1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:06,200 The scarecrow. Ben. The woman stood in the doorway of the ramshackle, 2 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:10,359 tumbled down shanty. Her hands were copped at her mouth. The wind blew 3 00:00:10,439 --> 00:00:15,919 loose whitish blonde wisps of hair around her face and slashed the faded blue dress 4 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:22,160 into the uncorseted bulk of her body. Benny, oh, Benny. Her 5 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:27,359 caw echoed through the still evening. Her eyes staring straight before her down the 6 00:00:27,399 --> 00:00:32,880 slope in front of the house, caught sight of something blue and antiquatedly military, 7 00:00:33,079 --> 00:00:38,119 standing waist deep and rigid in the cornfield. That old scarecrow. She 8 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:43,079 muttered to herself, that thou old scarecrow, with that thou old uniform on 9 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:47,679 to and too. The sun was going slowly just beyond the farthest hill. 10 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:53,479 The unreal light of the skies reflected colors held over the yellow waving tips of 11 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:59,119 the cornfield. Benny, She called again, Ah, Bennie, and then 12 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,520 she saw him coming toward her, trudging up the hill. She waited until 13 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:07,640 he stood in front of her supper Ben, she said, was you down 14 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,159 in the south meadow where you couldn't hear me call? Nah? He was 15 00:01:11,239 --> 00:01:14,959 young and slight, He had thick hair, and a thin face. His 16 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,760 features were small. There was nothing unusual about him. His eyes were deep 17 00:01:18,799 --> 00:01:23,079 set and long, with lids that were heavily fringed. You heard me calling 18 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,640 you? Yes, Ma? He stood there, straight and still, his 19 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:30,239 eyelids were lowered. Why an't you come along? Then? What ails? 20 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:34,000 Yo? Benny? Let me shout and shout that way nothin? Ma? 21 00:01:34,879 --> 00:01:38,200 Where was yer? He hesitated a second before answering her, I was to 22 00:01:38,239 --> 00:01:42,599 the bottom of the hill. And what was you doing down there? To 23 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,079 the bottom of the hill? What was you doing down there? Benny? 24 00:01:45,439 --> 00:01:48,920 Her voice had a hushed tenseness to it. I was watching, Ma, 25 00:01:49,519 --> 00:01:53,519 watchin, Benny, That's what I was doing. His tone held a guarded 26 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:59,120 sullenness. Tain't no such a pretty sunset, Benny, wann't watchin' no sunset? 27 00:01:59,519 --> 00:02:01,840 Benny? Well, he spoke quickly. What do you want me to 28 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:05,159 put it there for? What do you want to do that for? In 29 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,280 the first place, there was birds, Benny, You know there was birds. 30 00:02:08,879 --> 00:02:12,520 That ain't what I mean? What for do you put on that though 31 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,960 uniform? I ain't had nothing else that want nothing but your granddad's old uniform. 32 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,639 It's fair in rags Benny. It's all I had to put on to 33 00:02:20,759 --> 00:02:24,199 it. Where you've done it yourself, Nah, Benny, Nah Oka ain't 34 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,800 nothing but an old uniform with a stick into it, just to frighten off 35 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,319 them birds. Tain't nothing else, honest, tain't, Benny. He looked 36 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,960 up at her out of the corners of his eyes. He was waving its 37 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:42,479 arms. That's the wind, nah Ma, waving its arms before the wind 38 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:46,039 it come up. Shush, Bennie, tain't likely, tain't. I was 39 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:51,800 watching my seeing it wave and wave. Suppose it should beckon. Suppose it 40 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,360 should beckon to me. I'd be going then, Ma, Shush, Bennie, 41 00:02:54,599 --> 00:02:58,919 I'd fair have to go. Ma. Leave your mammy. Nh ben 42 00:02:59,199 --> 00:03:01,639 Uh. You could never go off and leave your mammy, even if you 43 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:06,000 ain't able to bear this here farm. You couldn't go off from your mammy. 44 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:09,240 You couldn't not your mob, Benny. She could see his mouth twitch, 45 00:03:09,439 --> 00:03:15,080 She saw him catch his lower lip in under his teeth. Ah say 46 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:19,080 you couldn't leave, Benny, say it. I hate this here farm, 47 00:03:19,159 --> 00:03:23,159 he mumbled, morning and night and morning in the night, nothing but chares 48 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:27,039 on earth, and then some more of them chores, and always that their 49 00:03:27,159 --> 00:03:30,120 way so it is always and the stillness, nothing, lie, nothing. 