After washing the noontime dishes, Mrs. Johnson went upstairs into the attic and carried down a box.   She set it in the middle of the kitchen table.

"Billy, come and see what I found up in the attic."

Billy ran into the kitchen to see his mother pulling old pants and shirts out of a box.

"What's that for, Mom?" asked Billy.

"These are some of your Grandpa Johnson's old clothes.   Maybe we could make a scarecrow out of these.   What do you think?"

"Wow!" said Billy.   "That would be great, but....how do we make a scarecrow?"

"Well," said his mother, "first we have to find a pair of pants and a shirt.   Then we have to stuff them with straw so it will look like a person.   Like a man standing out in the garden.   I think that will scare those crows away."

Mrs. Johnson reached down into the box.   She pulled out a long sleeved shirt and a pair of work pants.

"These will work just fine," she said.

"But, Mom," said Billy, "how are we going to make a head for the scarecrow?   We need him to look just like a person.   He has to have a head...and...a face too.   Huh, Mom, don't you think so?"

"Billy you are right!   Run upstairs.   In the cupboard at the head of the stairs, there are some old pillow cases.   Bring one down to me, okay?"

Billy ran up the stairs, tripping in his excitement.   He dropped to his knees and opened the doors to the cupboard.   He pulled out sheets and blankets.   Then he saw the pillowcases.   He looked them all over and found one that had a small hole in the corner.

"I found one, Mom," he yelled.

Billy scampered back down the stairs and ran into the kitchen.

"Mom, will this one work?" he asked, somewhat out of breath.

"This will work just fine," said his mother.

Mrs. Johnson laid the pillow case down on the kitchen table.   She took some crayons from the drawer by the sink.

"We can make a face with these.   If I iron it on with waxed paper, it won't wash off in the rain."  

She began to draw a face on the pillow case.

"Give him brown eyes like mine," said Billy.   "Oh yeah, a happy face too. "

"A happy face?" asked his mother.   "Don't you think he should have a mean face to scare away the crows?"

"No, I want a happy face so when I look out my bedroom window, it will look like he is smiling at me.   Like he is happy in his garden.   I don't think the crows will know the difference, do you, Mom?"

Mrs. Johnson agreed.   "You're quite right, Billy.   All the crows will see is a person standing there.   They can't tell the difference between a happy or a mean face."

She drew a big smile on the pillow case.

When she was finished, Mrs. Johnson and billy took the pillow case, the shirt and the pants outside.   They laid them in the shade, on the picnic table, under the maple tree.