[LISTENED TO: April 2016] The Scarecrow and His Servant
I was looking for a story that C. and I could listen to in the mornings when I drove him to school. I didn’t want it to be too long (our commute was only 15 minutes), but I wanted it to be really enjoyable.
I know Pullman from the His Dark Materials series which I loved. But I didn’t know much else by him. This story seemed unusual, to say the least, but it was a perfect length–about 3 hours–for morning drives.
The audio book was read by Graeme Malcolm, and he did an amazing job–he had a great variety of voices at his disposal and he really made the story come to life.
The story is really quite unusual. It begins with the history of the titular scarecrow. How a man made him–and gave him a lovely turnip for a head–dressed him smartly and tucked a piece of paper, to show ownership, into his jacket pocket. Pretty much straightaway, he is stolen, and then stolen again and then one more time until he is very far from home standing in a field.
And then he is struck by lightning and comes to life!
A boy, Jack, happens by and he hears the scarecrow calling out for help. Jack is happy to help so he goes off to see who needs assistance. As happens in these stories he’s not all that surprised to see a talking scarecrow, and since the scarecrow is quite confident (and delusional, sure), he bosses Jack around–asking for legs and such. Jack brings a suitable leg and when he sticks it up the scarecrows’ pants, it attaches easily. Jack helps him out of the muck and, having not much to his name, seems pretty keen on being Lord Scarecrow’s servant.
As with similar stories, the master, Lord Scarecrow, is a dumb and arrogant clown and the servant is sharp and clever. But Jack is incredibly poor and is often very hungry (the fact that his master’s head is a turnip is not an issue for Jack’s hunger until very late in the game), so he hopes for the best.
Lord Scarecrow plans to go on quests aplenty, seeking his fortune. Ultimately he wants to return to his birthplace, Spring Valley. And so he sets off on one adventure after another.
Although there are episodic adventures, there is a threat that follows them throughout the book. The threat comes from the Buffaloni family. Their presence is felt through a lawyer searching for the scarecrow. He is always one step behind our heroes, intimidating those who have just seen the pair. It turns out that the Buffalonis control nearly everything in this land. They have started pointless wars and even make poisons in the once clear waters of Spring Valley. I love how political this story is even though it is so fanciful.
But really the story is about the fun adventures of our duo.
They learn about brigands who have robbed an old woman. The old woman is one of many funny characters who defies conventional courtesy–when Jack, who is starving says that the woman’s bread and cheese looks delicious, she says, “Oh yes it is. I do love some bread and cheese.”
They stumble upon the hideout of the brigands where Jack is able to eat his full. But when the brigands return, where will Scarecrow and Jack hide? Why, right out in the open of course, where they won’t suspect. So Jack acts a little crazy and the brigands enjoy him as a pet. And then he tells a story which frightens the brigands (it’s a good one).
But they must travel one. Lord Scarecrow gets into a fight with a road sign. It’s a hilarious fight which, despite the road sign being inanimate, Lord Scarecrow almost loses. The road sign also provides Lord Scarecrow with a new arm.
When they hear of a stage performance, The Tragical Comical Pastoral History of Harlequin and Queen Dido, Lord Scarecrow must see it! But the only way they can pay for a ticket is if they offer their services. The play’s director offers Scarecrow a role as a prop. He is delighted, but doesn’t understand the fictional nature of plays and jumps in to set things right. The audience loves it but the actors are outraged.
Needing money, they head to a farm and offer their services once more. It goes pretty well until Scarecrow falls in love with a broom. Their courtship is odd and amusing until the farmer’s wife can’t take any more of Scarecrow’s guff.
Incidentally the farmer is my favorite character because he never finishes his sentences:
He’s a … well… you know?
It wouldn’t do for me to…. eh?
When he and Jack have a conversation it’s hilarious.
As they leave the farm, they meet up with an astrologer who takes their last coins and predicts their future–the Scarecrow is very impressed with this man’s misty cart (mystic arts).
One of my other favorite things and it may be the way that Malcolm reads it is when the Scarecrow is utterly insulted by someone’s behavior. The pomposity of a scarecrow shouting “How DARE You!” at a goat eating his trousers is very funny indeed.
Next they run into some soldiers. Earlier Jack said he hated the soldiers because they made him an orphan. But Lord Scarecrow want to join up. He fails the test so badly they have to make him an officer. When explaining the soldier’s tactics, another officer says they had to take everyone’s food as payment for defense. Jack says, “So if you didn’t take their food, the enemy would?”
They escape down the river and land on a deserted island. They find treasures, which does them no good if they have no food, and then they start hearing talk by the birds. Now of course, Scarecrow’ whole reason for being is to frighten birds, which he loves to do. But he is also very fair, and refuses to frighten children and even helps baby birds when they are in danger.
When they get back to Spring Valley there is a trial for ownership of all of Spring Valley. The trail is great with all kinds of phony legal terms thrown around and the layers trying to prove that Lord Scarecrow is not who he says he is because he has new parts.
I really enjoyed how pointed the barbs Pullman levels at certain targets. For they are subtle and maybe might just pass by a child reader, but they might just sink in as well. But beyond that, the story is cute and quite funny.
I enjoyed this quit a lot and do hope to read more by Pullman someday.
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