Welcome,
And thank you for joining me.
I'm your host Joanne,
And I'm so happy you're here.
Tonight,
I'll be reading Jimmy Scarecrow's Christmas by Mary E.
Wilkins Freeman,
A sweet and gentle holiday tale that I've kept very close to the original to honor its charm.
But first,
Let's take a moment to help you unwind and get comfortable for sleep.
Find a cozy position,
Perhaps nestled under the covers or resting your head just the way you like.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in,
And release it softly.
Allow your shoulders to drop,
Your jaw to loosen,
And feel your whole body begin to soften.
Let the day fall quietly behind you now.
This is your time to rest,
To feel safe,
And to gently drift into calm.
And if you fall asleep along the way,
That's perfectly okay.
The story will keep you company as you slip into a peaceful night's sleep.
And now,
When you're ready,
Let's begin.
Jimmy Scarecrow led a sad life in the winter.
His greatest sorrow was having nothing to do.
He liked to be useful,
And in winter,
He was of no use at all.
He wondered how many such lonely winters he would have to endure.
He was a young scarecrow,
And this was his very first one.
He was strongly made,
And although his wooden joints creaked a little when the wind blew,
He did not grow in the least unsteady.
Every morning,
When the wintry sun peered like a hard yellow eye across the dry corn stubble,
Jimmy felt sad,
But at Christmas time,
His heart nearly broke.
On Christmas Eve,
Santa Claus came in his sleigh,
Piled high with presents,
Urging his team of reindeer across the field.
He was on his way to the farmhouse where Betsy lived with her Aunt Hannah.
Betsy was a very good little girl,
With smooth yellow curls,
And she had always had a great many presents.
Santa Claus had a large wax doll baby for her,
Held carefully on his arm,
Tucked up against the fur collar of his coat.
He was afraid to trust it in the pack,
In case it might get broken.
When poor Jimmy Scarecrow saw Santa Claus,
His heart gave a great leap.
Santa Claus,
Here I am,
He cried out,
But Santa Claus did not hear him.
Santa Claus,
Please give me a little present.
I was good all summer,
And kept the crows out of the corn,
Pleaded the poor scarecrow in a choking voice.
But Santa Claus perhaps passed by with a merry halloo and a great jingle of bells.
Then,
Jimmy Scarecrow stood in the corn stubble and shook with sobs until his joints creaked.
I am of no use in the world,
And everybody has forgotten me,
He moaned.
But he was mistaken.
The next morning,
Betsy sat at the window holding her Christmas doll baby,
And she looked out at Jimmy Scarecrow,
Standing alone in the field among the corn stubble.
Aunt Hannah,
Said she,
Aunt Hannah was making a crazy patchwork quilt,
And she frowned hard at the triangular piece of red silk and the circular piece of pink,
Wondering how to fit them together.
Well,
Said she,
Without looking up,
Did Santa Claus bring the scarecrow any Christmas present,
Betsy asked.
No,
Of course not,
He didn't.
Why not,
Asked Betsy.
Because he's a scarecrow.
If he had been a good little girl,
He would have had one,
Said Aunt Hannah.
He tried to be good,
Said Betsy,
Looking out at Jimmy with pity in her heart.
He kept the crows out of the corn.
I dare say,
Said Aunt Hannah,
But he's nothing but an old scarecrow,
And of course Santa Claus wouldn't bring him anything.
Betsy said no more,
But she kept thinking about Jimmy Scarecrow.
All that day,
Her mind was full of him,
And that night when she went to bed,
She could see him through the window,
Standing alone in the moonlight.
The next morning,
Betsy asked her Aunt Hannah if she might take her doll baby out to see Jimmy Scarecrow.
It's too cold,
Said Aunt Hannah.
Do be sensible,
Betsy,
What a child you are.
But Betsy was tender-hearted and could not bear to think of Jimmy standing there with no Christmas at all.