50 00:03:30,439 --> 00:03:36,199 Sometimes I ain't able to stand at no house. Sometimes you'll get to like 51 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,400 it, Laider. Maybe no, No, Ma, you will, Benny, 52 00:03:39,479 --> 00:03:43,319 Sure you will. I won't. Never. I ain't able to help 53 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,960 fretting. It's all closed up, tied inside of me, eating and eating 54 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,960 it makes me feel sick. She put out her hand and laid it heavily 55 00:03:51,039 --> 00:03:53,159 on his shoulder. Likely it's to touch a fever in the blood, Benny, 56 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:58,439 I ain't got no fever. You'll be feeling better in the morning, 57 00:03:58,479 --> 00:04:01,680 Ben, I'll be feeling the same. That's just it always the same, 58 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:06,080 nothing but the stillness, nothing alive. And now there in the cornfield that 59 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:10,439 ain't alive, Benny, ain't it. Ma, don't you say that, 60 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:14,000 Benny, don't. He took her hand off of him. I was watching, 61 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,600 he said, doggedly. I've seen it. Wave and wave. She 62 00:04:16,759 --> 00:04:20,399 turned into the house. That old scarecrow. She muttered to herself, that 63 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:25,920 the old scarecrow. She led the way into the kitchen. The boy followed 64 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,399 at her heels. A lamp was lighted on the center table. The one 65 00:04:29,399 --> 00:04:32,600 window was uncurtained, with a naked spot of it. The evening glow poured 66 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:38,399 shimmeringly into the room. Inside the doorway, they both paused. You sat 67 00:04:38,439 --> 00:04:42,160 down, Benny. He pulled a chair up to the table. She took 68 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:45,399 a steaming pot from the stove and emptied it into a plate. Placed the 69 00:04:45,439 --> 00:04:49,079 dish before him. He fell to eating silently. She came and sat opposite 70 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:53,839 him. She watched him cautiously. She did not want him to know that 71 00:04:53,959 --> 00:04:57,839 she was watching him. Whenever he glanced up, she hurried her eyes away 72 00:04:57,879 --> 00:05:01,240 from his face in the stillness. It's the only live things were those two 73 00:05:01,319 --> 00:05:05,600 pair of eyes darting away from each other. Benny. She could not stand 74 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:11,360 it any longer. Benny, just you, just you. He gulped down 75 00:05:11,399 --> 00:05:15,319 a mouthful of food. Oh, Ma, don't you start nothing, Not 76 00:05:15,439 --> 00:05:18,399 no more tonight, Ma. She half rose from her chair. For a 77 00:05:18,439 --> 00:05:23,439 second, she leaned stiffly against the table. Then she slipped back into her 78 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:27,959 seat, her whole body limp and relaxed. I ain't going to start nothing, 79 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,279 Benny. I ain't even going to talk about this here, farm. 80 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:35,439 Honest, I ain't all this here, farm. I gave the best years 81 00:05:35,439 --> 00:05:40,160 of my life to it. She spoke the words defiantly. You said that 82 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:44,040 all afore. Ma. It's true, she murmured, terrible, true. 83 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:46,160 And I've done it for you, Benny. I wanted to be giving you 84 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:50,079 something. It's all I'd got to give you. Benny. There's many a 85 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:55,360 man, Ben that's glad of his farm and grateful too. There's many that 86 00:05:55,439 --> 00:05:58,759 makes it pay. And would all do if it does pay? Ma? 87 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:02,399 Would all do then? I? I don't know, Benny. It's only 88 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,240 just beginning now. But if it does pay, Ma, what do I 89 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:11,519 do? Go away from here now, Benny, not away? What would 90 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:15,439 you go away for when it pays? After all them years I gave to 91 00:06:15,519 --> 00:06:18,680 it. His spoon clattered noisily to his plate. He pushed his chair back 92 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:23,920 from the table. The legs of it rasped loudly along the uncarpeted floor. 