The Scarecrow as depicted by John R. Neil
|Title||King of Oz (formerly)|
|Residence||Corn Mansion (Winkie Country)|
|Occupation||Ruler of Oz (formerly); Tin Woodman's Treasurer; Corn Farmer|
|Affiliation||Dorothy Gale, Tin Woodman, Cowardly Lion, Land of Oz|
|First Appearance||The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|
The Scarecrow was the first traveling companion Dorothy Gale and Toto discovered along her journey to the Emerald City to see the Wizard of Oz, and eventually became known as one of the cleverest citizens of the Land of Oz.
The Scarecrow's head is a small sack with eyes, nose, mouth, and ears rudely painted on it. (His eyes are not the same size, and his ears do not match.) He wears an old, pointed blue hat with a flat brim trimmed with tinkling bells. His body is a faded blue suit of clothes stuffed with straw that sticks out at the seams. A rope is tied around his waist to keep his shape. His hands are gloves padded with cotton, and his fingers are long and limp. He wears old boots with blue tops like every other Munchkin. He has a husky voice.
His disposition is so kind and considerate, obliging and honest that all who know him love him.
Because he is stuffed with straw, the Scarecrow can never get hurt, though he is awkward in his movements. He never tires, and never needs to sleep or eat. He also sees very well in the dark. The only thing he fears is fire.
The Scarecrow was made by a Munchkin farmer only two days before being discovered by Dorothy. Being informed by the local crows that he had no brain, he joined Dorothy on her journey to the Emerald City in hopes of asking the Wizard of Oz for one. After several adventures, including the destruction of the Wicked Witch of the West, the Wizard was revealed as a humbug. Nevertheless, he filled the Scarecrow's head with bran mixed with pins and needles, giving him a brand-new brain that is very sharp. Before leaving the Land of Oz in a hot air balloon, the Wizard appointed the Scarecrow to rule as king in his place. The Wizard was unable to help Dorothy return home, so the Scarecrow and his companions went with her to Glinda's Palace. After Dorothy returned to Kansas, Glinda commanded the Winged Monkeys to carry the Scarecrow to the gates of the Emerald City. (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)
The Scarecrow was deposed as king when General Jinjur organized an Army of Revolt and took over the Emerald City. He escaped on the Sawhorse, with Tip and Jack Pumpkinhead, to the castle of his good friend the Tin Woodman. On their way back to the Emerald City, they met the Queen of the Field Mice, who allowed a dozen of her subjects to accompany the Scarecrow, nestled inside his straw-filled breast. When they arrived back at the Royal Palace, the Scarecrow released the mice and frightened away his captors.
He and his companions then went to Glinda to ask for her help in conquering Queen Jinjur and her army. Glinda refused in light of the fact that only Princess Ozma was the true ruler. When Ozma was found and established on the throne, the Scarecrow went with his friend the Tin Woodman to live in the Winkie Country. (The Marvelous Land of Oz)
When Princess Ozma set out to rescue the Royal Family of Ev from the Nome King, the Scarecrow joined her party. Along the way they found Dorothy and soon arrived in the Nome Kingdom. The Nome King had transformed the Royal Family of Ev into ornaments for his palace, and he tricked the Ozites and began transforming them as well. The Scarecrow was transformed into a golden ornament, but was liberated along with everyone else by Billina the hen. At the conclusion of their successful mission the party returned to the Emerald City. (Ozma of Oz)
After many years of living in the Emerald City, the Scarecrow decided to return to his roots as a farmer. Ozma gave him some land in the Winkie Country and Jack Pumpkinhead designed a mansion for him. (The Emerald City of Oz) He also has a boat made from a hollowed corncob, decorated with brilliant jewels and with a purple silk sail. ("The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman")
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (first appearance)
- The Marvelous Land of Oz
- Ozma of Oz
- Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
- The Road to Oz
- The Emerald City of Oz
- Little Wizard Stories of Oz
In Magic Land the Scarecrow is called Strasheela.
In The Great Wishy Woz he is Manny Kin.
Peter Schulenburg provides a treatment of the Scarecrow's unique home in The Corn Mansion of Oz.
In the graphic novel adaptation the Scarecrow was a stuffed man as in the original book.
The Scarecrow appears as Fiyero in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Son of a Witch as well as the Broadway musical adaptation, but he does not appear in the third book in the trilogy, A Lion Among Men.
In Treasury of Illustrated Classics The Wizard of Oz the Scarecrow wore the same blue sleeve shirt, sneakers, jeans, and black pointed hat as the Munchkins.
In L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz: The Graphic Novel, the Scarecrow wears an orange jacket, blue jeans and brown hat instead of the usual Munchkin blue outfit.
- The Wizard of Oz (1902 stage production): Fred Stone
- The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays (1908): Frank Burns
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910): Robert Z. Leonard
- The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914): Herbert Glennon
- His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz (1914): Frank Moore
- The Wizard of Oz (1925): Larry Semon
- The Land of Oz (1932): Donald Henderson
- The Wizard of Oz (1939): Ray Bolger
- Journey Back to Oz (1974): Mickey Rooney (voice)
- The Wiz (1975): Hinton Battle
- The Wiz (1978): Michael Jackson
- Return to Oz (1985): Justin Case
- "The Wizard of Oz on Ice" (1995): Andrei Kirovi
- The Wizard of Oz (1997): Lara Teeter
- Wicked (2003): Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero Tiggular
- The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005): Kermit the Frog
- De musical The Wiz (2006): Danny Yanga as Vogelverschrikker
- The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's (VeggieTales) (2007): Mr. Lunt the Gourd
- Tin Man (2007): Alan Cumming as Glitch
- Dorothy and the Witches of Oz (2012): Ari Zigaris (in the form of Allen Denslow)