🌾 Pumpkin and the Lonely Scarecrow

In the middle of a wheat field stood a scarecrow named Mr. Hay. He had a straw hat, a patched coat and a painted smile. But he felt lonely, standing there all day.

One morning, a fluffy orange cat called Pumpkin wandered through the field. The wind made the wheat whisper all around her. "Hello up there," she called.

"Hello," said Mr. Hay, surprised. "Nobody ever talks to me. The crows fly away when they see me, and the farmer only comes by at harvest time."

"That sounds lonely," said Pumpkin. She climbed up the wooden post and sat on his shoulder. "I'll keep you company."

Every day after that, Pumpkin visited Mr. Hay. She told him about the farmhouse, the cows and the ducks. He told her about the sunrises he watched every morning and the shapes he saw in the clouds.

One day, a little crow landed nearby. It looked at the scarecrow, then at the cat, and tilted its head. "You two look friendly," it cawed. "Can I join you?" Mr. Hay's painted smile seemed to grow even bigger.

Soon there were lots of visitors: a field mouse, two rabbits and the little crow. They all sat around Mr. Hay's post in the evenings, watching the sun go down.

"I'm not lonely anymore," said Mr. Hay. Pumpkin purred on his shoulder. "Friends just need someone to say hello first," she said.