a whole tin full of marmalade iced buns that I don't know what to do with....Oh well, never mind, if you're definitely going then Birdie I guess I'll just have to throw them all away.'

Birdie stopped tugging at the gate and looked thoughtful for a while.

'Well .. Birdie could eats them up for you... an' then I goes work after.'

Ma winked at Jenny.

'Thank you Birdie, that's very kind of you to help me out with the buns, let's go and put the kettle on now shall we, we can't have buns without tea.'

Jenny thought Ma was very clever.

Birdie Stump had lived in the countryside museum ever since Ma's parents had died and that was many years ago. Ma couldn't remember what Birdie had done before that. She guessed that Birdie had worked in the fields, probably for two hundred years or more, but now Birdie was too fragile to be out in the wind and rain all the time. Ma made a pot of tea and put a jar of marmalade on the table so Birdie could add a few spoonfuls to her cup. Birdie looked in the cake tin and chose the bun she wanted...they were all the same but she picked one from the bottom first. Jenny and Ooty sat over by the back door and decided to keep quiet. Birdie glared at them both.Ma poured out the tea into the china cups.

'Birdie' said Ma 'what sort of job were you thinking of doing...I mean when you do go to work. There won't be much field work to do after they bring in the harvest.'

'I goes big 'ouse, minds babs.' said Birdie flatly.

She had already eaten her first bun covered in orange icing and was now busy choosing her second. Ma and Jenny were puzzled by what Birdie had said and so gradually Ma coaxed Birdie into telling them about her earlier life. Apparently, when Birdie was first made she was hired out every year to a grand manor house called Stokely Hall. (It had been pulled down years ago but Birdie didn't know that.) When Birdie worked there the women field workers used to take Birdie and sit her in the hedgerow and put their babies (babs) on her lap. They would tie ribbons to the babies waists and tie the other ends to Birdie's wrists. Birdie would have five or six babs on her lap and quietly sing lullabies to them. She would make sure they stayed safe and didn't try to crawl away, while their Mother's picked the strawberries or cut the corn. At the end of the day the field workers would then take Birdie back to her post before they went home. For a couple of hundred years Birdie Stump had looked after nearly every baby in Hod-me-dod-lee. Ma and Jenny were amazed. Nasty old Birdie Stump actually loved babies. It seemed it was when they grew up, became scrags and poked her with pokey sticks that she didn't go much on them.

Ma gently explained that Stokely Hall had gone now and that Mother's no longer left their babies in the hedgerows all day. Birdie looked very sad to hear this as she munched her fifth bun and slurped her second cup of tea.

'Is there anything else you can do?' asked Ma.

Birdie thought about Ma's question over yet another cup of tea while she stirred three big spoonfuls of marmalade into it.

'Cilla tells me does mendin an sewin.' she said at last.

Ma's mouth fell open. She was astonished.

'Cilla does..I mean did. Do you mean to say you did sewing for my great great granny Pricilla?'

'I best at patchin bed fings.' added Birdie. 'Cilla takes 'em to market. Cilla gives me suckies.'

'Well blow me out to sea.' said Ma 'I never knew you could sew Birdie. Could you do sewing for me – as a proper job I mean?'

Birdie was already choosing her seventh bun and didn't even look up when she agreed

'OK Ma I likes suckies.'

Ma looked at Jenny and winked.

'What are suckies?' whispered Jenny.

'Sweets I think.' said Ma 'Sounds like we'll have to learn how to make boiled marmalade sweets Jenny.'

Jenny nodded and then looked at the clock on the mantle shelf. It said 4.05

'Ma look at the time!' cried Jenny jumping up. 'We forgot about Pinny.'

'Oh my goodness,' gasped Ma ' you run ahead Jenny. Birdie take yourself and the cake tin off to the barn and I'll see you about your new job when we get back.'

When Jenny and Ooty got to the canal, Captain Sam was sunbathing on the roof of his narrowboat.

'Sorry we're late' puffed Jenny nearly out of breath from running. 'Ma's on her way.'

Captain Sam was a handsome young man, tall, thin and as brown as a sparrow from being outside all year round.

'No rush it's a lovely day.' smiled Sam happily as he swung his legs over the edge of the roof and jumped down onto the tow path. The boat rocked madly from side to side and Ooty grinned as he watched the fat orange TigTig desperately trying to cling onto the roof. If cats can laugh, then Ooty laughed like a cat when TigTig suddenly found himself upside down on the tow path.

'Didn't get the gold again but we won another silver.' Sam told Jenny.

'They had a dog show too. If TigTig had been a dog I reckon he'd have won gold.'

'Doubt it, unless it was an ugly dog show.' grinned Ooty to himself wandering off down the towpath to do a spot of gardening.

Ma soon arrived puffing like a little train, she'd ran all the way. Captain Sam handed Pinny Pipit to her. Pinny had a big smile on her face.

'Just been telling your girl we got the silver cup again Ma.' said Sam 'Thanks for the hire of the scarecrow. I've got some old ties and a few shirts here if they're any good to you.'

'Lovely, thanks Sam' said Ma. 'Well done for getting another prize. Where you off too now then?'

'Me and TigTig fancy we'll take the boat up country. It'll take us a few weeks but we like to see all the family nownagain.'

'Well bless you and have a safe journey then Sam. Hope to see you next spring.'

'You will Ma. Me and TigTig will send you a postcard. We'll be going all out for the gold cup next year so we'll need your little doll again. Bye for now.'

And Sam waved as Ma and Jenny walked back up the tow path. Ma looked into her apron pocket. Pinny looked very happy sitting inside.

'Did you have a nice time mogelling Pinny?'

'I bootiful mogel showing off.' Squeaked Pinny proudly.

Ma and Jenny chuckled.
Chapter

13.

Creamy the milk lady hadn't come round of an evening quite so much since she had been going out with Peter Bun, but she often popped in for a morning coffee instead, whilst out delivering the milk. One morning she had something special she wanted to ask.