93 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:28,040 He got to his feet. Let's go on outside, he said, ain't 94 00:06:28,079 --> 00:06:31,079 no sense to this here talking and talking. She glanced up at him. 95 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:35,680 Her eyes were narrow and hard. All right, Benny, I'll clear up. 96 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:40,360 I'll be along in a moment, all right, Benny. He slouched 97 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:44,399 heavily out of the room. She sat where she was The set looked pressed 98 00:06:44,399 --> 00:06:48,079 on her face automatically. Her hands reached out among the dishes, pulling them 99 00:06:48,079 --> 00:06:53,000 toward her. Outside, the boy sank down on the step. It was 100 00:06:53,079 --> 00:06:57,600 getting dark. There were shadows along the ground, blue shadows in the gray 101 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:02,120 skies. One star shone brilliantly. Beyond the mist slurred summit of a hill. 102 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:06,000 The full moon grew yellow. In front of him was the slope of 103 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:11,959 wind moved cornfield, and in the center of it the dim military figure, 104 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:17,240 standing waist deep in corn His eyes fixed themselves to it, all uniform, 105 00:07:17,519 --> 00:07:23,240 with a stick in to it. He whispered the words very low, still 106 00:07:23,399 --> 00:07:29,759 standing there, still the same wooden attitude of it, his same cunning watching 107 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:31,639 of it. There was a wind. He knew it was going over his 108 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:35,639 face. He could feel the cool of the wind across his moistened lips. 109 00:07:36,399 --> 00:07:42,040 He took a deep breath down there in the shivering cornfield, standing in the 110 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:46,600 dark blue shadows. The dim figure had quivered. An arm moved, swaying 111 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:53,079 to and fro. The other arm began swaying, swaying. A tremor ran 112 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:57,439 through it. Once it pivoted. The head shook slowly from side to side. 113 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:01,879 The arms rose and fell and rose again. The head came up and 114 00:08:01,079 --> 00:08:05,519 down and rocked a bit to either side. I'm here, he muttered, 115 00:08:05,519 --> 00:08:11,439 involuntarily. Here. The arms were tossing and stretching, he thought. The 116 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:16,600 head faced in his direction. The wind had died out. The arms went 117 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,279 down and came up and reached Benny. The woman seated herself on the step 118 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:24,240 at his side. Look, he mumbled. Look. He pointed his hand 119 00:08:24,279 --> 00:08:31,000 at the dim figure shifting restlessly in the quiet, shadow saturated cornfield. Her 120 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:35,799 eyes followed after his. Oh, Benny, well, His voice was hoarse. 121 00:08:35,919 --> 00:08:37,679 It's moving, ain't it? You could see it moving for yourself, 122 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:41,519 can't you? You ain't able to say you don't see it? Are you 123 00:08:41,159 --> 00:08:46,080 the wind? She stammered? Where's the wind? Down there? Do you 124 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:50,080 feel a wind? Say? Do you feel a wind? Maybe down there? 125 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,480 The ain't no wind? Not now? They AND's movin. Ain't it? 126 00:08:54,519 --> 00:08:58,559 Say? It's moving? Ain't it? It looks like it was dancing. 127 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:03,679 So it does if it was making itself dance. His eyes were still 128 00:09:03,799 --> 00:09:09,759 riveted on those arms that came up and down, up and down and reached. 129 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:13,120 He'll stop soon now, he stuttered, it, more to himself than 130 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:16,519 to her. Then it'll be alive. I've watched it mighty often. Maybe 131 00:09:16,519 --> 00:09:20,600 it knows I watch it. Maybe that's why it moves. Oh, Benny, 132 00:09:20,159 --> 00:09:22,440 well you see it, don't you. You thought there was something the 133 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:26,159 matter with me when I come and told you how it waves and waves by. 134 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:28,840 You've seen a waving, ain't you. It's nothing, Ben, Look, 135 00:09:28,879 --> 00:09:33,399 Benny, it stopped. The two of them stared down the slope at 136 00:09:33,399 --> 00:09:37,440 the dim military figure standing rigid and waist deep in the cornfield. The woman 137 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:41,120 gave a quick sigh of relief. For several moments, they were silent, 138 00:09:41,279 --> 00:09:48,240 and somewhere in the distance came the harsh, discordant sound of bullfrogs croaking out 139 00:09:48,279 --> 00:09:52,639 in the night. A dog bayed at the golden full moon climbing up over 140 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:58,120 the hills. A bird circled between sky and earth, hovering above the cornfield. 141 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:01,519 They saw it slow descend, and then for a second they caught the 142 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:07,600 startled whirr of its wings as it flew blindly into the night. That old 143 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:11,039 scarecrow, she muttered. Suppose, he whispered, Suppose when it starts us 144 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:16,360 moving like that, Suppose someday it walks out of that cornfield, just naturally 145 00:10:16,399 --> 00:10:18,759 walks out here. To me, What then if it walks out, Benny. 