Stuart liked his job--well--most of the time he liked it.   He stood out in the sun all day and flapped his legs and nodded his head.   Stuart was a good scarecrow.   He kept the black crows out of Mrs. Johnson and Billy's garden.   He liked his friend Billy.   Billy came into the garden each day and talked to Stuart.   He told Stuart that they were very proud of the good job he was doing.

Sometimes it rained and then Stuart wished he could go into the garden shed, or the barn and get out of the rain.   The rain made Stuart's clothes wet and his straw stuffing soggy.   It didn't feel very good being soggy.

It has been raining for three days.   Today looked like it was going to be another rainy day.   The sun should be rising up over the horizon, but it wasn't.   Instead, Stuart could see gray clouds and he could feel a coolness in the air.   That told him it was going to rain all day.   Just then, down from the utility wire, flew a big, black crow.   It landed on Stuart's shoulder.

Stuart flapped his legs and nodded his head, but the crow still sat on his shoulder.   Stuart could tell, this crow was not afraid of him.

"Hey, what's your name?" asked the crow.

Stuart didn't move.   He was startled that the crow had spoken to him.

"Hey!   I asked you a question.   What's your name?"

"My name?   My name.   Er-rr, my name is Stuart."

"Stuart?"

"Yes.   Stuart."

"Well, what are you suppose to be doing, Stuart?"

"I," stammered Stuart.   "Well, I'm suppose to be scaring you away."

"Oh wow!" said the crow.   "Scaring me away.   Oh that is funny!   Well, look at me Stu-art, I'm not scared!"

Stuart tired to shake his shoulder, but all he could wiggle was his head.   He flapped his legs and tried to wiggle his hands, but they didn't seem to want to move.

"Oh, wow, I'm really scared", said the crow.   "Look at me tremble."

The crow flew up and perched on Stuart's straw hat.

"Hey, Stu--art.   Look at me.   I'm so scared that I can't even move.   Oh my goodness, I think that I am going to fall, I am so scared," teased the crow.

Stuart shook his head as hard as he could.   The crow tipped one way and then the other.   He put his wings out to each side to give himself balance and only swayed on Stuart's hat.

Stuart felt ashamed.

His job was to scare the crows away from the garden and he couldn't do it anymore.

"Why aren't you scared of me?" asked Stuart.   "You've always been scared before."

"Well, Stuart, it's like this.   I just got here.   I haven't been here this spring.   Now that it's getting near the end of summer, I've been traveling and I stopped here to rest.   I was sitting up on the wire talking to my friends.   I saw you and I wondered just what kind of a thing you were.   They said they were too afraid to find out.   So I flew down here to see for myself.   I think I'll go back up there and tell them."

"Tell them what?" asked Stuart.

"Tell them that you are something they are suppose to be scared of."

"Oh, please,don't do that" begged Stuart.   "Please don't tell them that I couldn't scare you.   Please?"

"Why not?" asked the crow.

"Because I was made to scare them and if I don't, then I won't have my job anymore.   Mrs. Johnson will take me away.   I will miss Billy.   I like it here...I will miss being out here...except when it rains.   I will never get to see Billy again.   Please don't tell the others."

The crow flew back to Stuart's shoulder.   He looked at Stuart and he settled down to sit on Stuart's shoulder.

"Now tell me kid, why do you like this job so much?"

"Well," said Stuart, "I like it here.   I like to feel the sun on me.   I can see the cows out in that field.   I can watch while Billy playes.   I can see Mr. Johnson when he drives his big tractor down the lane to work in the fields.   I like being able to see the neighbors when they drive by in their cars.   I just like it.   Billy is proud of me and that makes me feel good.   The only time I don't like it, is when it rains on me, but other than that...I like this job."

"It looks like it's going to rain today Stuart," said the crow.   "You aren't going to like being out here today, are you?"

"No," said Stuart. "I won't like it today."

"Well then, come on kid," said the crow.   "Let's get outta here.   Let's go somewhere else.   Someplace where it wil be dry and warm and you won't have to stand out here and get all wet."

"Stuart flapped his legs and wiggled his head back and forth.

"I can't leave," he said.   "I have to stay here so that the crows won't come into the garden."

The crow thought for a moment.   He looked up at the other crows on the wire.

"I'll tell you what, Stuart.   I'll go and talk to the other crows and ask them if they will stay out of the garden today.   Stay out so that you and I can go into the barn where it is warm and dry."

The crow flew off Stuart's shoulder and up to the utility wire.   He "cawed" to the other crows and they moved in closer to him to see what he had to say.   Stuart watched them.