'Ma' she said grinning. 'Peter has asked me...'

'Yes, yes yes .' squealed Ma.

Creamy started again. 'Peter has asked me if I know anyone who would like to buy a gypsy caravan.'

Ma and Jenny both looked really disappointed.

Creamy was still grinning. 'Well he has one in his barn, so if you do know anyone then let Peter know.'

'Yes, certainly.' said Ma.

Creamy looked across at Jenny.

'Oh and Jenny by the way, Peter said to ask you if you know anyone that would like to be a bridesmaid.'

'AHHHH' screamed Ma and Jenny together leaping onto Creamy and squeezing her.

'When did he ask you?' they both gushed.

'Last night.' squealed Creamy. 'Ma, I'd like you to be my matron of honour and Jenny and my sister Susan to be my bridesmaids. Billy is going to be our page boy of course. Peter asked him if it was OK with him if we got married and you know what boys are like, Billy just rolled his eyes and said 'Yer, Creamy's alright.'

'When,' cried Jenny 'When are you getting married, I can't wait.'

'Oh we haven't even spoken to the vicar yet' laughed Creamy 'but it will probably be before Christmas.'

Creamy looked so happy.

'I've already rung my sister Susan. She screamed in my ear and nearly deafened me. She thinks lemon and forget-me-nots for the bridesmaids would be nice unless it's really close to Christmas and then she suggested ice blue velvet with white fur capes.'

Jenny was so excited she just kept squealing and hugging Creamy. She didn't care what colour her dress was going to be, she just wanted to be a bridesmaid so badly.

That evening, before the scarecrow's supper round, Jenny and Ma sorted out some sewing things for Birdie Stump.

'I can't imagine how Birdie is going to hold a needle with her twig fingers.' said Ma.

'What is she going to sew Ma.' asked Jenny.

'Well.' said Ma thinking. 'We could give her some cotton threads, pins, needles, scissors and that bag of old ties from Captain Sam and perhaps a few old torn clothes and just see what she can do. Perhaps she'll just mend the clothes. We'll leave it up to her. At least it has stopped her wandering off.'

They put all the sewing things into a blue woven sewing basket and took it out to the barn. Birdie had arranged herself comfortably and set up some straw bales as an armchair. She was waiting impatiently for Ma to bring her the sewing things along with her supper. They were taking too long as far as Birdie was concerned. She was tapping her foot and looking very annoyed when they arrived. Birdie stared at the bag of ties crossly when Jenny handed them to her.

'Where's paper pesky scrag. Needs paper.'

Birdie then pointed at Ooty. 'OUT pesky puss, always tiddling on fings.'

Ooty quickly disappeared into the garden. Ma asked Birdie what kind of paper she wanted.

'Nooos paper. Go get.' ordered Birdie.

Jenny fetched a newspaper and watched in amazement as Birdie quickly began chopping it up into dozens of tiny diamond shapes. She was very quick and very neat. Every diamond was perfect.

'Well Birdie.' said Ma quite astonished as how nimble Birdie was with her twiggy fingers. 'We'll see you tomorrow and then you can show us what you've made.'

Birdie didn't answer, she was cutting up the newspaper as if her life depended on it. Ma and Jenny took the big baby pram and wheeled it out before turning on the light and quietly shutting the barn door.

'We'll start with the village suppers first.' Ma said. 'I think it's about time we asked Drippy and Lolly if they do want to get married, they might not want too.'

Ma needn't of worried as Drippy Mommet screamed at the idea of getting hitched and danced around the allotment hugging Ma and Jenny and crying 'Ooooh yes me bridie, oooh oooooooh, lubbly bridie.'

Drippy then followed Ma and Jenny to the garden where Lolly worked. Lolly's reaction was slightly different. She climbed into the pram, pointed to the hill farms like Queen Boudica in her chariot, and said.

'We goes tells Dickie. We's getting hitched, so there goes it.'

Drippy began jumping up and down again, she wanted to go tell Tater he was getting married too. So she climbed into the pram and sat on Lolly's lap. Luckily, Dickie Perch and Tater Sack seemed thrilled about it when they were told, rather than asked, by their excited girlfriends.

'We's getting hitched, so there goes it.' said Lolly wagging her finger at Dickie. 'You likes it and you lumps it.'

'Well I guess that's all settled then.' said Ma laughing. 'We all lumps it by the sound of it. Jenny and I will organize everything and you can have a double wedding in the barn after the harvest is brought home when you're all on your winter break.'

Jenny was so happy. Now she had another wedding to look forward too.

Next morning Jenny and Ma were both still in their nighties giggling together in the bathroom while they brushed their teeth, when somebody knocked on the kitchen door. Ma leaned out of the window to see who it was. Below in the garden was Birdie Stump.

'Need sewin'. ' Said Birdie flatly.

'You are an early Birdie.' giggled Ma at her own joke. 'We've only just got up. Have you finished the other sewing already?'

'Corse. More.' Birdie sounded like she was very busy and needed to get on.

'Well we need to get dressed first and then see what you've done so far.' said Ma. 'You go back to the barn and I'll be over shortly with a cuppa tea for you.'

Birdie tutted, threw her bonnet wrapped head back and clonked off up the garden path.

When Ma and Jenny took Birdie's tea out to the barn they had a lovely surprise. Birdie Stump was sitting in her straw bale armchair with her arms folded, tapping her feet impatiently - But over her lap was an amazing multi coloured patchwork lap quilt.

'Did you make this last night?' gasped Ma.

'Corse.' was all Birdie said.

'But Birdie it's beautiful.' said Ma 'All these tiny little diamonds. They look like stars. I didn't realise you were so clever.'

'Course I is clever.' snapped Birdie. 'What you fink I is. Puddin' in a cloth.'