So,
When Aunt Hannah's back was turned,
Betsy slipped on her little red hood and coat,
Hugged her new doll baby close,
And ran out across the snowy field.
Jimmy Scarecrow saw her coming,
And his heart gave a faint little stir of hope.
Betsy trudged through the snow until she reached him,
And stood looking up into his painted face.
Merry Christmas,
Jimmy Scarecrow,
She said softly.
Thank you,
Said Jimmy,
In a voice that trembled a little.
I wish I could wish you the same,
But I haven't had any Christmas at all.
Betsy held up her doll baby.
See my beautiful present that Santa Claus brought me,
She said.
Isn't she lovely?
But I think Santa Claus forgot you,
Jimmy.
Yes,
Said Jimmy sadly.
He forgot me.
Betsy looked very thoughtful for a moment.
Would you like my doll baby to hold for a little while,
She asked gently,
To make you feel as if you had a Christmas?
Jimmy's whole body seemed to brighten.
Oh,
If I might,
If I only might,
He cried,
Though his voice was only a whisper of a cold wind.
Betsy put her doll baby carefully into Jimmy Scarecrow's stiff wooden arms,
Then patted his sleeve.
There,
She said lovingly,
Now you have something for Christmas too.
Then she kissed her hand to him,
And ran back to the house,
Her little boots crunching over the snow.
Jimmy Scarecrow stood motionless,
Holding the doll baby.
For the first time that winter,
He felt a soft warmth in his lonely heart.
That night,
It snowed hard,
And the next morning,
The snow was piled up almost to Jimmy Scarecrow's waist.
But he stood there patiently,
Holding the doll baby,
As carefully as if he had been made of flesh and blood.
Betsy watched him from the window,
And felt quite happy,
Thinking that Jimmy now had a Christmas present like she did.
But Aunt Hannah did not seem pleased.
Betsy,
She said,
I'm going to send that wax doll baby back to the shop.
It is not suitable for you.
It is too large and much too expensive.
Oh,
Aunt Hannah,
Cried Betsy,
Bursting into tears.
Please don't take my doll baby away.
I don't think it is at all suitable for a child of your size,
Said Aunt Hannah firmly.
You will have to have something smaller.
Betsy sobbed and clung to the doll,
But Aunt Hannah shook her head.
You may play with it today,
She said,
But tomorrow it goes back.
Betsy cried herself to sleep that night,
But Jimmy Scarecrow,
Out in the moonlit field,
Stood holding the doll baby in his stiff arms,
Wishing with all his heart that he could comfort Betsy.
The next morning,
Aunt Hannah dressed herself in her best bonnet and shawl,
Took the doll baby from Betsy's reluctant arms,
And set off for the village shop to return.
Betsy watched from the window,
Crying softly,
While Jimmy Scarecrow stood silently in the snowy field,
Feeling more sorrow for Betsy than for himself.
That evening,
Just at dusk,
Aunt Hannah came home with a smaller doll baby for Betsy.
It was a very pretty little doll,
But Betsy did not love it as she had loved the larger one.
As soon as Aunt Hannah's back was turned,
Betsy put on her hood and coat once more and slipped out into the snowy field.
She carried the smaller doll baby in her arms.
Jimmy Scarecrow saw her coming,
And his heart gave a gentle flutter.
Jimmy,
Said Betsy softly,
Aunt Hannah took my big doll baby back,
But she bought me this little one instead.
It's pretty,
But I don't love it as much.
I want you to have it,
Then you won't be lonely anymore.
She held up the little doll baby to Jimmy Scarecrow.
For me,
He whispered,
With a kind of hushed wonder.
Yes,
Said Betsy,
You may keep it always.
Jimmy Scarecrow took the little doll baby into his stiff arms.
He was so grateful,
He could not speak for a moment.
Oh,
Thank you,
He said at last,
Very softly.
Thank you.
Betsy kissed her hand to him again,
Then turned and ran back to the snow.
Jimmy Scarecrow stood there in the moonlight,
Holding the little doll baby close.
