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OUR FRIENDS, THE BIRDS. | 2&2 
THE SCARECROW. 
BY WALLACE E. MATHER. 
It was a regular Scarecrow-man, 
Made on the old and well-known plan; 
A cross of sticks in a garb forlorn, 
That stood on guard in a field of 
corn. \ ‘i a 
And indeed it made the farmer a 
smile eg } 
As he put it up and whistled 9 ~_ \ ) d 
the while; Sees 
It would look to the crows so 
very ferocious, 
So truly astounding and atrocious 
That it tickled his fancy to think how they 
Would catch a glimpse and flutter away. 
Well, two black Crows sat off on a tree, 
And the young one said to the old one, ‘‘See, 
Now, what is that frightful thing out there? 
It’s enough any honest Crow to scare!”’ 
But the old Crow chuckled and then looked wise 
Shook in his feathers and winked his eves; 
Something tickled him, but if ‘twas a joke 
His voice didn’t show it a bit when he spoke, 
As looking down at the younger Crow 
He said, ‘‘What is it, Ah! don’t you know? 
Why, that, as we wise ones all suppose, 
Is the special patron saint of the Crows! 
We watch for his coming every 
ee year, 
To tell when the feast of the Crows is here. 
31 
