The Scarecrow and His Servant

Philip Pullman, Simon Reade

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN:
  9781840028997
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781849435345
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

Outrageously zany and filed with non-stop surprises, Simon Reade's theatrical adaptation of The Scarecrow and His Servant, renowned author Philip Pullman's fictional children's tale, is an enchanting play for young readers and performers.
Delve into the magical world of Scarecrow as you accompany him as Jack, his trusty help-mate, and together you can embark on adventures that will make your head spin.From dodging dangerous bandits and surviving terrifying shipwrecks, to soaring through the skies with wild birds, this play is a roller-coaster ride of never-ending escapades.But when the river-polluting Buffaloni tyrants catch up with you for a final showdown, who will come to your rescue and save the day?
A production of The Scarecrow and His Servant ran at the Southwark Playhouse in December 2008-January 2009.

Act One

Rural Italy.

Scarecrows. Straw bails, brooms and rakes, tin buckets, plastic water bottles etc.

SCENE 1 – LIGHTNING

Storm. Night.

Crows caw.

A boy, JACK, cowers, hidden, as the SOLDIERS march past.

Nearby, in a field, amongst all the other scarecrows, stands one SCARECROW with a big knobbly turnip for a head, a sturdy broomstick for a backbone, an old tweed suit, tattered straw hat, woollen scarf, rake handles for arms, and a pair of old gloves, stuffed tightly with straw.

Lightning. It strikes the SCARECROW – fizzing through his body.

The SCARECROW blinks with surprise – looks around. Silence.

SCENE 2 – CALM AFTER THE STORM

Distant rumble of thunder. JACK is having a nightmare:

JACK: Cannon-fire! Soldiers! Mum! Dad!

He wakes up with a start. The thrum of rain. Dawn.

Oh. Only a storm. Phew! I’m lonely. And scared. And lost. My family? Dead. My home? Burned to the ground by soldiers. Me? Starving. Could be worse, I s’pose.

From across the fields, a voice cries:

SCARECROW: Help! Come and help me!

JACK: That’s curious.

JACK heads off towards the voice.

The SCARECROW is stuck in the mud, waving his arms wildly.

SCARECROW: Help!

JACK: Have I gone mad? I know I said I was lonely…but a talking scarecrow?! (Am I imagining things?)

SCARECROW: Tell me, young man, are there any birds around? Any crows?

JACK looks all around.

JACK: No. No birds at all.

SCARECROW: Oh, that’s a relief – phew! A good job done! Now, I want to get going, but I’ve only got one leg. Could you find one?

JACK: One what?

SCARECROW: Another leg – like this one, only the opposite?

JACK: I can try.

SCARECROW: I would be much obliged.

JACK darts off to fetch a long stick

JACK: (Aside.) Curiouser and Curiouser.

He finds a stick and returns to the SCARECROW.

(To SCARECROW.) I’m not sure this is…

SCARECROW: That’ll do. Now, slide it up my inside leg.

JACK does so – and when it’s in place, it twitches.

SCARECROW: Thank you. I can manage on my own now.

JACK: (Disappointed.) Oh.

SCARECROW: Good day!

JACK (Sad.) ’Bye.

The SCARECROW tries to walk, but he is stuck in the mud. He thinks.

SCARECROW: (To himself.) Hm. Mud. (To JACK.) Young man, I have a proposition to make: here you are, an honest and willing youth; and here I am, a Scarecrow of enterprise and talent. What would you say if I offered you the position of my personal servant?

JACK: What would you want me to do?

SCARECROW: To accompany me throughout the world; To fetch and carry, to wash, cook, and attend to my needs. In return, I have nothing to offer but excitement and glory. We might sometimes go hungry, but we shall never want for adventure. Well? What do you say?

JACK (Weighing it up.) I’ve got no family, no friends, nowhere to live. And I’d do anything to get away from those soldiers… Thank you, Mr Scarecrow, I’ll take it.

SCARECROW: Your first job is to get me out of this sticky situation.

JACK lifts him up and carries him from the field to the road. They consult a signpost which says ‘Spring Valley’ in one direction, ‘Italia’ in the other.

JACK: Which way? I can’t read, master.

SCARECROW: Neither can I! In that direction there is a forest. In the other, a line of hills. Hm. To the hills!

They set off for Italia, singing:

LET’S GO 1

Let’s go (let’s go let’s go) this way!

We don’t know where we heading but we’re heading there today

A road is just a thoroughfare

Which goes from here to over there

We’re passing out from hunger

And (we’re) shrivelled up with thirs...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Introduction by Philip Pullman
• Half-title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Characters
• Act One
• Act Two