“Nonsense!” cried Santa Claus.  “Let me see it!” And with that he pulled the doll-baby out from under the Scarecrow’s coat, and patted its back, and shook it a little, and it began to cry, and then to crow.  “It’s all right,” said Santa Claus.  “This is the doll-baby I gave Betsey, and it is not at all delicate.  It went through the measles, and the chicken-pox, and the mumps, and the whooping-cough, before it left the North Pole.  Now get into the sledge, Jimmy Scarecrow, and bring the doll-baby and the crazy quilt.  I have never had any quilts that weren’t in their right minds at the North Pole, but maybe I can cure this one.  Get in!” Santa chirruped to his reindeer, and they drew the sledge up close in a beautiful curve.

“Get in, Jimmy Scarecrow, and come with me to the North Pole!” he cried.

“Please, how long shall I stay?” asked Jimmy Scarecrow.

“Why, you are going to live with me,” replied Santa Claus.  “I’ve been looking for a person like you for a long time.”

“Are there any crows to scare away at the North Pole?  I want to be useful,” Jimmy Scarecrow said, anxiously.

“No,” answered Santa Claus, “but I don’t want you to scare away crows.  I want you to scare away Arctic Explorers.  I can keep you in work for a thousand years, and scaring away Arctic Explorers from the North Pole is much more important than scaring away crows from corn.  Why, if they found the Pole, there wouldn’t be a piece an inch long left in a week’s time, and the earth would cave in like an apple without a core!  They would whittle it all to pieces, and carry it away in their pockets for souvenirs.  Come along; I am in a hurry.”

“I will go on two conditions,” said Jimmy.  “First, I want to make a present to Aunt Hannah and Betsey, next Christmas.”

“You shall make them any present you choose.  What else?”

“I want some way provided to scare the crows out of the corn next summer, while I am away,” said Jimmy.

“That is easily managed,” said Santa Claus.  “Just wait a minute.”

Santa took his stylographic pen out of his pocket, went with his lantern close to one of the fence-posts, and wrote these words upon it: 

Notice to crows

Whichever crow shall hereafter hop, fly, or flop into this field during the absence of Jimmy Scarecrow, and therefrom purloin, steal, or abstract corn, shall be instantly, in a twinkling and a trice, turned snow-white, and be ever after a disgrace, a byword and a reproach to his whole race. 
              Per order of Santa Claus.

“The corn will be safe now,” said Santa Claus, “get in.”  Jimmy got into the sledge and they flew away over the fields, out of sight, with merry halloos and a great clamour of bells.

The next morning there was much surprise at the farmhouse, when Aunt Hannah and Betsey looked out of the window and the Scarecrow was not in the field holding out his stiff arms over the corn stubble.  Betsey had told Aunt Hannah she had given away the crazy quilt and the doll-baby, but had been scolded very little.