Jenny quickly smothered her need to laugh. Ma poured Birdie a cup of tea and sat next to her admiring the quilt, still amazed at how neat it was.

'Listen Birdie.' said Ma. 'Jenny has worked very hard and has a surprise for you. Would you like to see what she's done.'

'No. said Birdie. 'Pesky scrag go live in a ditch. Done sewin' Ma. Suckies now.'

'Yes I haven't forgotten the sweets Birdie.' said Ma. 'But you come with us first and see your surprise.'

Birdie reluctantly followed Ma and Jenny back to the garden and round behind the runner bean frames.

'We know you don't like living in the barn.' said Ma. 'So Jenny thought you might like a house of your very own.'

'SHED NO. Smelly mickies.' declared Birdie spinning on her heels to go again.

'But Birdie there are no mickies.' said Jenny. 'Ooty made sure of that. It's a lovely little house and it's.. it's called Birdie's Rest.'

Jenny had quickly made the name up but it sounded perfect. Ma opened the door to the shed club and Birdie forced herself to look inside.

'Look, it has a table and chairs to sit and have tea properly and lovely pictures on the walls. It even has curtains. It's a real house and it's just for you, none of the others can come in unless you invite them, and you can sit here and do any sewing that you want to do.'

Birdie was finking, she looked around and stroked the chairs with her old twiggy hand as a strange soft look gradually came over her hard wooden face that even Ma hadn't seen before.

'Birdie's house?' she asked quietly. 'For ONLY Birdie?'

Ma smiled at Jenny. 'Run and fetch Birdie's cuppa tea my little wren. I think she'd like to finish it in here now. I'll go and get her some more patching things.'

After that whenever the shed club met they played in the barn. Jenny said that Ma had to store some scarecrows in the shed for a while and none of the other kids minded at all. The barn was bigger to play in anyway. The straw bales made terrific boats and cars and there were plenty of seats for everyone when they had their egg, chips and bacon supper nights.

Jenny and Ma painted a wooden sign 'Birdie's Rest' and nailed it to the shed. Birdie was so proud, she even smiled at Jenny once, but only once. She swept and dusted her little house every day and even let Ooty in to search for unwanted mickies. Birdie was as happy as a scarecrow could be.

August 1940 had been the driest month that anyone could remember.

Farmers by nature being suspicious of any good luck, decided to bring in the harvest early, just in case September brought a flood or a hurricane. Ma and Jenny were now fully occupied with planning the eagerly awaited scarecrow's wedding. Lots of lists were made and Miss Flowerdew was given an order for flowers. She didn't ask who they were for, but she did say there would be no charge if she could hire Pinny Pipit again for a harvest festival display in the church. If Jenny hadn't taken Pinny over straight away Pinny would have galloped over to the shop on Ooty's back herself she was that exited to be going 'mogelling' again.

On the evening supper rounds the scarecrows now talked of nothing else but the forth coming wedding. The main topic of conversation seemed to involve something called Somerset sozzle juice. The recipe for making it seemed to cause some arguments but generally it involved boiling marmalade in gallons of water for days on end whilst gradually adding various apples, pears, hedgerow plants and bits of tree bark. Although Tattie Bogle was adamant a dead frog was always added between the rowan bark and the hawthorn leaves. Ma's sisters, Bluebell and Primrose, had written to say they 'wouldn't miss it for all the tea in china.' and would bring a selection of their best behaved scarecrows as guests. Primrose's husband, Oak, had already started brewing the barrel of sozzle juice. The wedding was set for the first Saturday in September - which was less than a week away. With so much still to do on top of their usual chores, Jenny was still determined to make wedding dresses for Lolly Sticks and Drippy Mommet. They were just eating breakfast and chatting about it when Ma dropped her butter knife on the floor.

'Oops.' grinned Jenny. 'Man on his way.' Naturally five minutes later there came a knock at the back door.

Even today lots of people still sadly find themselves homeless, but they usually tend to stay put in a town and rarely wander around the countryside from village to village as they did in the past. Tramps, as they were once called, because they tramped from town to town, were once a common sight and when one of the poor souls knocked on your door it was considered very bad manners to turn him away without giving him some food or clothing to help him out. Ma having a heart as big as the moon welcomed the tramp in immediately for a slap up breakfast.

Although the tramp, who introduced himself as 'Willow' was far scruffier than any of Ma's scarecrows, he seemed very nice and had a happy weatherbeaten smiling face.

'I thank you most kindly my hostess.' Willow said patting his tummy, after eating four eggs, sausage and bacon faster than a piglet. 'I can't say when I have eaten so well.'

Between three large cups of tea and several slices of bread and butter he told Ma and Jenny he was a travelling writer and collector of county tales, folklore and village customs. He was also expecting his 'ship to come in' as soon as his book was published. Then naturally he intended to re-pay every single person that had 'warmed him and supported him on his long quest.'

Before Willow left to continue his questing, Ma took him to the barn and kitted him out with a clean suit, an overcoat, trilby hat, plus gloves, scarf and leather boots. A fresh pork pie and a packet of jam sandwiches were in the over coat pocket when he waved goodbye.

'Willow was nice wasn't he.' said Jenny after he'd gone.

'Yes he was. Poor soul.' said Ma. 'I didn't like the look of his cough. He'll have to chase that come winter. Right then my Jenny wren, let's have a go at these wedding dresses today.'

Ma fetched her sewing machine and Jenny filled the kitchen table with the enormous jumble sale wedding dress.

'We can't just cut it in half Ma.' said Jenny 'or the dresses will only have one arm each.

'True,' said Ma. 'Do they need sleeves?'

Jenny thought about it then said.

'Perhaps they could just have wedding skirts and wedding shawls instead.'

'Why didn't I think of that?' chuckled Ma. 'I is a puddin' in a cloth.'

Ma and Jenny spent most of the day making the wedding outfits. There was enough material in the old dress for two full length lace skirts while the petticoat made two silky shawls which they trimmed with red paper poppies Ma had bought from Ocean and Rainbow.

