Worzel Gummidge

Spending their summer holidays with Farmer Braithwaite and his wife in Scatterbrook, John and Susan come across a particularly lifelike scarecrow in a nearby field. That evening, much to the children's surprise, the scarecrow makes an appearance in the Braithwaites' kitchen to warm himself by the fire. He is Worzel Gummidge and he is no ordinary scarecrow. His tendency to cause mayhem wherever he goes sparks a series of mishaps and adventures, often with hilarious results.

With his turnip head and broomstick legs, Worzel Gummidge, now married to Earthy Mangold, is back for another series of adventures. In his own inimitable way, Worzel takes on roles as a schoolteacher, handyman and policeman, each with a chaotic outcome. The second of the Barbara Euphan Todd Worzel novels, Worzel Gummidge Again was first published in 1937.

John and Susan are back at Scatterbrook for the Easter holidays. Worzel, temporarily residing in the orchard, is up to his old tricks once again. Together the scarecrow and children embark on all sorts of escapades, which include Worzel getting stuck in a chimney and becoming a star attraction at the visiting circus. First published in 1938, More About Worzel Gummidge is the third of the Worzel novels by Barbara Euphan Todd.

When Worzel hears that John and Susan have gone on holiday to the seaside, he decides that he and Earthy Mangold should join them. In the town of Seashell he finds a kindred spirit in the ship's figurehead, Saucy Nancy, and many dramas follow, including one in which Earthy Mangold is swept out to sea. This is the fourth in the series of Barbara Euphan Todd's Worzel Gummidge novels and it dates from 1947.

John and Susan are back at Scatterbrook - this time in May, though that makes little difference to the havoc caused by Worzel Gummidge and his fellow scarecrows, Earthy Mangold and Hannah Harrow. Unfortunate results ensue from their antics, including a swarm of bees invading the living room of Mrs. Bloomsbury-Barton. Worzel also has a go at flying before coming down to earth with a crash. First published in 1949, this is the fifth in the series of Barbara Euphan Todd's Worzel Gummidge novels.