The story is set in seventeenth century New England. Mother Rigby is a witch. She builds a scarecrow to protect her garden. She brings the scarecrow to life. She gives the scarecrow the appearance of a normal man. She gives him a pipe. He needs to smoke this pipe to keep himself alive. Mother Rigby names him Feathertop. She sends him into town to woo Polly Gookin. Mother Rigby does not like her father Judge Gookin. Feathertop and Polly begin to fall in love. They look into a magic mirror. Feathertop is reflected as a scarecrow, not as a man. Polly faints. Feathertop rushes back to Mother Rigby. He has been rejected by Polly. He breaks his pipe and collapses in a lifeless heap. Mother Rigby says, "There are thousands upon thousands of coxcombs and charlatans in the world, made up of just such a jumble of wornout, forgotten, and good-for-nothing trash as he was! Yet they live in fair repute, and never see themselves for what they are." She thinks that Feathertop is better off as a scarecrow.