'Ma.' said Jenny. 'Don't we need a vicar to do the wedding service? Or it won't be proper. Will it?'

'No we don't need old jackdaw.' chuckled Ma winking at Jenny. 'Country folk have married each other for hundreds of years, long before vicars come along and scarecrows are mostly just the same as us old country folk.'

'Well...if we are talking about scarecrow weddings then I might be able to help you there misses.'

Ma and Jenny stared opened mouthed at Willow's smiling face leaning in through the open kitchen window.

'So sorry. I didn't mean to startle you young misses.' he said. 'I just popped back to ask a favour and I'm afraid I overheard you chatting. Again, please accept my apologises.'

Ma was stunned and for the first time in years she didn't know what to say. Willow realised he had been eves dropping and now he felt ashamed, after all Ma had been so kind to him that morning.

'It's just.' he stumbled. 'I went to a scarecrow's wedding once. Down Dorset way it was. About ten year ago. And I just thought that maybe you might be interested in hearing about it.'

Ma and Jenny still weren't sure what to say.

'Anyway.' said Willow.' Perhaps it's not the best time to ask a favour now so I'll be off again then. Cheerio ladies and sorry again for interrupting.'

And Willow tipped his hat and disappeared. Ma looked at Jenny.

'Maybe.' she said 'If Mr Willow has really been to a proper scarecrow wedding then we should have a chat with him. See what he has to say about it. Find out if there's anything special we're supposed to do.'

Jenny agreed and they both hurried after him.

Willow had only gotten as far as the duck pond tree bridge when they caught up with him.

'You disappeared before asking your favour Mr Willow.' puffed Ma. 'How can we help you?'

'It's just Willow Miss and I am truly sorry for eves dropping on you. I have a bit of a cough and haven't been feeling too clever all week. I just wondered if I might rest at your abode tonight, a dry shed would be perfect. Dry my chest out a bit. Just for tonight and then I'll be on my way again.'

'Of course you can.' said Ma. 'And we'll see what we can find you for that cough. You say you went to a scarecrow wedding once. Jenny and I would love to hear about it wouldn't we Jenny?

'Yes please.' said Jenny. 'Was it fun?'

'One the best parties I've ever been too.' Willow winked at Jenny. 'Once the Somerset sozzle juice started flowing.'

Jenny and Ma made Willow very comfortable in the barn with plenty of blankets and a big bowl of rabbit stew for his supper. Ma then dosed him up with her homemade honey and rosehip cough syrup while Willow told them all about the scarecrow wedding ceremony.

'And did they really talk to you and dance with you?' asked Jenny.

'Of course.' said Willow. His dark brown eyes twinkling as he spoke. 'I've always gotten on well with scarecrows. Always stop and have a natter when I see one. Had an hour with a great sailor called Salty Tam the other day. He even had a proper wooden leg like a pirate. Terrific dancer he was. Showed me how to dance the horn pipe.'

'Well I'll go to the foot of our stairs.' said Ma. 'Salty is one of our gang. We're having a wedding of our own right here in the barn next Saturday.' If you're still in the area you'll be very welcome to come as our guest.'

'I might just do that Miss.' said Willow 'and thank you many times for all your kindness.'

Next morning Jenny ran to the barn to see what Willow would like for breakfast. But Willow had gone.
Chapter

14

Friday arrived quicker than it was welcome and, as the last day before the wedding, it was hectic. Ma and Jenny were up at five o'clock and Ma declared she didn't know her tail from her whiskers.

'We'll eat first then start on the bedrooms.' she finally decided. Primrose and Oak were to have Ma's bed and Ma and Bluebell would sleep in Jenny's room. Both bedrooms were given fresh bedding and thoroughly polished with beeswax. Plaited lavender sprigs were put under all the pillows. Next the food. Masses of pies, pasties, cakes and tarts were baked with it being decided that the piles of sandwiches were best left to Saturday afternoon so they would be nice and fresh for the evening wedding. By lunchtime Jenny and Ma were exhausted and flopped down on the sofa to check their wedding list.

'Next on the list is collecting the flowers.' said Jenny. 'And then we need to collect Lolly and Drippy so we can try the skirts on them..oh and Ooty still needs to check the barn for mickies and make the confetti. And we haven't swept the barn and hung the fairylights up yet either.'

'Ooty was sitting in front of Jenny and listening carefully. He trotted off to fetch a newspaper.

Ma smiled. 'I do love Ooty. He understands everything we say to him.'

'How will we bring all the other scarecrow's home Ma?' asked Jenny. 'They can't all get in the pram.'

'I've already asked the farmers to return them this afternoon.' said Ma 'Now the harvest is over they're not needed. I've told the other folk that I need the others back for the weekend for their woodworm medicine. We'll get them this evening and they can all have their supper together in the barn.'

Just then, Ooty came in backwards through the doorway dragging a newspaper along. Jenny fetched him a big bowl and Ooty spent the next half hour happily shredding the paper into tiny pieces of confetti with his claws. Then Ma took the pram to collect the very excited Lolly and Drippy, while Jenny went across to Miss Flowerdew's shop to collect the flowers.

'Divine, simply divine.' sighed Angela admiring the two posies she had made at Ma's request. 'Absolutely simply my best work today.'

The two little posies were full of ripe corn and red paper poppies wrapped in white lace doilies.

'Where's Pinny Pipit.' asked Jenny looking around the shop.

'In the church of course.' said Angela. 'Centre stage. My new 'All is safely gathered in' theme don't you know.'

Jenny didn't know and she didn't like the thought of Pinny being left in the church at night all on her own either. Churches are full of mice. Jenny took the posies and headed straight for the church with Ooty galloping ahead. Poor Pinny Pipit was miserable. She had already spent her first night alone locked in the dark old church bravely fighting a baby mouse by whacking him with a stalk of corn. She wanted to go home immediately. Jenny picked her out of the display of vegetables and corn sheaves and kissed her.