He felt happier than he had ever felt in all his life.
The winter passed,
The snow melted from the fields,
The robins and bluebirds came,
And one day,
The farmer plowed up the cornfield where Jimmy Scarecrow had stood.
The little winds of spring blew about him,
And the warm rains fell.
Jimmy Scarecrow still held the little doll baby in his arms,
For he loved it dearly.
One day,
Aunt Hannah said to Betsy,
I don't know what we're going to do with that old Scarecrow.
He is in the way out there in the field.
The corn is all planted,
And we don't need him anymore.
He looks dreadful.
I think he ought to be burned up.
Oh,
Aunt Hannah,
Don't burn poor Jimmy Scarecrow,
Cried Betsy,
Bursting into tears again.
He isn't dreadful.
He's kind.
He comforted me when the big doll baby was taken away.
Oh,
Please don't burn Jimmy Scarecrow.
Well,
Said Aunt Hannah,
We must do something with him.
He must not stay in that field.
Betsy thought for a moment,
Her little face full of earnest concern.
Why can't we let him stay out there all summer,
Aunt Hannah?
The crows may come again,
She said.
No,
They won't,
Said Aunt Hannah.
I have put up shiny windmills in the cornfield,
And that will be enough to keep the crows away.
Betsy looked out of the window at Jimmy Scarecrow with a troubled heart.
She could not bear to think of anything happening to him.
That night,
Betsy could not sleep for thinking of Jimmy Scarecrow.
She got up softly,
Put on her little red hood and coat once more,
And slipped out into the warm spring night.
The moon was shining,
And there were soft,
Damp smells of earth and grass.
Betsy ran across the field to Jimmy Scarecrow.
Jimmy,
She whispered.
Aunt Hannah says you can't stay here in the field any longer.
She says you look dreadful and must be burned up.
But I won't let her do that.
I will help you.
Don't be afraid.
Jimmy Scarecrow trembled a little,
But not with fear.
He was so touched by Betsy's love for him.
Thank you,
Dear Betsy,
He said softly.
I don't mind what happens to me,
But I do not want to be parted from my little doll baby.
Betsy looked up at him with a brave little nod.
You shall not be burned up,
She said.
I will think of something.
She kissed her hand to Jimmy and hurried back to the house,
Her heart full of determination.
The next day,
Betsy's father came to the door with a letter in his hand.
Hannah,
He said,
My sister in the city writes that she wants a scarecrow to stand in her garden.
She says a scarecrow will keep the cats from prowling among her flowerbeds at night.
Shall we send Jimmy Scarecrow to her?
At once said Aunt Hannah with great satisfaction.
That is the very thing to do.
When Betsy heard this,
She ran to Jimmy Scarecrow in the field.
Jimmy,
She shouted joyfully.
You are not to be burned up.
You are going to live in a beautiful garden in the city.
Jimmy Scarecrow's whole body seemed to shine with happiness.
The next morning,
The farmer took Jimmy Scarecrow down,
Little doll baby and all,
And carried him to the station to be sent to the city.
Betsy stood by,
Smiling through her tears.
She was glad Jimmy was not to be burned,
Yet she knew she would miss him dearly.
Jimmy Scarecrow had never taken a journey before,
And it seemed very wonderful to him.
He had often seen the triangle rushing past the fields,
Leaving a white trail of smoke behind,
But he had never dreamed of riding on it himself.
When he reached the city,
Betsy's aunt received him with great delight.
She set him up in her garden near some rose bushes,
And little Jimmy Scarecrow stood there,
Holding the doll baby carefully and feeling very proud to be of use once more.
The city was a strange place to him,
With its tall houses,
Busy streets and shining windows,
But the nights in the garden were peaceful,
And the moonlight fell softly on the flowers,
And Jimmy Scarecrow felt content.
The cats were rather startled at first by this new figure in the garden,
With its still face and outstretched arms,
But after a while,
They grew used to him,
And would sometimes sit near his feet,
Blinking at him in the moonlight.
