Strawman

The scarecrow dates back over 3000 years, created – as the name suggests – to scare away birds from eating the grains and crops of farmers past. In a small town in Iowa, just such a scarecrow appeared at the edge of a farmers field. The only problem was, the farmer didn’t erect this scarecrow – and no one lived within 10 miles of his farm. Thinking it was a prank, the farmer tore it down and disposed of it in the woodpile. The very next day, there the scarecrow again stood, at the edge of his field. This time, the farmer burned the scarecrow, leaving nothing but smoldering ashes.  

The following day, the farmer woke up to a noise outside. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it… Peering from his window he saw them – thousands of crows, swarming his crops! He ran outside and fired a shot into the air. As the crows dispersed into the sky, the sunlight created a temporary shade among the land. In their shadows, the scarecrow again stood, at the edge of the field..  

The farmer moved away, never to return – and to this day the “strawman” stands..