---
title: "The Brave Little Scarecrow"
description: "A small scarecrow worries that he is not tall enough to help in the cornfield. When birds keep landing near the seedlings, he asks the owl, the mice, and the farmer for ideas. Together they make bright ribbons that flutter in the breeze, and the little scarecrow finds his place on the farm."
tags: ["Farm Adventures", "bravery", "confidence", "perseverance", "acceptance", "preschoolers", "kindergarteners", "early-readers", "adventure", "read-aloud", "classroom", "worry", "jealousy", "TheLittleScarecrowsBigAdventure", "BraveLittleScarecrow", "PeskyCrows", "FarmLife", "AnimalFriends", "ProtectingTheFarm", "ProvingYourself", "NewFoundConfidence"]
language: en
source: "Stories for Kids"
url: https://www.stories4kids.net/stories/farm-adventures/the-brave-little-scarecrow/
---

# The Brave Little Scarecrow

_A Tale of Finding Confidence and Helping the Farm_

A small scarecrow worries that he is not tall enough to help in the cornfield. When birds keep landing near the seedlings, he asks the owl, the mice, and the farmer for ideas. Together they make bright ribbons that flutter in the breeze, and the little scarecrow finds his place on the farm.

Category: Farm Adventures

Topics: Farm Adventures, Bravery, Confidence, Perseverance, Acceptance, Preschoolers, Kindergarteners, Early Readers, Adventure, Read Aloud, Classroom, Worry, Jealousy, The Little Scarecrows Big Adventure, Brave Little Scarecrow, Pesky Crows, Farm Life, Animal Friends, Protecting The Farm, Proving Yourself, New Found Confidence

## Story

## The Little Scarecrow

On a quiet farm beside a golden cornfield stood a small scarecrow named Pip. He had button eyes, straw hands, and a bright red hat that slipped over one ear whenever the wind blew.

![Illustration: The Little Scarecrow](../../../assets/stories/farm-adventures/the-brave-little-scarecrow-1.png)

The other scarecrows were tall. Their hats were wide. Their coats flapped loudly.

Pip's coat made only a soft whisper.

"I am too small for this field," he said one morning.

Just then, three crows landed near the young corn shoots and pecked at the loose soil.

Farmer Nia clapped from the path. "Shoo, friends. Those rows need time to grow."

The crows lifted away, but Pip wished he could help before Farmer Nia had to leave her work.

## Setting Out on an Adventure

That evening, Pip waited until the moon rose over the barn. A barn owl glided to the fence and folded her wings.

![Illustration: Setting Out on an Adventure](../../../assets/stories/farm-adventures/the-brave-little-scarecrow-2.png)

"Good evening, Pip," said the owl. "Why are you frowning?"

"The crows do not notice me," Pip said. "I am not tall."

"Tall is only one way to be noticed," said the owl. "What else moves in the field?"

Pip looked around. Corn leaves rustled. His red hat bobbed. A loose ribbon on the gate fluttered in the breeze.

"The wind moves things," Pip said.

"Then ask for something the wind can move," said the owl.

## The Little Scarecrow Makes New Friends

Near the pumpkin patch, a family of field mice was gathering dry leaves for bedding. Pip called softly so he would not startle them.

![Illustration: The Little Scarecrow Makes New Friends](../../../assets/stories/farm-adventures/the-brave-little-scarecrow-3.png)

"Could you help me find bright scraps?" he asked. "The owl says the wind can help."

"Bright scraps?" asked a mouse named Mina. "We saw some by the sewing basket on the porch."

In the morning, Farmer Nia found Pip leaning toward the porch with three mice sitting nearby.

"What is this meeting about?" she asked.

Pip could not speak to people in the daytime, but Mina squeaked and pointed at the ribbon on the gate.

Farmer Nia understood at once. "You want streamers for the corn rows."

She fetched old cloth strips in red, yellow, and blue. Then she tied them safely to light garden stakes near Pip's post.

## The Little Scarecrow Overcomes Obstacles

The first ribbons hung too low. They brushed the corn leaves and tangled around the stakes.

![Illustration: The Little Scarecrow Overcomes Obstacles](../../../assets/stories/farm-adventures/the-brave-little-scarecrow-4.png)

"Hmm," said Farmer Nia. "That will not do."

She moved each stake a little higher. The owl watched from the fence. The mice carried fallen knots of string back to the porch.

Then the breeze came.

Flutter, flutter, flutter.

Pip's red hat bobbed. The cloth strips danced all around him.

"Now the field is moving with you," said the owl.

Pip stood as straight as his small post allowed.

## The Little Scarecrow Notices Trouble

The next morning, the crows returned. They landed on the fence and studied the field.

![Illustration: The Little Scarecrow Discovers the Problem](../../../assets/stories/farm-adventures/the-brave-little-scarecrow-5.png)

"Caw?" said one crow.

The ribbons snapped and shimmered. Pip's coat whispered. His hat tipped and bounced.

The crows hopped closer, then stopped. The field looked different today: bright, busy, and full of motion.

One crow flew to the pasture instead. Another followed. The third stayed on the fence a moment longer, then glided away too.

Pip did not shout. He did not chase. He simply stood with the moving colors around him.

Farmer Nia came out after breakfast and checked the corn shoots.

"Much better," she said. "Thank you, Pip."

## Ribbons in the Cornfield

All week, the ribbons fluttered whenever the breeze crossed the field. The crows still visited the farm, but they chose the pasture insects and the wild berry hedge instead of the corn rows.

![Illustration: Pip Watches the Ribbons Flutter in the Cornfield](../../../assets/stories/farm-adventures/the-brave-little-scarecrow-6.png)

Pip liked the sound of the cloth.

Flutter meant the wind was awake.

Rustle meant the corn leaves were growing.

Squeak meant Mina and the mice were passing through the pumpkins below.

"You look cheerful today," said the owl one evening.

"I sound cheerful," said Pip. "Listen."

The ribbons answered for him.

## The Little Scarecrow Earns Respect

By midsummer, the corn stood taller than Pip. Farmer Nia tied one more blue ribbon to his sleeve so he could still be seen among the green leaves.

![Illustration: The Little Scarecrow Earns Respect](../../../assets/stories/farm-adventures/the-brave-little-scarecrow-7.png)

"There," she said. "A little more sky for you."

Pip looked across the field at the tall scarecrows. Their coats flapped. His ribbons fluttered.

They were different sounds, but they belonged to the same farm.

That night, the owl settled nearby.

"Still feel too small?" she asked.

Pip thought about Farmer Nia, the mice, the ribbons, and the corn rustling safely around him.

"No," he said. "I feel right for my row."