The scarecrow in sorrow

                           The scarecrow in sorrow

                                  --------Jesse(Original)

                                      (1)

        A scarecrow is standing alone in a millet field. He has what a cowboy should have, a straw hat, a vest and jeans, except for a horse. In his hands there is no whip but wind-bells. When a gentle breeze blows, the bells tinkle sweetly.

        Although the millets are still green, his farmer owner sends him here to keep watch. He is obliged to guard the field, that is, keep sparrows, magpies away from the field.

                                  (2)

        Once bandits come, the scarecrow rings his bells bravely. However, some naughty sparrows dare to rest on his shoulders, and dance merrily and wildly to the bells.

        The dutiful scarecrow is enraged with the coming robbers, for he is duty-bound to defend the field. He shakes his wind-bells, but fails, for there is no wind.

        A woodpecker is tired from flighjt, sets foot on his shoulder and peck at his nose of chilli out of friendliness. The scarecrow has great self-respect. He thinks he is mocking him at the very moment. How dare you woodpecker peck at my nose? And it is not wood, but chilli. He shakes his shoulder and compells the woodpecker to miss her foot. She flies away."Bye, little scarecrow."

        The poor scarecrow has no one to turn to for help. He is nearly in tears. Rain or shine, he keeps standing there as a truthful watcher. Even if it rains hard, he never weeps.

        Now the field is invaded, the intruders are having a good taste of the ripeless millet, and he himself is insulted, but he can only shake hard to rattle the bell in vain.

        The poor scarecrow is heart-stricken. He closes his eyes desparingly.

                                     (3)

       At the moment, a whistle makes him conscious. Here comes a litttle girl of about 15-16 years. She stops humming her songs, blows hard the whistle, and the invaders scatter. The field is safe and silent again.

        The scarecrow is overjoyed at this. He gazes at the girl. "what a graceful girl, with sleek hair over her shoulders. she wears a white skirt, and how innocent!"

        "Hullo, little scarecrow, you've been bullied, and I'm too late to help you. What a pity! Now I'm here to be in company with you." He finds the little girl have got a sweet voice.

        He has never so happy as today. A breeze rings his bells, and he is kind of abushed.

        "We can be friends, little scarecrow, sometimes, I will drop in here, I can sing or even  dance for you, and i can read tales for you, because you are too desolate here."

        The word "friends" makes him weepy. He has a brave heart, yet he can't give the sparrow a good beating, and he can't teach the invaders a lesson. He feels wronged in the deep heart.

       "Yes, I have no frield just for the sake of being a scarecrow. If I can choose, I will never choose to be a lonely scarecrow, who lacks everything, including understanding, and friendliness. Although once in a while, the farmer comes to weed the field, but he's never said a word to comfort my lonely heart." The scarecrow is in such high spirits that he nearly jumps with joy.

        For the whole summer vocation, the girl keeps coming here every day, for one hour or two. The scarecrow is happiest every moment he hears the songs, which, he calls the "the tinkle of silver bells."

                                 (4)

        When they are together, she tells stories to him, such as "The Snowwhite and the Seven Dwarfs", "The Prince Charming and the Snowwhite", "The Ugly Duckling" and so on. He listens attentively and from time to time shoots feeling glances at her.

        "She is pretty lovely!" The scarecrow can't help blurting out one day.

        He is in love with her. With her absence, he loses his mind and yearns for her soming anxiously. 30 days lapse away, he is over head and heels in love with her. "I'm in love, and is it real? Does she know? How can I confess to her?"

        He looks at himself, beneath the vest, there is nothing but rice straw. "How can I afford a diamand ring? can I have enough courage to wear a straw ring around her elegant finger?" The scarecrow is afraid to think along.

        Day after day, it is the mental agony that makes him suffer, and it is in bitter pain. "My God, I'm only a scarecrow, nothing else. The irony of fate makes me be born a scarecrow, and my farte never favours me at all."

        "Give me a shoot, Cupid. Do me a favour to fly an arrow into my straw heart, and let me have a go of love. I scare away sparrows, crows, as well as sorrow, but never an arrow. Where are you, Cupid, hiding, and why are you hiding from me?"

        No arrow flies here. When he raises his head, he notices sparrows fly over like arrows. He nearly forgets his bells. He tries all his best to ring, so as to threten them, as a result, he drops the left bell, and it bangs on the ground, but he fails to pick it up.

                                   (5)

       Here comes the whistle in time to give him a hand. The white-skirt girl appears, and she drives the nasty sparrows away just with one whistle.

        The millets are nearly mature, and the field is all yellow. the girl picks a wild flower and inserts it into his chest. The scarecrow is too shy and excied to stare at the flower." What is it, a millet grass or a wild rose?" he says to himself.

        "Little scarecrow, I will go back to school tomorrow, perhaps no one can accompany you here, you will be alone once again. Take care of the millet field, and of course, of yourself. Take care." The little girl whispers gently in his ears. Then she picks the bell up and puts it back into his hand.

        He is half-gay, half-sad. She gives him a flower, which means she cares about him. Yet she is going, perhaps, we will not meet any more, forever.

                                 (6)

        The following day, the fair figure in a white skirt disappears. The little scarecrow is in sorrow all day. He glances sharply at the yellow field, thinking of a good harvest. Yes, he has done a good job, and he has kept a good watch.

        At night, a rain falls, and raindrops stream down his cheeks. The scarecrow remains standing quite alone, thinking over the little girl.

        "Where are you, Cupid, you are too mean to spare me even an arrow." He complains until he falls asleep tearfully.

        A wind lashes away, and the scarecrows falls quietly to the ground, for his tears soak the earth, where he has been standing on watch for  quite a whole summer.

                                        08-07-18 am 6:30--7:30