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Speaker 1: Welcome sleep tight stories. Jimmy Scarecrow's Christmas Jimmy Scarecrow led

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Speaker 1: a sad life in the winter. Jimmy's greatest grief was

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Speaker 1: his lack of occupation. He liked to be useful, and

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Speaker 1: in winter he was absolutely of no use at all.

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Speaker 1: He wondered how many such miserable winters he would have

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Speaker 1: to endure. He was a young scarecrow, and this was

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Speaker 1: his first one. He was strongly made, and although his

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Speaker 1: wooden joints creaked a little when the wind blew, he

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Speaker 1: did not grow in the least rickety. Every morning, when

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Speaker 1: the wintry sun peered like a hard yellow eye across

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Speaker 1: the dry corn stubble, Jimmy felt sad. But at Christmas

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Speaker 1: time his heart nearly broke. On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus

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Speaker 1: came in his sledge, heaped high with presents, urging his

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Speaker 1: team of reindeer across the field. He was on his

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Speaker 1: way to the farmhouse where Betsy lived with her aunt Hannah.

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Speaker 1: Betsy was a very good little girl, with very smooth

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Speaker 1: yellow curls, and she had a great many presents. Santa

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Speaker 1: Claus had a large wax dull baby before her. On

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Speaker 1: his arm tucked up against the fur collar of his coat.

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Speaker 1: He was afraid to trust it in the pack stick

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Speaker 1: get broken. When poor Jimmy Scarecrow saw Santa Claus, his

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Speaker 1: heart gave a great leap. Santa Claus, here, I am,

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Speaker 1: he cried out, but Santa Claus did not hear him.

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Speaker 1: Santa Claus, please give me a little present. I was

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Speaker 1: good all summer and kept the crows out of the corn,

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Speaker 1: pleaded the poor scarecrow in his choking voice. But Santa

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Speaker 1: Claus passed by with a merry hello and a great

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Speaker 1: clamor of bells. Then Jimmy Scarecrow stood in the corn

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Speaker 1: stubble and shook with sobs until his joints creaked. I

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Speaker 1: am of no use in the world, and everyone has

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Speaker 1: forgotten me, he moaned. But he was mistaken. The next morning,

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Speaker 1: Betsy sat at the window holding her Christmas doll baby,

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Speaker 1: and she looked out at Jimmy Scarecrow standing alone in

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Speaker 1: the field the monthst the corn stubble. Aunt Hannah, she said.

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Speaker 1: Aunt Hannah was making a crazy patchwork quilt. And she

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Speaker 1: frowned hard at a triangular piece of red silk and

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Speaker 1: a circular piece of pink wondering how to fit them together. Well,

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Speaker 1: said she. Did Santa Claus bring the scarecrow any Christmas present? No,

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Speaker 1: of course he didn't. Why not because he's a scarecrow.

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Speaker 1: Don't ask silly questions. I wouldn't like to be treated

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Speaker 1: so if I was a scarecrow, said Betsy. But her

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Speaker 1: aunt Hannah did not hear her. She was busy cutting

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Speaker 1: a triangular snip out of the round piece of pink

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Speaker 1: silk so the piece of red silk could be feather

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Speaker 1: stitched into it. It was snowing hard out of doors,

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Speaker 1: and the north wind blew. The scarecrow's poor old coat

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Speaker 1: got whiter and whiter with snow. Sometimes he almost vanished

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Speaker 1: in the thick white snow. Aunt Hannah worked until the

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Speaker 1: middle of the afternoon on her crazy quilt. Then she

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Speaker 1: got up and spread it out over the sofa with

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Speaker 1: an air of pride. There, said she. That's done, and

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Speaker 1: that makes the eighth I've got one for every bed

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Speaker 1: in the house, and I've given four away. I'd give

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Speaker 1: this away if I knew of anybody that wanted it.

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Speaker 1: Aunt Hannah put on her hood and shawl and drew

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Speaker 1: some blue yarn stockings on over her shoes and set

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Speaker 1: out through the snow to carry a slice of plum

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Speaker 1: pudding to her sister Susan, who lived down the road.

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Speaker 1: Half an hour after Aunt Hannah had gone, Betsy put

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Speaker 1: her little red plain shawl over her head and ran

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Speaker 1: across the field to Jimmy Scarecrow. She carried her new

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Speaker 1: doll baby smuggled up again to her shawl. Wish you

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Speaker 1: merry Christmas, she said. To Jimmy Scarecrow. Wish you the same,

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Speaker 1: said Jimmy, but his voice was choked with sobs and

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Speaker 1: was also muffled, for his old hat had slipped down

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Speaker 1: to his chin. Betsy looked pitifully at the old hat,

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Speaker 1: fringed with icicles like frozen tears, and the old snow

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Speaker 1: laden coat. I've brought you a Christmas present, she said,

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Speaker 1: and with that she tucked her baby doll inside Jimmy

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Speaker 1: Scarecrow's coat, sticking its tiny feet into a pocket. Thank you,

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Speaker 1: said Jimmy Scarecrow faintly. You're welcome, she said. Keep her

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Speaker 1: under your overcoat so the snow won't wet her and

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Speaker 1: she won't catch cold. She's delicate. Yes, I will, said

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Speaker 1: Jimmy Scarecrow, and he tried hard to bring one of

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Speaker 1: his stiff, outstretched arms around to clasp the doll baby.