'Don't worry Pinny. You're coming home with me right now, you're not really needed until Sunday for the harvest festival service and that's not until the afternoon. By then Ooty will have get rid of all the mice. Anyway we couldn't have a wedding tomorrow without you. Me and you are the bridesmaids.'

Ooty did a thorough mouse job there and then. He then had a long chat with his new mate, Holy Moly the Vicar's young tabby cat, who confessed instantly to being terrified of mice and was so relieved he now had Ooty for a chum.

Ooty arrived back home just as a rather peculiar vehicle pulled up at Mawpin cottage. It was Primrose and Oak's amazing scarecrowmobile. Ma came tearing down the garden path as Bluebell and Primrose leapt from the funny van that was covered in multi coloured painted patches. The three ladies squealed and hugged each other, then squealed again as they hugged Jenny, and would have squealed and hugged Ooty too had they been able to catch him. Oak climbed from the driver's seat and bowed to Ma and Jenny. He was dressed as a circus ringmaster holding a black top hat. As Ma had said before – a funny man.

'We'll fetch our guests in later.' said Bluebell motioning with her hand to the back of the scarecrowmobile they're all fast asleep anyway. First things first. Let's get the kettle on. Devon is such a hike and we're all parched.'

The din of excited chattering voices and clattering china teacups soon filled the tiny kitchen. Jenny noted that, just as Ma had a passion for the colour of her name's sake, so unsurprisingly did Bluebell and Primrose. Ma was the eldest but had you stood the three ladies in a row the heights would range from 'Bella' the tallest with grey curly hair and also the thinnest in a blue dimity cotton dress. Little round Ma next in her red poppy apron who was shorter and wider, and then dainty little dark haired 'Primmy in her daring sunshine yellow trouser suit. The ladies were very bubbly and friendly but Jenny thought Oak was more fascinating. He was as tall and willowy as a wand and bent himself almost double to avoid bashing his head on the back door frame – and that was without his top hat. He was also the quietest guest and had a thin black moustache and wore a gold buttoned red jacket. After a quick cuppa he disappeared to 'get cracking' as he put it.

Popsie, as Ma was now referred to by her family, was overcome with the many presents her sisters had brought with them. Jenny was thrilled with the gorgeous red satin dress from Bella that fitted her perfectly and equally delighted with Primmy's gifts of a real silver cat pendant and black cat hairslide. The wedding gifts were also lavish. Two white lace floppy sun hats for the brides, made by three or four of Bella's many daughters and red satin bow ties for the two grooms. The noisy excitement was then followed by gasps of admiration when Primmy unveiled, or rather unboxed, an enormous marmalade flavoured wedding cake, three tiers high and all encased in luminous crusty orange icing.

The kitchen was a crazy loud place for the next few hours as the three woman busied themselves making more mountains of food whilst wetting their chatter with lashings of tea. Jenny and Ooty disappeared for a while over to the duck pond and spend an hour playing with the other village kids. Spike was there and showed Jenny how to catch newts. He picked one up to show it to Jenny and it's tail came off in his fingers. Jenny screamed.

'No Spike NO, you've killed it.'

'Don't worry' said Spike. 'It's not dead, it'll grow another one, it doesn't hurt, it's just their way of escaping, they all do it.'

Jenny still didn't like it.

Spike had also caught a minnow fish which Ooty liked very much. He laid on the grass for ages watching it going round and round in a jam jar. Then Jenny thought it was time she went home to see if she was needed.

The sun was setting, silhouetting the orchard trees black against the flame red sky of autumn. Jenny and Ooty strolled to the barn to see what was going on in there. Oak had driven the scarecrowmobile around to the barn and had got the all the scarecrows to unloaded it. All of the big farm scarecrows along with Lolly and Drippy were now back home and Oak had already organised a sweeping out committee and a bale moving team to clean the place up. He had then sent Grackle Blak and his brother Crowbie up ladders to hang the fairylights while the new wedding guests set up the food trestle tables that Oak had brought with him.

Spudder and Tater were being shown how to blow up balloons when Jenny arrived. Watching scarecrows blowing up balloons is one of the funniest things you could ever see. First Spudder had blown on one like it was hot tea. He put it a the table and walked round and round it spitting and puffing on it. Then Oak told him to put it in his mouth, so Spudder did, and promptly chewed it up and swallowed it. So Oak tried to show Tater instead. Tater sucked and sucked on the balloon until he turn blue and fainted. Eventually the scarecrows did manage to get the idea that you are actually supposed to blow INTO the balloon, but Oak forgot to tell them when to stop...Tater and Ooty took off like a couple of rats up a drainpipe when Spudder's massive balloon suddenly popped right in his face. Jenny just couldn't stop laughing, she laughed and laughed until she snorted and that made her laugh even more. She finally stopped when got stitch in her side. Oak just sighed a loud.

'Mad mommets, they're worse than old dogs sometimes, impossible to teach them new tricks.'

Oak had everyone extremely well organised and Jenny had never seen her own gang being so well behaved. Oak seemed to be a master at organising scarecrows. Every scarecrow was told to sit, they all became very quiet and serious. Oak, as the ringmaster in charge, stood in the middle of the barn explaining in minute detail just how he had brewed the Somerset sozzle juice to the original 655 year old recipe, the huge barrel next to him now being the centre of everyone's silent attention. Several tongues were hanging out eagerly hoping, in vain, for an early tasting. Tattie Bogle crossed his arms and nodded cockily to the others when a dead frog was mentioned. Jenny's gazed at the strange new guests and their incredible costumes.

