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 kick
ed 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 m
other 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.'