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Speaker 1: Don't you feel cold in that old summer coat, asked Betsy.

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Speaker 1: If I had a little exercise, I should be warm,

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Speaker 1: he replied, but he shivered and the wind whistled through

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Speaker 1: his rags. Wait a minute, said Betsy, and was off

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Speaker 1: across the field. Jimmy Scarecrow stood in the corn stubble

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Speaker 1: with the doll baby under his coat and waited, And

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Speaker 1: soon Betsy was back again, with Aunt Hannah's crazy quilt

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Speaker 1: trailing in the snow behind her. Here, she said, here

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Speaker 1: is something to keep you warm, and she folded the

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Speaker 1: crazy quilt around the scarecrow and pinned it. Aunt Hannah

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Speaker 1: wants to give it away if anybody wants it, she explained.

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Speaker 1: She's got so many crazy quilts in the house now

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Speaker 1: she doesn't know what to do with them. Good Bye,

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Speaker 1: Be sure you keep the doll baby covered up, And

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Speaker 1: with that she ran across the field and left Jimmy

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Speaker 1: Scarecrow alone with the crazy quilt and the doll baby.

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Speaker 1: The bright flash of colors under Jimmy's hat brim dazzled

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Speaker 1: his eyes and he felt a little alarmed. I hope

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Speaker 1: this quilt is harmless if it is crazy, he said,

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Speaker 1: But the quilt was warm, and he dismissed his fears.

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Speaker 1: Soon the doll baby whimpered, but he creaked his joints

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Speaker 1: a little, and that amused it, and he heard it

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Speaker 1: cooing inside his coat. Jimmy Scarecrow had never felt so

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Speaker 1: happy in his life as he did for an hour

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Speaker 1: or so. But after that the snow began to turn

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Speaker 1: to rain, and the crazy quilt was soaked through and through,

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Speaker 1: and not only that but his coat and the poor

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Speaker 1: doll baby. It cried pitifully for a while, and then

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Speaker 1: it was still, and he was afraid it was dead.

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Speaker 1: It grew very dark, and the rain fell in sheets.

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Speaker 1: The snow melted, and Jimmy Scarecrow stood half way up

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Speaker 1: his old boots in water. He was saying to himself

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Speaker 1: that the saddest hour of his life had come, when

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Speaker 1: suddenly he heard Santa Claus's sleigh bells and his merry

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Speaker 1: voice talking to his reindeer. It was after midnight, Christmas

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Speaker 1: was over, and Santa was hastening home to the North Pole.

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Speaker 1: Santa Claus, Dear Santa Claus, cried, Jimmy Scarecrow with a

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Speaker 1: great sob, and that time Santa Claus heard him and

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Speaker 1: drew rein. Who's there, he shouted out of the darkness.

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Speaker 1: It's only me, replied the scarecrow. Who's me, shouted Santa Claus. Jimmy, Scarecrow.

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Speaker 1: Santa got out of his sledge and waded it up.

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Speaker 1: Have you been standing here ever since? Corn was ripe?

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Speaker 1: He asked pityingly, and Jimmy replied that he had. What's

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Speaker 1: that over your shoulders? Santa Claus continued, holding up his lantern.

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Speaker 1: It's a crazy quilt. And what are you holding under

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Speaker 1: your coat? The doll baby that Betsy gave me? And

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Speaker 1: I'm afraid it's dead. Poor Jimmy Scarecrow sobbed. Nonsense, cried

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Speaker 1: Santa Claus. Let me see it, and with that he

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Speaker 1: pulled the doll baby out from under the scarecrow's coat

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Speaker 1: and patted its back and shook it a little, and

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Speaker 1: it began to cry and then to crow. It's all right,

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Speaker 1: said Santa Claus. This is the doll baby I gave Betsy,

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Speaker 1: and it is not at all delicate. It went through

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Speaker 1: the measles and the chicken pox and the mumps and

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Speaker 1: the hooping cough before it even left the North Pole.

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Speaker 1: Now get in the sledge, Jimmy Scarecrow, and bring the

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Speaker 1: doll baby and the crazy quilt. I have never had

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Speaker 1: any quilts that weren't in their right minds at the

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Speaker 1: North Pole, but maybe I can cure this one. Get in,

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Speaker 1: Santa chirruped to his reindeer, and they drew the sled

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Speaker 1: up close in a beautiful curve. Get in, Jimmy Scarecrow,

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Speaker 1: and come with me to the North Pole, he cried. Please,

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Speaker 1: how long shall I stay? Asked Jimmy Scarecrow. Why you

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Speaker 1: are going to live with me, replied Santa Claus. I've

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Speaker 1: been looking for a person like you for a long time.