Oak and Primmy had inherited a family farm down in Devon from Primmy's great Aunt Daisy. Unfortunately it came with very little in the way of income to support its large ageing gang of scarecrows. Oak being a very inventive, if a little odd, kind of a chap, had devised a novel way to support everyone by creating a kind of scarecrow roadshow that toured the country fairs. It may seem rather bizarre today but back in the 1940's television had yet to be properly invented and country folk were eager to watch something unusual and colourful. Parades and carnivals were very popular, as were Wax work models of famous people in fancy dress. Oak's scarecrow show was similar to this. Now seated around the barn Jenny recognised some very famous people.

Huge 'Hardy Hayrick' with his glued on ginger fox fur beard and bejewelled red velvet costume was instantly recognisable as King Henry the eighth. Queen Elizabeth the first was portrayed by a small white faced 'Betty Bumstead'. Her spectacular jewellery was much admired by drippy and lolly. The Queen was very sweet and let the girls take it in turns to try on her head dress and strings of pearl necklaces, although her Tudor black painted wooden teeth were not very attractive, but Oak insisted every detail should be historically correct in his show.

Jenny and Ooty were soon in the thick of the crowd and enjoying getting to know the guests. She especially liked little 'Spratty Sticklegs' who was only as tall as her and impersonating Napoleon Bonapart in his hat shaped like Ma's mantel clock. He spoke in a squeaky French accent that Ooty mistook for a mickie several times.

Ma had been right about Bluebell's gang looking like film stars when her four glamorous scarecrows introduced themselves as Valentino, Fairbanks, Fay Sunray and Mary Pickadaisy.

Valentino, dressed as an Arab Prince, kissed Jenny's hand and made her promise to have the first dance with him. He then did the same to all the other ladies in the barn including Birdie Stump, who, having been unusually polite up to that point, then lost control, said 'Go live in a ditch' and pushed him backwards over a bale.

The strangest guest, if it was possible to be more strange than the others, was the haughty Tawny Owlrest, who, dressed as Queen Anne Boleyn, removed her head after speaking and tucked it under her arm, where creepily her lips still appeared to silently move.

Scarecrows are not noted for their good behaviour as a rule, so with such a huge gathering of scarecrows, Oak had taken full charge and was determined there would be no fights, arguments or misbehaviour of any kind. Jenny quickly saw that without Oak she and Ma could not have managed the wedding and the guests all on their own. It was becoming a huge event.

'What do you think of our gang Jen?' asked Oak sitting down next to her, 'Fun aren't they?'

'Yes they are.' said Jenny. ' You are clever Oak. I like the fairylights and balloons. It's all really lovely.'

Oak puffed out his skinny chest proudly.

'Well thank you Missy, I try to do my best. Perhaps one day soon you and Ma will come to Devon and get to see our show.'

'Oh I would love that' said Jenny 'But Ma said she wouldn't go on holiday and leave our gang behind in case the mickies ate them.'

'Quite right too' replied Oak. 'Bring them all with you, we'll have a whale of a time. The greatest scarecrow show on Earth.'

Later that evening, Jenny, Ooty and Ma escaped Mawpin cottage and took the pram quietly off to collect the last of the garden scarecrows.

'Phew.' exclaimed Ma, once they were alone outside in the dark.

'I'd forgotten how busy it is when we all gets together. Look I've even come out still wearing me slippers.'

Jenny grinned at Ma's red fluffy feet trotting along the lane. 'Don't worry Ma, no one will notice. I'm glad Oak came. He's organised everyone, even Birdie Stump didn't dare answer him back when he told her to carry a bag of rubbish out and the barn looks wonderful.'

'Yes,' said Ma. 'He's a funny man but he's devoted our young Primmy. They've only been married twenty years so they don't have any children yet but I expect they will one day. I'd love to go and see Oak's travelling show one day too. Do you know folk actually pay him money just to look at his scarecrows.'

Dolly Clockaclay was waiting for them in her potting shed and immediately picked Ooty up and fussed him. Dolly adored Ooty as he made a special trip everyday just to check her potting shed was mouse free for her.

'Hello Dolly.' said Jenny. 'Your lipstick looks nice.'

Ma had a soft spot for Dolly and bought her a new lipstick every few months, as a treat for helping deliver the suppers. Now, with the aid of her new mirror, Dolly no longer looked like a clown.

'I simply divine looking to wedding with yous.' she smiled. 'Pram no, thank you Ma, I absolutely simply walking.'

Dolly strolled along the moonlit hedgerows happily holding Jenny's hand as Ma pushed Minnie Mommet and Ooty in the pram. Minnie bounced and fidgeted around impatiently.

'I brides next.' she said flicking her long string hair back. 'Drippy mores pretty. Me next with lubbly Salty.'

'Oh you don't want to get hitched to Salty.' said Ma winking at Jenny. 'He's far too old. Think of the new boys you are going to meet. I'm sure they'll all want to dance with you at the wedding.'

Minnie stopped bouncing around in the pram. The idea of meeting some new boys was worth wasting time on thinking.

The three Pole sisters piled onto the pram as Ooty struggled to climb to the top of the heap. It never occurred to Ooty to walk when he could ride instead.

Spadger Bron was always easily exited so when Ma told him he could get off by himself he didn't wait to reply but shot off like a rabbit across the allotment and disappeared into Ma's orchard.

Once all the scarecrows were safely locked up in the barn for the night. Ma and Jenny sat in the garden for a while enjoying a few moments peace and quiet.

'Does Bluebell have a husband.' Jenny asked. 'She did do.' said Ma, stroking Ooty who had curled up on her lap. 'He was a soldier called Major Rowen. He died many years ago in the Boar war in Africa. They had lots of children. I forget how many. There's dozens of them, I think at least three of Bella's daughters still live at home and help with their gang. Some of her boys are married and Bluebell has grandchildren all over the place. I really must visit them all one day.'

Jenny enjoyed having Ma all to herself again. She cuddled up to her on the garden bench and kissed Ma on the arm.

'Did you have a husband too Ma?'

