Harold the Scarecrow

* Book
* Film

**Harold the Scarecrow** is the main antagonist of the tenth story from Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill your Bones, Harold.

## History

### Harold

During one boring day, Thomas, a farmer, gets an idea to make an human sized scarecrow. Alfred, a farmer that Thomas works with, decides to base the scarecrow off of Harold, a farmer that both of the men hated. The two men gave the scarecrow Harold's features as well as his name, and they'd place him on a pole outside each morning before taking him back inside so he wouldn't get ruined.

One of the men would often mockingly talk to Harold, while the other would pretend to be him by talking in a crazy voice as if they were Harold. The men also abused Harold commonly, either yelling at him or harming him physically, even going so far as smearing their food on Harold whenever they were sick of eating it. After Thomas had smeared his food on Harold during one night, Harold grunted, causing disbelief and confusion among the men, Thomas suggested burning Harold by three him in a fire, but Alfred argued with this, instead choosing to watch Harold for the time being.

Thomas and Alfred left Harold in the corner of the hut, no longer talking to him or taking him him outside, Harold grunted occasionally but never did anything else, and after a while, they thought there was nothing to be afraid of and the a mouse or insect had been making the noises. The two eventually went back to their own ways and abusive him once more, but they would notice the Scarecrow growing one night, which caused disbelief and confusion upon the farmers once again. Harold stood up the next morning and climbed on top of the hut, walking back and forth the entire day. Harold climbed off the building the next day and stand in the far corner of the pasture.

Alfred and Thomas, now afraid of Harold, decided to bring the cows on the farm down to the valley the same day Harold climbed down the hut, Harold however, was nowhere to be seen. Thomas later came back to the hut to obtain the milk stools that Alfred and him forgot, but he would be killed by Harold. When Alfred came looking for Thomas, he witnessed Harold on the roof of the hut kneeling down and stretching Thomas' bloody skin to dry out in the sun.

### Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (film)

Harold is instead created by Mrs. Milner in this film, the mother of Tommy Milner, who is shown abusing Harold with his gang by smashing beer bottles against his face. Tommy and his gang soon leave Harold but before leaving him, Tommy commands one of his Friends to give him a baseball bat, to which he insults Harold and beats him with the bat. Tommy later comes home the same night and is demanded by his mother to deliver eggs to the Wolverton family, as Tommy walks through his family's cornfield, he encounters Harold and insults Harold once more before resuming with his task. Tommy later becomes paranoid of Harold stalking him due to Harold appearing in different areas of the cornfield before coming face to face with him, Tommy, who is now laying on the floor in fear, witnesses Harold moving and shifting his body, Tommy then stands up and sees Harold marching towards him. Tommy attempts to flee in a now panicked state with Harold chasing him before Tommy trips over a pitchfork, Tommy picks up the pitchfork and shoves the pitchfork in Harold's abdomen. Harold is unfazed by this however, and he swiftly removes the pitchfork out of his chest and stabs Tommy in the back, transforming him into a scarecrow and killing him in the process.

## General information

### Physical appearance

Harold is an obese scarecrow with long hair and a body covered with multiple stitches. Harold wears a chessboard patterned long-sleeve button-up shirt and jeans. Harold's appearance is based off a farmer named Harold, a man which Thomas and Alfred both hated. Due to his appearance being based off this farmer, the scarecrow has physical features similar to Harold, such as having a pointy nose and small eyes. Harold also has dark hair and a twisted frown in the book, as well as having a hole in his torso in the film.

## Gallery

### Merchandise

A Harold Funko PopAn 8-inch action figure of Harold by Mego.A Harold mask by Trick or Treat Studios
## Trivia

* Harold was ranked as the 2nd scariest monster in the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark film on WatchMojo's ranking of the monsters in the film.
* Mark Steger, the actor of Harold in the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark film, also portrays the Pale Lady in the film.