Billy heard the sound of the tractor coming up the lane.   He ran out to open the gate for his Dad.   As the tractor slowly passed, Billy grabbed onto the back of the seat and swung himself up on the tractor hitch.   He rode with his father into the barnyard where Mr. Johnson parked the tractor.

"You sure look excited Billy.   Did you get that scarecrow made this afternoon?" asked Mr. Johnson.

"Yeah, we did," said Billy. "Just like you said your Grandma did in the olden days."

"Well, I'd sure like to see it."

"Come on," said Billy, jumping down off the tractor.   "He's up by the back porch.   You can see him when we go into the house."

Billy ran ahead of his father and stood beside the scarecrow.

"Look at him, Dad.   Isn't he neat?"

Mr. Johnson stopped and looked at the scarecrow.   "Hey, Billy, he looks like a real cool dude."

Billy and his father walked into the house togehter.   Mr. Johnson hung his old straw hat on the hat rail in the back room and they went into the kitchen to wash their hands.

"Dad, I have a favor to ask you," said Billy.

"What's that son?"

"Well...I...we...well, we need a hat for Stuart."

"A hat?   For who?"

"Stuart.   That's the scarecrow's name...Stuart.   He needs a straw hat to keep the sun off his face and to make him look more real.   More like a real person.   You know what I mean, Dad?"

Mr. Johnson laughed.   "Stuart, huh?   And where do you think you are gonna get a straw hat for him?"

"Well," hesitated Billy, "Mom said that she got you a new one for your birthday.   Maybe you could give Stuart your old one...the one you wore today?"

Mr. Johnson wiped his hands slowly on the kitchen towel.   Then he hung the towel over the bar at the back of the sink.   He folded his arms over his chest and looked down at Billy.

"So, you think I should give up my perfectly good hat to some scarecrow, do you?   That hat fits real good.   It's finally getting broken in to the shape of my head.   It sits on my head just right.   Why would I want to give it up now?"

"But, Dad," complained Billy, "You've got a new one.   Couldn't you start wearing it now and sorta break it in?   Then by next summer, it will fit just as good."

"Well, I dunno," said Mr. Johnson, a small smile coming to his face.   "Let me think about it until after supper.   This is a mighty big decision for me to make on an empty stomach.   Come on, let's sit down and eat."

Billy squirmed and wiggled on his chair all through supper.   He wasn't really hungry.   All he could think about was maybe...just maybe...Dad would give him his hat and he could go out and put it on Stuart.

"Billy, sit still and finish your supper," said Mrs. Johnson.   "What ever is the matter with him, Will?" she asked as she turned and winked at Mr. Johnson.

"I dunno, Martha, he's acting just like a wiggle worm."

After supper, Mr. Johnson went out the back door.   Billy watched out the window and saw his father disappear inside the barn.

"Mom," Billy yelled from the back room.   "Dad went out to milk the cows and he's got his new straw hat on.   Does that mean I can use the old hat for Stuart?"

"I think so," replied his mother.

Billy grabbed his father's old straw hat off the hat rail.   He ran out the back door and down the steps of the porch.   He stood in front of the scarecrow and looked up at him.

"Look what I've got for you, Stuart," Billy cheered, "A hat!"

Billy tried to put the hat on the top of Stuart's head, but he couldn't reach that high.   He stood on his tiptoes and still couldn't reach Stuart's head.   He thought for a moment and ran up the porch steps in back of the scarecrow.   He plopped the hat on Stuart's head and ran back down the steps.

"Stuart, you look great!   You look just like a real person!"

The next morning Billy got out of bed early and ran to the window.   He looked out at the garden.   The crows were walking through the garden.   They were pecking at the rows of seeds.   Some of them were in the strawberry patch, pecking at the nearly ripened berries.   Billy pulled on his faded blue jeans, his yellow tee shirt and ran downstairs.

"Mom, Mom," he called.   "The crows are at it again.   Now they are even in the berry patch, trying to eat your strawberries.   We'd better get Stuart out there and scare them away."