'Heavens no.' chuckled Ma. 'I haven't had time to get married yet, maybe one day when I'm older. My Great Aunt Dahlia was nearly a hundred and forty six when she finally found the time to get married.'

Jenny looked up at Ma with open mouth.

'Was she the oldest woman in the world?'

'Oh I don't suppose so.' replied Ma casually. 'Country folk live a long time without making a song and dance about it. It's the fresh air and fresh food that does it. Well my little wren, come on, time for bed I think. Busy day tomorrow.'
Chapter

15

A busy day was an understatement. From the minute Jenny opened her eyes on Saturday morning it was manic. Pinny Pipit stayed in bed hiding under the covers. She had had enough of being kissed and passed around and was fed up dodging all the busy feet downstairs. The chattering voices and clattering of china teacups was deafening as Jenny was almost bodily dragged into the kitchen and presented with a full fried breakfast by Bluebell and a huge bowl of probs by Primrose. Even Ooty struggled to cope with his three saucers of sardines lined up in a row – but he managed somehow.

Suddenly everyone hushed when Oak dropped his knife.

'MAN...' shouted everyone at the same time and then all burst out laughing. Just then a small blonde head popped itself around the kitchen door.

'Hi ya Jen. Morning everyone.' smiled Billy. 'Where do you want it Ma.'

'Gracious.' said Ma. 'I'd forgotten all about it. Behind the barn please Billy.'

Jenny grabbed the opportunity to quickly escape the fussing of her new Aunts and rushed out after Billy. On the village green, a smart brown and white skewbald pony was waiting patiently in the shafts of an old gypsy caravan.

'Wow.' exclaimed Jenny. 'Is it yours Bill?'

'It was,' explained Bill. 'But now it's yours. Ma bought it off of Dad. The horse is still ours though. Bramble belongs to our farm. Come on, in you get.'

One of Peter Bun's farm hands was driving and took them round to the orchard. Once there, he put bricks around the yellow wooden wheels to park it steady, then unharnessed Bramble and led him away. The green bow topped roof needed some small repairs and the little rear window had a few cracks in the glass diamond panes. Other than that it just needed a fresh coat of yellow paint to make it look smart again.

'I wonder what Ma wants it for.' said Jenny happily nosing in the cupboards and inspecting the stove.

'Dad told me that Ma wants it as a guess room.' said Billy.

'That makes sense.' said Jenny. 'We've got lots of guests at the moment and everyone's on top of each other. Perhaps Ma will let us have our club meetings in here too. We could cook our own sausages on this stove. We could be a caravan club. Let's go and get Spike and the twins.'

Ma and her sisters soon appeared and were busy inspecting the caravan when all the children came rushing back.

'Wow it's great.' said Meg and Peg together, immediately climbing in and bouncing on the bed. 'Can we clean it out for you Ma?'

'I was hoping you'd say that.' Ma grinned.

The afternoon was fun in the caravan and it was soon cleaned up. Spike washed the window and the paintwork while Meg climbed onto the roof and glued back a few tears in the green canvas. Jenny and Peg dragged the mattress outside and gave it a good beating – by using it as a trampoline. Billy occupied himself happily after finding a few loose bits that apparently required ALOT of nailing.

'Sorry you can't all stay to tea tonight.' said Jenny. 'We're having a family do.'

She then bristled with pride as she realised what she had said. She really did have a family of her own now.

'That's OK.' said Spike. 'My Dad said you can all come round to our house on Monday for a banger and spud supper if you like. I thought we might have a bonfire and cook the grub on that.'

Everyone agreed Spike's do sounded brilliant.

By seven o'clock that night everything had finally been prepared and two excited brides were dressed, ready and waiting in the gypsy caravan. Just as Oak left to go and collect them, he was heard talking to someone at the barn door.

'Very pleased to meet you.' said Oak. 'If you'd like to take a seat the wedding will be starting in a few moments.'

Willow came in looking around sheepishly and nodded to everyone.

'I'm so pleased you could make it.' smiled Ma greeting him warmly. 'And I see you've brought a fiddle with you.'

'Nice of you to invite me.' said Willow, tipping his hat to Ma. 'I borrowed it from one of the farmers. I'm a bit rusty but I used to play quite well. I thought your guests might enjoy a few traditional country tunes to dance too.'

Bluebell stood by the barn doors and turned off the main light. Everyone hushed in the temporary darkness. Then Oak came in with Lolly and Drippy on each of his arms. Bluebell flicked on the fairylights and everyone gasped. The two brides looked wonderful as they entered the twinkling barn dressed from head to toe in white satin and lace.

'Like little Christmas angels.' sniffed Primrose dabbing her nose with a yellow hanky.

Tater and Dickie looked very serious and very well-scrubbed as they stood waiting in the middle of the straw bale circle. Tater was wearing a pirate style eye patch that Jenny had made for him. It gave him more confidence and he no longer needed to put his hat so far down over his face. Ma then stood up and moved to the centre of the arena to begin the wedding service. Oak brought the two brides in front of Ma and then went and sat down.

'Lolly. You hold Dickie's hand. And you do the same Drippy.' said Ma

Everyone giggled as Drippy thought Ma meant she had to hold Dickie's hand too.

'No Drippy.' said Ma sweetly. 'You have to hold Tater's hand.'

Then Ma took two red ribbons and tied each couples hands together.

'The ribbons that joins these couples together signify the joining of their lives together from this day forward.'

Willow had told Ma what to say and Ma took it all very seriously.

'Dickie Perch and Lolly Sticks. Do you both promise to love and care for each other to the end of your days and not to go running off with anyone else ?'

'Promise I does Ma' answered Dickie quietly.

'I told him he does' said Lolly, turning around and grinning at everyone.

Ma smiled. 'And do you promise to love Dickie too Lolly?'

'Yes I do's.' replied Lolly firmly.

'And do you Drippy Mommet and Tater sack both promise to love and care for each other to the end of your days and never to run off with anyone else?'