146 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:22,480 That's what I'm thinking of all the time. If it takes it into 147 00:10:22,519 --> 00:10:26,000 its head to just naturally walk out here, what's going to stop it? 148 00:10:26,039 --> 00:10:30,759 If it wants to walk out after me once it starts moving that way, 149 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:35,080 what Benny couldn't do that it couldn't. Maybe it won't. Maybe it'll just 150 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:37,240 beckon first. Maybe it won't come after me, not if I go when 151 00:10:37,279 --> 00:10:41,840 it beckons. Kind of figure it'll beckon when it wants me. I couldn't 152 00:10:41,879 --> 00:10:45,919 stand the other couldn't wait for it to come out here after me. Kind 153 00:10:45,919 --> 00:10:48,399 of feel like it'll beckon when it beckons, I'll be going, Benny. 154 00:10:48,519 --> 00:10:54,120 That's sickness coming on. You take no sickness. The woman's hands were clenched 155 00:10:54,159 --> 00:10:58,559 together in a lap. I wish to God, she said, I wish. 156 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,759 I ain't never seen the day when I put that there thing up that 157 00:11:01,919 --> 00:11:05,240 their cornfield. But I ain't thought nothing like this could never happen. I 158 00:11:05,279 --> 00:11:09,679 wish to god, I ain't never seen the day. Tain't got nothing to 159 00:11:09,759 --> 00:11:13,679 do with you. His voice was very low. It's got everything to do 160 00:11:13,799 --> 00:11:16,200 with me, so it has. You said that for yourself, and you 161 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:18,840 was right, and I put it up, and I looked high and low 162 00:11:20,039 --> 00:11:22,960 the house through. Ain't that old uniform of your granddad's being the only brag 163 00:11:24,039 --> 00:11:26,360 I could lay my hands on? Was there anything else I could use? 164 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:31,200 Was there? Oh? Ma? Ain't we needed a scarecrow down there? 165 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,879 With them birds so awful bad pecking away at the corner, and pecking ain't 166 00:11:35,919 --> 00:11:41,480 your fault? Ma. There wasn't nothing else but that thou old uniform. 167 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:45,440 I wouldn't have took it otherwise. Poor Paul, so desperate, proud of 168 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,080 it, as it was him fighting for his country, and it always saying 169 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:52,480 that he was he couldn't be doing enough for his country, and that the 170 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:54,440 old uniform meant so much to him, like a part of him. I 171 00:11:54,519 --> 00:12:01,519 used to think it, and you wanting to say something, ben ah Nah. 172 00:12:01,799 --> 00:12:05,200 He wouldn't even let us be burying a minute. Put my country's flag 173 00:12:05,279 --> 00:12:07,120 next to my skin, He told us, when I die, keep the 174 00:12:07,159 --> 00:12:11,320 old uniform, just like a part of him. He thought it. Wouldn't 175 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:13,360 I've kept it, falling to piece it as it is, if there'd I've 176 00:12:13,399 --> 00:12:18,600 been anything else to put up there in that there corn field, She felt 177 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:22,720 the boy stiffened suddenly, and with him a soldier. He broke off abruptly. 178 00:12:22,679 --> 00:12:26,399 She sensed what he was about to say. How Benny, that was 179 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:30,960 different, honest it was. He weren't the only one in his family. 180 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:33,200 There was two brothers. The boy got to his feet. Why won't you 181 00:12:33,279 --> 00:12:37,440 let me go? He asked it passionately. Why do you keep me here? 182 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:39,279 You know I ain't happy? You know all the men have gone from 183 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:43,799 these here parts. You know I ain't happy. Ain't you going to see 184 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,919 how much I want to go? Ain't you able to know that I want 185 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:50,399 to fight for my country the way he did is fighting. The boy jerked 186 00:12:50,399 --> 00:12:54,559 his head in the direction of the figure standing waist deep in the cornfield, 187 00:12:54,759 --> 00:13:00,759 standing rigidly and faintly outlined beneath the haunting flood of moonlight. Nah, Benny, 188 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:03,200 you can't go. Nah? Why ma, Why do you keep saying 189 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:07,840 that? And saying it? I'm all alone, Benny. I've gave all 190 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:11,960 my best years to make the farm pay for you. You got to stay, 191 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:15,039 Benny, You got to stay on here with me. You just plain 192 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:18,960 got to. You'll be glad someday, Benny, later on, You'll be 193 00:13:18,159 --> 00:13:22,919 right glad, she saw, and thrust his hands hastily into his trouser pockets 194 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:26,799 glad. His voice sounded tired. I'll be shamed, That's what I'll be. 195 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:31,639 Nothing. Do you hear nothing but shamed? She started to her feet. 196 00:13:31,159 --> 00:13:35,080 Benny, I know of fears, shook through the words you wouldn't wouldn't 197 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:39,440 go. He waited a moment before he answered, If you ain't want me 198 00:13:39,519 --> 00:13:43,519 to go, I'll stay. God, I guess I've plane got to stay. 199 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:48,120 That's a good boy, Benny. You won't never be sorry, now, 200 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:50,919 how I promise you. I'll be making that up to you, honest 201 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,879 I will. There's lots of ways I'll he interrupted her. Only, Ma, 202 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:00,600 I won't let it come after me. If it beckons, I got 203 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:05,919 to go. She gave a sudden laugh that trailed off uncuddinly. Tin't goin 204 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:09,360 to Beckon, Benny. If it beckons, Ma, tain't goin to Benny. 