Jimmy Scarecrow never stirred,
And they soon learned that he meant no harm.
Still,
Jimmy Scarecrow was happier than he had ever been since the first winter.
He loved his little doll baby dearly,
And he often thought of Betsy with her smooth yellow curls and kind little heart.
The summer passed,
And autumn came again.
The garden was full of bright leaves,
And the wind rustled softly through the dry branches.
One day,
Betsy's aunt came out to the garden,
Looked at Jimmy Scarecrow and said,
Why,
You look quite shabby,
Jimmy.
The wind and rain have worn you a good deal.
I think,
After Christmas,
We must make a new Scarecrow for the garden.
Jimmy Scarecrow heard these words,
And his heart sank.
He remembered the winter before,
And how cold and lonely it had been.
He remembered how his joints had creaked,
And how the snow had piled around him,
And he trembled at the thought of being useless again.
Oh dear,
He whispered softly to the little doll baby in his arms.
If only I might be of use all the year round,
I would be content.
Christmas drew near,
And Jimmy Scarecrow thought of Betsy.
He wondered if she would remember him.
He longed to see her once more,
But he did not dare to hope.
One evening,
Just at twilight,
A little figure in a red hood and cloak came into the garden.
It was Betsy!
She had come to visit her aunt for Christmas.
And the first thing she had done was to run out to the garden to find Jimmy Scarecrow.
Jimmy,
She cried softly,
Running up to him.
I knew you'd be here!
Oh Jimmy,
I've missed you so!
Jimmy Scarecrow felt such joy,
That it seemed as if his wooden heart would burst with happiness.
And I have my little doll baby still,
He whispered.
I have taken such care of her.
Betsy reached up on tiptoe and kissed his painted cheek.
Merry Christmas,
Jimmy Scarecrow,
Said Betsy again,
And then she stood looking at him with shining eyes.
Jimmy,
She said softly,
I have come to ask Auntie if you may come back with me and live in our garden.
Then you won't ever have to be burnt up,
Or thrown away,
Or be lonely again.
You shall live with us,
Always.
Jimmy Scarecrow could hardly believe such happiness.
Oh,
If I might,
He whispered,
If I might only be with you,
Betsy,
And never be useless anymore.
Betsy ran back to the house,
And talked long with her aunt and her father.
They all thought it over,
And at last,
They said yes.
Jimmy Scarecrow might go back with Betsy,
And stand in their garden for as many years as he lasted.
The next morning,
Jimmy Scarecrow was taken down once more,
Still holding the little doll baby in his arms,
And placed in the carriage beside Betsy.
Together,
They rode back to the dear little farmhouse where Betsy lived.
Betsy stood him up in a sunny corner of the garden,
Close to a rosebush,
Where he could see the house,
And the children playing,
And where she could visit him every day.
And there,
Jimmy Scarecrow lived happily,
Winter and summer,
For many,
Many years.
He never felt lonely again.
He held fast his little doll baby,
Kept his kind watch over the garden and the flowers,
And never forgot that happy Christmas when Betsy remembered him.
And every Christmas morning,
Betsy would run out to him with a kiss and whisper,
Merry Christmas,
Jimmy Scarecrow.
Thank you for listening and for sharing this tender Christmas story with me tonight.
As you rest here now,
Allow the gentle spirit of the tale to stay with you.
The warmth of kindness,
The comfort of being remembered,
And the quiet magic that comes from caring for one another.
Imagine a soft blanket of snow falling outside,
And the world hushed and peaceful under the stars.
A warm glow from a candle in the window,
And the feeling of being safe,
Cozy,
And cared for.
Take a slow,
Easy breath in,
And a soft,
Unhurried breath out.
Let your body grow heavier,
Your thoughts grow quieter,
And your heart settles into calm.
May your night be filled with warmth and comfort.
Sweet dreams,
My friend.