'Yes Ma' said Tater very seriously.

'Can I get a cake now Ma?' asked Drippy, and the whole room erupted with laughter.'

'Only after you've made your promise Drippy.' said Ma sternly. 'Do you promise to love and care for Tater to the end of your days Drippy?

Drippy bowed her head. 'Sorry Ma. Yes I doos. I loves Tater more than cake.'

Several 'Ah's' were then heard from the crowd.

'Then I now declare before all these witnesses.' Ma sounded very official.' That these two couples are now properly....hitched. Dickie and Tater, you can now kiss your brides and jump the stick.'

Ma beckoned Jenny to then step forward ready to do her bit as Lolly leapt on Dickie nearly suffocating him with her kisses. Then the two couples jumped over a big stick that Ma placed at their feet signifying their crossing over from their old life into their new future together.

Wearing her new red satin dress Jenny held up a pretty china bowl with Pinny Pipit inside. The two bridesmaids then sprinkled Ooty's homemade confetti over the couples as Ma gave the order. 'Let the wedding march begin.'

The only person present who had seen a scarecrow wedding before was Willow and yet amazingly every scarecrow in the barn now seemed to know exactly what to do. Ma and Jenny quickly took a seat and watched as all the scarecrows rose to their feet, turned to the right and began slowly marching in a circle around the married couples. Softly and slowly they began to sing as they swung their arms like soldiers.

'Lolly and Dickie now is hitched. Pull his head off, chuck her in a ditch. Drippy and Tater now is hitched. Pull his head off, chuck her in a ditch.'

Jenny's mouth was now wide open in astonishment as the scarecrows repeated the chant louder and louder as they marched faster and faster until eventually they were running around the circle yelling and pushing each other in the back until suddenly they all rushed into the centre, grabbed the brides and grooms, pulled off the boys heads and threw them along with the two girls high up into the air. The scarecrows yelled and whooped as they picked up the heads and bashed them back on while still throwing the girls around to each other like rag dolls. This was then followed by a lot of patting each other on the back and shaking of hands. Ma, her sisters and Jenny all sat silently stunned by what they had just witnessed. Eventually it was Oak who stood up, cleared his throat and said.

'Well umm ..um..if I can have your attention please ladies and gentlemen. Perhaps you would like to help yourselves to some food now and then the happy couples can cut the wedding cake. I...I think I'll go and open that barrel now.'

Willow took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and began playing his fiddle.

'Are all weddings like this Ma?' whispered Jenny, wondering if Creamy and Peter would be doing the same.

'No, not normally.' chuckled Ma. 'But scarecrows have very different ideas to us hooman beans.'

'You're not kidding.' said Bluebell. 'I wouldn't have missed this for the world. What a hoot.'

When Primmy fetched a knife so the couples could cut the wedding cake, she found they had already eaten it all.'

'Oh well, at least they liked it.' she sighed.

Willow's fiddle playing was brilliant. Fast Irish jig music broken up occasionally with slow sad country ballads that Willow accompanied with his own fine singing. Everyone was delighted with Willow who Oak described as, 'A cracking bloke.'

The queue for the sozzle juice never seemed to end, although most in the queue, as the night wore on, tended to be shuffling along on their knees rather than their feet. Ma and her sisters couldn't stop dancing.

'Go on Popsie show 'em how it's done.' Yelled Primmy, as Ma and Bluebell hitched up their skirts for a lively version of Knees up Mother Brown. At one point the three ladies were actually screaming with laughter when Napoleon Bonapart got more than he bargained for by asking Minnie Mommet 'Danser avec moi belle dame.'

'He's only asking you to dance with him you silly Mommet.' squealed Bluebell hysterically collapsing as she tried to lift Minnie off of the flattened little Spratty Sticklegs. 'He didn't ask you to marry him.' Poor little Napoleon couldn't crawl away fast enough.

Jenny was loving every second of the party. She ate and danced and Willow taught her the words to a song so she could then join him in the singing. Not one single fight broke out. And the only minor scuffle came when Birdie Stump said something rude to Queen Elizabeth and the Queen's black wooden teeth flew out as she send Birdie sprawling backwards over a bale. Fortunately, Birdie just hiccuped and stayed where she fell for the rest of the evening, snoring quite loudly as everyone carried on dancing around her.

By three o'clock in the morning most of the scarecrows were laying in crumpled heaps around the barn. Eventually Ma, Bluebell and Jenny went off to bed after giving Willow some blankets to sleep in the caravan. Primrose and Oak were left to lock up the barn.

'What a wonderful wedding.' sighed Primmy.

Oak put his arm around his tiny wife and then hiccuped loudly.

'Do you know Prims, he said patting his top hat, 'that was the best barrel of sozzle I've ever made.'

'Funny.' chuckled Primrose. 'You say that every time.'

Next morning Jenny woke up listening out for the chattering voices and clattering tea cups. Strange, she thought. It's all very quiet. Then she saw Ma and Bluebell were still in their beds, fast asleep. Pinny Pipit and Ooty both refused to get up. They had learned something new at the wedding. Pinny had learned that sozzle juice doesn't taste like marmalade after all, but it does make you walk funny. Where as Ooty had learned that a cat's tummy holds exactly twenty seven and a half salmon vol-au-vents - but it doesn't hold twenty eight.

Jenny got dressed and went downstairs. She was just about to put the kettle on when the back door opened and a blonde head popped around it.

'Morning Jen.' smiled Billy. 'You coming out today?'

'Definitely.' grinned Jenny.

'With a family as big as mine it's nice to escape sometimes – but not for too long.'

A short note from the author

...........

Thank you so much for reading this story.

Please leave a review if you can spare the time, after all, it's the only way I can improve and discover where I went wrong.

If all goes well, there will be more tales from the Hod-me-dod-lee scarecrows to follow.

Bless you all and thanks again.

D.J.Birkin