205 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:13,639 It ain't nothing but the wind that moves it. It's just the wind. 206 00:14:13,759 --> 00:14:16,039 Sure, maybe you got a touch of fever. Maybe you better go 207 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:18,960 on to bed. You'll be all right in the morning. Just you wait 208 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:22,320 and see your good boy, Benny. You'll never go off and leave your 209 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:26,240 ma on the farm. You're bune lad, Benny, if it beckons, 210 00:14:26,399 --> 00:14:31,759 he repeated, and wearing mon a tone, tain't Benny, I'll be going 211 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:35,519 to bed, he said, that's it, Benny, good night, good 212 00:14:35,559 --> 00:14:39,039 night Ma. She stood there, listening to his feet thudding up the stairs. 213 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:43,000 She heard him knocking about in the room. Overhead, a door banged. 214 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:48,159 She stood quite still. There were footsteps moving slowly. A window was 215 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:52,440 thrown open. She looked up to see him leaning far out over the sill. 216 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:58,000 Her eyes went down the slope of the moonlight bathed cordonfield. Her right 217 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:05,039 hand curled itself into a fist ol scare crows. She half laughed. She 218 00:15:05,159 --> 00:15:09,159 waited there until she saw the boy draw away from the window. She went 219 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:13,000 into the house and bolted the door behind her. Then she went up the 220 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,559 narrow steps. That night, she lay awake for a long time. The 221 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:22,000 heat had grown intense. She found herself tossing from side to side of the 222 00:15:22,039 --> 00:15:24,720 small bed, the window shaded. Stuck at the top of the window, 223 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:30,240 the moonlight trickled into the room. She could see the wind framed, star 224 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:33,679 specked patches of the skies. When she sat up, she saw the round, 225 00:15:33,799 --> 00:15:39,200 reddish yellow ball of the moon. She must have dozed because she woke 226 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:43,840 with a start. She felt that she had a fearful, evil dream. 227 00:15:43,159 --> 00:15:46,120 The horror of it clung to her. The room was like an oven. 228 00:15:46,679 --> 00:15:50,200 She thought, the walls were coming together, and the ceiling pressing down. 229 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:56,080 Her body was covered with sweat. She forced herself wide awake. She made 230 00:15:56,080 --> 00:16:00,080 herself get out of the bed. She stood for a second uncertain, and 231 00:16:00,159 --> 00:16:03,080 she went to the window. Not a breath of air stirring. The moon 232 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:07,519 was high in the sky. She looked out across the hill. Down there, 233 00:16:07,519 --> 00:16:11,279 to the left the acres of the potatoes. Potatoes were paying. She 234 00:16:11,399 --> 00:16:15,759 counted on a big harvest. To the right, the wheat. Only the 235 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,960 second year for those five fields, she knew that she had done well with 236 00:16:19,039 --> 00:16:22,960 them. She thought, with a smile running over her lips, back to 237 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:26,279 the time when less than half of the place had been under cultivation. She 238 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:30,399 remembered her dreams of getting the whole of her farm in work. She and 239 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:34,799 the boy had made good. She thought of that with savage complacency. It 240 00:16:34,799 --> 00:16:38,000 had been a struggle, a bitter, hard fight, from the beginning. 241 00:16:38,279 --> 00:16:41,759 She had made good with her farm. And there down the slope, just 242 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:45,200 in front of the house, the corn field, and in the center of 243 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:52,039 it, standing waist deep in the corn the antiquated military figure. The smile 244 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:56,879 slid from her mouth. The suffocating heap was terrific, not a breath of 245 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:02,039 air. Suddenly she began to shake from air head to foot. Her eyes 246 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:07,079 wide and staring, were fixed on the moonlight white and corn field. Her 247 00:17:07,079 --> 00:17:11,920 eyes were held to the moonlight streaked figures standing in the ghostly corn moving. 