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Speaker 1: Are there any crows to scare away in the North Pole?

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Speaker 1: I want to be useful, Jimmy Scarecrow said anxiously. No,

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Speaker 1: answered Santa Claus. But I don't want you to scare

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Speaker 1: away crows. I want you to scare away Arctic explorers.

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Speaker 1: I can keep you in work for a thousand years,

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Speaker 1: and scaring away Arctic explorers from the North Pole is

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Speaker 1: much more important than scaring away crows from corn. Why

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Speaker 1: if they found the there wouldn't be a piece an

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Speaker 1: inch long left in a week's time, and the earth

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Speaker 1: would cave in like an apple without a core. They

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Speaker 1: would whittle it all to pieces and carry it away

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Speaker 1: in their pockets for souvenirs. Come along, I'm in a hurry.

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Speaker 1: I will go on two conditions, said Jimmy. First, I

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Speaker 1: want to make a present to Aunt Hannah and Betsy

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Speaker 1: next Christmas. You shall make them any present you choose.

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Speaker 1: What else? I want some way provided to scare the

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Speaker 1: crows out of the corn next summer while I am away,

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Speaker 1: said Jimmy. That is easily managed, said Santa Claus. Just

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Speaker 1: wait a minute. Santa took his pen out of his pocket,

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Speaker 1: went with his lantern close to one of the fence posts,

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Speaker 1: and wrote these words upon it. Notice to crows, whichever

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Speaker 1: crow shall hereafter hop, fly or flop into this field

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Speaker 1: during the absent of Jimmy, scarecrow, and therefore poor loin

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Speaker 1: steel or abstract corn, shall be instantly in a twinkling

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Speaker 1: and a trice turned snow white, and be ever after

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Speaker 1: a disgrace, a byword, and a reproach to his whole race.

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Speaker 1: Per order of Santa Claus, the corn will be safe now,

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Speaker 1: said Santa Claus. Get in, Jimmy got into the sled,

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Speaker 1: and they flew away over the fields, out of sight,

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Speaker 1: with merry hellos and a great clamor of bells. The

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Speaker 1: next morning, there was much surprise at the farmhouse when

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Speaker 1: Aunt Hannah and Betsy looked out of the window and

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Speaker 1: the scarecrow was not in the field, holding out his

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Speaker 1: stiff arms over the corn stubble. Betsy had told Aunt

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Speaker 1: Hannah she had given away the crazy quilt and the

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Speaker 1: doll baby, but had been scolded very little. You must

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Speaker 1: not give away anything of yours again without asking permission,

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Speaker 1: said Aunt Hannah. And you have no right to give

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Speaker 1: away anything of mine, even if you know I don't

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Speaker 1: want it. Now, both my pretty quilt and your beautiful

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Speaker 1: doll baby are spoiled. That was all Aunt Hannah had said.

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Speaker 1: She thought she would send John after the quilt and

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Speaker 1: the doll baby next morning, as soon as it was light.

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Speaker 1: But Jimmy scarecrow was gone, and the crazy quilt and

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Speaker 1: the doll baby with him. John the servant man searched everywhere,

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Speaker 1: but not a trace of them could he find. They

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Speaker 1: must have all blown away, ma'am, He said to Aunt Hannah,

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Speaker 1: we shall have to have another scarecrow next summer, she said.

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Speaker 1: But the next summer there was no need of a scarecrow,

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Speaker 1: for not a crow came past the fence post on

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Speaker 1: which Santa Claus had written his notice to crows. The

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Speaker 1: cornfield was never so beautiful, and not a single grain

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Speaker 1: was stolen by a crow, And everybody wondered at it,

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Speaker 1: for they could not read the crow language in which

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Speaker 1: Santa had written. It is a great mystery to me

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Speaker 1: why the crows don't come into our cornfield when there

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Speaker 1: is no scarecrow, said Aunt Hannah. But she had a

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Speaker 1: still greater mystery to solve when Christmas came round again.

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Speaker 1: Then she and Betsy had each a strange present. They

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Speaker 1: found them in the sitting room on Christmas morning. Aunt

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Speaker 1: Hannah's present was her old crazy quilt, remodeled with every

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Speaker 1: piece cut square and true and matched exactly to its neighbor.

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Speaker 1: Why it's my old crazy quilt, but it isn't crazy now,

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Speaker 1: cried Aunt Hannah, and her very spectacles seemed to glisten

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Speaker 1: with amazement. Betsy's present was her doll baby of the

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Speaker 1: Christmas before, but the doll was a year older. She

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Speaker 1: had grown an inch and could walk and say mamma

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Speaker 1: and how do. She was changed a good deal, but

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Speaker 1: Betsy knew her at once. It's my doll. Baby. She

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Speaker 1: cried and snatched her up and kissed her. But neither

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Speaker 1: Aunt Hannah nor Betsy ever knew that the quilt and

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Speaker 1: the doll were Jimmy Scarecrow's Christmas presents to them.