248 00:17:12,319 --> 00:17:18,799 An arm swayed, swayed to and fro backwards and forwards backwards, the other 249 00:17:19,039 --> 00:17:23,799 arms swaying. A tremor ran through it. Once it pivoted. The head 250 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:29,720 shook slowly from side to side. The arms rose and fell, and rose 251 00:17:29,799 --> 00:17:33,240 again. The head came up and down and rocked a bit to either side. 252 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:40,480 Dancing, she whispered, stupidly dancing. She thought she could not breathe. 253 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:45,359 She had never felt such oppressive heat. The arms were tossing and stretching. 254 00:17:45,559 --> 00:17:48,079 She could not take her eyes from it. And then she saw both 255 00:17:48,279 --> 00:17:53,519 arms reach out, and slowly, very slowly, she saw the hands of 256 00:17:53,559 --> 00:17:59,480 them beckoning. In the silence of the room next to her, she thought 257 00:17:59,519 --> 00:18:03,839 she heard a crash. She listened intently, her eyes stuck to those reaching 258 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:07,799 arms and the hands of them that beckoned and beckoned Benny. She murmured Benny 259 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:11,839 silence. She could not think it was his talk that had done this. 260 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:17,480 Benny's talk. He had said something about it walking out, if it should 261 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:22,599 come out, moving all over like that, if its feet should start, 262 00:18:22,039 --> 00:18:26,920 if they should of a sudden begin to shuffle, shuffle out of the cornfield. 263 00:18:26,039 --> 00:18:30,319 But Benny wasn't awake, He couldn't see it. Thank God, if 264 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:37,720 only something would hold it, if only it would stop. God. Nothing 265 00:18:37,839 --> 00:18:41,960 stirred out there in the haunting moonlighted night. Nothing moved, nothing but the 266 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:47,400 figure standing waist deep in the cornfield. And even as she looked, the 267 00:18:47,519 --> 00:18:53,200 rigid military figure grew still still now but for those slow, beckoning hands. 268 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:59,559 A tremendous dizziness came over her. She closed her eyes for a second, 269 00:19:00,079 --> 00:19:03,359 and then she stumbled back to the bed. She lay there, panting. 270 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:08,759 She pulled the sheets up across her face, her shaking fingers, working the 271 00:19:08,839 --> 00:19:14,400 tops of them into a hard ball. She stuffed it between her chattering teeth. 272 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:19,279 Whatever happened, Benny mustn't hear her, She mustn't waken Benny, Thank 273 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:25,119 Heaven. Benny was asleep. Benny must never know how out there in the 274 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:30,799 white night, the hands of the figure slowly and unceasingly beckoned and beckoned. 275 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:37,279 The sight of those reaching arms stayed before her. When hours later she fell 276 00:19:37,319 --> 00:19:41,920 asleep, she still saw the slow moving, motionless hands. It was morning 277 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:47,119 when she wakened. The sun streamed into the room. She went to the 278 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:51,319 door and opened it. Benny, she called, Oh, Benny. There 279 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:55,599 was no answer, Benny. She called again, get on up, it's 280 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:59,599 late, Benny. The house was quiet. She half dressed herself and went 281 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:03,519 into a room the bed had been slept in. She saw that at a 282 00:20:03,559 --> 00:20:08,640 glance, his clothes were not there down in the field, because she'd forgotten 283 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:12,920 to wake him. In a sudden, stunning flash, she remembered the crash 284 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:17,039 she had heard. It took her a long while to get to the little 285 00:20:17,079 --> 00:20:19,680 closet behind the bed. Before she opened it, she knew it would be 286 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:25,920 empty. The door creaked open, his one hat and coat were gone. 287 00:20:26,039 --> 00:20:30,599 She had known that he had seen those two reaching arms. He had seen 288 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:36,799 those two hands that had slowly, very slowly beckoned. She went to the 289 00:20:36,839 --> 00:20:41,680 window, her eyes staring straight before her. Down the slope in front of 290 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:48,160 the house caught sight of something blue and antiquatedly military, standing waist deep and 291 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:53,960 rigid in the corn field. Your scarecrow, she whimpered, Why you standing 292 00:20:55,079 --> 00:21:03,079 there? She sobbed, What are you standing still for? On now End 293 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:06,240 of the Scarecrow by G. Ranger Warmser